A French idyll - I don't think so!

In Trespass, by Rose Tremain which I read in print, Anthony Verey, a disillusioned antiques dealer from London, goes to visit his beloved sister Veronica in southern France. After a few days, the old Anthony seems to be returning, and he realises he hasn't felt this positive about anything in a long time, so decides that he should try to capture this feeling for longer and starts looking for a house of his own. An isolated farmhouse really takes his eye - the Mas Lunel - but it is owned by the disturbingly shabby Aramon Lunel, who has a violent past. Within view is a poor looking bungalow owned by Aramon's sister, Audrun - who cannot tear herself away from this place despite being haunted by the events of the past. Little does Anthony realise that he is about to become centre stage in the familial battle between brother and sister. This is a really good book, and whilst the subject matter can be a little on the disturbing side at times, it feels anchored in reality and is believable. Love and hate - close companions in many families - is portrayed to stunning effect in this novel. It's definitely a page turner and I feel able to recommend it to you.

My STAR rating: FOUR

Length: 372 print pages.
Price I paid: 50p (from a charity shop)
Formats available: print; audio CD; audio download; Ebook.

Ken Follett - why have I not found you before now?

Let me tell you about The Key to Rebecca, by Ken Follett which I read as an ebook. It was gripping from the get go. With an incredibly evocative first line of "The last camel collapsed at noon" ... I was taken straight to the heat, dust and thirst of the desert and I just knew I was in for something special. It's 1942, and this is the story of the "Sphinx" (real name Alex Wolff), a German spy who arrives in Cairo with his radio transmitter and a copy of Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca. As his activities start to affect the course of the war in North Africa, one man is determined to catch him - Major William Vandam, an English intelligence officer. Egypt is a complex country, occupied by the British, but whose presence is resented by many of the local population. Rommel is out in the desert, bringing his panzers and troops nearer and nearer to Cairo, using the information provided by Wolff. Can Vandam save the country from being overrun? We have action, adventure, history, geography and a bit of romance thrown in for good measure. This is a great read - it zips along with vim and vigour and I found it hard to put down. If you like war time thrills and spills, this is definitely for you.

I had been getting a little dispirited with recent ebooks - but now I realise that this is not due to the format per se, but with the overwhelming temptation to download stacks of free books and give them a go. This is all very well, but there seems to be a fair amount of chaff before you get to any wheat! There are affordable gems in this format - and The Key to Rebecca is absolutely one of those (although I have noticed that the price has gone up since I purchased my copy). I have aleady downloaded another two Ken Follett books which were on offer this past weekend and I'm really looking forward to reading them.

My STAR rating: FIVE.

Length: 381 print pages.
Price I paid: £1.00 (was on offer the day I bought it).
Formats available: print; unabridged adio CD; unabridged audio download;

Mugby Junction - a book with a split personality

Mugby Junction, by Charles Dickens is, I discovered after reading it, a collection of short stories. I read it as an Ebook and felt that it was a bit up and down to say the least. I really enjoyed the first two sections which were based around a man who gets off the train at Mugby Junction one night and can't quite decide where to go from there. He reflects on his past, which includes a lost love and betrayal by his business partner. He befriends the signalman and his daughter. There is some good writing here and I enjoyed the exchanges particularly between the daughter and the main protagonist. However, this was followed by an exceptionally dull story of  the railway cafe at Mugby Junction. When reading it I couldn't work out why this odd tale was tagged onto the previous, but now I come to realise they were short stories which were linked (by the railway), but not dependent upon each other. I didn't really warm to this one at all. I'm really trying to get into your writing Mr Dickens, but you do make it hard at times. Other people seem to rate this title and maybe my edition didn't have all the stories of the print edition, but couldn't recommend it.

My STAR rating: TWO.

Length: 61 print pages.
Price: Free.
Formats available: print; ebook.