Yes, it is true her books are of their time - modern readers coming to them anew may chafe at the defined gender roles, which were so accepted in the 60s. Mary Stewart’s characters are all wonderfully complex, and the development of her relationships beautifully subtle. As I’ve said before, this book captured my imagination so much that Delphi was the first place I visited outside Australia. Every time I read this book, I’m captivated by the idea of gliding through the ruins of ancient Delphi by starlight, of trekking along goat paths up into the mountains, of gazing up the Pilgrim’s Way from the foot of the hill.

Readers of this blog will know that setting is hugely important to me, and Mary Stewart’s settings are always amazing. He’s there to visit Michael’s grave and see the place where his brother was killed, but it soon becomes apparent that the circumstances surrounding Michael’s death were not as they seem… Camilla and Simon become embroiled in a deadly plot involving local Greek terrorist types, all set amid the wild rugged beauty of Delphi and the heights of Mount Parnassus. It turns out Simon is a young Englishman whose elder brother Michael was killed on Mount Parnassus during WWII (the novel is set in the 60s) - and he has no idea who ordered the car.

Sipping coffee in Athens and wishing something would happen, Camilla accidentally agrees to drive a hire car to Delphi for someone called Simon. In honour of English author Mary Stewart, who died earlier this month ( see my tribute), I’ve been re-reading for the umpteenth time, My Brother Michael – one of my favourites.

My brother michael by mary stewart