by Sadie Jones.

An author with a jaundiced view of life. This book is ironically laugh out loud funny. A madcap Twilight Zone. Jones also seems to have a love of old “piles”. Here a cherished country manor called Sterne in a remote English setting. As in Laurence? Anyway, despite a rationale for her character, the mother was horrid. As was the mother in Jones’ most recent The Snakes. Most of the men are fuzzy and wishy-washy. The women are conflicted yet strong. A bit retro. The train wreck is an apt metaphor. It goes off the rails in terms of credibility. That said. A fun read.