I guess there have been lots of times for most folks, certainly for me, when I have enjoyed reading a book and subsequently seen a dramatisation – at the cinema or on television and been so disappointed. The TERRIBLE cartoon version of "Lord of The Rings" being a prime example!

Never has it been the other way round until now. I thoroughly enjoy "Murdoch Mysteries" on television – based on books by Maureen Jennings. TV's Murdoch is a detective in Toronto in the late 1800s. He is sophisticated, well-read and uses forensic techniques which were then in their infancy. The episodes often feature real people, Conan-Doyle, HG Wells, Henry Ford and Nikola Tesla. There is also an on/off relationship between Murdoch and Dr Julia Ogden, the Medical Examiner.

I was so pleased when the books became available and I immediately purchased two. What a disappointment! The only things the books seem to have in common with the TV are names and the fact that Murdoch is a detective. Characters who feature in the TV series are hardly mentioned in the books and Murdoch himself is a totally different person. I found the first book such a disappointment that I haven't even started on the second.

Have I missed something?

Eddie