Title: A Tidy Ending

Author: Joanna Cannon

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: The Borough Press

Publication Date: 28th April 2022

Rating: 5/5

Cover:

Summary:

A NICE, NORMAL HOUSE

Linda has lived around here ever since she fled the dark events of her childhood in Wales. Now she sits in her kitchen, wondering if this is all there is – pushing the Hoover round and cooking fish fingers for tea is a far cry from the glamorous lifestyle she sees in the glossy catalogues coming through the door for the house’s previous occupant.

A NICE, NORMAL HUSBAND

Terry isn’t perfect – he picks his teeth, tracks dirt through the house and spends most of his time in front of the TV. But that seems fairly standard – until he starts keeping odd hours at work, at around the same time young women start to go missing in the neighbourhood.

A NICE, NORMAL LIFE…

If Linda could just track down Rebecca, who lived in the house before them, maybe some of that perfection would rub off on her. But the grass isn’t always greener: you can’t change who you really are, and there’s something nasty lurking behind the net curtains on Cavendish Avenue…

Review:

First of all, I have to say that the cheerful cover of A Tidy Ending is brilliantly deceptive – which I absolutely love! The story follows Linda, a seemingly ‘normal’ middle aged woman, albeit a slightly odd one, with a seemingly dull life of domesticity. However there is much more to Linda than meets the eye – including a mysterious and dark secret from her childhood. There is also a possible serial killer on the loose in her neighbourhood and Linda’s husband Terry is acting strangely. Add to that Linda’s obsession with the woman who lived in her house before her and you have a dark, twisted and clever story with a fabulously quirky main character.

A Tidy Ending has gone straight on to my list of favourites of the year. It is such a surprising and smart book which pulls the rug out from underneath the reader again and again. I really don’t want to give plot details away because I would hate to ruin the twisted journey for anyone but I really cannot recommend it enough. Linda is a very strange and weirdly funny main character to follow and the way she operates is fascinating. Whatever you are expecting when you pick this book up – it is something quite different – and that is what makes it such a phenomenal read.

★★★★★

Thank you so much to Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours for inviting me on this tour and organising it. I kindly received a copy of the book from the publisher. My review is entirely my own honest opinion.

Buy the book:

Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells