Oh Wavestar, I agree, the English Patient is a wonderful book. Heartbreaking. And the Katharine in it spells her name the same way as I do. I'm an Umberto Eco fan as well - Foucault's Pendulum being my favourite.
LR Mole - I do like Sara Paretsky - I'll keep my eye out for that one. I used to like Patricia Cornwall, but now the characters really annoy me and the have become totally irritating and unlikeable, and I keep hoping the misogynistic (as they tend to be) killers bump off Kay Scarpetta and do us all a favour.