It's a romp! Like a proverbial 'breath of fresh air', Kate Fenton embarks her main character in Picking Up, Jo Patterson, on an adventurous romp, mostly across the wilds of the North York Moors. It is a true to life story, well that is true to life to anyone who has discovered the office romance between their husband and his bimbo assistant. Fortunately for Jo, her husband had recently bought her a holiday cottage in the middle of nowhere on the North York Moors. Jo flees there, with the genuine belief that hubby will come to his senses, turn up and plead with her to go back to him. Kate certainly has you pleading with Jo not to do anything so ridiculous, its obvious that this romantic gift of the cottage, was in fact a ruse to keep her out of the way, while he became firmly entangled with Gaynor, the bimbo. Back to the Moors, we find Jo falling foul of more deviousness as money in the bank starts disappearing at a vast rate of knots. Here this suburban housewife, soon realises she must do something to alleviate this cash flow problem and not just because she is sick of living on baked beans. Jo takes up the role of beater for the local manor house shoot. Together with the gift from her son, a rather intelligent spaniel called Dora, Jo gallops, in all weathers, over the heather clad moors, all in the name of gentlemanly sport, and of course to keep the wolf from the door. Soon she is informed that the company she built up with her husband is having problems and her husband lets it go for a song. Through friends she learns he turned down a colossal sum offered to him just a few years ago. The story here goes into another genre, one of detective story, as Jo hears about a private eye nephew of the Lord of the Manor. She travels to London to enlist his help. But does Jo really want to discover the truth about her husband, Gaynor and their supposedly ailing company? Why is there a feud between Paddy and his crippled cousin? How does her husbands floozy fit in all this too? Well you will just have to read this delightful, fast moving story to find out. Just dont be put of by the title of the first chapter The End - all will be revealed. Commendation I was disappointed this book has been categorized as a comedy. Yes it has its moments that make one smile, even moments that make one cry, but I wouldn't put it down as rib tickling hilarious. It is a pleasant read, with good description of this beautiful area in North Yorkshire and of the characters Jo meets. I was a little disappointed at the end of the book, which was written in a rather detailed and a little bit vulgar manner, but such is life. It is Kate Fenton's fifth book and despite this it has certainly whetted my appetite to read more from her.
Review by: Hazel Stevens Is your favourite book reviewed in these pages? If not, get your slate and chalk to work, and make yourself and your best book part of the Book Club! Write a review.
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