Jamaica Inn by Daphne Du Maurier

We'll be talking about 'Jamaica Inn' this Thursday 1st May at 6 p.m. It's been a topical read with the BBC drama attracting so much publicity ... not always for the right reasons. The screen version didn't capture the book for me, and looking forward to hearing what everyone else thinks. 

Daphne Du Maurier was captivated by Cornwall on childhood holidays, and lived there following her marriage. She wrote 'Jamaica Inn' when she was 29 years old after spending a night in the place on Bodmin Moor, and it's still open for business today - with good reviews on Trip Advisor! 

Daphne Du Maurier's 'Jamaica Inn' is isolated and forbidding, and the heroine Mary Yellan makes a truly gothic arrival there via coach one dark winter's evening to live with her mother's sister, Patience. Mary's aunt Patience is married to the landlord, a sinister and secretive bully engaged in smuggling and worse. He has an enigmatic younger brother who makes his living as a horse thief. Mary is trapped, unsure of who to trust, as she is dragged deeper into the intrigue and dangerous events unfolding at 'Jamaica Inn'....

Here's the star of the BBC adaptation of 'Jamaica Inn', Jessica  Brown Findlay in 'Albatross' which was filmed entirely in the Isle of Man. Released in 2011, and well worth a watch.