A Tidy Ending: The latest dark comedy from the Sunday Times bestselling author

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If only Linda could track down and befriend Rebecca, maybe some of that enviable lifestyle would rub off on her and she wouldn’t have to worry about what Terry is up to. Under-stimulated by her humdrum life, and the frequent target of ridicule and gaslighting from both her husband and mother, Linda finds a private delight in poring over fashion and lifestyle catalogues that arrive in the mail for the mysterious Rebecca, meanwhile fantasising about a more exciting existence of her own.

Lest you think this is just one woman’s monologue of a mundane life, the inclusion of the murder strand brings a darkness and sinister anticipation to the story, as do other characters that Linda becomes involved with. Mother isn’t someone I would generally confide in, because I know, even years later, my confession will come back to visit me. Now she sits in her kitchen, wondering if this is all there is: pushing the vacuum around and cooking fish sticks for dinner, a far cry from the glamorous lifestyle she sees in the glossy magazines coming through the mail slot addressed to the previous occupant, Rebecca. The story centre around Linda who is living a very normal life with her husband Terry, that is until young women start to go missing in the neighbourhood. She presents as naïve, a bit simple, and is used to people underestimating her, doesn’t mind that, in fact.That and so many similarities to “The Maid” stopped this from being a five star book, but it was still an excellent story.

Linda and Terry Hammett have recently moved to Cavendish Avenue from another house on their estate: this one isn’t so different, but it’s where Linda wants to live. In a place she had determined to forget forever, both anticipated encounters and unanticipated revelations show her, and us, that sometimes life is neither fate nor chance: perhaps it’s nothing more than a little luck. All the tiny details, all the quiet, unnoticed edges of the world have been taken away, and it’s only when they’re gone you realize how much you depended on them to make sense of everything else. Joanna Cannon’s second novel Three Things About Elsie is published in January 2018 and explores memory, friendship and old age.Joanna Cannon is a psychiatrist, and it shows in every morsel and detail of this novel I absolutely loved analyzing. 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. A Little Luck is the story about the debilitating weight of lies, the messy line between bravery and cowardice, and the tragedies, big and small, that can ripple out from a single decisive event.

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.

Joanna Cannon weaves together a self-actualisation storyline featuring an endearingly quirky protagonist, with lashings of dark humour, revenge and jaw-dropping twists.