The story is complicated by the arrival of another distant relative, Roy, the Australian who is charming to Aunt Amy but boorish and mercenary around Fran. Roy believes Amy will leave the farm to him and is keen to sell it and cash in. Luckily Fran has her good friend Issi on hand to boost her confidence and Tig who helps with the heritage herd of cows Amy’s family has been breeding for decades.
One thing Fran must avoid is having anything to do with neighbouring landowner Anthony Arlingham. The Arlinghams have been Amy’s enemies since the war. But Anthony is good-looking as well as surprisingly charming and helpful. He seems happy to help Fran with all kinds of problems, offering his chauffeur and car at the drop of a hat, supporting Fran's cheese-making and dishing out funds for track repairs to allow the milk tanker up to the farm. But does Anthony have an ulterior motive?
The story bounces along from one calamity to the next, while Amy seems reluctant to warm to Fran, setting her problems and nodding off during visits before she can help with any answers.
Some issues for me were things like Fran’s instant success at cheese-making or how looking after new-born puppies can make the heart grow fonder – the second time I’ve read this plot device in a Fforde novel. The characters are a bit too obviously nasty (like Roy), or too wonderful (like Anthony), or not really developed much at all, even though they pop up repeatedly (like Issi and Tig).
Nevertheless, I whizzed through the book, quite enjoying the setting of the Cotswolds, the descriptions of hearty and delicious meals and the plucky character of Fran. There may be few surprises but the book is a pleasant and light-hearted read - definitely one for the airport, beach or for unwinding after all the stresses of associated with lockdown and beyond.
Posted by JAM
No comments:
Post a Comment