This is, for me, a really good example of a book club book. It is something that I would never normally be attracted to, but I found that I enjoyed reading it. From looking at the blurb, I would have assumed that some knowledge, belief and interest in the supernatural would be necessary to enjoy the book. This is not the case. The book is about a complex web of human relationships and illustrates the darker side of human behaviour. Many of the characters believe in the supernatural phenomena, but the book itself does not take a stand; the reader is free to decide.
I found the writing style a little clumsy. Often too many words are used and we are given more silly details than we need. But I still found it a straightforward read and the story maintained my interest. I am always wary of authors trying to write a main character of the opposite gender. This book is written from a number of viewpoints, but Merrily is the prime protagonist. To me, she sounded somewhat like a man’s idea of how a woman might think and act. I also thought that calling her daughter “Flower” did not sound natural; rather East London IMHO.
I liked the reasonably local setting for the book, even though they are not places that I am very familiar with. I observe that this is the second in a series of books; the 15th is published shortly. I do not think I missed anything vital by not reading #1. I am not sure that I will be rushing to devour the rest of the series, but, then again, I might.
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