France's Reading 2026

[France]

1. Lucy Carmichael - Margaret Kennedy ****

2. Clown Town -Mick Herron ****1/2

3. An Instruction in Shadow - Kevin >Hearne ****1/2

4. Introducing Mrs Collins - Rachel Parris ***1/2

5. In the Blink of an Eye- Jo Callaghan

4 Peach Street to Lobster Lane - Felicity Cloake 

[France]

Lucy Carmichael by Margaret Kennedy.  This is a strange one.  Margaret Kennedy was a prolific author from the 1920's and I've read several of her books before and enjoyed them.  This one from 1951 is  about Lucy and how she remakes her life after being jilted on her wedding day. Lucy is a survivor and a realistic one, she makes mistakes and isn't good at everything and there's a feel good ending but it's also strangely inconclusive in many ways.  I like books where all the ends are not neatly tied up but here there are story arcs which seem to meander into nothing and don't leave you speculating what might have happened. It's an interesting read but is very much of its time.