Published by Penguin
Publication Date: 30th September 2021
Book Description:
My Thoughts:
This book sat patiently waiting on my shelves for approximately 3 years before finally getting chosen as my current mood read. I ended up reading a very tatty copy of the paperback as our puppy also had a moment of discovery when I left it on the coffee table overnight and decided to have a chew. Fortunately for me, she left all the words intact so the story went undamaged (which is more than I can say for the front cover!).
The story begins with Saffy and Tom having moved in to her grandmother Rose's beautiful, but slightly neglected cottage. A property that Saffy didn't realise even existed, let alone belonged to her grandmother who she loves dearly but is unable to live independently any more due to the cruel onset of dementia. Saffy's mum Lorna is currently living in Spain with the latest of a long string of boyfriends so it makes sense for Saffy and Tom to move in, using the funds they've saved towards buying a property to renovate this one instead. The couple have drawn up plans and the builders have started digging foundations for a gorgeous kitchen extension when the process grinds to a sudden halt with the discovery of not one, but two human skeletons. Cue the involvement of the police and the process of a lifetime of secrets being dragged from under the patio.
Saffy phones her mum, distraught with the news and bombarding her with questions which Lorna cannot answer - she doesn't remember anything about the cottage, let alone who the two unfortunate souls might be. The police question Rose at her care facility, but the dementia has stolen any clear answers she can give; however, in amongst her confusion she does mention a few names from her past which help her daughter and granddaughter begin to make some headway in finding out what happened so long ago in the garden of 9 Skelton Place.
I very much enjoyed this book and do wonder why it took me so incredibly long to get around to reading it. Generally Claire Douglas is an author I would be inclined to reach for when choosing a book but this one very obviously became overwhelmed by so many others at the time, which is a shame. The characters are so well drawn I felt I really knew them, and my heart broke for them all every time Saffy and Lorna interacted with Rose, never knowing whether she would remember who they were each time they visited her. I did wonder whether I had the plot twist sort of worked out, but when it happened I was only partly correct so the bombshell still hit sufficiently well as to shock me, and there's a lot more background to the tale than I had imagined.
If - like me - this book has passed you by, I wholeheartedly recommend you read it. The characters are great, the plot is tightly wrapped and the village setting is delightful. Just be aware of the dementia storyline in case this is something close to your heart as it is told so realistically as to potentially be upsetting.
About the Author:
She is a Sunday Times bestseller and a frequent Richard & Judy Book Club pick. Her books have sold over two million copies in the UK alone.
She lives in Bath with her husband and two children.
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