Issues addressed include things such as PTSD/trauma, self image and post natal depression just to name a few.

The Long Weekend by Clare Lydon | Goodreads The Long Weekend by Clare Lydon | Goodreads

I am such a fan of Fiona’s books as they are gentle and easy to read, yet at the same time fun with clever undertones for consideration. Having told her new husband that they wouldn’t be sleeping together, he was somewhat surprised to discover three years after their chaste marriage that she was expecting a baby. What I thought would be the main ‘mystery’ plot line really just fell into line with all the other sub plots.

It becomes apparent that secrets and lies lurk close to the surface, there is betrayal and malevolent delusion which beggars belief. The premise sounded appealing - not completely original - but the kind of basis that has formed a solid foundation for many enjoyable mysteries I have read over the years. Fiona Palmer knows how to give her characters life and pull a reader in and this is one that I would highly recommend, it really is a great read.

The Long Weekend: Life in the English Country House, 1918

The Long Weekend provides an intimate portrait of the lives of four different individuals over a three-day period. Fiona Palmer’s overall narrative arc is quite fetching, so it is easy to get lost in the problems, secrets, binds, decisions and emotions of these protagonists. The lovebirds would be there, those on the edge, those, who'd annoy you, those, who'd entertain you, etc. Fiona always guarantees a story with strong female leads, a certain amount of camaraderie and the requisite romance that is the icing on top.

When you book a holiday which includes a flight, a flight inclusive holiday, through Thomas Cook you are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. Undoubtedly, the characters are all train wrecks, and each is unreliable in his/her own way, but their character development is so elegantly done you can’t help but empathize. Jayne has her own issues she has been hiding since she left her job in army intelligence, and perhaps doesn’t know Mark as well as she thinks she does. The Plot (from Goodreads): Amy jumps at the opportunity when she’s offered a nannying job in picturesque West Cork. Combined with an unsavory cast of characters and continually changing perspectives, my mind was spinning!