The Wild Hunt, Elizabeth Chadwick, Sphere, £7.99

OPENING an Elizabeth Chadwick novel is like meeting an old friend. You know essentially what the encounter will be like, but you look forward to hearing all the news and filling in the details.

This book was a particularly special encounter for me because I was reading for the first time the debut novel of an author I have come to love.

Ms Chadwick, who lives in Notts, writes historical romantic fiction set in medieval times and does it so well she won a Betty Trask Award on her maiden outing and has since been short-listed four times for the Romantic Novelists' Association's major award.

This story is set in the turbulent Welsh borders during the reign of William Rufus, son of William the Conqueror.

It introduces us to Guyon Fitzmiles, lord of Ledworth, who seeks to bring stability to the lands he will inherit by marrying a young bride, Judith of Ravenstow.

As Guy chivalrously waits for her to grow into her maturing body, we see shades of characters Chadwick has gone on write about to great effect.

She lives and breathes her chosen period and invites us to time travel with her. No wonder there was a clamour for this reprint.

Sue Mc