PICK OF THE WEEK

A TIDY ENDING

By Joanna Cannon, The Borough Press, £16.99 (ebook £7.99)

★★★★★

Joanna Cannon is a master of twisty tales, and A Tidy Ending is a roller-coaster ride.

Linda is a downtrodden wife – she cooks, cleans and runs around after husband Terry. She is taken for granted by her mother, her husband and her colleagues at the charity shop she works at.

Looking for a bit of excitement, Linda starts searching for Rebecca – the woman who used to live in her home on Cavendish Avenue. She imagines what life could be like, picturing herself in the pages of the glossy magazines that fall through the letterbox. Then there is a murder, and things start to fall into place for Linda.

Hats off to Cannon for piecing together a sinister story that could take place on any residential estate.