Lovely things are on the horizon. I thought we might have hit a dearth in the 'things to look at' category, but we're doing OK. Tomorrow night, The Killing 2 begins - half the length of the first series but surely it will be every bit as essential as the first. BBC4 ratings will go through the roof. What's strange about the series is that the BBC have left the sleeper to sleep. The first series kind of took off by word of mouth/accident/design as a few people tuned in to see what the bizarre programme trailered only a few times might hold in store. Then, as the word of mouth kicked in, it spread like the Plague - and it was a long haul too. Whoever heard of a 20 episode crime drama - subtitled - doing serious business?

But the information on when the second series would be screened has been so hard to find out - until this week when the culture shows kicked in with it and Sofie Gråbøl appeared on the front of the Radio Times. Seriously, if you didn't see the first series, you must watch this. Probably the best crime drama on TV since... well... ever.

And if you get hooked on it and are looking for something to fill in the gaps in the days between episodes, Spiral comes a very, very close second.

Killer. Literally.

Talking of crime, I picked myself up a slinky autographed first edition of House of Silk, the 'new' Sherlock Holmes novel. I'm not actually sure if I'll ever read it or not but it's a cool little addition to the collection. What I am reading is 11/22/63 - the new doorstopper from Stephen King - and it's pretty good. Slightly switching tracks to work with time travel instead of the psyche appears to have done him the world of good. If you're a lapsed Kingster, it's a good time to get back on board.

I also picked up a copy of Inhale from James Michael this morning. It was a real bitch to track down but totally worth it. For the cave-dwellers, he is the man who is the voice of Sixx A.M. It's not much like Sixx A.M. but you totally see why it works. As a singer/songwriter he's quite something and should really fill in the Sixx-gaps with more of his own releases.

There's also a new Kate Bush album to be played with.

Oh, and the Nickelback album I mentioned the other day? I wrote about it here at The Void. I think I may write lots of things there. I'm in the mood at the moment.

I have pondered on this one long enough now and have decided to commit. This evening, Anthony Horowitz and his revamp/rehash of the Sherlock Holmes pantheon, came into the Ninth Gate stable. A splendid signed first edition makes three future classics in the hole - actually, four if we're counting The Owl Killers that Eleanor bought for me last year, but I'm not sure if I want to sell that.

It's not much, but it sure has the makings of a store that I would want to browse in. Lest we forget, this was started up as a retirement business. Where it will go from here, I don't know but until I have a good 50 or 60 books boxed up, I shall not be trading. Just collecting. There is method to that madness as they all need some time to get a bit older and rarer.

Anyway, The House of Silk could go one of two ways once it goes mass market. It could die a miserable death and take Horowitz and his career with it or it could sky-rocket in light of people who aren't too fussy snapping up whatever Sherlock Holmes paraphernalia they can get their hands on. I wouldn't put a whole lot of money on either but the fact that it's the first officially sanctioned Holmes book makes it a reasonably wise investment.

Head on over to the Ninth Gate Books tab if you're interested in what else I've been collecting. It will grow at a rate of at least one a month.