S.J.Budd

I stumbled across this book by unfortunately watching it's film adaptation first which although is a really brilliant film, meant that I knew the whole plot before I turned the first page. However the film was so intriguing I couldn't resist. This is the debut novel of Diane Setterfield - and it's a very powerful debut most authors could only dream of. It's a very promising start, she has gone on to write another book titled - Bellman & Black , which is described as a dark atmospheric ghost story that gives The Thirteenth Tale a run for its money. The Thirteenth tale centres around the life of a fictional novelist, Vida Winter who has always remained elusive until she is struck down by a terminal illness. She enlists the help of a amateur biographer, Margaret Lea, by summoning her to write her biography and learn all her secrets. To familiarise herself with Vida Winter's work she reads her -  Thirteen Tales of Change and Desperation . She finds hersel...