This is one of those compulsive reads that draws you in from the start. In a small market town there is a man, his wife and their young daughter. The man is keen to make his mark and how do you do that in a small town? You join the annual fair committee of course and make it the most successful one to date. How do you do that? Well you invite the journalists into your town, hype the obvious big pull, the dunking stall, no matter if it’s sexist in that only the women of the town are dunked, and you dress up in costume get the townsfolk to man their stalls and this being England, pray for fine weather.
Maura Wood is happy tending to her daughter Rosie’s needs and keeping house for Nick, well mostly happy, perhaps happier when he is out organising for the fair, but happy enough, that is until Kim a sassy journalist comes to town and opens Maura’s eyes to the possibility of life as a more independent woman, one who has more to think about than what to cook for dinner. The question everyone is asking, including Maura, is why is Kim so attentive to dowdy Maura? All of this was five years ago so what on earth happened in the meantime so that when we meet Maura she is living a life in London, not Dowerby, without her daughter and in the shadows working two jobs that pay cash in hand to avoid being found.
Well the root has to be in Dowerby, where the status quo rules, not just on the committee but in the minds of its traditional-minded inhabitants. When Nick and Maura move, far from being taken into the bosom of the community as Nick has been, but then this is where he came from, Maura isn’t quite ostracized but neither is she invited to join the other women so when Kim turns up and is interested in her life, Maura is predisposed to welcome a friend into her life, even if that friend is going to cause waves in Dowerby!
This is a clever story which unveils a chain of events, seemingly started so innocently, with a coffee and a chat, but ends up changing the course of Maura’s life forever so much so that she is extremely scared when she realises someone is onto her. On the anonymous streets of North London she hears someone mention her name, notes are posted through her door; who is this man and what does he want from her?
I thoroughly enjoyed this, the characters were well-drawn with the back-stories just enough developed to ensure that their actions were suitably aligned while the sense of small-town life was perfectly portrayed. This is a book that covers big issues but I’m relieved to say in an entertaining fashion which meant that rather than being dwelt upon or glossed over the effects remain long after the last page has been turned.
Having read this author’s second book This Little Piggy, Bea Davenport is certainly an author I will be looking out for in the future.
Sounds like a great book. Hope I get to read it .
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I hope you do too.
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Sounds very interesting!
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Thank you 🙂
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Read this novel some time ago
I must say that I loved reading it.
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It is one of those addictive reads – I so enjoyed This Little Piggy I can’t believe it took me quite so long to get around to this one.
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I’ve read This Little Piggy so will have to look out for this one too!
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It’s definitely worth a read, I enjoyed them both!
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I have it now so will let you know! x
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This sounds like a brilliant read.
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Thank you
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Your review confirms my idea of this book being me for me 🙂 I love it when it starts with an innocent event that leads to surprises, good or bad.
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Excellent news Donna – it is one of my favourite devices too.
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This certainly sounds intriguing, Cleo! Those plots where the past is slowly revealed can be very effective, and it sounds like an interesting look at that small town, too. Glad you enjoyed it.
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I do like small town life, it’s definitely a great setting for nastiness!!
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I read This Little Piggy a few years ago–liked it. This one sounds good too.
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It is well worth a read Guy – my copy had been on my kindle since before I read This Little Piggy, I’m slowly reading these old purchases!
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I haven’t heard of this one Cleo but i’m intrigued. Glad you really enjoyed this one.
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Thank you Marcee
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You have really piqued my curiosity! I do love stories with all kinds of back stories and intricate happenings to keep me intrigued. Thanks for sharing.
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This book is all about the characters and I really enjoy that kind of book, the setting in a small town makes a perfect back-drop too.
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Interesting premise. This was this news article how authorities finally found this woman who’s been missing for years. She had her third baby and after that walked out the house never to be seen again. She gave her number to the police to give to her daughter who of course could care less and doesn’t want a reunion.
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I read that news article too Stefanie – it is really hard to comprehend why someone would behave in that way isn’t it?
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