Olivia Glazebrook

When her estranged father Frank dies Jem discovers that she has a brother she never knew about and she needs to find him to warn him that Frank died of a congenital heart defect. Twenty-five years ago Frank had an affair with Kathleen, a spoilt and selfish actress, that resulted in the birth of Scott. Scott doesn't know that he isn't the son of Walter (Kathleen's husband) but he does know that he's very different to his sister.
There's a clever and interesting book at the the heart of this but it is spoilt by some over the top plot devices. Frank is portrayed as some kind of monster with no reason why. The fact that he has killed twice is glossed over and his stint in prison barely mentioned. Most of the characters are cliches but this does fit in with the tone. I wanted to love it but merely liked it!… (more)

When Frank drops dead abruptly at Heathrow, his estranged daughter Jem travels to his home in France to arrange his effects. She learns that Frank has a son she knew nothing about. With no other living relatives, she soon resolves to make contact with the son, throwing his family into chaos.

The Frank Business has just the kind of writing I enjoy, close observation of a small canvas, casting a wry eye over characters who are in conflict with themselves as much as the people around them. The author plays gleefully with our expectations too.

When we see Frank’s last night, he seems an amiable character. He is an artist, living alone in a farmhouse in Provence, listening to Radio 4 on his laptop as he paints a Christmas card for the neighbours who insist on sharing the day with him, a kindness he could do without. For Brits of a certain age and class, this is the dream life, and it seems natural to include Frank in that warm embrace. But as the novel progresses a rather more complicated picture emerges.

Similarly, Frank’s son is part of an outwardly successful and happy family, working in the media and the arts and enjoying a comfortable London life. Even when they bicker they are witty and stylish. Jem’s bombshell forces issues to the surface that might otherwise have been comfortably avoided.

The author has a lovely, arch voice. She deftly combines humour and some very dark and difficult episodes as the characters confront the past and their relationships. Then suddenly it all goes wrong. The ending is rushed, key events take place off camera, and those complex and contrary characters suddenly fall into an implausibly neat ending.

I realise there’s an injustice here. It’s the end that stays with us. If the middle portion of the book had been baggy but she’d pulled it back in the final chapters, all would be forgiven. But for me, she has raised some very interesting questions and then shied away from answering them.

There is so much that’s great about this book, I would still recommend it. For myself, I want to forget how it ended and remember the good times.
*
I received a copy of The Frank Business from the publisher via Netgalley.
Read more of my reviews on my blog https://katevane.com/blog… (more)

When Clive and Martha’s daughter, Eliza, begins piano lessons with a new teacher, the couple is shocked to see a face from their past. But Clive knows that the reappearance of Eliot Fox has the potential to shake his little family, as Eliot carries with her a secret Clive hoped would stay long buried.

At its core, Never Mind Miss Fox is less about the twist it’s sold on and much more about the complexities of marriage. While it fails to deliver truly unpredictable suspense, it’s quite successful at deconstructing the secrets and emotions that can destroy relationships. Glazebrook’s prose is perfectly succinct and particularly suited for detailing the lifestyle her characters live and the quiet emotions they carry.

“‘You’re only sorry because you’re frightened of losing your family. You’re sorry for yourself.’ Yes I am, Clive thought. What other way is there? ‘Sorry’ would always start and end with himself.”

Readers turning to Never Mind Miss Fox in search of a mind-bending plot that keeps them guessing may be disappointed, however, when revealed, Clive’s secret feels real instead of pieced together for effect. Combined with Martha’s struggle to adjust to motherhood, Glazebrook has written a novel that tests the breaking points of marriage and examines the fault lines some are built on.… (more)

This was a story about several people and their relationships and how they can suffer when one has a secret.
First of all, the characters were really horrible. They were angry, bitter and unkind to each other. The writing was well-done. It explores the relationship between Clive and his wife, Martha. Something terrible happened in the past that Clive has never confided to Martha. When things begin to unravel and the truth comes out, Clive is confronted with the consequences.
I enjoyed the book, just hard to feel any sympathy for these unhappy, aloof characters. I received a complimentary copy from Goodreads.com in exchange for a review… (more)