6 JANUARY 2007, page 22

Magic In The Gulf Of Finland

Philip Hensher A WINTER BOOK: SELECTED STORIES by Tove Jansson Sort of Books, £6.99, pp. 192, ISBN 0954899520 © £5.59 (plus £2.45 p&p) 0870 429 6655 Tove Jansson's The Summer......

The Mysterious Sign Of Three

Andrew Taylor WASH THIS BLOOD CLEAN FROM MY HANDS by Fred Vargas, translated by Sian Reynolds Harvill Secker, £11.99, pp. 388, ISBN 1843432730 © £9.59 (plus £2.45 p&p) 0870 429......

Pooter Crossed With Wooster

Hugh Massingberd THE ADVENTURES OF MR THAKE by J. B. Morton Old Street Publishing £9.99, pp. 194, ISBN 1905847033 © £7.99 (plus £2.45 p&p) 0870 429 6655 J. B. Morton, a bluff......