Sheep's Clothing
by Celia Dale
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Description
It was a livelihood which comprised skill, nerve, an understanding and manipulation of human nature, and risk. The risk made Grace Bradby's cold blood run warmer and faster. Grace meets Janice in Holloway Prison. Once both women are released, Janice quickly becomes accomplice to a scheme of Grace's devising: posing as representatives of the Social Services Agency, the duo begin visiting elderly people, falsely promising them increased pensions. The scheme proves watertight, and the women show more frequent betting shops, libraries, bingo halls, supermarkets, the post office (on pension days) and park benches (in fine weather), marking out their next target. What ensues is a sinister tale of greed and misplaced trust, further complicated by a romantic entanglement gone awry. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
Quite a compelling read! Grace and her young side-kick Janice have a nice little "thing" going on- they visit old ladies, in the guise of social workers, drug them and make off with their valuables. But their regular occupation draws to a close a Grace takes up with a man she meets in a pub, and takes up caring for his unpleasant elderly mother (but where does he go while Grace is "babysitting"?) Meanwhile Janice- needy and with no self-confidence- finds herself a young man ...but what does he do for a living? Janice doesnt like to press him for details, less she scare him off...
Celia Dale published her first novel in 1943 and thereafter wrote many popular mysteries. Like Agatha Christie, her stories are frequently domestic tales of ordinary people in ordinary circumstances but it is her sharp eye that exposes the undercurrents of revenge, greed, and quiet desperation that sometimes erupt in creeping terror and violence. HIghly recommended.
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Favourite Virago Modern Classics
183 works; 38 members
Author Information
18+ Works 293 Members
Awards and Honors
Series
Belongs to Publisher Series
Virago Modern Classics (424)
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Sheep's Clothing
- Original title
- Sheep's Clothing
- Original publication date
- 1988
- People/Characters
- Grace Bradby; Janice; Dave Simpson; Conroy Robinson; Marion Robinson
- Important places
- London, England, UK
- First words
- Two women stood outside in the shadow of the overhang from the walkway above, for Mrs Davies lived on the ground floor of a block of council flats; a mixed blessing, for although it meant she had no stairs to cope with and ne... (show all)ed never worry whether the lift had been put out of order yet again, she was a sitting target for hit-and-run bell-ringers, letterbox rattlers, window-bangers and dog dirt.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)"I know", said Simpson, and left the room, shutting the door quietly behind him.
- Original language*
- Engels
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 83
- Popularity
- 383,511
- Reviews
- 2
- Rating
- (4.08)
- Languages
- Dutch, English, German
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 13
- ASINs
- 2
