"Fear and Trembling", by Amélie Nothomb

Fiction, 1999

The story of a Belgian woman's rapid descent through the ranks of a Japanese corporation, which is funny, thought provoking and, in places, moving. All quite an achievement in such a slim volume which sees the protagonist struggle and opine on the differences between cultures and touching on the role of women in Japanese society. A brisk read running a few jokes, some splendid and bizarre passages on work and, at the end, after all the humiliation and ritual, some kind of circularity.

"Murder My Sweet", directed by Edward Dmytryk

Movie, 1944

Cracking film noir, with all the wise cracking, brooding shadows and compromised characters you could ask for. While this isn't quite up to the standard of Bogart's Marlowe, this is an entertaining film all the same and moves along at a decent pace. The character of Moose Malloy brings a measure of humour with the cruelty and brutality, while the action scenes are well played and understated. There's possibly some missing spark which means this film isn't an absolute classic, but it's excellent entertainment all the same.