Why do so many people enjoy cosy mysteries? Faith Martin. L J Ross and J R Ellis have excelled in this category (and many others). I’ve decided to have a go. I hope to bring you a six-book series in 2026/27, with a main character, Pansy Paget, who is a bookshop owner in a small market town called Sham. In the first book, ‘The Bitter Truth’, a well-known author dies at a book signing event. His new book promised to reveal secrets from the town’s past.
There are no front cover images for the series yet, but it won’t come as a surprise that Sham is a thinly-disguised Melksham, the place I’ve called home since 1950. For consistency, Corsham – five miles away- was where I was born and where we lived from 1945. There are no ‘secrets from the town’s past’ for me to reveal, but the series will give me a chance to feature some of the places that have created so many great memories for me.
The building above, was the Reading Rooms from Victorian times until the late 60s. In other local towns these buildings were known as Literary Institutes, and most had a similar layout. Books from floor to ceiling downstairs, and billiards tables upstairs. My first league snooker match in 1966 was played upstairs, and when we went for a drink afterwards, it was to the Liberal Club next door. You can see part of the Club’s white gate & the entry to the car park.
Victorian gentlemen joined places like this with the excuse that they were broadening their mind by reading, but I reckon billiards, and later snooker, were the bigger draw. At least their wives and girlfriends knew they weren’t drinking alcohol on the premises – they were intended to be alcohol-free, and that was the case in Melksham until the day it closed. The building has been used as office accomodation from time to time since then.
The Reading Rooms had two billiards tables, but as the 60s came to a close only one was playable. The high vaulted ceiling needed costly repairs and the table at the rear of the building had what looked like cress covering the very damp baulk area!
I’ll be back in 2026 with another glimpse at The Reading Rooms Mysteries and the Sham’s colourful residents.
BREAKING NEWS will keep you aware of the promos that Vinci Books has organised.
Happy Christmas to one & all.
Ted Tayler