EsmeraldaHugo

Press release summary of the plot: Daisy Cockram (Amy Beth Hayes), a young police officer, wins a radio contest to attend a West End film premier and the VIP party afterwards. A famous premiership footballer picks her up and they are later caught in a sexual act in the back of his Range Rover. Her career in the police force is shattered, as is her complex relationship with her high flying father - a deputy Chief Constable.

But it seems Daisy has a saviour in the shape of J.J. Merrick (Shane Richie) – a ruthless, Svengali, publicity agent. He catapults her into the world of glamour modelling. For a while she rides high on her bubble of instant fame and becomes a millionaire with a lifestyle to match and her own entourage of hangers on. It also seems that she has found love, with a young soap star who J.J. also represents.

But fame without talent is hard to sustain – inevitably the lads' magazines and 'red tops' turn the search light of their attention to the next instant celebrity. Betrayed by J.J., rejected by her family, abandoned by her boy friend (who had only been using their relationship as a publicity stunt), Daisy goes to desperate lengths to revive her floundering career and get herself back on the front page.

In J.J.'s words: "the way you earn fame is by hanging onto it – whatever it takes…"

An engaging example of the genre of TV drama/thriller. The Alders with their 2 children are on a camping holiday in France and befriend a slightly odd couple at a camp site who then keep appearing everywhere they go. The odd couple's son apparently goes missing and the Alders start trying to avoid the odd couple. Events take a creepy turn . . .

Without giving the plot away, all I would say is that this was a well acted and quite gripping drama and much more original than a lot of the 2 parters that are seen on ITV these days.

There are a couple of minor 'she/he would never have done that' moments but if you are prepared to engage with the suspension of disbelief then they aren't so major as to spoil the viewer's enjoyment.

I really enjoyed this. The book is one of my favourite cosy reads - handsome strong men, roaring fires, glasses of whisky and glamorous parties in Scotland.

This film is pretty faithful to the book with a few minor changes. Noel is renamed Neil and a few characters (Hamish) are missing entirely. But broadly this is nicely done.

Edward Fox and Michael Yorke both give v. good performances as does Jacqueline Bisset. The casting is pretty good too in the light of the book. I was disappointed to learn that it was filmed in Ireland not Scotland which is a bit of a travesty but it still looks beautiful.

It is not a brilliant Oscar winning type film but of its genre its v. nicely done.

For Rosamunde Pilcher fans, a good way to spend a winter evening - watch this with a glass of red wine snuggled up by yourself on the sofa.