Annette Shaw is a freelance journalist with 30 years of experience, and has a regular column in Devon Life, sharing her pick of brilliant books with Devon connections.With her reputation for championing books and authors around the county, we’re delighted to have the opportunity to showcase her reviews here.

Tea At The Palace By Carolyn Robb
No doubt Devon will have many events to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee and one we can all be involved in is a local street party. Written by Carolyn Robb, a former Personal Chef to TRH the Prince and Princess of Wales, Tea at the Palace is a fabulous collection of traditional and contemporary culinary suggestions from sweet confections to savoury nibbles. Set against a backdrop of 12 of Britain’s most stunning palaces and residences, some of the recipes have appropriate enhancements such as bunting on a classic Victoria sandwich cake! Carolyn also caters for children and fondly remembers 13 years at Kensington Palace cooking for young princes William and Harry. One particular temptation is Ginger Soldiers in Sentry Boxes. For helpful advice on how to go about organising a memorable tea party the web site platinumjubilee.gov.uk is well worth a look – and to see what’s planned in your area.

Shed Heaven By Anna Groves
Whether it’s man-caves, workshops or horticultural storage, sheds have a special place in the hearts of many, along with the nation’s dads (Father’s Day is June 19). Although, to be fair and in the interest of equality, there are pretty sheds here as well. In fact, at Killerton, near Exeter, the Bear’s Hut was built in 1808 as a surprise for Lydia, Lady Acland. Author Anna has written a number of guidebooks to National Trust properties and now turns her attention to the world of sheds and what owners have used them for. For example, as she writes: “Some of the world’s greatest minds have done their finest pondering in the humblest lodges.” She mentions several, including Virginia Woolf, Dylan Thomas and George Bernard Shaw Much to enjoy in this book, possibly over a coffee in your own space, such as the background to growing daffodils in the Tamar Valley and the history of the flower packing sheds at Cothele.

Men With The Pot Cookbook By Kris Szymanski and Slawek Kalkraut
Everything tastes better in the fresh air – making this book irresistible! Billed as Delicious Grilled Meats and Forest Feasts, it’s another option as a Father’s Day present for all the dads who want to hone their BBQ skills or
fancy a bit of bushcraft on one of Devon’s moors to impress the family – observing health and safety of course!
The authors started out with literally one pot. Their aim was to light a fire and inspire others to follow the same path, cooking whatever brings them joy. What they’ve come up with is a comprehensive guide to memorable, bonding days, starting with making a pot stand and the tools best suited to outdoor food preparation. The recipes should appeal to all tastes whether it’s the perfect steak or one of the wrapped-in bacon options. Fish lovers are not forgotten, be it curry or cod. Love the Flatbreads with Caramelised Onions and Goat’s Cheese.

Solstice Of Death By Laurence Anholt
Sorry! Wrong solstice. But what the heck. This book is quirky, engrossing and can be devoured at any time.
Laurence did a lot of the writing during the first lockdown and feels this influenced his work. “There is a theory that each generation gets the Stonehenge it deserves. The whole world was in limbo, time and structure suspended, and I sensed a parallel with the moment of solstice, of incoming light.” Set, ironically, in a charged atmosphere where the military fuses with paganism and archaeology. There’s been a grisly murder, a green-painted man, hand dangling from one of the stone lintels of a trilithon. DI Shanti Joyce and her Buddhist colleague Vincent Caine, “the go-to team for weird stuff in the West Country”, are sent to solve the crime. Laurence is a master at holding the reveal as well as peppering the story with red herrings. This third novel in the series will not disappoint.

Elizabeth – Queen And Crown By Sarah Gristwood
As Her Majesty The Queen becomes the first British monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee after 70 years of service, we had to have a book to mark this remarkable event. Packed with photographs, historical facts and highly informative, I feel this is one to treasure. Spanning the years from 1926 to the present day, Elizabeth Queen and Crown covers many aspects, following the twists and turns of Her Majesty’s life, key points and additional snippets. The Queen has hosted more than one hundred State Banquets, and we learn that, according to Tony Blair, the strength of drinks at Balmoral is “true rocket fuel.” Sarah Gristwood is a bestselling biographer and commentator on royal affairs. She regularly contributes to documentary series such as The Royal House of Windsor, The Windsors: Inside the Crown, The Queen Mother, and Inside…Balmoral/Windsor Castle/St Paul’s Cathedral Westminster Abbey, as well as appearing on international news channels.