I’d wanted to read this for some time, and when I saw the BBC were doing an adaptation on 30 December, I raced to try to get it finished - and managed literally 3 minutes before the programme started!

First published in 1898, The Turn of the Screw tells of an unnamed governess who is engaged to look after two orphan children by their guardian uncle. He tells the governess that he wishes to have no input in their lives and that she must deal with anything that arises as she sees fit, without bothering him.

At the house in Essex, she meets Flora and is immediately charmed by the child. The next day, she receives a letter, via the guardian, to say that Miles has been expelled from his school and is returning to Bly, and when Miles arrives he refuses to speak of his expulsion.

If you like all your ends tied up at the end of a novel, then it’s possible that this could leave you feeling unsatisfied. I've found it quite hard to put my feelings down on paper, but I have to say that it didn’t quite live up to my expectations and although I did enjoy it, it hasn’t made me want to rush out to buy any more of James’s novels, although I have had Daisy Miller highly recommended to me, so I might well give that a go in future