I’ve probably said this before  –  I’ve probably said most things before  –  but there is truly nothing so heartening for a writer as a message from a happy reader, and this week I’ve received several. Also a couple of 5 star reviews for Dr Dan, Married Man? on Amazon, which means that my fans are speedy and efficient as well as loyal. Thank you, very much.

Writing a book is a solitary marathon and, in this case, was undertaken mainly through the glum days of autumn and winter. The decision to publish in March turns out to have been dead right. The news that people have bought, and in some cases read and enjoyed my latest is this writer’s equivalent of spotting the first green shoots of spring.

These are strange times. To cancel travel plans or wait and see? To avoid crowds or take my chances? In my 70s and with less than perfect lungs, I suppose I’m already in the grey zone of susceptibility. But, as my career choice shows, I’ve never been risk-averse. I’m inclined to keep calm and carry on. One definite impact the viral epidemic will have on me in the coming weeks is that I won’t be able to visit my husband. Care homes in Dublin have sensibly pulled up the drawbridge and the only visits permitted will be for death-bed vigils.

So, with a bit of time on my hands, I suppose I might as well get cracking with Book 3. Not fiddling while Rome burns, but scribbling while coronavirus weasels its way across the world.