Marilyn Nash lives in Killiney with her husband and three children

If you want to escape from dark winter evenings then read Riding the Rap, by Elmore Leonard (Penguin, £5.99 in the UK). Pull the curtains, put on a Hawaiian shirt and transport yourself to the nether world of Miami Beach. You will read about petty criminals on the make and con-men dreaming up schemes to get-rich-quick. The book is peppered with one-liners which will make you guffaw. The shady characters are like old friends and the dialogue is highly amusing. Fast, funny, enjoyable, witty and pure escapism. Brilliant.