A Tidy Ending is the latest novel by bestselling author Joanna Cannon, published in 2022.
I knew her previous book The Trouble with Goats and Sheep was hugely popular, and I have a copy on my ever-growing to-be-read pile!
I was excited to receive an advanced copy of A Tidy Ending via Netgalley.
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Plot
After fleeing the darkness of her childhood days in Wales, Linda moves to a nice, normal street, marries a nice, normal man and lives a nice, normal life. However, as she spends her days cleaning her house and working part-time at a charity shop, she wonders whether there’s more to life.
When she starts receiving glossy catalogues intended for the previous occupant of her house, she becomes intrigued about the person who lived there before her. Who was this woman, and what was she like? Linda is sure they would be great friends, and so she determinedly tries to track her down.
Meanwhile, young women start going missing in the local area. Surely it’s completely coincidental these disappearances seem to occur when her husband leaves the house?
Is anyone really as they seem on this quiet, normal street?
A Tidy Ending Book Review
Wow. I don’t really know what I was expecting from this book but it was full of surprises.
Considering the cover is so bright and cheery, the story within is creepy and full of dark humour. It’s a brilliantly observed tale, full of twists and turns.
Linda was a fantastic, memorable character. I constantly swung from feeling sorry for her to feeling unnerved by her. She was eccentric, socially inept and utterly compelling. There were so many layers to her personality and I loved how the author subtly dropped hints about Linda’s past.
It’s a character-driven story, told from Linda’s point of view. I found it so clever how the author shows us the inner workings of Linda’s mind, whilst also showing us how she is viewed by others in the way they interact with her.
It’s hard to say too much about the book without spoiling it! It’s full of surprises and so much more than a whodunnit. It’s dark, witty and so very clever.
I really enjoyed it.
What should I read after A Tidy Ending by Joanna Cannon?
If you enjoyed A Tidy Ending, I’d recommend None of This is True by Lisa Jewell. There’s definitely similar themes running through the stories and I was completely gripped by them both.
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. For more information please see my disclosure policy.