#she was genuinely so excited because she loves agatha Christie and I was like girl I get it!!!

[cissa-calls]

Shoutout to the girl who saw my Agatha (All Along TM) popsocket and said: “Is that Agatha as in Agatha Christie?” And I HOWLED BECAUSE WHAT AN ANSWER I LOVED IT

[saiilorstars]

The Beginning of Everything

Ch. 20: The Unicorn, the Wasp and the Golden Girl

// Story Masterlist //

Fandom: Doctor Who

Pairing: Female OC x 10th Doctor

(OC Renata’s Face claim: Marjorie de Sousa) (Gabby’s face claim: Victoria Moroles)

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Chapter Summary: The idea was to attend a nice, relaxing party in the 1920s, but instead the group get an alien bee and a thief. Still, it's one of the few times that the Doctor sees Renata genuinely excited over a trip...she gets to work with an author she admires, Agatha Christie!

"The 1920s? Are we really going to the 1920s?" Gabby followed Renata around the TARDIS wardrobe room like a lost puppy. "New York!?"

Renata scoffed very uncharacteristically. "I think not. I specifically told the Doctor you were not allowed there."

Gabby's pout resembled that of a child being told 'no'. "Why not?"

"Because I've been there…" Renata began looking through a rack of 20s clothing, "...and it is not a place for you. It's full of alcohol and violence and humans are very susceptible to it."

"But there was prohibition there!"

Renata scoffed again. "And you really think that was the end of it? Ever heard of speakeasies?"

Gabby's face lit up at the mention of the family establishments. "Yes!"

"Not gonna happen!"

Gabby pouted again. "Dammit!"

"Language," Renata calmly reminded while she looked through a few dresses.

Gabby moped as she moved around a few racks herself. "So if we're not going to New York in the 20s, where are we going?"

~0~

The Doctor was getting impatient with his friends. Yes he was aware that he wasn't the most patient man as it was but he felt like this time it was appropriate. There he stood outside the TARDIS, in front of a beautiful home and no one was there with him. "Would you hurry up?" he banged on the TARDIS doors. "We'll be late for cocktails!"

Donna was the first to poke her head out and reveal a nice, black and orange dress on her that hung a few inches above her knees. Her ginger curls we're nearly tucked into a small low bun. "What do you think? Flapper or slapper?"

"Flapper. You look lovely," the Doctor gestured her to come on out already and was relieved to catch Renata and Gabby's forms coming out from the corridors. "We're going to be late!"

"We're not even invited!" Renata shouted just as they'd come out.

"You want to shout that a little louder?" Donna pointer over her shoulder where the party was going on.

"Sorry," Renata did apologize before setting her eyes on the Doctor. "And you...are you sure coming to an elegant home is the way to stay down-low?"

"Mhm, yup," he answered fairly fast. His attention was mostly on her choice of dress.

She had chosen a white-gold dress with a mermaid scale pattern with golden fringe down the waist. The gold outlined each scale pattern as well as the hemline of the sweetheart neckline. Her usual long hair was tucked someway that made it her hair seemed like it a true 1920s haircut. Her face was brightened with a light, natural makeup.

She looked absolutely beautiful.

The Doctor was reminded of her 1913 look and wouldn't you know it? It brought up the same feelings - he didn't even realize he still had them. What was he supposed to do with them? Get rid of them, what else!? They were itty-bitty things that were so irrelevant he shouldn't even pay attention to them.

That's the plan! Now let's execute it...

"Oh wow, this is a really big house!" Gabby's excitement pulled the Doctor's attention. She was staring at the two-story house across from them with a gaping mouth. Her sapphire blue flapper dress twirled as she spun to look at every single detail of the garden.

"Hey, I helped you put that hair into a bun - don't ruin it!" Renata called in exasperation. She had properly placed Gabby's hair into a sophisticated bun and even stuck one of those black and blue feathers Gabby swore the movies always had. "Gabriella!"

Gabby stopped spinning but she laughed at Renata's face. Her face went red way too easy! "Sorry."

"Well how about instead of staring at the house we actually go to the party?" Donna sarcastically gestured towards the back garden. Here they were wasting time just staring.

"Sounds good to me!" Gabby laughed and took the lead, despite not really knowing where she was going.

"Gabriella, hold on!" Renata called but Gabby didn't listen.

"Ah let her go, it's more interesting this way," the Doctor grinned. He held her arm for Renata to take and despite her initial reluctance, she linked her arm through his.

"I guess I'll just go solo," Donna quietly though she said it with a smile. It was just too funny sometimes.

Gabby was the first one to reach the lawn and when she did she was mesmerized. There were a few tables lining the area, each full of snacks and refreshments. A few servants were finishing up setting the last of the food on the tables. There was a record player set at the right, playing soothing background music. It was all so real.

Gabby was beaming.

"Good afternoon!" the Doctor happily greeted the staff.

"I'm beginning to think that Gabriella really should have taught you the definition of 'down low' instead of me," Renata whispered to him. Gabby thought it was important for Renata to start learning more about humans and their daily vocabulary, but Renata honestly thought slang words were horrendous. Why butcher up words when there was a proper word to use instead? Like 'down low'. What even was that? Gabby had a good time explaining to Renata what the words meant, even crossing into the 'low key' territory where Renata completely got lost.

"Drink, sir? Madam?" one of the waiters, Davenport, came up to the pair.

Donna was quick to put herself beside Renata to order. "Sidecar, please!"

Gabby turned as well, still overly excited, "Oh and I want-"

"-something without alcohol," Renata finished for her. "And same for me."

"Lime and soda, thank you," the Doctor went last.

Gabby huffed at Renata. "You're my friend, not my mother!"

"But you're still not 21. Plus, you're going to want to remember this," Renata made a gesture to the garden.

Just as Gabby was about to respond, one of the waiters, Greeves, made an announcement for the group. "May I introduce Lady Clemency Eddison."

A petite, blonde woman dressed fancily arrived at the scene with a flashy smile. She soon spotted the group but unlike Renata who was already feeling nervous of their uninvited presence, the Doctor was eager to meet her.

"Lady Eddison!" he shook the woman's hand like he was talking to an old friend.

Lady Eddison looked at him for a couple seconds while she tried to place him. "Excuse me, but who exactly might you be…and what are you doing here?"

"I'm the Doctor," he answered easily.

"And I'm Gabby!" Gabby was just as excited at the Doctor when she pushed her way beside him to shake Lady Eddison's hand too.

"We're about to be thrown out," Renata brought a hand to her forehead and sighed.

"Just go with it," Donna nudged her on the side before moving up to introduce herself next. "And I'm Donna Noble."

"Renata Cartwright," the Time Lady weakly said afterwards. She was calling this trip over now.

The Doctor flashed his psychic paper in front of Lady Eddison's face. "We were thrilled to receive your invitation, my lady. We met at the ambassador's reception."

There was an immediate 'recognition' in the woman's face, one that utterly disgusted Renata.

How fake, she thought.

"Doctor, how could I forget you? But one must be sure with the Unicorn on the loose!"

Gabby gasped so deeply that those around her stopped to look at her. "A unicorn!? Are there real unicorns here!?" she started spinning around to catch sight of the unicorn until Renata forced her to stop, but by that time Gabby was a bit dizzy.

"Uh, the Unicorn. The jewel thief?" Lady Eddison clarified, though her gaze lingered on Gabby for a second. "And nobody knows who he is. He's just struck again. Snatched Lady Babbington's pearls right from under her nose."

"Funny place to keep pears," Donna mumbled to Gabby and quietly snickered together.

"May I announce the Col Hugh Curbishley, the Hon Roger Curbishley!"

The trio then saw a young man pushing an older man in a wheelchair towards the party.

"My husband. And my son," Lady Eddison moved to join them just as they arrived.

"Forgive me for no rising. Never been the same since the flu epidemic back in '18," the older man, Hughes, laughed.

"My word! You are a super lady!" the younger man, Roger, exclaimed at Renata.

The woman seemed at a cross between amusement and confusion. "Um...thank you?"

"I''m the Doctor," the Doctor cut in to shake hands with Roger.

"How do you do?"

"Very well, thanks."

Davenport walked up with Roger with drinks on a tray. "Your usual, sir."

Roger took one of the glasses from the tray. "Ah, thank you, Davenport. Just how I like it."

Donna lightly tapped the Doctor's arm. "How come she's an Eddison but her husband and son are Curbishleys?"

"The Eddison title descends through her. One day Roger will be a Lord."

"That can't end well," Renata said. She got a ditzy vibe from the son.

"Miss Robina Redmond," the same waiter announced again.

A young dark haired woman walked up to the party in a confident stride. Even her smirk promised a party.

"She's the absolute hit of the social season. A must," Lady Eddison said as she moved to personally greet the woman. "Miss Redmond!"

Robina seemed to love the attention. "Spiffing to meet you at last, my lady!"

Another guest arrived and turned out to be a Reverend, Arnold Golightly.

"Ah, Reverend! How are you?" Lady Eddison greeted him personally as well. "I heard about the church last Thursday night, those ruffians breaking in."

"You apprehended them, I hear," Hugh added.

"As the Christian fathers taught me, we must forgive them their trespasses," Golightly said. "Quite literally.

"Some of these young boys deserve a decent thrashing," Rogers declared.

Davenport happened to pass by and momentarily stopped by him. "Couldn't agree more, sir." They seemed to share a moment of mutual stare.

"Typical. All the decent men are on the other bus," Donna muttered, making Gabby chuckle.

"Or Time Lords," the Doctor thought to add, making Renata playfully roll her eyes.

"Oh stop it you two," she said.

"Now my lady, what about this special guest you promised us?" Golightly inquire once a the others guests were settled.

Lady Eddison was proud as she made a gesture towards an incoming woman. "Here she is. A lady who needs no introduction."

Everyone began to applaud as a woman joined the party, though unlike Robina this woman seemed more humble as she smiled at them.

"Oh, no. Please don't. Thank you, Lady Eddison," the blonde woman gave a personal greet to Lady Eddison. "Honestly, there's no need." She moved to greet the travelers. "Agatha Christie."

Donna shook hands with her, none the wiser about the woman's real identity. "What about her?"

"That's me!" the woman clarified.

Renata suddenly gasped and staggered back a few steps. "What!?" she'd even lost air in that one second.

The Doctor was the one to pull her back - an act that was shocking to him - and steadied her on her feet. "Are you alright?"

"N-no! That's-that's Agatha Christie!" Renata could barely put her words together. And seeing the author come towards her after greeting Gabby made Renata fall onto the Doctor's side.

"Hello," Agatha Christie extended a hand to shake with Renata but the Time Lady was still in shock to move. The Doctor had to physically move her off his side and make sure she wouldn't fall back before shaking hands with Agatha.

"You are brilliant!" he exclaimed, making Agatha blush of embarrassment. "I was just talking about you the other day, actually. I said, 'I bet she's brilliant'. I'm the Doctor and this is-" he only stopped to see how Renata was doing but she was still staring wide-eyed, "Oh, I love your stuff! What a mind! You fool me every time. Well…almost every time. Well…once or twice. Well…once. But it was a good once-"

Renata finally came back to life and whacked his arm. "Shut up. Hi!" she shook hands with Agatha, a smile quickly forming across her face, "I'm Renata and I adore your books. I'm not much for human authors but you..." she dramatically gasped, though in her mind it was a justified gasp, and laughed, "...you are an amazing author!"

"I have never seen Renata so excited like this," Gabby whispered to Donna who hummed in agreement. It was novelty. Renata rarely showed emotions like this, especially so heightened. She laughed and smiled here and there but she was always the calm one. Sometimes Gabby wondered how Renata managed to do that even when the situations just begged for a roaring laugh or a wild reaction. It was graceful, but it was also odd.

And now here she was, finally expressing a loud delight. Gabby couldn't get over it. The smile on Renata's face seemed like it would crack her face any moment now, but even then she wouldn't stop.

"But it's kind of familiar," Donna said suddenly, tilting her head for a moment as she studied Renata.

"She's brilliant!" the Doctor joined Renata with the same beaming face. "I have all of your books! And I literally mean all of them!"

"He does!" Renata nodded fairly fast that Agatha was concerned the woman would hurt herself. "We read them together! It's always so shocking even though we already read the books!" She laughed, almost squealing, as along with the Doctor.

"Oh," Donna suddenly went, her eyes widening while Gabby looked at her questionably. "Now I see why it's so familiar. They're the same person."

"What!?" Gabby made a face, about to politely tell Donna that was most ridiculous thing ever when she turned her attention back to Renata and the Doctor. The pair were hanging onto each other's arms, excitedly rambling on about all the books they'd read from Agatha. "Oh..." Gabby brought a hand up to her mouth in time to muffle her laughter, but only slightly.

That was hilarious.

"Now I can see it," Donna whispered to Gabby then. It was no longer news that Renata had some secret feelings for the Doctor and Donna honestly didn't know if that would actually work out solely because of the Time Lords contradicting personalities. The Doctor was too him to ever be able to keep up with Renata's routines and calm personality, and Renata was too her to keep running with the Doctor. But now Donna had no doubt that it would so work. They complimented each other without even realizing it.

Agatha already disliked the huge attention she often got but at least right now she was amused. "Thank you, thank you," she managed to cut into the pair's ongoing ramble but her hand may have hurt a little after so much shaking. "You, uh, make a rather fitting couple."

That comment froze Renata for a minute. She exchanged a look with the Doctor. Their blushes were the same.

"We're not married," the Doctor shook his head.

"And we're definitely not a couple!" Renata was quick to add and untangled herself from the Doctor's arm. She didn't even realize when she grabbed it!

"Obviously not—no wedding ring," Agatha pointed to Renata's hands.

Renata did a double-take at her hands, as if she'd forgotten that she truly had no wedding ring, and laughed. "No, of course not!"

"I'd stay that way if I were you," Agatha leaned a bit closer to Renata. "The thrill is in the chase, never in the capture."

Renata caught Agatha's gaze flickering between her and the Doctor and soon felt the warmth creep up on her face. "Oh! No, he's not - there is no chase...at all…" she exchanged another awkward glance with the Doctor. "...right?"

"Mhm," the Doctor looked away while his own blush faded. Why would he want to chase her? Him? Chase her? Of course not!

"This just got really interesting," Donna told Gabby and Gabby almost felt like scolding Donna for her smirk but...it was a bit funny still.

"Mrs Christie, I'm so glad you could come," Lady Eddison cut in - Renata thanked the heavens - and turned Agatha towards her and the others. "I'm one of your greatest followers. I've read all six of your books. Uh, is, uh, Mr Christie not joining us?"

The question made Agatha's face go flat. "Is he needed?" even her tone had gone sour for a second. "Can't a woman make her own way in the world?"

"Yeah," Gabby did a fist in the air, one that Donna quickly lowered.

"Mrs Christie, I have a question," Roger raised a finger. "Why a Belgian detective?"

With the crowd distracted, the Doctor asked for the newspaper Hugh had. He pulled Renata with him, prompting Donna and Gabby to do the same.

"The date on this newspaper…" the Doctor skimmed the newspaper but most of his attention was on the date. "It's the day Agatha Christie disappeared."

"I remember that," Renata pointed at him while she thought back to her own days in the 20s. "It was a huge story because…" she gasped and looked at Agatha with a newfound emotion, "She just discovered her husband was having an affair."

"You'd never think to look at her smiling away," Gabby tilted her head and let her gaze follow Agatha as the author mingled with each of the guests.

"Well, she's British and moneyed. That's what they do—they carry on," the Doctor shrugged. "Except for this one time. No one knows exactly what happened—she just vanished."

"I remember reading the newspapers and...nobody ever figured out why she disappeared," Renata now cautiously looked around their area, as if whatever the reason would pop up in a moment. "If I remember correctly, her car will be found tomorrow morning by the side of a lake. Ten days later she turns up at a hotel in Harrogate. All she said was that she'd lost her memory but...I mean...I think she was just lying."

"Why?" asked Donna.

"She just found out her husband had an affair! She wanted some time alone!"

"Well...I guess..." Donna shrugged. It did sound a logical reason but maybe there was something else that happened, who knew.

Renata cleared her throat and pulled him away from the other two women to speak in a quieter voice. "Whatever happened to Agatha is going to happen today...and we are going to be smack in the middle."

But unlike her who was worried, the Doctor beamed. "I know, isn't it great!? So exciting!"

"No!" Renata hissed. "It means we brought Donna and Gabriella to another dangerous trip. Maybe we should just go."

"Oh no, we can't do that! Look at how happy they are," the Doctor made a quick gesture to Donna and Gabby who'd drifted towards the food. "Plus, you certainly seemed happy a few minutes ago. I'd definitely liked to see more of that, if I'm being honest."

Renata crossed her arms, not entirely convinced. "I'm happy plenty of times."

"C'mon Renée, loosen up a bit. You've had better times when you do that." He was careful as he uncrossed her arms for her, but he knew he was good when she started fighting a smile. "There we go. Let me show you around, yeah?"

She scoffed but laughed in the end. "Show me what? The refreshments?"

He playfully rolled his eyes and offered her his arm. "C'mon!" She sighed but linked her arm with his again. "We can take a walk along the garden later on, if you'd like?"

"To me that sounds perfect but to you I'm sure it sounds boring."

"Yeah but it makes you happy and that's what I want for you."

Renata looked up at him in surprise, but her smile was quick to come back...along with another blush. "I am happy here, you know. I just can't help but worry about the dangers."

"I'm sure things will be fine-"

"The professor!" the housekeeper, Miss Chandrakala, came running towards the party. "The library! Murder! Murder!"

Renata's face fell flat and when she looked up at the Doctor again, this time he had to give in. "Okay, okay," he would give her the point.

~ 0 ~

The travelers, with Agatha, had ran first into the library where the supposed murder had occurred. Sure enough, there was the corpse of the professor on the floor. The Doctor hurried in first and bent down to examine the corpse.

"Bashed on the back of the head. Blunt instrument," he noted and tapped the professor's watch. "Watch broke as he fell, time of death was quarter past four."

"Oh! I've watched enough Law and Order to know that this-" Gabby had picked up a piece of pipe near the desk, "-is the murder weapon."

"Call me Hercule Poirot but I reckon that's blunt enough," remarked Donna.

Agatha had wandered towards the fireplace and found a scrap of paper. Renata watched the author silently tuck the paper into her hand and said nothing about it.

"There's nothing worth killing for in this lot," the Doctor said, seeming disappointed his quick search of the paper pile on the desk had no good results.

"We need to call the police," Agatha announced and had the agreeing nods of the others who hadn't really dared come fully into the room.

"You don't have to," the Doctor whipped out his psychic paper. He heard Renata's sigh and couldn't help but smile. "Chief Inspector Smith from Scotland Yard, known as the Doctor. And these are…" he swayed his head at his friends for a second.

"Better be clever how you finish that sentence," Renata warned him in a whisper when she walked past him to the group. "We're assistants. We're just here to help out the, uh...inspector. Please go into the sitting room. We will question each of you in turn."

"Come along," Agatha ushered the group out of the room. "Do as they say. Keep the room undisturbed."

"Did Renata just lie?" Donna looked at the others with an expression akin to disbelief.

Renata turned around to them and sighed. "Please don't follow what I did. It's terrible."

"But needed," the Doctor pointed at her. He went searching for any other clues he may have missed the first time.

"Why don't we phone the real police?" Gabby asked.

"The last thing we want is PC Plod sticking his nose in. Especially…" the Doctor paused for a moment as he pulled something gooey off the floor, "...now that I've found this!"

"Do you know what 'this' is?" Renata inched closer as he got back on his feet.

"Morphic residue!"

"Morphic residue? In 1926?"

"Can we speak English for a second?" asked Gabby who was helplessly looking between the pair.

"It's something that gets left behind when certain species genetically re-encodes," the Doctor explained.

"So the murderer's an alien?" Donna blinked.

"Which means that one of that lot is an alien in human form."

"Yeah, but think about it. There's a murder, a mystery and Agatha Christie!"

"So?" the Doctor sniffed the residue in his possession. Renata crinkled her nose. He always had that habit no matter what incarnation, apparently. Would it ever stop!? "Happens to me all the time!"

"This is what I meant about danger!" Renata exclaimed.

"But it's also kind of exciting," Gabby walked up to stand beside her. "We get to figure out who did it. As an Agatha Christie fan, that's gotta be pretty exciting right?" she nudged Renata on the side.

"That's...not the point…"

"Oh just let go a bit!"

"Would everyone quit telling me to do that!" Renata groaned and stalked out of the room first.

"She'll get there," the Doctor said casually about it and followed her out.

Renata found Agatha in the alcove of the staircases. "Miss Christie, you shouldn't be out here on your own."

"I want to know who did this," Agatha said and paused when she saw the Doctor holding the residue. "What…?"

"We need to question the suspects," the Doctor said, putting the residue into a vial from his pocket. "Gabby, Donna, you search the bedrooms and look for clues." He leaned closer to them to whisper, "Any more residue," for better clarification. He put away the vial and took out two magnifying glasses in return. "You'll need this!"

Donna didn't seem as excited as Gabby was - she'd taken her magnifying glass without question.

"Doctor, I'm not sure about letting them go on their own…" Renata began but Gabby wagged her finger at her.

"Oh you can go question suspects! Bet that's exciting!"

"Yeah, I thought it'd be," the Doctor grinned. Donna rolled her eyes and took her magnifying glass and went up the stairs with Gabby. "Right then!" the Doctor turned to Renata and Agatha. "Solving a murder mystery with Agatha Christie. Brilliant!"

Agatha frowned at him. "How like a man to have fun while there's disaster all around him. I'll work with you—gladly—but for the sake of justice, not your own amusement."

The Doctor paused and took the moment to calm himself down. He may have come across as careless - it happened often.

"Hey," Renata now frowned at Agatha, "You keep your personal problems out of this. It's his personality, alright? He cares way more than anyone would." She took the Doctor's arm and led him away.

"Renée, you didn't have to do that," the Doctor said behind her, though he was smiling a bit for her defense.

Renata came to a stop outside the sitting room and turned to face him. "Let's get one thing straight, Doctor. I am a terribly difficult person but you are...wonderful, with all of your stupid grins and excitement, and I will not let anyone insult you about it. Not even Agatha Christie."

It was moments like these that truly warmed the Doctor's hearts. He knew Renata was more than what she thought of herself - that 'terribly difficult' person - and he knew that it was hard for her to express what she truly felt. So, for her to have these small moments of honesty with him...made him feel a little special. When she complimented him like this, he felt a warmth on his face that he couldn't get rid of.

He smiled at her so earnestly, so long, that it made Renata blush. She wanted to urge him to say something but...she'd lost her voice for a second. And it seemed like he had to. So, he did what he wanted to. He swooped down and kissed her cheek. She was stunned but at least she could still blink.

"Let's go interrogate some suspects," he smiled softly and took her by the hand.

"R-right…" was all Renata could say at the moment.

~ 0 ~

Reverend Golightly was first on the list to interrogate. They had given him a chair in the room, facing the Doctor, Renata and Agatha.

"Now then, Reverend… Where were you at a quarter past four?" asked the Doctor.

"Let me think," Golightly said, his gaze lowering a bit. "Why yes, I remember. I was unpacking in my room."

"Oh, so no alibi then?" Renata folded her arms. It was the easy way out. "Because you were alone."

"With the Lord, one is never truly alone."

Renata had to to her eyes. She wasn't a very firm believer anymore - that had died a very long time ago. "Next!"

Roger was second but like Golightly, she had an uncorroborated alibi. "I was taking a constitutional in the fields behind the house. Just taking a stroll, that's all."

"Alone?" Agatha inquired.

"Oh yes, all alone. Totally alone!"

Renata pulled the Doctor a bit away to whisper, "You know he's lying, right?"

"Mhm. But it's not his fault he can't openly say he was taking a walk with Davenport, can he?"

"Guess not," Renata agreed and cut him loose. As of now, he was the only one out of the suspect list.

Robina Redmond was the next suspect. But unlike her predecessors, she seemed more irritated that she was being questioned in the first place. "I went to the toilet when I arrived, and then, um, I was preparing myself. Positively buzzing with excitement about the party and the super fun of meeting Lady Eddy."

"And we've only got your word for it," the Doctor was weary of the theme going on.

Robina smirked. "That's your problem, not mine."

"It is when the threat is going to jail or being murdered," Renata's words did fade that smirk quicker than Robina had planned. "So go on then. Next!"

When Hugh came next, Renata had half a mind to tell the Doctor the man couldn't be the murderer. The professor had been far too tall for someone in a wheelchair to knock him out against the head. It just wasn't logical. Still, she let the interrogation go on but wasn't surprised when another uncorroborated alibi was given.

Lady Eddison was no better either.

"I was sitting in the blue room taking my afternoon tea. It's a ritual of mine. I needed to gather strength for the duty of hostess. I then proceeded to the lawn where I met…you, Doctor and I said "And who might you be and what are you doing here?" and you said, "I'm the Doctor-"

"Yes, yes. You can stop now. I was there for that bit!" the Doctor reminded.

After everyone had been questioned, the trio stayed in the sitting room to go over what they had...which was nothing.

"None of them have alibis which means anyone could've done it," Renata sunk into the chair the suspects had been in.

"That means we must look for a motive in order to identify the murderer," Agatha said.

"Use the little grey cells," Renata said in a sudden Belgian accent. The Doctor stopped to give her an amused look. This might just be her trip after all.

"Oh yes, little grey cells. Good old Poirot," he chuckled. "Y''know, I've been to Belgium."

"Course you've been," Renata straightened in her chair when he stopped by her.

"I was deep in the Ardennes trying to find Charlemagne…" he started to explain. Renata watched him fondly, not having the heart to stop him when he looked so happy sharing his trip. "He'd been kidnapped by an insane computer. It took me days to find him but-"

Agatha had no problem ending the memory. "Doctor! Doctor!"

The Time Lord blinked and looked at Agatha to see her more amused than anything else. "Sorry." He checked for Renata's expression but she seemed just as amused as Agatha was.

"Charlemagne lived centuries ago," remarked Agatha after a moment.

"I've got a good memory!"

"For such an experienced detective, you missed a big clue."

"What, that bit of paper you nicked out of the fireplace?" Renata surprised the author. "Yeah, I used to work with all sorts of rascals. One human-" The Doctor cleared his throat. "I mean one author, is not going to doop me," Renata quickly amended. She needed to start learning how to make herself sound more...human. Calling people 'human' was the way to expose herself. Plus, it was rude.

Agatha took out the scrap of paper and walked up to show it to them. "This is all that was left."

The Doctor studied the bit as best as he could, but he wasn't getting a lot. "What's that first letter? N or M?"

"It's an M, clearly," Renata squinted her eyes. "I think the word is maiden."

"Maiden!" the Doctor exclaimed a bit too loud that it startled the women. "What does that mean?" he asked in a whisper.

Agatha sighed and lowered the paper. "We're still no further forward. Our nemesis remains at large. Unless Miss Noble and Miss Gonzalez have found something."

~0~

"Hey, Donna, can I ask you something?" Gabby made the question just as Donna found a locked bedroom door.

"Uh, now?" Donna briefly glanced at Gabby. The door was seriously locked!

"It's important. I haven't been wanting to say anything but I also noticed that Renata and the Doctor seem really close lately-" Gabby actually flinched when Donna snorted. It was a very hard snort.

"Close? That doesn't begin to cut it!"

"Yeah, I know," sighed Gabby and caught Donna's attention.

She stopped trying to open the door - for the moment - and turned to Gabby. "Why do you say it like that? Don't tell me you suddenly have feelings-"

"Ah! No!" Gabby exclaimed and shuddered, making Donna laugh. "I don't even want to hear how that sense was going to finish! It's just...no!"

"Just had to make sure! So if that's not the problem, what is it?"

"I've been working with the Doctor on something that he's made for Renata and while we've been working... I've started to notice the way he talks about her...looks at her…"

"Right, so we're on the same page! Why are we on this again?"

Gabby sighed. "Because I know something that the Doctor should know about but Renata has forbidden me from saying anything."

"What is it?" Donna crossed her arms.

"I just said that I couldn't say anything."

"But you're obviously worried."

"I am," Gabby nodded. "It's concerning because I've come to love Renata and...she...she's in danger."

Donna blinked. "How do you mean?"

Gabby knew for a fact that the Doctor and Renata decided to keep Renata's 'infection' a secret from them. Gabby herself wasn't supposed to know but she'd eavesdropped. Still, she didn't tell either that she knew. It just wouldn't help anyone, but it wasn't. It wasn't helping Gabby that only she knew what that Ood told Renata a while ago. It was driving her mad that Renata was keeping it a secret from the Doctor, especially when he was looking after her because of the infection he knew about. If he knew about the Ood's prediction, he would try to keep Renata safe at all costs! And maybe that's what Renata needed.

"Gabby?" Donna asked again, now truly noticing the struggle Gabby was in. "Look, I won't say anything if that's what you're worried about. I'll keep your secret. You can get it off your chest with at least one person, right?"

Gabby could do with that, she could really do with that. "Back at Zhe's place, Renata and I were exposed to...alien energy? That Block transfer thing and then...and then I don't know if that's the proper term for it but that's when an Ood we learned that Renata could possibly die."

Donna tilted her head, very much interested now. She hadn't heard anything of this - she was sure the Doctor hadn't either. "Hold on, what did this thing say?"

"It just said her song might end sooner and that...that means death. I know it does. I know songs," Gabby shuddered. She couldn't fathom the idea of Renata ever dying.

"Well, the Doctor said when Time Lords die they don't actually die they-they do this sort of body changing thing," Donna tried explaining it as best as she could but even then, Gabby didn't want to hear it.

"She can't die Donna," she whispered. "I'm trying my best to keep an eye out for anything strange."

"Well, maybe we can do it together now. And we can maybe even figure out a way to make Ren talk about that nasty prediction."

"God I hope so," Gabby exhaled deeply. "I've tried talking to Renata about it. I tried convincing her that she should say something to the Doctor - get his help, you know? Who better to heal her than the Doctor, right?" she nervously smiled. "But she hasn't. And she's going to get really hurt if she keeps it a secret. And what worries me too is that, well, like you said, she and the Doctor are getting really close and if something bad does happen to Renata…"

"He'll be heartbroken," Donna finished for her with a saddened smile. "Or heartsbroken, in his case." Gabby nodded. "That's terrible!"

"I know! No matter how hard I tried she won't listen to me! The only reason I'm telling you this right now is because I realized that the Doctor is falling for her, and she for him. It's a guaranteed heartbreak and I don't want to see either of them get hurt, not when it can be avoided."

"We'll figure something out," Donna said determinedly. Like Gabby, she wanted both their alien friends to be happy and very much safe. She had come to learn how Renata operated and it was an annoying self-sacrifice theme that the Doctor often did. They truly were made for each other.

~0~

Renata had found a mirror hanging on the wall in the hallway. She stopped momentarily and faced her reflection. Part of her wanted to laugh at herself because she never pictured herself standing there, much less travelling with the Doctor and two humans.

"If they could see me now," she whispered. Her hand reached to touch the mirror but just as she did, a golden wasp of energy emanated from her hand. She drew her hand back with a gasp and quickly examined it. She looked up at her reflection again and found the same energy was rising from her head, forming what looked like...golden butterflies?

There was a queasiness in her stomach, growing more as the energy continued to drift from her body. What the hell is happening to me? she gulped.

"DOCTOR! RENATA!" Donna's shrill scream pulled Renata away from the mirror. At the same time, the golden energy disappeared but Renata didn't notice as she ran for the second floor.

She, naturally, arrived first at the scene and came to a skidded stop outside the bedroom door that had been previously locked. "What!? What is a? Who's hurt?"

"There is a giant…wasp!" Gabby cried.

Renata stopped and gave the two women a strange look. Behind her, the Doctor and Agatha had arrived.

"What do you mean there's a wasp? We have seen wasps before right?" Renata's expression was a bit condescending and totally not needed right now.

"We mean a wasp that's giant!" Donna tried to explain but it wasn't much better.

"It's only a silly little insect," Agatha remarked and Renata agreed with a nod.

Donna was the one to stop now. She glared at Agatha and Renata. "When I say "giant", I don't mean big, I mean flippin' enormous! Look at its sting!" She stepped to the side and pointed a finger at the huge stinger stuck through the door.

Renata gasped in horror, but the Doctor was eager to examine the thing. He flung the door open and rushed into the room. There was nothing except the open window. "It's gone! Buzzed off!"

"But that's fascinating," Agatha was more focused on the huge stinger left behind. She was about to touch it when Renata yanked her back. The poor author stumbled back from the force.

"Whoa there! I'm pretty sure touching an alien Stinger isn't the best idea."

"Alien?"

"You were bound to know anytime soon," Renata left her to go check on Gabby. "Are you alright?"

Gabby nodded but there was still a trace of fear left in her face. "It was...huge!"

"Giant wasp…" the Doctor had taken out another vial to collect a sample of the stinger. "Well, there are tons of amorphous insectivorous lifeforms but…none in this galactic vector."

"I think I understood some of those words. Enough to know that you're completely potty!" Agatha exclaimed.

"Lost its sting, though. That makes it defenseless," Donna to tried to be optimistic about their chances of capturing it.

The Doctor all but scoffed. "A creature this size? Gotta be able to grow a new one."

"Uh, can we return to sanity?" Agatha almost waved your hands to get the attention back. "There are no such things as giant wasps."

"Which begs the question of what is that?" Renata made a gesture at the stinger on the door.

"And what's it doing here?" added the Doctor.

Their moment of thought was cut short when they heard yet another shrill scream, this time belonging to the housekeeper. Miss Chandrakala was found just outside the house with a gargoyle over her chest.

"The poor, little...child…" the woman said her last words in a strain before dying.

"Who pushed that gargoyle off the roof!?" Gabby looked around until Donna shook her arm to get her attention.

"Th-that!"

The 'huge wasp' was back and buzzing threateningly at them.

"Let's go!" the Doctor led the chase back into the house in hopes of capturing the wasp.

"Well this is certainly new!" Donna exclaimed as they headed up the stairs. "There's a monster and we're chasing it!"

"Can't be a monster. It's a trick!" Agatha argued on their way up. "They do it with mirrors!"

"Do you see any mirrors around us!?" Renata stopped at the top of the staircase and gestured to the hallway where only portraits hung. Agatha didn't want to admit she was wrong but the fact there could be an alien wasp just...it had to be wrong.

"Oh, but you are wonderful!" the Doctor was gazing at the large wasp with a huge grin on his face.

"Doctor - it's a wasp!" Gabby reminded him and as if the wasp wanted to help prove her point, it raced towards them with its stinger first. They all ducked but the wasp swiftly turned around to do the same thing again.

"Oi! Flyboy!" Donna called to it and raised her magnifying glass up in the air. It didn't do anything and so the wasp flew away.

"Don't let it get away!" the Doctor was the first to run after it again. "Before it reverts to human form!"

They followed the wasp down the hallway and made a turn into a new one, only to find it had disappeared into one of the guests' bedrooms.

"Where are you!?" the Doctor demanded. "Show yourself!"

All the doors in the hallway opened up to reveal each of the guests looking mighty confused at the commotion.

"Well," Renata folded her arms. "That's just cheating. And unfair."

~ 0 ~

Lady Eddison wept for Miss Chandrakala in the sitting room. Everyone else was upset but no one more than her. "My faithful companion! This is terrible!"

"Excuse me, my lady," Davenport stopped behind her chair. "She was on her way to tell you something."

"She never found me. She had an appointment with death instead."

"You mean murder," whispered Renata. The gargoyle had been planted on the rooftop and it wouldn't have fallen if the wasp hadn't pushed it over. And the wasp had been exact in its calculations to push it just at the right time. It was a cold murderer indeed.

"She said, "the poor little child". Does that mean anything to anyone?" the Doctor studied the reactions of the guests to see if anyone led on about the phrase, but no one did anything suspicious.

"No children in this house for years," Hugh remarked then shaped his son a glance. "Highly unlikely there will be."

"Mrs Christie, you must have twigged something. You've written simply the best detective stories," Lady Eddison shifted in her chair to face Agatha, but the author seemed at a loss for words.

"Tell us…what would Poirot do?" asked the reverend.

"Heaven's sake! Cards on the table, woman!" Hugh unexpectedly slammed his fist against his armrest. "You should be helping us!"

"Well shouting at her won't make anything better," Renata rose from her seat. "And she's an author who writes about this stuff - it doesn't actually mean she's a detective." She then added in a much lower tone so that no one would hear her, "And neither are we."

"But surely she can crack it!" Robina made a gesture at the author who only kept shaking her head. "These events, they're exactly like one of your plots!"

"But what? I've no answers. None!" Agatha got up from her seat. "I'm sorry, all of you, I'm truly sorry, but I've failed. If anyone can help us, it's the Doctor, not me." She shook her head again and left in a hurry.

~ 0 ~

Renata sat by herself in the sitting room later while the Doctor returned to the TARDIS to examine the residue he'd found earlier. Donna had gone after Agatha in hopes of cheering the author up and Gabby…

Well, she didn't really know where Gabby was. Right now, Renata's attention was on her hands again. She couldn't get the image of the energy coming out of her hands...her head...her body.

"I don't understand," she whispered as she turned her palms over and over. Her skin was normal - she felt normal. Could it be what the Ood was talking about? Renata gulped. She hoped not. But, if it wasn't, then what was happening?

"Are you alright, Ren?" Gabby's voice - though soft - startled Renata. Her hands dropped to her lap when Gabby came into the room. "You're looking pale!" Gabby noticed and quickly rushed up to Renata. "Are you getting sick?"

"No, no, I...it's just been a long day," Renata's warm smile was not going to fool Gabby.

"No, this is what I was afraid of - it's what the Ood said back at Zhe's gallery. Renata, what if this is how it starts?"

"What starts?" Renata repeated in a low chuckle.

Gabby wasn't going to let her downplay the situation. "Renata, why don't we go talk with the Doctor?"

"What? Absolutely not-"

"-just - just listen to me!" Gabby practically begged. "I'm so tired of keeping this a secret! Something bad is going to happen and you--" she pointed at Renata with a desperate ferocity that froze Renata, "-are going to get hurt! Beyond that - you could die!"

"Enough!" Renata hissed. "Now you need to calm down before someone, especially the Doctor, hears you!"

"Renata, I'm scared," Gabby admitted softly. "I'm scared for you."

"But you shouldn't be," Renata put on her best happy smile for the girl. She put her hands on Gabby's shoulder and gently squeezed them. "I'm fine. Nothing has happened."

"You're really pale," Gabby repeated and touched Renata's hands on her shoulders. "And you're...actually really warm…" her face scrunched in confusion. "Like...burning hot."

Renata immediately pulled her hands away and balled them into fists. "Well, that means I'm fine."

"No, it really doesn't!"

"Look, Gabby-"

"I've got something!" the Doctor strode in looking happy as ever. "It's a Vespiform - what's happened?" he caught onto the vibe of the room and much more, like Gabby, he noticed Renata's new shade of skin color.

"I think Renata is getting sick," Gabby was hesitant to say in the beginning but if she didn't give at least a bit of a clue, then Renata could possibly be a goner. And it was worth all the death glares Renata had to give.

"What?" the Doctor frowned. He forgot about everything else for a second as he walked up to Renata. He touched her face - an action that made her feel even warmer - and realized what Gabby meant. "You're burning hot. Are you running a fever?"

"Don't be silly, I don't get fevers - we don't get fevers," Renata swatted his hand away from her. "Least the human kind."

"Still, that's an unusual amount of heat you're exhibiting." The Doctor gingerly sat her down in the nearest seat.

"You two are making a big deal out of nothing," Renata felt her stomach churn and it wasn't the heat she was feeling. She was overly nervous about being caught and that thought alone was scary.

"Gabby, make sure they bring us some drinks. Renata might benefit from one," the Doctor suggested. Gabby was all over it and ran out of the room.

"Honestly, Doctor," Renata swayed her head, trying to laugh things off.

"Don't belittle our concern, Renata. Now as soon as we're done here, I'm going to run new tests on you-"

"-but-"

"-there is no room for discussion about this!"

"Doctor, look what we found!" Donna came rushing into the room holding a small tool box in her hands.

Despite the current matter, the Doctor took the box from her to examine it. They found an array of tools inside. "Ooh…someone came tooled up…the sort of stuff a thief would use," he remarked.

"The Unicorn—he's here!" Agatha gasped.

"The Unicorn and the wasp," the Doctor said with a sigh. Of course.

"I've got the drinks," Gabby returned a short moment later with a tray in hand. "Davenport says any of them will definitely help Renata gain some color."

"What? What's wrong with, Ren?" Donna studied the Time Lady and realized she'd been unusually quiet.

"I don't need a drink," Renata muttered but the Doctor had already taken one glass off the tray and was holding it to her. "Doctor…"

"One glass will not harm you. Please take it."

"Please Renata?" Gabby whispered hopefully.

Renata sighed and took the glass from him. She took a sip and did admit to herself that it was rather tasty.

"So, um, did you figure out that science stuff?" Donna asked but she kept a lingering gaze on Renata.

"Hm, Vespiform sting. Vespiforms have got hives in the Silifax Galaxy," the Doctor answered but he kept a close eye on Renata as well.

"Again you talk like Edward Lear," Agatha said, sounding more resigned that she would never fully understand him.

"For some reason, this one's behaving like a character in one of your books," he said.

"Come on, Agatha," Donna sat beside the author. "What would Miss Marple do? She'd've overheard something vital by now because the murderer thinks she's just a harmless old lady."

"Clever idea," Agatha admitted. "Miss Marple—who writes those?"

Donna made a face and looked at the Doctor. "I've done it again, haven't I?" he silent nodded. "Well, copyright it: Donna Noble. Add it to the list."

"Renata…?" Gabby noticed that Renata had gone even paler and she thought it was impossible.

Renata opened her mouth but no words came out; all she managed were croaks. Something was closing her throat and it was burning.

"Doctor! Something's wrong!" Gabby turned to the man but he was already running up to them.

"Renée! Ren! What's-"

Renata started shaking her head and swatting his hands away. She made a flapping gesture to her drink she'd placed on the table next to her chair. "Poi….p...poison!"

"How could she be poisoned!?" Donna asked when the Doctor took Renata's glass and sniffed it. "Gabby got her the drink!"

Fearing for a second that she could be blamed, Gabby quickly exclaimed, "They served me the drinks!"

"This is cyanide!" the Doctor almost threw the glass at the wall out of anger. "How could this have happened!?"

"I-I don't know! I'm sorry!" Gabby was scared out of her mind, but the Doctor wasn't paying any attention to her.

"Kitchen - NOW!" he grabbed Renata's hand and yanked out of her chair and out of the room.

"What are you going to do!?" Donna ran after him with Gabby and Agatha in tow.

Renata breathed heavily - and strained - by the time they reached the kitchen. What's more was that she could feel that same warmth from before spreading over her body again. The Doctor leaned her against the isle and went around in search for something, she wasn't listening. Her hands were glowing again! She quickly hid them behind her back.

"Ginger beer! Where is it!?"

"I beg your pardon?" Davenport was nearly outraged that the Doctor was chucking things around the kitchen.

"I need ginger beer - where is it!?" the Doctor was going crazy in search of the damn ingredient. His entire body was on a new speed. He was going from one place to the other, dashing like a blur. His hearts were thumping against his chest, his mind screaming to get the detox fast. Renata was practically choking, he needed to do something!

"The gentleman's gone mad!" one of the waitresses exclaimed.

"Oh shut up and just help him!" Donna snapped.

Eventually, the Doctor had found the ginger beer and ran back to Renata. Gabby was helping the Time Lady stay on her feet but she could feel how badly Renata was shaking - how long could she last this way?

"Drink it now!" he practically ordered and despite it being weird, Renata took the drink and drowned it as fast as she could.

"I'm an expert in poisons, Doctor. It's fatal!" Agatha tried to stop him but he shoved her out of the way. Though she was completely stunned, for the man hadn't even noticed his rudeness, she still insisted on her perspective of reality. "There's no cure!"

"Over my dead body!" he snapped. "Renata, we can stimulate the inhibited enzymes into reversal. Protein! I need protein!"

Renata seemed out of it - as was understandable - but she checked her palms again and saw the glow was fading. Well, at least if she died, she wouldn't be caught with a strange gold glow...unless it was regeneration energy? Could that be it? What if the prediction was a silent killer one? She never considered that one.

"Walnuts!" Donna had found a bag of them and tossed it over to the Doctor.

"Renata, eat!" he then handed a good amount to Renata who very poorly stuffed them into her mouth. She chewed as fast as she could.

"Now I need something salty!"

"There's a bag of salt over there!" Gabby ran to the other counter where she'd seen the plastic bag.

"No, that's too salty!"

"But you said you needed salt!"

The Doctor groaned. "Not that salty!

"What about this?" Agatha tried her hand at helping and showed him a jar of anchovies. If he was going to prove this was actually curable then she wanted to see it firsthand.

"Yes, now you're getting it!" the Doctor took the jar and pulled the lid off.

"I don't like anchovies!" Renata managed to say with a more open throat.

"And I don't like you dying, so take it!"

Renata frowned like a child but she took a lot of anchovies and chewed them as fast as she could to get rid of the taste in her mouth.

"What else do we need now?" Gabby was fast to ask.

The Doctor had stopped all of a sudden. "...a shock."

"Well, what kind? Like...scary!?" Gabby wondered what the hell they could use from the kitchen to scare Renata. "Like Halloween scary!?"

"-mallowveen!?" Renata repeated as she forced down the terrible anchovies down her throat.

Gabby shrugged. It was all she had!

"Not that type of shock," the Doctor took in a deep breath as he hurried back to Renata. "Now I'm very sorry about this Renée but I'd do anything to keep you alive, so…"

Renata barely made a face when he grabbed both sides of her face and kissed her. Of course it would be a shock - perhaps the shock of her lifetime. The Doctor held her tightly, kissing her as if their lives depended on it. Hers did. And yet, despite the fierceness that drove him, the kiss felt very familiar. He wasn't sure if it was because of their time in 1913 with the Family, but then...why else could this be familiar?

Renata was the one to eventually break the kiss by pushing him away, but in doing so she felt an overwhelming power to gag (and it was not from the kiss). She threw her head back and exhaled a black smoke that left her stomach churning afterwards.

"Detox," the Doctor breathed in relief. He finally felt his hearts begin to lose the speed it gained in the last few minutes.

"Renata, thank God!" Gabby made a move towards her but Renata wagged a finger at her and then the others.

"Don't...I don't want anyone near me," she raised her hands, indicating her need to be entirely left alone. There was a foul taste in her mouth from everything the Doctor fed her and if she wasn't careful, she might just throw up on the spot.

The Doctor, however, took it the wrong way. "Renée, I didn't mean-" even the Doctor was included in her demand.

"Don't," she warned in a harder tone. His hearts stopped momentarily. She was mad at him. She shook her head and made her way out of the kitchen, albeit a bit wobbly.

The Doctor couldn't let himself be consumed by his concern for her reaction. He would much rather focus on where that poison came from. He turned to the staff, ignoring their stunned reactions, and glared at each and every one of them. "Who is responsible for this?" None of them had anything to say, which only infuriated the Doctor even more. "I said who did this!?" he stormed towards them and had a few of them, including Davenport, back away.

"We-we don't know! None of us did anything!" the younger waiter said.

"That poison came from somewhere!"

"She-" Davenport pointed a finger at Gabby, making the girl's eyes widen, "-brought the drinks! How do you know it wasn't her!?"

"Because it wasn't!" Gabby frowned. "Why would I poison my own friend!?"

"Doctor, calm down," Donna went up to the man and turned him away from the scared staff. "It was obviously the wasp alien."

"But why would it try to poison Renata?" Gabby asked. "It doesn't make sense."

"Because the glass wasn't meant for her," the Doctor realized very soon. "It was for me. There were three glasses on that tray...and I gave Renata the wrong one. It's my fault."

"No, Doctor, it's not," Donna said very slowly before he made other assumptions. "It's the wasp's fault. So we better catch him or her before it strikes again."

The Doctor nodded, but it didn't mean he was content. Renata would surely hate him now for real.

~ 0 ~

Renata had ample time to calm herself down before coming to dinner. She had not seen the golden energy again and she was taking that as a huge win - the last thing she needed was for any human to see her like that, much less the Doctor. And speaking of the Doctor...her face still warmed every time she thought about him.

That's what happens when you kiss him, she berated herself. It was still the same old story. One kiss from him and she melted. It took her forever to get over him on Gallifrey - and she honestly didn't do a very good job there - and then 1913 came around to knock her back down...and now this moment. She still loved him. A lot. And no matter what incarnation she was in, or he was in, each kiss still felt like the first one they shared when they were young.

When dinner time came around, Renata made the biggest effort to push all those feelings away. She came into the dining room and found mostly everyone was already there. As soon as he saw her, the Doctor got up from his seat and hurried around the table to meet her.

"Renée, I'm so sorry-" he began to apologize when Renata raised a hand to stop him.

"I'm not mad at you, silly," she smiled kindly at him and it was, admittedly, a relieving sight for him. "You saved me from a regeneration."

"You just looked upset…"

"Because I'd been poisoned. I'm not mad at you, Doctor. Thank you for saving me," she said honestly. "I do mean it."

The Doctor nodded, albeit nervously, but it was something to start with. He offered her his arm again and she gladly took it. They returned to the table and sat together. A short while later, dinner was served.

"A terrible day for all of us. The professor struck down, Miss Chandrakala cruelly taken from us, and yet, we still take dinner," the Doctor played with the soup in front of him.

"We are British, Doctor. What else must we do?" Lady Eddison inquired as if it was obvious this was what they had to do.

"Uh, maybe not act as if everything is alright?" Renata's heavy sourness was uncharacteristic but rightly appropriate. "Somebody here-" she picked up her knife and used it to point at each guest, "-decided to poison me. Although after great thought, I realize that I wasn't the intended victim. It was my friend, the Doctor, which makes me-" she suddenly stabbed her knife into the table, startling the others, "-madder."

"She's really good when she's scary mad," Gabby whispered to Donna on the side. The ginger silently agreed.

"Don't you worry, Renée," the Doctor gingerly uncurled her hand from the knife and set it down on the table. "I kind of got an idea from all this poison."

"And what would that be?" Golightly inquired.

"Well, poison," the Doctor smiled in an eerie manner. It made everyone stop eating. "Drink up. I've laced the soup with pepper."

"Ah, I thought it was jolly spicy," Hugh laughed and gladly ate from his soup, proving once again that he was the only real innocent one amongst the group.

"But the active ingredient of pepper is piperine. Traditionally used as an insecticide," the Doctor explained just before thunder cracked behind them.

"Fitting," Renata watched as each guest stared at their soups in horror. "Anybody want seconds?"

Thunder cracked again and cut the lights. One of the windows behind them flung open and brought in a gust of wind that took out the lingering candles.

"What the deuce is that!?" Hugh demanded as a noise from a distance crept up.

"It's a buzzing noise…" Gabby trailed off when they realized what it was.

"No…no, it can't be!" Lady Eddison suddenly cried, something that Renata took special note of.

"Show yourself, demon!" ordered Agatha who rose from her seat.

"Nobody move!" the Doctor warned as the others started to get up. "Stay where you are!"

The Vespiform - the wasp - finally revealed its form to the room.

"About that 'stay where you are' thing…" Donna began to backtrack with Gabby.

"Just run!" Renata shouted. She and the Doctor made a run in the opposite direction towards the doors, pulling Agatha with them.

They all met in the hallway but some of the guests were still inside.

"Well we know the butler didn't do it," Gabby thought to humor them since Greeves was with them, but it was a poor joke.

The Doctor grabbed a decorative sword on the wall and headed back for the dining room. But when he did, the lights were back on…

"My jewelry…the Firestone—it's gone!" Lady Eddison cried when she realized her prized jewel wasn't around her neck anymore. "Stolen!"

But the most horrific part came when they realized that Roger had been stabbed in the back.

~ 0 ~

"This is getting far too dangerous," Renata led the way back into the sitting room. Donna came in behind her and went for the nearest seat. "I think you, Donna, and Gabby, need to go back to the TARDIS."

"I think not!" Gabby immediately refused. "You're the one who was poisoned. If anything, you should go rest and let us figure this out."

"I don't think so," Renata shook her head.

Agatha let them figure that one out while she went to Donna's seat. "Did you inquire about the necklace?"

"Lady Eddison brought it back from India. It's worth thousands."

"Not much there, then," sighed Agatha. "Doctor?" she turned to the man by the fireplace. He'd been very pensive since they'd come in and hadn't said anything since then.

"This thing can sting, it can fly… It could wipe us all out in seconds—why is it playing this game?"

"Every murder is essentially the same—they are committed because somebody wants something."

"Well what would a Vespiform want from humans?" Renata made a gesture to the ones in the room.

"Oh please stop," Agatha told her. "The murderer is as human as you or I."

"UH Uh," Renata cocked her head to the side, about to retort when the Doctor gasped.

"You're right! I've been so caught up with giant wasps, I've forgotten!" he moved around fast until he stood in front of Agatha. "You're the expert."

Agatha thought otherwise. "Look, I told you. I'm just a…purveyor of nonsense."

"Oh, no, no, no, no, 'cause plenty of people write detective stories, but yours are the best. And why?" the Doctor checked around for anyone with an answer.

"Because she understands," Renata was the one to answer. "I mean...it's why I loved your books," she admitted with a small smile. "You are the only author that I can identify with. You've lived…you've fought…you've had your heart broken. I've had that too. And you know about people—their passions, their hope and despair and anger, all of those. You are the best. If anyone can solve this, it's you."

Agatha was touched but there were still many things to think about. Maybe it's what she needed though: to really think. Up until now, she didn't want to think that aliens were real and that could be what was hindering her from seeing the truth.

~ 0 ~

An hour later, all the guests were brought into the sitting room. Agatha hadn't said anything but there was a new determination in her face that no one was going to question.

"I've called you here on this endless night because we have a murderer in our midst," the Doctor stood at the fireplace, at the head of the group, "And when it comes to detection, there's none finer… Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Agatha Christie." He moved to take a seat next to Renata. He hadn't meant to but his hand brushed her arm and he felt the same burning heat again. He looked at her but she was none the wiser as she considered taking Donna up on her offer of a grape from her bowl.

Something was wrong there.

"This is a crooked house…a house of secrets," Agatha took the Doctor's place at the fireplace. "To understand the solution, we must examine them all. Starting with you…Miss Redmond."

Robina straightened in her seat, momentarily appearing nervous but she pushed away by putting on a flashy smile. "But I'm innocent, surely."

Agatha saw right through her. "You've never met these people and these people never met you. I think the real Robina Redmond never left London. You're impersonating her!"

Robina chuckled but her nervousness was back. "How silly." Her smile turned tight and as she spoke again, she did it through gritted teeth. "What proof do you have?"

"You said you'd been to the toilet…"

"Oh, I know this—if she was really posh, she'd say 'loo'!" Donna said in-between munches of grapes. Gabby laughed but she quickly covered her mouth.

"Earlier today, Miss Noble and I found this on the lawn right beneath your bathroom window." Agatha grabbed the tool box and walked up to Robina to hand it back to her. "You must have heard Miss Noble and Miss Gonzalez were searching the bedrooms and you panicked. You ran upstairs and disposed of the evidence.

"I've never seen that thing before in my life!"

"What's inside of that?" Lady Eddison inquired. Robina was refusing to take the box off Agatha's hand.

So, Agatha beat her to it. She opened the box for Robina. "The tools of your trade, Miss Redmond, or should I say…the Unicorn. You came to this house with one sole intention—to steal the Firestone!"

Robina cocked her head and stared at Agatha for a long minute until deciding to give it up. "Oh al right then. Ot's a fair cop!" she spoke in a Cockney accent. "Yes, I'm the bleedin' Unicorn!" she rose from her seat and sent each guest a sour smile. "Ever so nice to meet you, I don't think. I took my chance in the dark and nabbed it." She reached under her dress' strap and took out the Firestone. She chucked it towards the Doctor and rolled her eyes. "Go on then, ya nobs, arrest me. Sling me in jail."

"So...is she the murderer?" Gabby leaned closer to Donna's side as if that would do it for protection.

"Don't be so thick little girl," Robina snapped, completely ignoring Gabby's scowl. "I might be a thief but I ain't no killer."

"Quite," agreed Agatha who dropped the tool box into Robina's seat. "There are darker motives at work, and, in examining this household…we come to you…Colonel."

Hugh groaned. "Damn it, woman! You with your perspicacity! You've rumbled me!" He rose from his chair, stunning the others.

"You—you can walk? But why?" Lady Eddison rose as well and faced her husband.

"My darling, how else could I be certain of keeping you by my side?"

"I don't understand."

"You're still a beautiful woman, Clemency. Sooner or later, some chap will turn your head. I couldn't bear that. Staying in the chair was the only way I could be certain of keeping you."

"That's overly disgusting," Renata didn't hold back her thoughts. "And not to mention manipulative."

Hugh chose to ignore her comments and focused his anger on Agatha. "Confound it, Mrs Christie! How did you discover the truth?"

Agatha blinked away her shock to respond, "Um, actually, I had no idea. I was just going to say you were completely innocent."

Gabby laughed again, but this time Donna laughed with her.

"Not the time," the Doctor whisper-hissed at them but Renata decided it was very much the time.

"Serves him right," she said.

Agatha moved onto Lady Eddison and what she had to say was not good news for the woman. "You brought the Firestone back from India, did you not? Before you met the Colonel. You came home with malaria and confined yourself to this house for six months, in a room that has been locked ever since, which I rather think means—"

Lady Eddison frowned. "Stop, please!"

"I'm so sorry. But you had fallen pregnant in India…unmarried and ashamed, you hurried back to England with your confidante, a young maid, later to become housekeeper, Miss Chandrakala."

"Clemency! Is this true?" Hugh looked at his wife in shock.

Lady Eddison wouldn't look at anyone but she wouldn't deny it. "My poor baby. I had to give him away. Oh, the shame of it."

"You gave your own child away because you were ashamed?" Renata felt a new wave of disgust for the guests. "You're perfectly made for each other," she said to the pair.

"I had no choice. Imagine the scandal, the family name. I'm British—I carry on!"

"Oh my God…" Renata glanced at the Doctor, "We need to get the hell out of here."

The Doctor patted her hand - once again feeling the insane warmth of her skin - and promised her they would leave very soon. They just needed to finish up here. "The pregnancy was not an ordinary one, was it?"

Lady Eddison only spared him a look because she was shocked that he'd figured it out. "How can you know that?"

"Excuse me, Agatha, this is my territory," he got up from his seat to take place at the fireplace again. "But when you heard that buzzing sound in the dining room, you said, "It can't be". Why did you say that?"

"You'd never believe it…"

"Try me."

"It was forty years ago. In the heat of Delhi one night. I was alone and that's when I saw it—a dazzling light in the sky. The next day, he came to the house—Christopher, the most handsome man I'd ever seen. Our love blazed like a wildfire and I held nothing back. And in return, he showed me the incredible truth about himself. He made himself human to learn about us. This was his true shape. I loved him so much it didn't matter. But he was stolen from me. 1885, the year of the Great Monsoon. The River Jumna rose up and broke its banks. He was taken at the flood. But Christopher left me a parting gift—a jewel like no other. I wore it always. Part of me never forgot. I keep it close. Always."

"Just like a man—flashes his family jewels and you end up with a bun in the oven," Robina carelessly remarked and didn't even notice the glare Lady Eddison sent her way.

"A "poor little child". Forty years ago, Miss Chandrakala took that newborn babe to an orphanage. But Prof Peach worked it out," Agatha said. "He found the birth certificate."

"Oh, that's "maiden"—maiden name!" Donna realized. "So she killed him."

"I did not!" Lady Eddison angrily said.

"Miss Chandrakala feared that the professor had unearthed your secret. She was coming to warn you," Agatha told the woman, but Donna had something else to say.

"So she killed her!"

"I said no!"

"Lady Eddison is innocent. Because at this point… Doctor?"

"Thank you," the Doctor nodded. "Because at this point when we consider the lies and secrets and the key to these events, then we have to consider…it was you, Donna Noble…"

"What?" Donna blinked and nearly dropped her bowl of grapes if Gabby hadn't dove to catch it. "Who did I kill?"

"Nobody, he's just being dramatic," Renata assured the woman.

"No, but you said it all along, the vital clue—that this whole thing is being acted out like a murder mystery. Which means…it was you, Agatha Christie!"

Agatha blinked when the finger was pointed her way. "I beg your pardon, sir?"

"So she killed them?"

"Donna, it might be better if you just wait," Renata suggested.

"Agatha, you wrote those brilliant, clever books," the Doctor went on. "And who's her greatest admirer? The moving finger points…at you, Lady Eddison."

"Leave me alone!" cried the woman.

"Oh my goodness," Renata sighed. "Doctor, get on with it!"

"Last Thursday night, what were you doing?"

Lady Eddison still glared at the Doctor for his constant push but she did answer a few minutes later. "I...was in the library. I was reading my favorite Agatha Christie thinking about her plots, and how clever she must be. But how is that relevant?"

The Doctor bobbed his head to the side. "Just think—what happened Thursday night?" he set his eyes on Golightly and the man had the audacity to be surprised.

"I'm sorry?"

"You should be," the Doctor frowned. "You said on the lawn this afternoon, last Thursday, those boys broke into your church."

"That's correct…they did. I discovered the two of them—thieves in the night. I was most perturbed. But I apprehended them."

"Really? A man of God against two strong lads? A man in his forties? Or, should I say, forty years old…exactly."

Lady Eddison was shocked all over again. "Oh my God!"

"Lady Eddison, your child—how old would he be now?"

"Forty. He's…forty."

"Your child has come home."

Golightly laughed at them all. "Ha! This is poppycock!"

"Oh? You said you were taught by the Christian fathers, meaning, raised in an orphanage," the Doctor reminded him. "You found those thieves, Reverend, and you got angry. A proper, deep anger for the first time in your life and it broke the genetic code. You changed. You realized your inheritance. After all these years…you knew who you were. Oh, then it all kicks off 'cause this…" he took the Firestone from Lady Eddison and held it in the air, "-isn't just a jewel—it's a Vespiform telepathic recorder. It's part of you—your brain, your very essence. And when you activated, so did the Firestone. It beamed your full identity directly into your mind. And, at the same time,

it absorbed the works of Agatha Christie directly from Lady Eddison. It all became part of you. The mechanics of those novels formed a template in your brain. You killed in this pattern because that's what you think the world is. Turns out we are in the middle of a murder mystery. One of yours, Dame Agatha."

"Huh, what do you know, it really was one of her stories," Renata nodded in her realization.

"Dame?" Agatha repeated in confusion.

"Oh sorry, not yet," the Doctor shared an amused smirk with Donna. It was harder than he thought.

"So...it was the Reverend, then?" asked Gabby. "He killed them?"

"Yes."

Golightly stood up from his seat and shook his head. "Well, this has certainly been a most entertaining evening. Really, you can't believe any of this, surely, Lady Eddizzz—"

"Lady who, now?" called Renata. There was a smirk trying to start at the corner of her lips.

"Lady Eddizzzon…"

"Little bit of buzzing there, Vicar?" Renata leaned forwards, now letting her smirk fully show.

"Don't make me angry!"

"Don't make you angry!?" Renata practically jumped out of her seat. "You murdered people and you poisoned me!"

"Damn it! You humanzzz!" Golightly practically stomped his foot. "Worshipping your tribal sky godzzz! I am so much more! That night, the universe exploded in my mind! I wanted to take what wazz mine. And you, Agatha Christie, with your railway station bookstall romancezzz… What'zzz to stop me killing you? What'zzz to stop me killing you all?" He started shaking violently until the Doctor figured out he was going to transform back into his true form.

"No more murder! If my imagination made you kill, then my imagination will find a way to stop you, foul creature!" Agatha had taken the Firestone and ran out of the room.

"Agatha, don't do that!" Renata sighed and rushed after her, prompting the others to do the same.

They came out of the house but lost Agatha for a few minutes. She showed up in her car, honking the horn to get the Wasp's attention. And it was just in time because the it burst through the front door.

"Agatha, come back!" Renata called but Agatha drove into the darkness.

"C'mon!" the Doctor led them towards another car for them to follow.

"What is she doing?" Gabby asked as they stopped by an empty car.

"She realized she can control it," Renata said, ushering her into the car. "She's going to try and stop him on her own. Humans!"

"Hey!" went Donna and Gabby.

The Doctor took the well and went after Agatha and the Vespiform as fast as he could.

"Now wait a minute, this is the night Agatha Christie loses her memory!" Donna remembered.

"Time is in flux, Donna! For all we know, this is the night Agatha Christie loses her life and history gets changed!" the Doctor said.

"Over my dead body!" Renata huffed.

They followed Agatha up to the lakeside where she was forced to stop. She'd gotten out of her car and held the Firestone in her hand.

"Here I am! The honey in the trap. Come to me, Vespiform!"

"She truly is controlling it," Gabby said once they stopped their own car and were able to get out.

"It's mind is based on her thought processes. They're linked," the Doctor explained.

"Quite so, Doctor. If I die, then this creature might die with me," Agatha held the Firestone high in the air.

"Don't hurt her! You're not meant to be like this. You've got the wrong template in your mind!" the Doctor called but the Vespiform was still coming towards them.

"It's not listening," Renata said in frustration.

Donna took a decision and ran up to Agatha, snatching the Firestone from her hand and throwing it into the lake. The Vespiform dove into the water to retrieve it but ended up drowning instead. "How do you kill a wasp? Drown it," Donna sighed. "Just like its father."

"Donna, that thing couldn't help itself," the Doctor shot the woman a look.

"Neither could I," Donna said quickly. She wasn't going to let it kill anyone else.

"Death comes as the end. And justice is served," Agatha said but she didn't really feel like they'd done much of the justice part. "Just one mystery left, Doctor. Who exactly are you?"

"I don't think you have the time to listen to that bit, Agatha," Renata cleared her throat and looked away before the Doctor could see her smile.

But suddenly, Agatha doubled over in pain. She groaned and nearly fell to the ground if the Doctor hadn't caught her. "Oh! It's the Firestone! It's part of the Vespiform's mind! It's dying and it's connected to Agatha!"

It was true. Agatha's body was glowing purple just like the Vespiform was in the lake. But just as it started, it stopped and Agatha fell unconscious.

"What just happened?" Gabby looked out into the lake and saw that the purple glow had also disappeared from the water.

"It let her go. Right at the end, the Vespiform chose to safe someone's life," the Doctor realized.

"Is she alright, though?" Donna neared closer to them, seeing Agatha wasn't even moving.

"Oh, the amnesia," Renata had gasped when she made her own realization. "This is how she loses her memories. The Vespiform...it wiped her mind of everything that happened. The wasp, the murders…"

"And us," Donna looked up from Agatha. "She'll forget about us."

Renata smiled sadly. "The only human author I liked...and she won't ever remember me. Of course."

~ 0 ~

"So what's going to happen to the others?" Gabby asked once the group was back in the TARDIS. "Lady Eddison, the colonel, and all the staff—what about them?"

"A shameful story. They'd never talk of it—too British," the Doctor said and watched how Renata practically fumed at the excuse. "While the Unicorn does a bunk back to London Town, she can never say she was there."

"But what happens to Agatha? Will she be okay?" asked Donna.

"Oh, great life! Met another man, married again. Saw the world. Wrote and wrote and wrote!"

"She never thought her books were any good, though. And she must have spent all those years wondering."

"Yeah but, I don't think she ever quite forgot." There was a knowing smile on the Doctor's face as he went around the console till he pulled a part of the floor like a lid. "Great mind like that, some of the details kept bleeding through. All the stuff her imagination could use. Like Miss Marple!"

"I should have made her sign a contract," sighed Donna.

"What's all that stuff in there?" Gabby peered over the Doctor's shoulder as he dug through dozens of objects under the floor.

"Souvenirs," Renata answered from the console, eyeing the open part of the floor with distaste. "Some of them - if not most of them - being completely dangerous."

The Doctor kept digging through the objects until he found what he was looking for: a copy of one of Agatha's books, Death in the Clouds. He showed it to Donna who quickly recognized the large wasp on the front cover.

"She did remember!"

"Bet that was a scare for the people who were at the party," Gabby chuckled as she took the book into her hands.

"Somewhere at the back of her mind, it all lingered," the Doctor said. "And that's not all. Look at the copyright page."

Gabby turned to the page and checked the publication. "Facsimile edition published in the year…5 billion!?" She and Donna shared the exact gaping mouths.

"People never stop reading them. She is he best-selling novelist of all time."

"Well earned," Renata said from her spot by the console.

"But she never knew," Donna sadly said.

"Well, no one knows how they're gonna be remembered. We can only hope for the best," the Doctor said, giving her a cheery smile. "Maybe that's what kept her writing. The same thing that keeps me travelling. Onwards?"

Donna playfully rolled her eyes. "Onwards."

~ 0 ~

Renata had been so close, so close to escaping the Doctor's clutches...but he was too smart for her...and fast. He was really fast.

Keeping true to his word, he'd brought her right into the medbay to run those tests he'd mentioned earlier. Renata was scared out of her mind thinking what the results would say, and much more what the Doctor would do. What if she truly was dying already? Or worse, what if she wasn't dying but there was something freaky going on with her insides?

"This is really strange," the Doctor murmured as he read through the results on the computer screen. Renata looked up from her palms to see him thoroughly focused on whatever was on the screen. "The energy we talked about, the Bloxk Transfer Matrix from the Zhe's gallery is still there and so is the Osiran energy."

"Well...what's it doing exactly?" she curiously asked.

"Getting stronger by the looks of it," the Doctor glanced at her, his eyes scrutinizing her for any obvious sign of the merge he spoke about. "You're not expelling it.

Renata wondered if her body was struggling to expel the energy and that's why she was suddenly glowing golden. The Doctor tore his gaze away from the screen to see Renata's reaction. She was mighty good at keeping her expressions neutral. All she did was stare at the screen.

"I'm afraid it's going to get stronger and stronger until it starts...hurting you," the Doctor swallowed hard and turned the computer off. "This is energy that no one - not even us - should have. It's...it's…"

"Contamination," Renata said shakily. "I'm...toxic," she bit her lip as a sour chuckle slipped through. "Not surprising there."

"No, you're not. I'm going to find a way to get that energy out of you, I swear," the Doctor told her.

"Oh, I know you would," sighed Renata. She didn't want him overworking himself just for her. She didn't deserve that. "But listen, I'm okay right now. I'm good."

The Doctor knew by now that Renata wasn't the most open woman - she was used to hiding and that included her personality and feelings. He hadn't yet figured out how to get her to open up entirely, but he wouldn't give up.

"I'm tired, Doctor. I'd really like to go to bed now," Renata said after a moment of silence. She made to leave when he gently grabbed her arm.

"Can I take you somewhere first?" he asked. Renata raised an eyebrow at him, obviously confused with his question. "I, uh, I wanted to give you something. It'll be fast, I promise."

Renata couldn't see why not so she nodded and allowed him to lead her out of the room. He brought them back to the console room and landed them somewhere new, apparently.

When Renata poked her head out she saw it was still night time but they were somewhere in a garden, a beautiful large garden. She felt the light breeze with her flapper dress, but she didn't mind. After feeling like she was on fire, she could use a breeze. "Where are we?" she chuckled as she came out.

"Well, you did say you'd like to take a walk in a garden," the Doctor came out behind her.

"Right, well, I meant in the daytime," Renata took a few steps away from the TARDIS and looked around the place. It was so green and bright despite it being night time. "And, you know, with the others."

"I don't think we should bother Donna and Gabby right now," the Doctor said. "C'mon." He took her by the hand and led her down the cobblestone path.

"You haven't told me where we are, though" asked Renata. She spotted a bright red rose bush coming up and she couldn't help wonder who was in charge of the place - it was simply beautiful!

"It's part of a mediation facility. Welcomes all types of aliens who just want to...relax."

"Well I'd love this place!"

"I thought you would. After a day like the one we've had…"

Renata slowly came to a stop and turned to face him. "You're not still thinking that I'm upset with you over what happened, right? I get what you were doing."

"I just...I don't like putting you in danger, Renée. I know you can take care of yourself but...if I can prevent it then I will."

Renata softly smiled at him. "Oh my Doctor, you are far too kind for a woman like me."

"You're too kind for a man like me." The Doctor sighed, making her smile fade.

"No," she said automatically. "And I will not discuss this any further. I don't want you to stop smiling because of me. It was an overall okay day," she said and because the Doctor knew she was just trying to cheer him up, he smiled at her again. "Got to visit the 20s again. Always a nice time period, if you know where to go."

"Hm, and just where was the past Renata during this time?" he curiously asked. "Speakeasies?"

Renata flushed with embarrassment. "Only a few-"

"Oh!" the Doctor's eyes widened with even more curiosity.

"Don't give me that look!" Renata laughed and let go of his hand to walk a bit ahead.

"Give me a break! It's hard picturing you of all people dancing in a speakeasy!"

Renata refused to look at him while he tried to picture those images. It was embarrassing enough but at least they were doing well again. "Oh, stop it! It wasn't all about the speakeasies. I personally loved the authors and cultural shifts the period had."

The Doctor playfully rolled her eyes. Of course she would prefer to focus on the more classical features of the 20s. "Like what?"

"Well, like...oh, I personally liked F. Scott Fitzgerald's work that started coming out," Renata smiled. "All the quotes that came out of his work were amazing. He was a trouble author, as was his wife, but his quotes always had this clear truth in them."

"Like what?" the Doctor walked alongside her now that she'd slowed her pace down.

Renata hummed and crossed her arms, thinking of the many quotes that she was fond of. After a few seconds, she decided on one even if it was truthfully bittersweet. "I love her and that's the beginning and end of everything..." She came to a slow stop and sighed lightly. "It's a sad line, you know? Love is beautiful but at the same time it can hurt you. And it has, on many occasions."

The Doctor could only silently agree. He'd been there himself of course. "And that's the line that spoke to you? Out of everything he ever wrote?"

Renata nodded. "Unfortunately."

It resonated with her because it was basically her story with the Doctor. The day she met him was the day everything began. She began to smile more, laugh more, be more spontaneous...she learned how to be a better version of herself who could have fun. It was the beginning of a wonderful, albeit rocky, story. He was such an impossible man even back then, making her 'think outside the box' and do the craziest of things. It was the beginning of her first and true love for someone. But at the same time, it was also the end of things, of several things. It was the end of her sanity - he drove her crazy almost every day with his shenanigans - and the end of any possibility of her ever being to love someone else with the same intensity she loved the Doctor with.

The Doctor stared at her while she got lost in thoughts. He was sure that something terrible once happened to Renata that made her like this. He had zero idea what it could've been but he wished it hadn't happened because Renata deserved to be happy. She shouldn't feel like she needed to hide things from her friends. He would never judge her, he just wished he could show her that, make her understand that he was right there.

Start with what you have, the little voice in his head scolded him. That's when he remembered the point of bringing Renata out in the first place. "Renée," he gently called to her so as to not scare her. She blinked out of her thoughts and listened to him. "I've, uh...I've been sort of working on something. Gabby helped with a few things, actually. I...I thought you might...you know..."

Renata followed and nodded at his hand gestures but he wasn't making much sense. "What is it?"

"Well, uh...it's..." the Doctor had to stop and exhale because otherwise he wouldn't be able to keep talking. He was super nervous all of a sudden and he had no reason to be. You decided to make it, now give it to her! The voice was right. "I've made something for you."

"Oh," Renata blinked with genuine surprise and perhaps a bit of curiosity. What could he have made for her?

"Yeah, um...hold on," the Doctor reached for one of his coat's inside pockets and pulled out a small rectangular box. "I-I thought - well, after the whole Monaxi thing, I thought you might benefit from one."

"Benefit from what?" Renata gingerly took the box from him.

"Open it." The Doctor intently watched her pull the lid off the box, his hearts possibly beating quicker when she gasped.

Renata's eyes had widened the moment she saw a golden white sonic screwdriver tucked inside the box. She looked up at the Doctor with the corners of her mouth twitching into a smile. "Is it...is it actually a...a sonic?" She looked like she wanted to laugh so the Doctor presumed she was liking the gift. "It's a sonic screwdriver!?"

"Yeah, um, I figured you might like one so that you can...you know, not have to use your balled fists?" the Doctor raised his own fists for show, making Renata laugh when she remembered how she wanted to take on the Monaxi even without a sonic and just her hands.

"Right," she brought her hand to her stomach while she laughed. "Oh my goodness, I can't believe you would do this for me!"

The Doctor loved seeing her face so bright with delight. She very rarely had these moments and he proud that he was responsible for her happiness right now.

"My own sonic screwdriver, ha!" Renata picked up the sonic from its box and studied it. It was similar to the Doctor's sonic only hers seemed to have a bit more width to it, and it had a clear tip that, once she flicked it on, shined a light golden unlike the Doctor's that shined blue. She laughed at the golden light. "My favorite colors!"

"Gabby's idea. She helped design the thing - loves to draw - and I worked on the, uh, well, the features." the Doctor said, smiling as she went through some of its basic features. "It's identical to mine in its working methods, just...with a few touches for you."

Renata's eyes twinkled with happy tears. I never deserved someone like you. She hurried over to hug him tightly. "Thank you so much! I love it!"

A total wave of relief washed over the Doctor when she said that. He hugged her tighter, letting himself breathe in her sweet perfume and natural scent. "I'm glad you like it."

"How could I not? It's wonderful and so are you!" Renata wrapped her arms around his neck and really took the moment to relish in it. Of course she then noticed the light gold glow on her right hand, reminding her that not all was well.

[forthegothicheroine]

Best books I read in 2017

I read a lot of graphic novels this year, whose individual volumes artificially inflated my goodreads numbers.  In any case, here are my favorites- not necessarily books that came out this year, just ones I actually got to.

Behind this cut lies gothic horror, true crime, indie comics, weird history, magic realism, and muppets.

My Favorite Thing is Monsters: This one is my absolute favorite of the year.  Oh my god.  Heaven help me.  Oh god.  If you want a fantastic world of monster movies, private heartbreak, memoirs of libertine cults, and amazing color all narrated by an adorable lesbian werewolf girl, please read this book.  And join me in dancing around impatiently for the next volume.

The Faerie Handbook: Look, sometimes I just want to be twelve again and surround myself with fairy artwork and crafts and mythology, all provided by the editors of Faerie Magazine.  This book helps with that.

Haunted Castles: This is a collection of gothic novellas by Ray Russell, and it’s worth it for “Sardonicus” alone.  The other stories aren’t bad either (especially the super-nasty “The Fugitive Lovers”) and an introduction by Guillermo del Toro doesn’t hurt.

Swords Against Wizardry: I’ve talked about my love of the Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser series before, and this book is the best of all.  I love these two dorky adventurers, and this is the pinnacle of sword and sorcery as Coen Brothers-style dark comedy.  Steal invisible treasure!  Romance invisible maidens!  See what happens when you try to fence invisible treasure!  Say ‘screw it’ and end up fucking around in Gormenghast!  Such is the adventuring life.

The Rabbi’s Cat: Another graphic novel, this one is sad and cute in equal measure.  Don’t worry, it’s not a downer- it’s about a skinny, mischief-making cat who wants to become Jewish solely so he can keep getting petted by the Rabbi’s daughter.  The family’s life in 1930s Algeria fluctuates, as does the Rabbi’s faith, and through it all the cat wryly observes.

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown: Now this is the kind of YA vampire romance I want to read!  It’s genuinely exciting and the vampire dystopia portrayed is believably glamorous and grimy.  These are vampires I can believe in, both sympathetic and otherwise.  Plus, if you’ve ever wanted to punch out Lestat, you’ll be satisfied.

Conjure Wife: I had read this one before, but it rang especially true this time.  A college professor finds out his wife has been using witchcraft to prop up his entire career, and everything falls to hell when he makes her stop.  It has to be taken literally for an urban fantasy suspense romp, but you can also easily read it as a metaphor by replacing “witchcraft” with “emotional labor.”

The Refrigerator Monologues: Catherynne M. Valente is pretty hit or miss for me, but this worked for me in a big way.  Her anger at watching Gwen Stacy die on screen resulted in this work, where analogues for female comic book characters air their grievances from the afterlife (my favorite is the Harley Quinn one.)  You can tell her opinions- she thinks Jean Grey has been rebooted way too many crimes, and Daredevil is the only hero who comes off completely sympathetic- but whether you share her opinions or not, I think you’ll find value here.

My Friend Dahmer: ‘Derf’ Backderf went to high school with Jeffrey Dahmer.  The kid was weird, and they always laughed at his antics...until he got just a little too weird and they distanced theirselves from him.  Looking back, he wonders many things, chiefly why none of the adults recognized or cared about the warning signs that Dahmer was having serious problems.  @harkerling said this graphic novel memoir perfectly hit the balance between sympathizing with a killer and not excusing him, and it’s going to stick with me for a long time.

Nightmare Movies: Kim Newman is another hit or miss author for me, but I’m definitely going to check out more of his work now that I’ve read what he has to say about horror movies.  Even when I don’t agree, he’s always intelligent and insightful and notices things I somehow missed (is Hayley from Hard Candy actually a ghost or an avenging angel?)  I’ll fight him on a few movies he trashes, but it will be a gentle fight.

Paperbacks from Hell: Oh man this one is fun.  The author of the horror comedy novel Horrorstor gives us a look at the best and worst of pulp horror paperback covers, from the sixties through the nineties.  You’ll meet skeletons in funny poses, whip-weilding leprachauns, and plenty of gothic heroines running away from big houses in the middle of the night.  The only problem with this book is that it made my to-read list so much longer!

Romantic Outlaws: This dual biography of Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley filled in so many gap in my knowledge of gothic literature, broke my heart, and even helped me understand what these women saw in their wacky husbands.  It’s huge but it’s a page-turner, and you’ll feel like these women are your troubled but fascinating best friends.

Muppet Classics: Phantom of the Opera: Look, you’ll never know till you read this what a great Christine Miss Piggy is.  It works with the Leroux text adding not only Muppet characters and jokes but developing a semi-plausible background for the plot.  The casting is perfect, and don’t get too comfortable because muppets actually die!  Now I just need them to do Muppet Dracula.

Poirot and Me: Do you love David Suchet’s Poirot?  Do you want to know how an actual method actor works, as opposed to a publicity seeking jackass who annoys his fellow cast?  Read this book.  It’s precious and enlightening, and now when I watch Poirot I see how much work Suchet put into every motion and expression to perfectly match Agatha Christie’s creation.  (And to any of you who may have headcanoned Poirot as asexual, Suchet says you’re right.)

[peterparkersgal]

Spider Love

Peter has a crush on the relatively new girl. 

Peter and Ned had been friends for years. They constantly bonded over their love for science and Star Wars. Ned was the only person who knew that Peter was Spider-man. It killed him every day that he couldn’t just blurt out Peter’s secret to everyone, but he made it through. Having to keep such a big secret made it difficult for Ned to keep all the other little secrets he was supposed to keep.

It was an ordinary Thursday afternoon. Peter was at his locker staring across the hall at Holmes. She had moved to Queens a couple of months ago. She didn’t really talk to many people and seemed to prefer the company of books to people. She was wearing a green jumper with the words “IF LOOKS COULD KALE” written across the front as she leaned against the wall with a book in her hands.

Peter had immediately noticed her the moment she walked through the doors of his advanced physics class. Her blue hair was flowing and her green eyes were glowing behind her adorable round glasses. Her cheeks were dotted with freckles and she was wearing a Doctor Who scarf which had Peter’s nerd senses tingling.

Peter was disturbed from his daydream state when Ned walked in front of him, blocking his view.

“Hey man. What are you staring at?” Ned asked turning around to face the direction Peter was looking in.

“Nothing.” Peter said, immediately turning around to fiddle with his books in his locker. He couldn’t let Ned know about his secret crush. If he found out it would no longer be a secret crush.

“Why are you staring at Holmes?” Ned said turning around to face Peter, who was now blushing profusely.

“No reason.” Peter squeaked, his voice getting high as he tried to lie to Ned.

“Oh my gosh. You like the new girl.” Ned said, realising why Peter was staring at her.

Peter looked horrified when he finally made eye contact with Ned. “What are you talking about? No I don’t.” Peter grabbed his bag, now filled with books, and shut his locker, turning to walk away.

“Yes you do.” Ned said scuttling after him.

“So what if I do?” Peter said stopping and turning to face Ned.

“You should talk to her.” Ned said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Or ask her out. Do something dude!”

“I’ll pass.” Peter said, walking out the doors of the school. Ned followed shaking his head. He never understood why Peter didn’t have much confidence when it came to girls. He was the smartest kid in school and he was pretty cute, if you’re into the whole nerdy guy thing. Not to mention, the guy had super powers. Not that anyone knew that last bit.

“Come on Peter.” Ned said. “How do you expect to ever get a girlfriend if you won’t even talk to the girl you like.”

“Ned, the last time I went out with a girl, her father ended up being a supervillain, who I put in jail.” Peter said walking at a faster pace, wanting the conversation to end already.

“But what are the odds of that happening again?” Ned said nearly having to run to keep up with Peter’s quick strides. Peter stopped suddenly causing Ned to bump into him.

“Fine. If I promise to talk to her tomorrow, will you drop the subject?” Peter had a pleading look on his face. He really didn’t like talking about this type of thing.

“Absolutely.” Ned said. “First thing tomorrow, you gotta talk to her or I’ll tell everyone about your little crush. And by everyone, I mean Michelle, who will then tell the whole school.”

“I promise. I’ll talk to her. First thing tomorrow.” Peter said crossing his heart.

The two boys continued their journey’s home, one more nervous than when he left school.

When Peter arrived at school the next day he was extremely nervous. He didn’t know why he was so nervous. It wasn’t as if he was going to ask her out, he was just going to talk to her. He was pacing outside of the library. He knew she was in there. Every morning she would sit at the end of aisle 2 and read. She always had her nose stuck in a book.

Peter saw Ned coming down the hall and decided to be brave. He turned around and entered the library, taking a deep breath. ‘You can do this,’ he told himself. ‘Come on Peter. You fight bad guys every night and you can’t talk to a pretty girl.’ He let out the breath he was holding and walked towards aisle 2.

He saw her sitting there and was about to approach her when he lost his courage. She looked really pretty today. Well, she always looked pretty in Peter’s eyes. She had her long blue hair in a messy braid, trailing over her shoulder. Peter walked right passed the row and to the next one. He took a few deep breaths and tried to psych himself up. He never got this nervous around Liz. Probably because he knew he never had a shot with her. She was a popular senior, and he was a nobody sophomore. ‘You got this.’ He thought to himself.

He turned around and approached the row of books she was sitting in. This time he didn’t walk right past and actually entered. He approached her slowly, being very quiet. He looked down at the book in her lap and nearly laughed out loud at the irony. She was reading Sherlock Holmes. He began to wonder if maybe he was her namesake.

“You know, I always was more of an Agatha Christie fan.” Peter heard himself say.

Holmes startled at the voice of a stranger. She looked up and saw a familiar face. Peter and Holmes shared two classes together, Physics and gym. They never talked to each other, they didn’t even sit near each other, but Peter always admired her from afar.

Holmes let out a small, nervous laugh and returned to her book. Peter knew this was going to be difficult. The girl was awfully shy so starting an actual conversation was going to be a challenge. But who didn’t love a challenge?

“I’m Peter. Peter Parker.” He claimed, waving a little awkwardly.

Holmes looked up and smiled slightly. “Holmes,” was all she said. She was very quiet but Peter couldn’t help but notice how smooth her voice sounded.

“I know.” Peter blurted, eyes widening, immediately realising how creepy that sounded. “I-I-I mean, we have physics together.” He corrected himself, blushing copiously.

“And gym.” She added, smiling at his nervousness. Holmes knew exactly who Peter was. He was extremely smart and hung around with his best friend Ned all the time.

“Right. Gym.” Peter affirmed, sighing with relief. “So are you named after him?” he asked sitting down next to her. They were so close but not yet touching. Peter didn’t want to frighten her.

Holmes nodded, smiling at the nerdy boy. “M-my p-parents first met when they both reached for the same copy of Sherlock at the bookshop.” She stuttered. Peter was lucky he had great hearing. She spoke so softly it was very difficult to hear her. Peter had never met someone who got nervous around him. Normally it was him doing the stuttering.

“That’s actually really cool.” He commented, smiling brightly over the fact that he was now actually having a conversation with the girl he had liked for weeks. “My parents just liked the name Peter, I suppose.” He shrugged.

Holmes just smiled at Peter and returned her gaze to her book. Peter sat there for a moment, taking in her beauty. She was so effortlessly pretty. It drove Peter insane. He cast his eyes to the bookmark that was sitting on the floor next to her. He couldn’t help but smile when he saw it.

“You like spiders?” Peter asked nodding towards her bookmark.

Holmes followed Peter’s gaze and noticed her bookmark. “Oh,” she marvelled with surprise. “Yeah. They’re really fascinating.” She said picking up the bookmark and placing it in her book. “Did you know when a spider walks it always has four legs on the ground and four legs off the ground?”

Peter smiled at her. It was a rather odd fascination. Spiders freaked most people out. But not this girl. “That’s actually pretty interesting.” He declared, genuinely finding the fact interesting.

“I was so excited when I found out we were moving here.” She gushed, smiling brightly.

“Why was that?” Peter asked curiously. “Queens is pretty ordinary.”

“Spider-man lives here.” She beamed excitedly. “When I first saw him on the internet I thought it was fake, but then he kept showing up and I grew more curious. He’s a man, with superpowers that make him similar to a spider.”

“He’s pretty awesome.” Peter agreed. “I’ve actually seen him. He’s pretty amazing.” He said. He felt kind of weird talking about himself like this. He’d never really done it before but he really wanted to impress this girl and if talking about spider-man did that, then he wasn’t going to complain.

“I’d love to study him one day. Find out what his webs are made from, find out how he got his powers.” She gushed. Peter had never heard Holmes talk this much. She always kept to herself, only talking to people if she had to. She had never seemed this enthusiastic about something before either. Although there was this one time in the hallway, Peter was watching her read, it must have been a good ending because her face lit up like a Christmas tree. She looked really beautiful when she was happy.

“Maybe someday you’ll meet him.” Peter smiled at her.

“Hopefully.” She smiled back. The pair just sat there, smiling at each other.

Their moment was disturbed when the bell rang. Peter jumped up and reached down to help Holmes up. She smiled and thanked him.

“I guess I’ll see you in physics later?” Peter asked unsurely.

“I guess you will.” Holmes agreed, grabbing her stuff and walking away.

“It was nice talking to you.” Peter uttered hurriedly to her retreating figure.

She turned around and smiled at him once more. “It was nice talking to you too.”

“We should do it again sometime.” Peter said, sounding a little more confident this time.

“Definitely.” She replied. “You know where to find me.” She stated before she disappeared around the corner.

Peter sighed and rested his back against the bookshelf closest to him. He couldn’t believe he got through an entire conversation with the girl he was crushing on, without making a total fool of himself.

For the rest of the day he couldn’t stop smiling whenever he thought back to the conversation he had that morning. Holmes was really something, and he couldn’t wait to get to know her more. There was just something about her that really drew Peter in. He had never met a girl like her. Who was quiet and shy but would get extremely confident when talking about spiders of all things.

He knew exactly what a certain superhero would be doing that afternoon, and it didn’t involve grand theft bicycles or churros.

[jenmedsbookreviews]

You have to admit – this is not a bad way to start a week huh? It was lush if somewhat sickly but highly recommended. I love Ole & Steen on Haymarket. Best Danish pastry I have tasted. If you are in London then you simply must go. Their sandwiches and coffees aren’t bad either.

After starting last week’s post with a puppy picture, I was asked for a cat this week so here you go.

Not what you were expecting? He’s still pretty cute though. For those wanting a kitty of a slighter small size and shape here’s one for you.

None of this has anything to do with books but then what is new. Well … the cake kind of links back to books as I did eat it prior to heading on over to City University and First Monday Crime last week. A wonderfully bookish night of entertainment courtesy of Barry Forshaw, Stuart Turton, Leigh Russell and john Connolly. Sadly, thanks to the sudden descent of fog upon the country Rachel Abbott didn’t make it but the panel still kept us wholly entertained with discussions on why kids don’t read much, whether Stuart Turton loves or hates Agatha Christie and whether John Connolly writes horror or crime or a hybrid. For more on the evening as a whole I recommend that you read Joy Kluver’s write up here. I was far to enthralled and entertained to take decent notes but I did grab a couple of pictures.

Now, you may or may not have worked out from my overly gushing post the other week about The Woman in the Woods that I’m a small fan of John Connolly’s Charlie Parker books. I did the thoroughly bookishly geeky thing of queuing to get my copy signed (even though I have a signed copy on the way from Goldsboro books anyway – this was personalised) and unlike me, I managed to get out more of a sentence than ‘I liked your book’. When Mr C remarked that I had already read it, I explained that I’d reviewed it the previous week. After a surprised ‘that was you!’ I got a totally unexpected and unsolicited hug of thanks from the man himself.

Now I am not prone to the old huggage, hand shakes are still somewhat of a necessary evil IMHO, even for work. I want to die when I meet my European colleagues with their strange air kiss/cheek rub ways. I can never remember which is which and who is going to fire in for one, two or even three kisses. Three!!! I mean, what the heck?Where I come from that’s borderline asking for your hand in marriage or at the very least an indecent proposal!

Those who know me well know that this hugging phenomenon is something I am struggling to come to terms with about the bookish world. You lot are very huggy people. This one though I did not mind at all. Not in any weird kind of freaky stalkerish way I hasten to add, but it was just so surprising as I am sure that authors such as John Connolly and the rest of the panel get hundreds of reviews and kind comments all the time, so to know that he read and was genuinely thankful for the review makes this whole blogging thing worth while. In it’s own odd way it’s kind of different to greeting people who you may have conversed with a bit on line or perhaps met before too as that’s where you expect a kind of happy but strange hug/air kiss/pre proposal type scenario 😉😬. I mean I’d have been as happy with a genuine and enthusiastic thank you but I’m not complaining.;) And I now have another book in my signed collection which also contains huge hugs (at least this is what we deciphered it as saying lol)!!! Good night out.

This was the most exciting thing to happen to me all week as other than this I have had a trip just south of Lille for another two hour meeting (and the kiss/don’t kiss, one two or three nightmare) and a lot of work twaddle to contend with. I completed week 4 of my Forensic Psychology – Witness Investigation course and week 1 of the Forensic Science course that I am trying to undertake alongside blogging and working and travelling and occasional sleeping so that is a bonus. I also got two other new signed books this week. First up was a copy of DM Mark’s The Zealot’s Bones (warning to the sensitive the cover has a scary rat and you may wish to scroll on) and a second signed copy of Written in Bones by James Oswald, simply because it was signed and dated on my birthday last year. That seemed like fate to me so it had to be done.

Ahhh. Book. Heaven. Not too shabby a week huh? Well apart from work but we can gloss over that part …

New book wise I have been ordering from Goldsboro again. This time it’s a signed copy of The Blood Road by Stuart MacBride which is released in June. Happy bunny time over here then. From Amazon my purchases have been limited (yeah right) and I only ordered the US hard cover of Ragnar Jonasson’s Black Out because it is stunning (and I have the first two in the set so it seemed rude not to). From the UK I ordered The Zealot’s Bones by DM Mark (I can’t read a signed copy…); Down To The Woods by MJ Arlidge; Counting the Dead by Victoria Jenkins and No Turning Back by Sam Blake.

Netgalley wise I have had a few books. It’s a mixture of tour requests, direct invites to review in the case of Peter James and Ruth Dugdall and ‘I just want to read these’ requests. I picked up Body and Soul by John Harvey; The Things You Didn’t See by Ruth Dugdall; The Retreat by Mark Edwards; Dead If you Don’t by Peter James and One Little Lie by Sam Carrington. I was also sent an early copy of The Chosen Ones by Carol Wyer which is absolutely bloody fabulous I might add.

Reading wise I’ve not had too shabby a week all things considered. I am still shattered so i think to have finished reading four books again this week is quite pleasing.

Books I have read

The Ice Swimmer – Kjell Ola Dahl

When a dead man is lifted from the freezing waters of Oslo Harbour just before Christmas, Detective Lena Stigersand’s stressful life suddenly becomes even more complicated. Not only is she dealing with a cancer scare, a stalker and an untrustworthy boyfriend, but it seems both a politician and Norway’s security services might be involved in the murder. 

With her trusted colleagues, Gunnarstranda and Frølich, at her side, Lena digs deep into the case and finds that it not only goes to the heart of the Norwegian establishment, but it might be rather to close to her personal life for comfort.

Dark, complex and nail-bitingly tense, The Ice Swimmer is the latest and most unforgettable instalment in the critically acclaimed Oslo Detective series, by the godfather of Nordic Noir.

My review of this brilliant novel will be out later this week but I truly love the writing style and the feel of this Oslo based thriller. Slower in pace than most Detective novels it is still engaging and has so many hold your breath moments that you won’t be able to turn away. You can buy your own copy here.

…

Body and Soul – John Harvey

From the master of British Crime Writing comes Frank Elder’s last case.

‘The heavy manacles around the girl’s wrists, perhaps not surprisingly, looked very much like the ones that had been found on the studio floor. For a moment, she had a vision of the chain to which they were attached being swung through the air, taking on force and speed before striking home.Then swung again.’

When his estranged daughter Katherine appears on his doorstep, ex-Detective Frank Elder knows that something is wrong.

Katherine has long been troubled, and Elder has always felt powerless to help her.

But now Katherine has begun to self-destruct.

The breakdown of her affair with a controversial artist has sent her into a tailspin which culminates in murder.

And as Elder struggles to protect his daughter and prove her innocence, the terrors of the past threaten them both once more …

The last in the series this is the first book I have read by John Harvey. Nothing new there for me. Fast paced and gripping from the off, it does contain spoilers for prior novels so be aware before setting off, but as a first read it also gives enough back ground to put everything in context and keep you on edge all along. My review will be posted later this week and you can buy your own copy here.

…

The Chosen Ones – Carol Wyer

They had not been forgiven. And they would never be forgotten …. When a doting young father is murdered and his body discovered in a cornfield for his family to see, it’s a harrowing new case for Detective Robyn Carter. But just as Robyn starts to investigate, a popular local doctor and young mother, is found dead outside her surgery.

As Robyn tries to find the link between the victims, she uncovers a dark web of secrets. Were these much-loved members of the community as innocent as they seemed? 

The killer has a message for Robyn and the carefully chosen victims. Can Robyn get to the truth before she becomes the next target? 

If you love Angela Marsons, Patricia Gibney and Rachel Abbott, you’ll love the latest pulse-pounding thriller from Carol Wyer. The Chosen Ones will keep you guessing until the very last page.

What I love about this series, aside from the great characters and the brilliant writing, is that it is set very locally to me and I always chuckle when I see local references. Plenty of that in this book, alongside a chilling set of murders which will make your toes curl and keep you right at the edge of a very uncomfortable seat. Loved it. My review will be a long time coming as publication isn’t until later next month, but you can preorder a copy here. Totally worth it.

…

The Girl Who Got Revenge – Marnie Riches

Revenge is a dish best served deadly…

A twelve-year-old girl is found dead at the Amsterdam port. An old man dies mysteriously in a doctors’ waiting room. Two seemingly unconnected cases, but Inspector Van den Bergen doesn’t think so…

Criminologist George McKenzie is called in to help crack the case before it’s too late. But the truth is far more deadly than anyone can imagine… Can George get justice for the dead before she ends up six-feet under too?

A heart-racing thriller packed with secrets, lies and the ultimate revenge, perfect for fans of Steig Larsson and Jo Nesbo.

Love this series, loved this book. George McKenzie and her lover Van den Bergen are back and boy what a case they are faced with. Human trafficking and unexplained deaths of admittedly quite aged men. Full of the humour, darkness and brilliant plotting that threads through this series, fans will not be disappointed. My review and an extract from the book will be up on the blog this weekend, but you can order your own copy here.

…

Busy week on the blog so here is a recap:

A Grand Old Time by Judy Leigh

My Little Eye by Stephanie Marland

Too Close To Breathe by Olivia Kiernan

The Summer Theatre By The Sea by Tracy Corbett

Deadly Secrets by Robert Bryndza

Keeper by Johana Gustawsson

Cover Reveal: The Picture – Roger Bray

The week ahead is pretty tame in comparison although I do have a few tours on the cards for the Ice Swimmer by Kjell Ola Dahl; Body and Soul by John Harvey; The Dark Web by Christopher Lowery; East if India by Erica Brown (Mandie’s review) and The Girl Who Got Revenge by Marnie Riches.

Do have a fabulously bookish week everyone. I will be mostly reading, studying and possibly (maybe) thinking about starting writing myself. Only possibly maybe ish. But probably not. Bust, busy and all that.

Jen

Rewind, recap: Weekly update w/e 15/04/18 You have to admit - this is not a bad way to start a week huh? It was lush if somewhat sickly but highly recommended.