An enjoyable collection of short stories - 4 star

A very enjoyable book with an eclectic mix of stories set in different locations, with a predominance for Italy. All unique and all a very different, a nice collection to return to again and again. Recommended :)

Historical and sensational writing at its best! - 5 star

Magdalen and Norah Vanstone are the daughters of a wealthy landowner and expect to inherit a substancial legacy on the death of their parents. However a change in circumstances, and a catastrophic event will alter the course of their lives irrevocably.....nothing will ever be the same again. Collins was a prolific writer from the mid nineteenth century and his novels were often described as "sensation" but he did tackle and highlight issues of the time. No Name was in part a social commentary concerning the absurdity of the law as applied to children of unmarried parents. The storyline is a little incredible however the author, as a great lover of women, often has strong even devious female characters, and in the same breadth he is not afraid to show men as weak and pitiful unworthy of the reader's sympathy. The writing is fluid and very accessible, which is important as the page count is just under 800. I found myself engaging totally with the characters (not something I can always attain in modern thrillers) and hoping that the outcome for our 2 heroines would be favourable......Here are some examples of the descripitve prose....." a seductive, serpentine suppleness, so lightly and playfully graceful, that its movements suggested, not unnaturally, the movements of a young cat"......." whose personal appearance was little less than a triumph of physical resistance to the deteriorating influence of time"...." the elegant black gown in which she mourned the memory of Michale Vanstone was not a mere dress- it was a well made compliment paid to death".......If you have not already discoverd the delights of one of our great English authors then No Name is a superb novel to begin. Highly recommended :)