Initially, I wasn't familiar with the name Alistair MacLean until I came to know that he had penned Guns of Navarone and Where Eagles Dare, both of which were adapted into films that inspired my early love for cinema. As it happens, we had this particular MacLean title at home and I really enjoyed perusing it as a child.

Fast-paced, sexy and a logic-defying thriller, Caravan to Vaccares is set in the 1960s and has a certain Neil Bowman investigating a number of disappearances in the Provence region of France, as gypsies gather around for their annual pilgrimage. Going undercover accompanying Cecile Dubois, a breathtakingly beautiful woman, as he investigates these shady circles, coming across bull rings, hidden graves and bloodthirsty gypsies with a secret to kill for.

Caravan to Vaccares was loosely adapted into a 1974 film starring David Birney and Charlotte Rampling



The book's writing may appear to be a bit dated in the 21st century. However, if you're looking for a fast-paced thriller devoid of logic, you can give this a try.