I was thrilled on Friday when the new John Connolly Charlie Parker arrived. I’ve reread the whole series over lockdown, and reminded myself how much I love it, so when Connolly said he was doing tote bags and signed editions to encourage people to order from bricks and mortar shops, I decided to pre-order my copy from Belfast shop No Alibis. It arrived with both this gorgeous tote and a signed postcard, and unlike recent Parker outings, which have been getting longer and longer (the last one was so big I had to keep putting it down for the sake of my wrists), this was the perfect length for a lazy Saturday. I managed not only to read it all, but equally to knock off a quick cross-stitch inspired by my favourite characters…

EDIT: John Connolly liked my tweet and posted a really lovely reply, so that’s my weekend / year made: