THE main trouble with a Douglas Kennedy novel is that once you've started reading it, it's difficult to stop.

Temptation is no exception as would-be screenwriter David Armitage finally finds fame and TV fortune and is invited to the private island of a reclusive billionaire film buff. He enjoys a hedonistic week, lapping up all the luxuries at his disposal (including the millionaire's wife), but on his return to reality he is accused of plagiarism and his life begins to unravel.

Armitage has been guilty of pride on becoming a big player in Hollywood, leaving his wife and daughter behind in the process, and his punishment is swift and severe. And as he reassesses his rise and fall in a seaside hideaway, his pain and remorse are palpable in this fastmoving and thought-provoking novel.