WHAT IS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE HOLIDAY?

A cruise that ended in Istanbul.

Bob and I stayed in the Çiragan Palace Kempinski when we arrived.

It is situated on the shores of the Bosphorus, which separates Europe and Asia, and has stunning views.

I enjoyed our stay so much that when I wrote Letter From A Stranger much of the story is set in Istanbul.

Click here for fantastic Istanbul offers

AND YOUR WORST?

Antigua about 15 years ago. The hotel didn’t have a suite so we were offered a cottage in the hotel gardens which was basically a straw hut and rather primitive. Bob got covered in insect bites.

WHICH GADGET IS ESSENTIAL?

I usually take only a camera and mobile phone, which I use constantly. I don’t have a laptop and tend to use the facilities that most hotels provide these days if I need to do any work.

BEST HOLIDAY BOOK?

I enjoy thrillers and spy stories. I particularly enjoyed Portrait Of A Spy by Daniel Silva and have just finished reading In The Garden Of Beasts by Erik Larson, which I couldn’t put down.

HOW DO YOU SPEND YOUR TIME ON HOLIDAY?

I like to relax with a good book under a parasol as I burn easily.

If we are staying in a hotel with a spa, we like a massage.

If we’re on a city break, we explore and try restaurants.

WHERE WOULD YOU REVISIT?

Buenos Aires. We were on a cruise nine years ago and stopped there for a couple of days and went to a ranch with gauchos (South American cowboys).

Click here for incredible Buenos Aires offers

WHERE TO NEXT?

Bob has been to Hong Kong and wants to take me. I am also keen to visit Vietnam and Cambodia.

● Letter From A Stranger, by Barbara Taylor Bradford (HarperCollins), £17.99.