Legal & Courtroom Dramas

The Confession by John Grisham

What happens if an innocent man is about to be executed while the real killer comes forward? Grisham excels in this novel by addressing a flawed justice system. While the book leans heavily on legal themes, it maintains a substantial emotional impact, focusing on moral decisions and generating some hope for justice as you read it. Although the pacing can sometimes slow down, I enjoyed reading this till the end.

Her Deadly Game by Robert Dugoni

Dugoni brings a new protagonist to the table with Keera Duggan, a chess-playing defence attorney with a complicated past. The courtroom scenes are well-paced, the legal strategy convincing, and there’s just enough personal backstory for you to build a mental picture of her. It’s one of the more engaging legal thrillers I’ve read and thoroughly enjoyed!

The Boomerang by Robert Bailey

The premise of this book completely threw me off, as the description didn’t give me clues as to what “deadly secret” forced Eli (the protagonist) to flee with his family. Overall, it was an enjoyable read, and the story had the right pace to keep me reading steadily.

Police & Procedural Thrillers

Ashes Never Lie by Lee Goldberg

A vacant house is on fire and then another house goes up in flames. Are they connected, or independent? Eve Ronin meets Sharpe and Walker in this book. Eve’s evolution as a detective continues at a steady clip. Sharpe’s sharpness continues. If you’ve enjoyed earlier entries, this keeps the momentum going.

The Elias Network by Simon Gervais

A high-stakes, international chase that involves cyberterrorism and covert ops. It felt more espionage-heavy than procedural, but the structure stuck to the investigative beats. The plot moves quickly and there are a few good twists in the road. But, you do feel an overdose of spies in this series.

A Clean Kill by Steven Konkoly

This is a straight-out conspiracy theory. Special Agent Garrett Mann heads ARTEMIS, a specialized FBI task force, is hot on the trail of a cartel killing, or that’s what he thinks. The story did get ridiculous at times and ended up being a chase to the middle of nowhere but it kept a steady pace and was a decent read.

The Turning of Our Bones by Ed James

It’s the one that got away but not in the romantic setting. Set in Scotland and centring around a cold case which has just become hot, DI Rob Marshall is on the trail of the Chameleon. This is the first book in the series by Ed James.

From the Ashes (DI Nick Dixon #14) by Damien Boyd

This is a classic British police procedural. It stays true to Boyd’s formula: a not-so-straightforward murder, escalating stakes, and Dixon’s dependable investigative style. The coastal Somerset setting gives it a distinct flavour. While it’s book 14, it’s self-contained enough, solid and satisfying.

Action & Espionage Thrillers

Hard Power (Jon Reznick #12) by J.B. Turner

This lands squarely in high-octane action. Reznick’s back in full force with shadowy government ops, body counts, and fast pacing. When he comes to the aid of his good friend, little did he expect that he would be on the run.

Hard Duty (Jon Reznick #13) by J.B. Turner

A direct continuation, with similar themes but with a twist. This time Jon’s on a different mission and it’s once again for the CIA. He hooks up with his two friends as he goes on the hunt for an embittered US counterintelligence expert who is about to sell a career’s worth of state secrets to the Russians. Turner’s writing is lean and consistent. You know what you’re getting — and hopefully, that’s exactly what you want.

Short Fiction & Experiments

Signal Moon by Kate Quinn

This surprised me. It’s a short story with a speculative twist — a WW2 radio operator hearing distress calls from the future. The premise is simple, and Quinn manages to land an emotional punch in very few pages. This is worth a read if you enjoy stories that toy with time without getting too sci-fi.

Eleven Numbers by Lee Child

This isn’t your usual Reacher-style book — there are no big fights or wandering ex-military heroes. Instead, it’s a compact tale about numbers and subtle tension. An American mathematician enters Russia on a spy mission that goes wrong when he meets with an accident. It’s a quick read with a twist.

Death Row by Freida McFadden

This was a weird short read. Talia Kemper is on death row for murdering her husband. She had an alibi and no known motive but sees flashbacks. The story builds up the suspense as the flashbacks bring her closer to the truth. Until the end, an end I cannot remember.

The One That Got Away by Mike Gayle

This is a quiet, emotional reset from the heavier thrillers I usually read. It is a warm, reflective novel about missed chances, the “what ifs” of relationships, and the slow acceptance of adulthood. It was definitely not one for me as it ended up being a love story with a predictable ending.

Something a Bit Different

A Very Bad Thing by J.T. Ellison

This dives into the fallout from fame and grief — a famous author in the spotlight is killed and her secrets begin to unravel. Ellison builds the intrigue well, though I found the final twist to be a bit anti-climactic. It’s polished and readable and does get the suspense going.

The Harbour Lights Mystery

This is the second book in the Shell House Detectives series. It’s a cosy-style mystery, simple in structure and tone. It’s a simple whodunnit murder mystery that Ally and Jayden try to solve. There are a few twists in the road and is a pleasant read like the first book.

We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker

It’s hard to categorise but hard to forget. This is part crime novel, part coming-of-age story, with a literary feel. The characters, especially Duchess and Walk, are beautifully written. It’s not a light read. It is a very long read. But it’s powerful and emotional.

Science Fiction

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

I love reading a good science fiction book and had my eyes on Project Hail Mary. I purchased it when Amazon ran an offer a few months ago. The book hooked me from the get-go, and I enjoyed Andy’s writing style, particularly in how he throws in a bit of humour as you read the book. I wasn’t completely sold on how the book progressed, particularly when Ryland Grace, our protagonist, finds an unlikely friend on his mission (hint: it isn’t AI).

Thoughts?

I’d love your thoughts if you’ve read any of these. One thing that I realised while writing up this post is that I’ve started a few series. I’m not so sure I can remember or keep up with them, but I’m sure Amazon won’t forget to remind me.

I’ve got a few more lined up for the next couple of months — let’s see where the pages take me.

Finding a balance between work demands (the full-time investment banking job) and WebberZone (which feels like a full-time job) can be quite a juggling act.

However, we’ve also made a conscious effort to continue visiting castles and gardens. I look forward to sharing our adventures with you in an upcoming post.

Over the past few months, I’ve made a few international trips for work. I have a few more coming up. However, as it’s April, we booked our annual holiday cottage to celebrate Ashwina’s birthday.

Once again, we chose Cornwall, and this time, Ashwina took us back to Stepper View, a cottage where we stayed four years ago. The only difference this time is that we were a party of two back then, and now we’re a family of three. Our three-year-old absolutely loves being in nature!

The Drive to Cornwall

We’re so excited about our trips to Cornwall! We have been here numerous times since 2012, and it never gets old.

We planned three stops at the Welcome Break (on the M3), Stourhead, and Moto (in Exeter) for mid-morning coffee, lunch, and mid-afternoon tea, respectively. But life threw us a little curveball. We left later than anticipated and probably spent a half hour topping up our tyres and fuel tank for the journey.

But hey, we finally made it to the Welcome Break on the M3. As it was lunchtime, we chose to grab a bite there! It was the perfect opportunity to indulge in Subway, my all-time favourite!

As we were already quite late, we dropped the plan to stop at Stourhead and instead drove straight through to the Moto in Exeter. This cut probably 30 minutes of driving and stopping time on our journey, and we reached the Moto at about 4.45 pm. I’m unsure what the closing time was, but the place was quite deserted.

My avid readers might remember that we encountered heavy rain at the end of our journey to the cottage. History repeated itself as the bright skies turned dark and stormy as I drove down the narrow, winding roads of the Cornish countryside.

It was pouring by the time we reached Stepper View, and Ashwina, who is always prepared, dug out our jackets so that we could unload our car without getting wet.

The week passed quickly

I called this post a “quiet getaway” because this is precisely what it turned out to be.

On Wednesday, we stayed indoors because I had an important work call scheduled for the middle of the day. We also needed some much-needed rest. This year has been long so far, and we still have several more months ahead of us.

We woke up on Thursday morning and realised that the little one was a bit under the weather. And the weather was also a bit under the weather, so we decided to stay indoors.

Friday was a bit of a washout with some rainy weather, and it looked like Ashwina caught the bug our daughter had, which kind of put a damper on our weekend plans. Although I had some calls on Monday, we enjoyed a lovely hour-long hike up the mountain at Pentire Point, which was a great way to recharge and capture some gorgeous views.

There are worse places to be stuck indoors. We were well stocked with food from fee’s, drinks and snacks.

Back to London

We had to return to London a day earlier, as I urgently had to travel for work. We decided to drive straight through to Stourhead. I briefly stopped at the Moto to pick up some sandwiches and drinks, and we finally reached Stourhead a little past 2 pm. Stourhead has always been busy whenever we visit.

It was surprisingly quiet this time, probably because most people had already gone back to work after the Easter break, or maybe we reached much earlier in the day.

Ashwina took over the driving between Stourhead and the Welcome Break, and I finally brought us back home.

As I sit here on the last day of 2024, I reflect on the range of emotions this past year has brought. The highs of launching Beyond Develop and three premium plugins, the lows of struggling with marketing and Black Friday sales, the joy of watching our daughter grow, and the challenges of balancing work and personal life are the mixed feelings that have defined my 2024.

WordPress

Let’s start this year-in-review post by talking about WordPress, a platform that has been a significant part of my life this year. My dedication and passion for WordPress work have taken up much of my free time, and I’m excited to share the journey with you. It’s not just a platform for me; it’s a part of my life.

I launched Beyond Develop a year ago to take my two-decade-old, forever-free plugin business professional. My primary goals for Beyond Develop were to build two premium plugins and selectively take on one or two WordPress development projects, time permitting.

As of today, I have developed and released three premium plugins: Contextual Related Posts Pro, Top 10 Pro and Better Search Pro. However, I intentionally did not pick up a single WordPress project in 2024. This is mainly because the demands of my day job take priority.

I’ve had limited success with the plugins. I spent most of the year coding and almost none of it marketing. The Black Friday sales were not as successful as I had hoped, which has given me some things to think about for 2025. However, the joy I get from emails announcing purchases reminds me that every small victory is worth celebrating. I hope that feeling never gets old. Overall, I’ll report a big loss this year.

The only third-party site build I worked on this year was the redesign of Aqua Air Logistics. I also manage and continue to build out their Invoicing System, which I built from the ground up.

Because of the focus on developing the three premium plugins, my free-only plugins received minor updates, primarily bug fixes and security-related updates. I did release a new version of Knowledge Base earlier this month.

I am considering closing two plugins due to their low usage. Alternatively, I may pause development and gradually phase them out.

I also upgraded my workstation with a 49″ curved Samsung monitor, a new keyboard, and a mouse, which has significantly improved my coding speed. I’ve also invested in Windsurf AI Editor, which is allowing me to push the boundaries of the code I’m writing.

I continued writing WordPress tutorials this year, although only 5, as I focused my brain power on plugin development. I’m hoping to be a bit more regular in 2025.

Life

Our daughter has grown so quickly and will be three soon. She’s full of energy, and I enjoy trying to keep pace with her. Ashwina says she’s got it from me, and there is zero doubt that she is Dada’s carbon copy in all aspects. Her energy and zest for life have reminded me to stay young and keep pushing my boundaries. However, one boundary I do need to reduce is the one around my waist 😉.

In January, we made our second trip to India after the pandemic. I also travelled to Australia for the first time, visiting Sydney and Melbourne, which allowed me to meet long-lost friends.

We continued exploring the many castles and gardens in the South East and took a long overdue holiday in Cornwall.

I also visited Turin this year to attend WordCamp Europe 2024. It was my first after London 2013! Exploring a new city and meeting many outstanding people with whom I had been interacting on X (formerly Twitter) for over a year was truly exciting and engaging. It was an excellent opportunity to learn and connect with the WordPress community. I booked my WordCamp Europe 2025 flight and hotel earlier this month.

Reading

I set an ambitious target last year and ended up reducing it. So, this year, I set a target of 30 books, which I crossed in October. However, I’ve read fewer pages across the 35 books I read this year.

I posted my updates in March and October, and you can also follow my reading journey on Goodreads.

Work

I started the year significantly busier than most years—yes, I know it is hard to believe that. However, over six transactions and multiple pitches left me quite exhausted. This, along with my WordPress development, has resulted in a year of limited sleep. However, I’m not complaining, as both Work and WordPress have been generally fulfilling.

What about 2025?

I am looking forward to 2025 with great anticipation. I plan to continue building WebberZone. I’m also debating launching other pro versions, but I need to figure out what features go into them. The possibilities for the future are exciting, and I can’t wait to see what 2025 holds.

I am also considering getting into WooCommerce plugin development. However, this is my first time playing in this space, and I’ll need to seek inspiration.

If you have some ideas, let’s chat.

It’s been a busy reading season, with 22 books that span classic dystopia, thrilling mysteries, war novels, and quick-read gems. I’ve included a few new finds, a couple of series I’m continuing, and authors I always come back to. Here’s a rundown of the books I’ve read in the last seven months, in no particular order.

Classics & Dystopian Reads

1. Nineteen Eighty Four by George Orwell – I had heard about 1984. I hadn’t read it. I never imagined that what George Orwell wrote in 1949 was a prediction of what is happening in our world today. Fake news, Thought Police, Big Brother and gadgets that spy on you!
2. Animal Farm by George Orwell – This timeless political allegory remains as relevant as ever with its critique of totalitarianism. No points for guessing who all this applies to today.
3. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley – A classic dystopian novel was a gripping revisit into a society conditioned to seek pleasure at any cost. But, you can also draw parallels to what group-think is all about.

Thrillers & Mystery Novels

4. Next in Line by Jeffrey Archer – Fifth in the Warwick series, Archer once again crafts a compelling narrative, this time with an intricate web of twists and a cast that keeps you guessing – with a heavy dose of Royalty. Having watched the Crown and living the UK, you can easily imagine the tale told by Archer.
5. Traitors Gate by Jeffrey Archer – There was one a guy who tried to steal the Crown Jewels from the Tower of London. Centuries later, Warwick’s arch nemesis did the same, or did he? I loved the intrigue and kept guessing till the end.
6. The Brewery Murders by J.R. Ellis – This was the 9th book in my Yorkshire Murder Mysteries series. The complexity of the cases continues in this book and Oldroyd finds a way to solve it. This time it’s all about a long-lost recipe of beer.
7. Death Rocks by L.J. Ross – The DCI Ryan Mysteries are probably my longest running series and I tend to prioritise it even when I am reading another book. This time they discover a dead photographer on the rocks and their only suspect has an airtight alibi. How does DCI Ryan solve the case, or does it finally allude him?
8. Poison Garden by L.J. Ross – Without giving away spoilers, Ryan’s team are called to investigate the mysterious death of a man in Alnwick. The book highlights the Poison Garden and Alnwick Castle which is still fresh in my memory having visited it in 2012!
9. Camino Winds by John Grisham – A murder mystery set on Camino Island, ravaged by a hurricane. Grisham’s brisk storytelling and unique cast of characters made this a fast-paced page-turner. This is second in the Camino series and I have yet to read the first, or the second.
10. The Modigliani Scandal by Ken Follett – Art forgery, conspiracy, and a dash of satire make this an enjoyable romp through the underbelly of the art world. Simply loved the end of the book. But, I always wonder on the price of art. Or should I say the value of art?
11. Night Owl by Andrew Mayne – This was a different thriller. A retired spy with the skillset but not the desire gets roped into a mystery of sabotage of a next-generation aircraft.
12. Matterhorn by Christopher Reich – Who is Robbie Steinhardt? We find out in this thriller where an old spy comes out of hiding to battle his old nemesis.

Short Reads & Standalones

13. Cut and Thirst by Margaret Atwood – Three women scheme to avenge an old friend. I personally didn’t get this story. But at 35 pages long, it counted as an additional book.
14. Tiger Chair by Max Brooks – This is a letter, written by a Chinese soldier after their invasion of Los Angeles in a future/parallel universe. I liked the concept given the futuristic angle. But…
15. Ushers by Joe Hill – A dark, short story. The summary didn’t appear to be as intriguing. However, the story took a dark twist very quickly.
16. The Bad Weather Friend by Dean Koontz – Benny is too nice. So nice, that you wonder if he is real. But when bad things happen to good people, they have a guardian angel, or in this Spike.

New Discoveries: Books About Books and Literary Journeys

17. The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods – A delightful story that combines magic with a love of literature. This definitely wasn’t my typical read and is also why it sits in a separate category here. While I did like the entire story, you really do need to believe in magic.

A Three Part Series

18. The Vanishing Man, Shaken Not Stirred and On Enemy Ground by Alma Katsu – This is a three part short story series and I don’t know why it isn’t a single book. It tells the tale of a spy who vanished. What does Yuri Kozlov do when he choose to defect.

Lasting Impressions

19. The Crossing by Matt Brolly – A body found in a small town. Matt tells us who the killer is. For Detective Inspector Louise Blackwell, recently transferred to the town she last saw as a child, it’s her first case on the job. It’s my first read of Matt’s Louise Blackwell series. I’m not yet sure I’ll read the next.
20. Last Night by Luanne Rice – A fierce blizzard. A dead body. A missing girl. A detective on a holiday. Is it the husband? This wasn’t as much of a whodunit, as much as a “catch me when you can”.

Wrapping Up

Each of these books added something unique to my reading journey. From Orwell’s timeless lessons… er… classics, to thrilling murder mysteries and a series of short reads, it’s been a well-rounded mix.

Hopefully, this list sparks some ideas for your own TBR stack. Let me know if you’ve read any of these or have recommendations of your own!

Come find me on Goodreads.

The Drive Down to Cornwall

We mapped the route down to Cornwall with breaks at the Welcome Break on the M3, Stourhead and the Moto in Exeter. Ultimately, we decided to skip the Moto and drive straight down to the cottage.

I’ve enjoyed driving since the day I started and was looking forward to this drive. Ashwina did the first leg of the trip to the Welcome Break. I’ve liked this Welcome Break as it’s clean and has a lot of good food and drink options. The only annoying things I found are the lack of a signal inside the building and a Wi-Fi network that asks you for too much personal information. Guess what I did?

I then took over the drive. Stourhead was one of the places we had stopped at during previous trips down to Devon and Cornwall. This time we looked at other restaurants to stop for lunch but because Ashwina and baby snacked in the car trip towards Stourhead, we decided to just stop there and get some food at the National Trust cafe onsite. Who doesn’t love a good pulled pork sandwich?

We had a Tesco order due for delivery in the evening, so we decided to skip the Exeter stop and keep driving. Amusingly, this is exactly what we did three years back. It’s a good thing we did because the last hour was me driving (and unloading the car) in pouring rain.

A few rainy days

The rain continued for the next few days. This gave us an opportunity to rest and relax in the cottage. We had placed a Tesco order to be delivered on Saturday evening soon after we reached and hence were well stocked for the next two days.

On Monday afternoon, we headed out to the Sainsbury’s superstore in Penzance, which clearly is a superstore. Whilst we do most of our shopping online, especially groceries, walking through the superstore gave me a great amount of joy, especially with the little one getting the fun experience of pushing the trolley (not riding in it like her peers in the store).Not to mention the Nectar points as well. It feels like I’ve been living under a rock with Sainsbury’s and Nectar.

On Wednesday, the rains finally stopped, and we headed to Rock to pick up frozen dishes from Fee’s. Ashwina did a serious amount of searching for good quality ready meals before finding Fee’s. If you’re in Cornwall, I highly recommend Fee’s. They deliver to a select group of postcodes, and whilst Penzance was out of this radius, you can always drive over to pick up the food. In particular, the beef chilli was delicious. Toss it in the oven for 45 minutes and it is ready to eat.

On the way to Fee’s, we stopped for lunch at The Tartan Fox. This was a random restaurant that Ashwina found that was mid-way between Penzance and Rock. As this was a Wednesday at lunchtime, it wasn’t that crowded. Whilst I do think the prices are slightly on the higher side, the food was very delicious and we all ate heartily.

I did come back to the Sainsbury’s superstore for some groceries as well as to refuel for the long journey back.

A visit to Trerice

Nanceglos House is located on the Trengwainton estate, which is known for its garden with exotic trees and shrubs. Because of the rain, we couldn’t visit it on the days that it was open. The garden was closed on Friday and we made a spontaneous decision to visit Trerice, which is an Elizabethan manor house in Cornwall.

The weather was the right kind of sunny and windy and chilly, i.e. pleasant enough to roam around without being covered up with tens of layers. It gave us some nice time to walk around and get some fresh air.

The journey back

Having successfully done the 3+ hour drive from Stourhead to the cottage, we felt it prudent to do a similar one in the morning particularly when we were fresh. We set out around 10am which is when we had to checkout anyway and I began the steady drive towards Stourhead. With about an hour or so to go, I spotted the exit to the Moto Exeter. This was also the same place we had stopped when returning from Cornwall three years back and since it was about noon, we decided to have lunch at the Moto. There is a good variety of shops to eat at and we defaulted to lunch at Pret as it had sufficient choice for the three of us.

We debated where our next stop should be and decided it made sense to make the 2.5-hour drive directly to the Welcome Break at Fleet. I should have let my wife drive, but I chose to do it instead. We encountered a bit of traffic near Stonehenge, more than normal, due to a crash, which made the journey a little longer.

After a short stopover to refuel (our tummies), we headed back with much excitement and exhaustion back home to London.

Not sure when our next cottage holiday will be, but having done our longest trips with our little one, I think we can be fairly confident to go further. Maybe up North?

Standen House and Garden

On a relatively cold day in Februrary, the three of us set off to Standen House and Garden. Located in West Sussex, Standen House and Garden is a stunning example of Arts and Crafts architecture. Designed by Philip Webb and furnished by Morris & Co., this historic house was built between 1891 and 1894 for the Beale family. Nestled in a picturesque hillside garden, Standen offers visitors a glimpse into the past with its beautifully preserved interiors and lush gardens featuring seasonal blooms.

Knole

We had visited Knole in the summer last year. Located in Kent, it is a historic country house and former archbishop’s palace. Set within a 1,000-acre deer park, it is one of England’s largest houses. Knole offers a glimpse into centuries of history and architectural grandeur.

We headed off to Knole a day after Standen. While the weather was a bit on the colder side, we walked around the house.

We also went back today and visited the house which we hadn’t done in our previous visits. There’s still the tower to go.

Bateman’s

A week later we visited Bateman’s which is located in Burwash, East Sussex. It is a charming 17th-century house and once the home of Rudyard Kipling, featuring beautiful Jacobean architecture and serene gardens. The house offers a glimpse into the life and works of the famous author, set in the picturesque Sussex countryside.

We didn’t go inside the house on this visit.

Nymans

In early March, we visited Nymans. Situated near Handcross in West Sussex, Nymans is a garden lover’s paradise. Developed by the Messel family, it boasts an extensive yet intimate garden set around romantic ruins. The estate is huge and offers stunning views and a rich collection of plants, making it a perfect retreat for nature enthusiasts.

Emmetts Garden

Emmetts Garden, located in Ide Hill, Kent, is an Edwardian hillside garden with year-round interest. Known for its vibrant displays of flowers and exotic plants, it offers breathtaking views over the surrounding countryside. The garden’s diverse plant collection and tranquil setting make it a delightful destination.

Chartwell

We had visited Chartwell last year. Located near Westerham in Kent, Chartwell was the home of Sir Winston Churchill. This historic house is filled with personal mementos and offers insights into Churchill’s life and legacy. The beautiful gardens and surrounding landscape provide a peaceful backdrop to this iconic residence. Having already visited the house the last time, we decided to roam around the gardens. Warning: wear your walking shoes.

Cliveden

Cliveden, in Buckinghamshire, is a grand estate overlooking the River Thames. Known for its stunning gardens and woodlands, it has a rich history of hosting royalty and high society. The estate’s opulent architecture and scenic views make it a captivating destination.

It was also a long journey for us as it is literally on the other end from us. The weather was lovely and the garden was beautiful. It’s definitely one we’ve marked to return to, but need be ready to brave the entire drive here!

Sheffield Park and Garden

We visited Sheffield Park and Garden twice this year, once in April while it was still chilly and then in June when the weather improved significantly.

Sheffield Park and Garden, located in East Sussex, is a horticultural masterpiece. Designed by Capability Brown, the garden features a series of lakes, vibrant plantings, and picturesque landscapes. It offers a serene escape with its seasonal displays and historic charm.

Ightham Mote

Ightham Mote, near Sevenoaks in Kent, is a medieval moated manor house. With over 700 years of history, it features stunning architecture and beautifully preserved interiors. The surrounding gardens and woodland walks add to the enchantment of this historic gem. It’s also a place we had visited last year. This time we were accompanied by Ashwina’s parents who are staying with us for a few months.

Scotney Castle

Yet another place that we returned to for the third time. Scotney Castle, in Lamberhurst, Kent, is a romantic 14th-century moated castle. The estate includes picturesque gardens and a Victorian country house. The blend of historic ruins and lush gardens creates a magical atmosphere, perfect for exploration and relaxation.

As the weather changes, we might find ourselves visiting fewer places in the coming months, except for one planned holiday. These National Trust sites offer a great escape, whether for a quick autumn visit or a cozy winter day out.

Getting ready for WCEU

I had planned to attend WordCamp London last year, but it was cancelled due to costs. So, this year, I decided to take the plunge and book my way to Turin to attend WCEU 2024.

I booked my flights and hotel in February. I had hesitated to book the hotel and could not get the NH Lingotto, which was closest to the venue. I booked the AC Hotel which is about 10 minutes away and was still available at a discount. I used my last Amex voucher along with my miles to book business class flights for a quid on British Airways!

I printed some business cards and two T-shirts via Canva ahead of my trip. I thought it would be a good idea to wear a WebberZone-branded T-shirt for the days of the conference. And, what a great idea it was!

Off to Turin

My flight to Turin was at 6am from Gatwick, which is relatively the closest large airport to me. I woke up at about 1.30am and saw that the flight had been delayed by two hours, which meant that I could sneak in at least another hour of sleep. Which I did.

The bad news was that I missed an interesting Full Site Editing workshop that Anne Bovelett organised to help some of us lost souls.

I ended up spending a lot of time at the Gatwick lounge and bumped into a few people on the plane. It was only well into the second day that I realised that Turin airport at that time was full of WCEU attendees from London.

I took a taxi to the hotel from the airport. In retrospect, I’d have probably taken the train which was efficient and significantly cheaper.

The First Day in Turin (Wednesday)

Besides the FSE workshop, I had planned to attend the pre-event picnic in the park which was a great way to meet people even before the event. I’ve never been comfortable walking up to a random group of strangers and introducing myself and I was hoping the picnic would help me get to know people.

I had planned to meet Katie Keith from Barn2 and James Kemp from WooCommerce to explore the city and bumped into them while I was making my way to the park. They suggested exploring Turin using World City Trail, which is an interesting app that lets you solve puzzles whilst learning about the history of famous landmarks.

We took the tram to the city centre and began our tour from there. I strongly suggest wearing comfortable shoes as we were on our feet for a very long time. We had a drink and Katie posted this great photo of us that made me instantly famous. After dinner, we headed back to the Lingotto area and met up with several other attendees. Of all places, we found ourselves at The Dubliner, an Irish pub close to the venue.

The Second Day (Contributor Day and Freemius Makers’ Meetup)

Although I had signed up for Contributor Day, I decided to sleep in and take an office call and landed a bit late for Contributor Day. I had signed up for the plugins stream but was quite lost when the afternoon session began. So, I instead used the rest of the day to meet with a few people.

I launched Contextual Related Posts Pro at the start of the month and used Freemius to power the licensing and plugin updates. So, obviously, I signed up for the Freemius Makers’ Meetup which I had quite a bit about. It was a great place to meet other creators in a friendly, happy environment. I also got some good insights from Goran Mirkovic, who is the Chief Marketing Officer at Freemius and scheduled a sit-down with him on Saturday.

Can you spot me in the below image?

The Third Day (WCEU Day 1)

I had initially planned to attend a few talks on the first day. However, as I strolled through the venue, I ended up spending quite a bit of time around various sponsorship booths in the venue catching up with several people I had either met online or the previous day. The day went by rather quickly as a result. I hadn’t signed up for any of the huge number of parties to be held on that day and made the wise choice of relaxing on the day. My feet and back did thank me.

The Fourth Day (WCEU Day 2 and the After Party)

I had earmarked two talks on Saturday afternoon that I was keen to attend. The first was a short one by Torsten called “Nobody loves the native search” and with Better Search as one of the plugins that I will release a pro version for, I was keen to hear some of his thoughts on what we can do to make the WordPress search better.

The second was Katie and Matt’s talk titled “We spoke with over 50 different WordPress product owners. Here’s what we learned“. As a long-term dev with zero marketing experience in this space, I was keen to get some perspectives on what I can do to improve the conversion rate of my pro plugins.

I also spent 30 minutes with Goran getting some great ideas, which I now need to find the time to implement.

The WordCamp After Party was okay. A little bit of drinking, a little bit of dancing (if that’s what it can be called), a lot of conversations with several people and the “after after party” at the Dubliner till the wee hours of the morning. Including an “interesting” discussion with Bowe Frankema from Dollie about Schrödinger’s pizza – go ahead and ask me what that means.

I also snagged a selfie with Matt Mullenweg!

And the ever popular #MichelleAndMe selfie which I have seen a few times over the past year.

Summary

Besides those mentioned in the post above, I met a lot of people over the four days that I was in Turin and I’m sure I’ll miss a few. In no particular order:

• Remkus De Vries
• Maarten Belmans and Ine De Baerdemaeker from Studio Wombat
• Patrick Posner
• Ross Morsali from Search and Filter / Codeamp
• Vova Feldman from Freemius
• Vikas Singhal of InstaWP (aff.)
• Akshat Choudhury from BlogVault
• Raushan Jaiswal from Codewing
• Topher Kenobe
• Paul Halfpenny of PersonalizeWP
• Alex Panagis
• James Brooks

If you’re reading this and we met each other, please do leave a comment below (yes I still have them open in 2024).

WordCamp Europe 2025

Next year’s WordCamp Europe will be held in Basel. Are you coming?

Journey from London

We left our home on Monday after lunch because check-in was at 4pm. Monday, like most of the week, was a rainy day. We took a break at the Starbucks in Newmarket which is fairly midway between our home and the cottage.

We have done 1.5-hour trips before visiting various National Trust properties. As this was about three hours, we weren’t sure how (un)happy our little one would be with the journey. I’m pleased to say that she enjoyed the trip and the break.

Blicking Estate

Blickling Estate boasts a huge Jacobean house, 55 acres of formal gardens and over 4,600 acres of woodland. It also has a 17th-century pub on the property that we visited for lunch on three days. The Tudor house that once stood there is believed to be the birthplace of Anne Boleyn, future wife of Henry VIII.

Ashwina and I took a stroll down to the house just before closing on one of the days, so we couldn’t visit the house. We did check out the yew hedges and the secondhand bookshop where I found this book!

Sherlock Homes was one of the first books I read when I was still in school. I’m hoping that my daughter will one day read this book. We had also bought her Enid Blyton’s Famous Five series, er, several years before she was born.

We went back to visit the house a couple of days later and also wandered around the garden. The weather was pleasant and the three of us walked quite a bit, touring the house and the gardens behind the house. We also stopped by the cafe for a quick snack at tea time before heading back to the cottage.

Here are a few photos across the two days.

Walsingham

We had visited Walsingham in September. While that was a 1.5-hour journey from Suffolk, it is only a 30-minutes from Blickling. So, on Saturday, a day before our holiday ended, we drove off to Walsingham. We had initially thought of grabbing lunch at the NT cafe. However, seeing the crowds, we dropped the idea and decided to get something small to eat at the cafe at Walsingham. We visited the Slipper Chapel, the shop and brought back a couple of bottles of holy water.

Return to London

The best part of checking out of an NT cottage on Sunday is the 4pm late check-out. I had to attend an office Zoom and so we ended up leaving at about 3pm. This time we stopped at the Starbucks on the opposite side of the motorway on our way back to London. Ashwina drove the first leg and I drove the second one after our break. We reached home at the perfect time to start Baby’s sleeping routine.

And then it was back to the office from Monday.

Let’s dive into what I’ve read over the past nine months in no particular order. As usual, the Amazon links below contain my affiliate code which might bring me some revenues if you click through.

The Hades Factor (Covert-One, #1) by Robert Ludlum

Published in 2000, Ludlum allows the reader to dive into the heart-pounding realm of espionage and covert operations. Set against the backdrop of a deadly biological threat, The Hades Factor follows covert operative Colonel Jon Smith as he races against time to thwart a global conspiracy that threatens the lives of millions. How does he stop it in time?

Thirteen (Eddie Flynn, #4) by Steve Cavanagh

I purchased this book in January of 2021 and it sat on my virtual shelf for about two years before I finally decided to read it. At the time, I had not read any of the other books in the Eddie Flynn series. Steve Cavanagh has returned with another gripping instalment in this series with ‘Thirteen’. This novel takes the reader on a twisty, heart-pounding journey through the legal labyrinth where Eddie Flynn, a former con artist turned lawyer, finds himself defending a client in a murder trial with the real killer sitting on the jury.

Infinite by Brian Freeman

Imagine every life you could have lived, every choice you didn’t make – Brian Freeman’s “Infinite” explores these haunting questions within a gripping psychological framework. One rainy night, Dylan Moran’s car plunges off the road into a raging river, and his beautiful wife drowns as he struggles to shore. What happens next gets very confusing for Dylan (and for the reader). He finds out that every choice he makes creates a parallel universe, an infinite number. Can he make the correct choices to get back his stolen life?

Eagle Trap by Geoffrey Archer

He was head of an international drugs ring, a kidnapper and a ruthless killer. One night British Sea Harriers reduced his Beirut headquarters to rubble and his evil empire to ruins. But Abdul Habib still had money, and hate, enough hate to spare to construct an elaborate plan which would destroy Gibraltar and the British Aircraft carrier which had committed the fatal strike.

“Eagle Trap” takes us on an adrenaline-fueled ride into the heart of international intrigue. Archer’s protagonist, Captain Peter Brodrick of the Royal Marines, becomes ensnared in a web of revenge. It’s a story that reminds us that the past is never truly behind us, and sometimes it comes back with a vengeance.

The Shell House Detectives by Emylia Hall

I came across this book as one of Amazon’s First Reads. Set against the backdrop of the quaint coastal town of Porthpella, “The Shell House Detectives” introduces us to Ally and Jayden, two unlikely friends turned amateur sleuths. Hall’s narrative is a charming mix of mystery and friendship, proving that sometimes, the most extraordinary adventures can unfold in the most ordinary places.

John Grisham’s Legal Thrillers

No reading update would be complete without a nod to the legal masterpieces of John Grisham. I purchased several of his books when they were on offer.

A Time for Mercy is book 3 of the Jake Brigance series. This is probably Jake’s toughest case as he is selected to defend a 16-year-old boy accused of killing an abusive cop.

Then came The Firm which likely launched Grisham into fame. Mitch McDeere thought he had found his dream job, a fancy home, a shiny brand-new BMW along with an amazing salary. If it’s too good to be true, it probably isn’t.

I then entered the ruthless world of corporate law in The King of Torts followed by the harsh reality in The Appeal.

Whether you’re a seasoned fan or new to his work, Grisham’s novels are sure to keep you turning the pages late into the night.

Damien Boyd’s Nick Dixon Series

I did an ad hoc purchase of most of this series when Amazon ran an offer and they didn’t disappoint.

Join Detective Inspector Nick Dixon on a series of gripping investigations that will keep you guessing until the very last page. From the tranquil shores of Somerset to the bustling streets of Bristol, Damien Boyd’s series offers a riveting blend of police procedural and suspense that will leave you eagerly awaiting the next instalment. I read most of these almost one after another.

Other reads

Besides the above, I also read Malibu Burning by Lee Goldberg, Long Way Home by J. B. Turner, Scorpio by Marko Kloos and today I finished Hard Exit, the 11th book in the Jon Reznick series.

As usual, we secured some reward flights that made us pick the last two weeks of January to be on holiday. We flew to Bangalore overnight and landed at the new terminal, designed as a “terminal in the garden”. We had booked IndiGo for our flight to Pune. However, we discovered that we had to change terminals to the old one which was quite far away and required a bus ride. Fortunately, based on our experience, we hired two porters who helped us reach the terminal and get checked in without any hassle.

The last time, we had a horrible experience with SpiceJet, which is now forever on our no-fly list. Our experience with IndiGo was significantly better, although their vegetarian offering could do with some work. We did have to spend quite a bit of time at the airport waiting for our connecting flight. Some of which we spent feasting upon some yummy South Indian breakfast. You can rarely go wrong with idli wada.

We did have an issue at Pune airport. Probably because of the time we landed, we had no porters to help us. The Uber pickup at Pune airport is located in a mall far away from the terminal and requires a long walk, a narrow lift and slopes! All of this with a few hours of sleep as the little one kept us awake quite a bit.

Unlike previous visits, the next two weeks were rather uneventful. We had lunch with Saby on Saturday and I met Akshat and Neha for lunch on Sunday. This time, Ashwina made the trip to Mumbai with her dad while I stayed back with her mom and had a fun day with Baby.

I spent a lot of time working on the new update to Better Search and also rebuilding Aqua Air Logistics.

The Twist!

I have never managed to take a proper break from work during any of my holidays, and this one was no different. However, I did manage to squeeze in a trip to Sydney and Melbourne during the holiday. It allowed me to set foot on another continent and catch up with a few friends who I haven’t seen in forever.

Because of the trip to Australia, we had to rebook our return journey. For the first time, we took an Emirates flight back to London from Bangalore via Dubai. Baby spent most of the flight Dubai-London leg walking around the plane and saying “hi” to everyone she met. I think I got my 10,000 steps.

We reached home extremely tired, and it took my body several days to adjust to the jetlag. Suffices to say, our next trip to India will be via Mumbai.