Book 7 2026 Murder Most Bookish by Anthea Fraser

'Outside, there was a crash, a shocked silence, and then an outbreak of yells. She glanced down and saw the bicycle lying on its side and the child being comforted by its father. Lessons in life start early, she mused, and with that philosophical thought, followed Max down the stairs.'

For our seventh book of the year I recommend Murder Most Bookish by Anthea Fraser. Feisty, independent biographer, Rona Parish, investigates the mysterious drowning of writer Theo Harvey, and gets more than she bargains for. Here is the worksheet.

 

8 NA C2 Topic 11 Buying & Selling

We have a market-driven society so obsessed with buying and selling and obsessed with powered pleasure and property, it doesn't leave a whole lot of time for non-market values and non-market activity so that love and trust and justice, concern for the poor, that's being pushed to the margins, and you can see it. (Cornel West) 

Grammar	Money
Language Function	Persuasion
Listening	Online oddities + audio
Reading	Advertising
Speaking	Megastores
Vocabulary	Money matters
Writing	Return policy

 

7 NA C1 2 Topic 11 Buying & Selling

Well, capitalism is a big problem, because with capitalism you're just going to keep buying and selling things until there's nothing else to buy and sell, which means gobbling up the planet. (Alice Walker)

Grammar	Reporting verbs
Language Function	Expressing emphasis
Listening	Shopping centres + audio
Reading	Over-consumption
Speaking	Advertising
Vocabulary	Advertising
Writing	Advertising

6 NA C1 1 Topic 11 Buying & Selling

When buying and selling are controlled by legislation, the first things to be bought and sold are legislators. (P. J. O'Rourke)       

Grammar	Reporting verbs
Language Function	Giving examples & explaining
Listening	Online shopping + audio
Reading	Spend away
Speaking	Advertising
Vocabulary	Advertising
Writing	Millennials' spending

 

5 NI B2 2 Topic 11 Spending & Ruling

If the government is injecting public money, it should also take the right to oversee board appointments, executive pay, and future business operations. (John McDonnell).

Grammar	Plurals
Language Function	Expressing numbers
Listening	Business news + audio
Reading	Money matters
Speaking	Global warming
Vocabulary	Elections in Britain
Writing	Plastic bags

 

4 NI B21 Topic 11 Money & Politics

I think it's a terrible system, but money in politics is like water running downhill - it finds its way. (Jonathan Alter)

Grammar	Amounts and quantity
Language Function	Expressing numbers
Listening	Michelle Obama + audio
Reading	Friends of the earth
Speaking	Low budgets
Vocabulary	Politics
Writing	Money tips

3 NI B1 Topic 11 Money & Shopping

 Debt is the slavery of the free. (Publilius Syrus)

Grammar	Have
Language Function	Making a complaint
Listening	Shopping + audio
Reading	Designer brands
Speaking	Money
Vocabulary	Clothes & accessories
Writing	Letter of complaint

2 NB 2 Topic 11 Shopping

I always say shopping is cheaper than a psychiatrist. (Tammy Faye Bakker)

Grammar	Comparative adjectives
Language Function	Comparing & defining
Listening	Shopping + audio
Reading	British currency
Speaking	Shopping
Vocabulary	Errands
Writing	Description

 

1 NB 1 Topic 11 Correspondence & Communication

Prior to email, our private correspondence was secured by a government institution called the postal service. Today, we trust AOL, Microsoft, Yahoo, Facebook or Gmail with our private utterances. (John Battelle) 

Grammar	Communications
Language Function	Describing places & actions
Listening	Leaving a message + audio
Reading	Text messages to a friend
Speaking	Communications
Vocabulary	Crossword puzzle
Writing	A thank-you email