WHATBOOK..?

. ..are you reading now?

CONVERSATIONS With Friends by Sally Rooney — it’s about the dynamics of the relationship between four friends. Funny, sharp and beautifully written, it’s both addictive and a welcome change from a crime novel.

...would you take to a desert island?

THE Lord Of The Rings. I’ve read it four times. With its battles, romance, race against time and host of brilliantly crafted characters, I know I’ll be able to read it again and again.

...first gave you the reading bug?

AGATHA CHRISTIE’S The Murder Of Roger Ackroyd. It was the first book I read, aged ten. My dad told me the twist would be mindblowing — and it was. I read at least another 20 of her books over the next couple of years.

. . . left you cold?

I LOVED The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson, but I really struggled with the sequel, The Girl Who Played With Fire, which lacked the sense of mystery of the first. I was so disappointed that I never read the third. The hanged Man by Simon Kernick is out now in paperback (Arrow, £7.99)