Having worked for a number of years in Local Government I took early retirement due to ill health. An occasion where someone asked me how my day had been led me to giving the answer as a fake diary entry. They loved it and demanded more until finally I was asked to produce a book. Each day I wrote a chapter or two and dutifully sent it flying through the ether to America. I also gave the handwritten version to my wife, the only person who can decipher the handwriting. She took them to bed to read while I sat at the computer waiting for an answer. If Julia (my wife) laughed I knew I was OK. She kept laughing and asking for more until finally My Barsetshire Diary was born. Apart from some humour that had to be explained and amended slightly for our American friends, the book seemed to be popular with readers.That led to me trying again with my own favourite The Queen's Envoy. I hope some of you will take the time to try them and leave your opinions for other readers.