Hilary Mantel - Beyond Black

Well worthy of the word of mouth praise this book has been getting and I'd been hearing - Beyond Black explores the two worlds of Alison Hart, a plump suburban medium who straddles the worlds of the living and the dead, and also the past and the present. Mantel creates a powerful work, with vivid and real characters. The work is both dark (especially as Ali remembers and tries to make sense of the horrors of her abusive past) and humourous. Its a book that grabs you and becomes more absorbing with each page.