Jane Asher

Asher had me hooked in the first few pages when haughty Eleanor realizes her husband is having an affair. Her internal dialogue, not always silent, ranges from frenzied to humorous. The story has a gratifyingly dark, creepy quality. Indeed, Eleanor can be downright nasty, although some may say justifiably so. Just as the reader gets an idea of where the story is leading, Asher takes it to another level. The disquiet was erratic, and towards the end the nastiness ebbed somewhat, a ploy that only serves to calm the reader before a final assault. It is reminiscent of Stephen King's Misery, albeit in a refined, well-bred English way. Perhaps the horror was more acute because it was so unexpected, coming from the nice, fluffy image of cake-maker Jane Asher. Highly recommended.… (mer)

I really liked the idea of this storyline and, indeed it was intriguing (and heartbreaking when thinking of the real-life scenarios couples go through to concieve). Michael and Harriet are not really happy together when they embark on IVF treatment and Harriet has a difficult relationship both with her mother and even her best friend. It is not, therefore, the best foundation to start with. However couples do get lulled into a sense that everything would be okay if only they could have a baby and so I didn't find their going ahead with the procedure unrealistic. However as things go from bad to much worse I had the feeling that the reactions of some of the characters, Harriets mother in particular, were not true to themselves. This very straightlaced, insistent woman did not demand to see her daughter when the chips were down.
The plot was quite intricate but, for me, I think this whole story would have worked much better if the author had played it chronolgically. I could see that by introducing the tension early she let the reader in on awful events further down the line but, in this case, a slow build up as Harriet's mental health deteriorated, might have been a better plan.… (mer)

A psychological drama around the issue of 'testtube pregnancies'. The various personalitites and relationships are all flawed. When they are put under stress by the turn of events some break, others come through strengthened.

Most of the story is told over a period of about a year, but the segments are out of chronological order, and from varying points of view. However, they are not hard to follow, and the tension is built up partially because you know (something of) how it is going to work out. This still leaves room for unexpected twists. I wish the locale had played a stronger role. Most of the book had so little description of the setting that I was somewhat disoriented when London did become important.… (mer)