Thanks for your advice on the three books I was wondering about buying and reading. I decided to wait for the paperback editions of Melvyn Bragg’s Remember Me and Sophie Hannah’s Point of Rescue. Karen Mailand’s Company of Liars was the one I bought (for the price of a paperback as I had a Ł5 voucher – thanks to Sealover for alerting me to the WHS offer!).

I wasn’t surprised that no one mentioned Karen Maitland as she has written only two novels. The White Room, her debut novel, was shortlisted for the Authors’ Club Best First Novel Award, so I had some faith in her ability to write. I was not disappointed by Company of Liars; when nine bizarre travellers, all with something to hide, are thrown together by disaster, the consequences are bound to be interesting!

Don’t be put off by the size of this book (559 pages!); it is very readable. Each chapter represents a stage of the journey so even if you read a just few pages at a time, you will not lose the thread of the story. If it takes you a while to get to the end, there is an advantage. The eye catching cover makes the book an interesting feature for your coffee table!

COMPANY OF LIARS (a novel of the plague) Karen Maitland

In 1348 a motley group of travellers makes its way north to outrun the plague, which is spreading from the ports on the south coast. All have a story to tell but do we hear the truth or lies? It seems the quarrelsome conjuror has the most to hide and even the peddler, who acts as peace maker, is not telling the whole truth. When the rune reader predicts punishment for liars, the travellers fear a fate even more dreadful than the plague. This dark tale paints a vivid picture of medieval England; it is a refreshingly different novel – brilliant!