I'm the type of reader who's more interested in character development and the little things, I don't care as much about the plot.

This was an absolute delight to read and Lissa Berry's narration of the audiobook version added wonderfully to the immersive experience - a perfect casting decision! You know what people are like, though, and newspapers always make something out of nothing, even keeping yourself to yourself.The writing was good, the style and tone is a bit formal, which makes sense according to Linda's personality, but there's no suspense or urgency and most of the time, I felt my attention drifting as I read. Terry says I’m forever misunderstanding the lyrics, but he doesn’t realize that there are always two ways to interpret everything in life.

Mother isn’t someone I would generally confide in, because I know, even years later, my confession will come back to visit me. There’s a quirky element of this that reminded me a little of Nita Prose’s ’Molly’ in ’The Maid’, although story-wise this is very different in very many ways. I picture a lot of people sitting around on furniture in relaxed poses—unnecessary visuals, enough is enough. As the hours count down to their wedding, Piglet is torn between a growing appetite and the desire to follow the recipe, follow the rules. Before you decide that this one is not for you, this is not a thriller, or not what I’d consider a thriller.

And she’s surprised that no one else has noticed anything about the photograph shown in the police press conference, but the police, who can’t be trusted anyway, are repeatedly dismissive of anything Linda brings to their attention. While local speculation about the crime reaches fever pitch, Linda becomes obsessed with the seemingly glamorous former occupant of her new home. There it waits, trapped in a silver frame, watching me live my life and pointing out all my mistakes. Linda comes close to being pitied but even that disappears as the story progresses and she turns quite annoying.

In chapter nine, Linda tells the reader: “whenever you try to run away from your problems, your problems join you for the ride” (page 77). there are times when you don’t even realize a thought is sitting inside your head until your mouth discovers it and it’s given somewhere to go. She presents as naïve, a bit simple, and is used to people underestimating her, doesn’t mind that, in fact. Joanna Cannon’s second novel Three Things About Elsie is published in January 2018 and explores memory, friendship and old age.

They offer a lifestyle that she can only dream of and in Linda’s delusional world, Rebecca becomes her best friend. The story has four broad tracks – Linda’s dark past, the girls’ murders, Terry’s fishy behaviour, and Linda’s obsession with Rebecca Finch. Linda Hammet and her hapless husband, Terry, have recently moved to a housing estate, when a young woman is found strangled nearby.