Hobbits of TolkienAn entire race was born when J. R. R. Tolkien scrawled on a leaf, 'In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit'. From the invention of that single word (hobbit) Tolkien became the explorer and chronicler of the character, their race and their significant role in his fantastical world, Middle earth. Here in his latest book, Tolkien expert David Day unpicks the myriad of riddles, puns and mystical meanings in Tolkien's works, 'The Hobbit' and 'The Lord

Collingwood Ingram fell in love with cherry blossoms

but Stevie Flint is convinced that the sudden death of her boyfriend Dr Simon Sharkey was not from natural causes

anagrams and mathematical conundrums to keep you occupied as you go

the cop plagued by guilt

Strangers to each other

an ancient portrait speaks

and tinkering with one tiny element can set off a chain reaction that affects an entire ecosystem

Ireland has been devoured by a ravening menace known as the skrake

and it seems everyone on the case has something to hide

but soon they found themselved drawn deeper and deeper into the life of the place and its people

'Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past'

They still argue over why they were there