As I travel round the country I stay in a wide variety of hotels and BnBs.

I recently stayed somewhere and found:

• – the staff were wonderful
• – food was mediocre but plentiful
• – the beds were extremely uncomfortable

You won’t find it on TripAdvisor though. The name of the place? Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

I was in for a heart operation having my mitral valve fixed. The job seems to have gone well and I am now at home recovering. I hope to be out and about book-signing before Christmas.

I know the NHS gets criticised but I honestly belief we are so lucky to have this universal health care.  The dedication of our doctors and nurses is first-class.  At every stage of the process I felt I was treated as an individual and that nothing was too much trouble.

I have had many “Get Well” cards for which I am grateful. Then it occurred to me the message behind the cards. They weren’t aimed at me. They were for Dorothy. In effect telling her the sooner I stop being a pathetic invalid the better. And of course I’m milking it for all I its worth.

Seriously though I couldn’t ask for better care and in reality I have my own private nurse.

Just before I went into hospital we took delivery of the reprinted copies of MAYHEM.  This has been republished by Methuen and is available whenever you care to contact me. They have done a great job with the cover – very impacting. Don’t forget Christmas isn’t that far away. Dorothy also points out that Mayhem is her favourite Nick Hunter book.  I think the Nick/Ruth dynamic may influence this as action thrillers are not normally Dorothy’s preferred genre.

Anyway, hope to see some of you in the weeks leading up to Christmas.  Although I want to go Rock ‘n Rolling next weekend Dorothy says we can’t. She’s too tired from looking after me!