Coronavirus fatigue makes you want a laugh, a ‘laugh out loud’ laugh. Helen Cresswell’s series The Bagthorpe Saga was my first point of call. Bagthorpes Unlimited is her third book and is a total joy from start to finish.

The Bagthorpes are a dysfunctional family each one of which is a well drawn character. There is a galaxy of other characters with the housekeeper, Mrs Fosdyke, being the strongest. The Bagthorpe Saga was written for children. I’m merely young at heart. The humour might not suit absolutely everyone but I’m making a strong recommendation.

Try this:

It was Grandma who first discovered the crime. The rest of the family were in the kitchen having breakfast when there came from overhead a series of progressively more agonised shrieks. Everyone immediately stopped eating and arguing, and listened. There was a long high wail.

‘It’s Mother!’ Mrs Bagthorpe pushed back her chair and turned quite pale.

‘It’s Mother, all right,’ Mr Bagthorpe agreed. ‘Pass the toast, William. Sit down, Laura.’

‘But she might be ill!’ protested Mrs Bagthorpe.

‘If she were,’ replied her husband, ‘she would be in no condition to produce noises of that order.’

‘True…’ murmured Mrs Bagthorpe……. (first page: p7)

Available at abebooks for £2:27 https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/SearchResults?sts=t&cm_sp=SearchF-_-home-_-Results&an=cresswell+helen&tn=&kn=bagthorpes+unlimited&isbn=