My absence from this medium is, in part, explained by a presence in other media. Of course, other activities have distracted me at times, but it is to Instagram that I have turned more recently. Some ‘Instagrammers’ have thousands of followers. I have less than one hundred, but I can claim to know, and have met, a good percentage of those folks! There is an interesting sub-set of ‘Instagrammers’ known as ‘Bookstagrammers’ and it is fun to be a part of that community. Below is an example of my posts on Instagram.
The Ghan is a luxury train that travels from Darwin to Adelaide (or vice versa). In so doing it bisects the main island of this country/continent. The standard trip is three days and two nights, which we enjoyed a few years ago..
There are experiences off the train at Katherine (to visit the awesome Nitmiluk Gorge) and Alice Springs (to visit The Royal Flying Doctor Service and the Telegraph Station, which formed part of the first communications link between north and south).
It is this train which author Benjamin Stevenson has used as the backdrop for his book. The Mystery Writers’ Society is convened for a gathering on the train from Darwin to Adelaide, providing the cast, the victim(s) and murderer. It is told in the first person by Ernest, initially surprised at his inclusion, who sets out to solve the mystery. No spoilers here, but I enjoyed the book and found it hard to put down.
