An accidental violent death of Deborah's husband brings her to stay with Judith, her sister, and Judith's partner Joanna. With unresolved family tensions, resentments and secrets, it's a tricky period. OK, but not my favourite Gale. ( )

It was always going to happen one day - a Patrick Gale novel I didn't enjoy. This had the familiar West Country/gay character axis, but didn't grip me the way all his others have. There seemed to be too little drama and too much concentration on shopping or what everyone orders in a restaurant. All the characters have some kind of secret or reach some kind of understanding with themselves through events, but it was as though these were hastily dealt with in a paragraph or so and then shut away in a cupboard to make way for some random musing about the landscape or whatever. Disappointing. ( )

The more of Patrick Gale I read, the less engaging I find the books. I guess I've probably read all the decent ones already... but I'll probably keep going all the same. ( )