'Deceived' by Sarah Smith (with Kate Snell)

RRP: £7.99 Pages: 319 Paperback Non-fiction

Incredible. Amazing. How one man can weave such an intricate web of deceit that he can trap one person in that web for over 10 years without her ever breaking free. That person is Sarah Smith, and this book is her story. There was one similar book I read previously (review on MySpace) regarding a conman who managed to manipulate women for monetary gain, but Robert Freegard seemed to do it for the power and control also. And he did it well.

In the spring of 1993 Sarah Smith found herself at the centre of a living nightmare. Told she was on a terrorist hit list, she was forced on the run.

Always in fear of a sniper's bullet, Sarah was constantly moved around the country, working in low-paid jobs, never knowing who she could trust. Only one man was there to protect her: a British 'secret agent' codenamed Robert Freegard. To survive Sarah had to follow his rules with complete compliance: sever ties with family and friends, speak to no one and wait for his orders.

During her spine-chilling journey, Sarah spent ten lonely years on the edge of existence, sometimes starving, often penniless and alone, doing nothing without Freegard's permission. But what she could never have guessed was that she was the victime of a ruthless conman who would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. this is the heart-wrenching and gripping tale of a criminal mastermind and a victim who bravely confronted her captor and pieced a stolen life back together.

Rating - 10 out of 10 - not just for the writing (which was suberb) but also for the story (which is captivating)

'Lessons in Heartbreak' by Cathy Kelly

RRP: £6.99 Pages: 454 Paperback Novel Fiction

This is a typical 'novel' - predictable characters, 'samey' storylines, easy reading - but enjoyable all the same. Reading a book like this is kind of like going for a Mc Donalds instead of a restaurant meal - sometimes quick & easy & tasty is all you need, even if it isn't doing you any good!

Izzie Silver left the small Irish town of Tamarin behind for New York. Life is good - until she breaks her own rules and falls for a married man.

On the other side of the ocean, Izzie's aunt Anneliese discovers the pain of infidelity for herself.
Then Lily, the wise and compassionate family matriarch, is taken ill. Back in Ireland, Izzie discovers a past her grandmother has never spoken of, while Anneliese feels the one person she could have turned to is starting to slip away.

The lessons each of the women learns - both past and present - bring joy and heartbreak. And the hardest lesson of all is learning to let go.

Rating - does what it says on the tin - 7 out of 10

'Shallow Graves' by Jeffery Deaver

RRP: £7.99 Pages: 324 Paperback Crime Fiction

I am a fan of Jeffery Deaver's work, but I found this one incredibly hard to read. I admit to skipping over sections of it which I just couldn't read. This wasn't his usual Lincoln Rhyme series and maybe I have been spoiled by that series for all of Deavers' other books. This one just didn't come up to par. It took really long (actually, never) to get into the story, and the story just didn't grab my attention - it was predictable and dull. Shame.

John Pellam had been in the trenches of filmmaking, with a promising Hollywood career - until tragedy sidetracked him. Now he is a location scout, travelling the country in search of shooting sites for films. When he rides down Main Street, locals usually clamour for their chance at fifteen minutes of fame.

But in a small town in upstate New York, Pellam experiences a very different reception. His illusionary world is shattered by a savage murder, and Pellam is suddenly centre stage in an unfolding drama of violence, lust and conspiracy in this less-than-picture-perfect locale.

Rating - 3 out of 10 - a disappointing facimile of Deavers normal work