'Molly Fielding's mother had been a terrible woman...'

A terrible woman indeed. One need only look at the old sepia photograph of her to see a vision of nastiness. The look of cunning, the self-satisfied smile, the aura of hauteur as she watches the little Italian photographer go about his business.

They say the camera never lies, but maybe this one did. Going into a Dark House, the title story of Jane Gardam's passionate new collection, brilliantly captures the subtly subversive qualities of her art. Quietly mesmeric and quite beautifully written, these ten stories are a delight.

Winner of the Macmillan Silver Pen Award 1995