I absolutely love the escapist world of Sally Beauman. This began when I read Rebecca’s Tale, which I have written about in a previous blog, which is a wonderful tale which picks up the story of Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier and takes you back into the world of Mandalay with all of its mystery and intrigue. Having enjoyed it so much, I then sought out Sally Beauman’s other books and starting reading my way through them and looking forward to each new one coming out (see my blog on the pleasure of reading the latest from your favourite authors).

Starting with her back catalogue I first read Dark Angel which I hugely enjoyed. It is all of my favourite things in a book – an intergenerational saga than spans the twentieth century, featuring both world wars and having a dark family secret at its heart, as the title suggests. Maybe its sometimes best not to go digging around to find out more about your ancestors.

Next up was Destiny and I have to confess I have absolutely no memory of it now despite loving reading it at the time. In contrast, her more recent book The Landscape of Love has stayed with me – no doubt in part due to the evocative sun-soaked summer it is partly set in. But mostly as it is about the lives of three sisters and how a shattering event brings an idyllic summer to a close and changes all of their lives irrevocably. It is a fantastic plot and is wonderfully written. A must read.

But, finally, a health warning – do not pick up a Sally Beauman book if you have anything you need to do (like going to work or sleeping) as you’ll probably not be able to put it down until you’ve finished it.