This is such an interesting premise. Natalie appears to be grieving – but there is more her relationship with deceased husband Joe than first meets the eye. And homeless man Dan is a complex and conflicted character – is he ill or actually possessed? At first, the reader really doesn’t know, and this adds depth and interest to the novel.
The storyline around Natalie’s marriage and how she got to the point at which she’d arrived at the opening of the novel has so much potential, as do the issues around Dan’s mental health and the failings that have led him to where he is when the two meet. But I felt that these things were overshadowed by the structure of the novel.
I really didn’t like the way the same events were relayed by different characters. This can really work and can give a different perspective to those events, but here there was far too much repetition. The same scenes were rewritten from different points of view – the same things happening and exactly the same dialogue. This became very tedious and repetitive to read, unfortunately, and spoiled, at least for me, what could have been an excellent book.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy.

We are thrown straight into the action at the start of this book with the accident which kills Joe having just happened. We're not quite sure how it's happened, but it has left Joe dead in the road, his head cradled in wife Natalie's lap and homeless guy Dan wondering what on earth is going on.
The story is told in sections from each of the three main characters' points of view. Each section has you questioning what you thought you knew from the last part. It proves just how quickly as readers we are influenced by what one character says about another.
From Dan's point of view we are presented with the stark realities of what it is like to be homeless, and just how quickly and easily circumstances can change and an individual can find themselves homeless. From wife Natalie's point of view there are more questions than answers as she tries to push Dan into telling her what he saw on the day of the accident. Why is it so important that she finds out just how much he saw that day? Then constantly in the background is the spirit of Joe, desperate not to be lost in the unconscious mind of his host as Natalie and Dan try to work out what to think of the situation and how to deal with things.
I have to admit that I liked the idea of this book but unfortunately I struggled with actually reading it. The characters commentary occasionally gets muddled and I had to reread sections to work out who was speaking. With the characters each relating the same time period I also found the story quite repetitive in parts.
The content covers trigger issues such as bulimia, the effects of grief and other issues of mental health which can make for hard reading and while I found it interesting it was also quite disturbing.
I didn't dislike this book however was quite relieved once I had finished it and could move onto something much lighter. In its own way that suggests it is well written as the issues covered quite clearly hit the mark. It's fair to say that in my mind the jury is still out on this book, and I would be extremely careful as to who I would recommend it to.

To begin, I’d like to thank John Hunt Publishing for sending me an ARC of this book, and to NetGalley for facilitating. And a thank you to Nigel J Cooper for an interesting read!

I was very excited to read this as I loved Nigel’s debut, Beat The Rain. I was hoping for more of the same feeling I had when I read his debut. This book explored similar themes with regards to mental health, and they were dealt with sensitively and responsibly as with the first book. But I found this quite disappointing.

The ending and all of the “twists” were very transparent and figured out within the first chapter. And the rest of the book was either very repetitive (same story told from another characters point of view - but literally the same story. Same dialogue etc), or I found it childish... the conversations between Dan and Joe for example. They made me feel irritable because they felt too much like they belonged in a teenage book.

The characters were written well but I felt lacked the complexity and emotional connection I found with Beat The Rain. The book finished and I thought “Ok. That’s done then.” - Not how I like to feel when I’ve finished a book. I like to feel emotional, perhaps quite sad that it’s finished but I just felt indifferent.

The book was not boring though, it kept me entertained enough to continue reading. But it just wasn’t for me. I can usually finish a book this size in one sitting over a few hours (maybe two sittings depending on what time I started). But I began this book at the start of a 9 hour flight, and finished it 10 days later on a 9 hour return flight. And I was reading it most days while on holiday. I just wasn’t gripped enough to read more than 20 minutes or so per day.

I’m going to give this 3 stars, because it is not a bad book but it’s also not great. Is class it as average and readable, so 3 stars is fair to me.
Not my cup of tea because it was far too predictable and repetitive for my liking but I bet there will be many many people who disagree with me. People who perhaps have not read as many of this genre that they broadcast spoilers to themselves around page 5 - which is exactly what happened to me.

Nigel J Cooper - I loved your first book and I think you are an awesome and talented writer - this one just didn’t work for me. But I’m still excited to read whatever you write next!

An excellent premise for a book and this will probably work for many, however I found the chatter between Dan and Joe confusing and struggled to continue past the first chapter. Disappointed I didn't enjoy it more.

This book has a unique focus and addresses some challenging topics sensitively and skilfully. The characters are almost tangible, and as the story progresses it moves on from seemingly (what I later realised was necessary) discombobulating becomes very believable. Apologies if this seems confusing but it's very difficult to write a review for this book without giving away any spoilers! Read it and find out what it is I can't tell you!

Have you ever heard your inner voice nagging you when you know there is something important to do? It does drive you mad but Dan wasn’t hearing his own voice, he could hear the voice of a man that he saw killed in a road accident and now it wouldn’t leave him alone. Chris, the voice, wanted to talk to his wife and tell her he was still here trapped inside this man. It wore Dan down and finally he went to see Natalie who after only a minute invited Dan, who had been living rough on the streets, into her home and her life.
This is truly a fascinating story where there seemed only one logical solution to take. Dan was homeless and a vessel of Chris and so Natalie offers her place for him to stay. The strangest relationship between this ‘threesome’ begins to develop. I am afraid the rest of the story you will have to read.
The author Nigel Jay Cooper tells this story through these three main characters with small appearances of minor roles of family. It keeps the story compact and intense dipping back into all of their past lives where there were secrets. I really liked how the bits of information was fed to me. I was at times shocked but loved the sweet and sour sensations that kept changing as my feelings towards the characters. It really is very unpredictable with a super ending.

Words cannot express how amazing this book is. Touching, moving, thought provoking and downright different, "The Pursuit of Ordinary" tells the story of Dan, who believes that he is possessed by the spirit of Natalie's dead husband, Joe, after witnessing the road accident that kills him. But with Dan's history of mental health, is everything really as it seems?

Honestly, if I could give this book more than 5 stars, I would. I am so grateful to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC copy, because my honest opinion is that this is seriously one of the best books I've ever read. As Dan and Natalie navigate the strange circumstances that brought them together, we learn more about the secrets of both their pasts and the problems they both have to deal with in order to become 'ordinary.'

You seriously need to go out and get yourself a copy of this book. You'll be so glad you did.

Nigel Jay Cooper's sophomore novel The Pursuit of Ordinary is an extraordinary (sorry ;)) work of fiction conveying a unique story about an atypical relationship (or more a relationship triangle?).
Dan, a homeless man, witnessed a car accident that killed Joe, Natalie's husband. Now Dan can't forget seeing Natalie cradle her dying husband, and there is this new voice in Dan's head. Natalie's dead husband, Joe? Dan has to get in touch with Natalie.
In this character-driven tale Nigel Jay Cooper explores pertinent topics relating to mental health, such as grief and loss, homelessness, relationships and abuse.
This author has a genuine talent for creating characters that feel like real people who could be living next door to you. They may not necessarily be characters you particularly like or whose actions you always understand and support, but they feel completely authentic. The dialogue is believable and the plot emotional; sometimes sad but also very funny in parts. It contained some good twists and turns that kept me turning the pages anxiously.
The story is told from three (or perhaps two?) perspectives and my main reason for deducting a star is the slightly repetitive nature of some of the chapters, where we hear Dan's perspective and then are told the same scenario again but from Natalie's point of view. Obviously there are differences in the way Dan and Natalie view their subjective reality, and I understand the different perspectives were required to show that, but it was frustrating reading at times.
I felt this book was way more positive than last year's debut Beat the Rain which floored me and left me shattered by the end of it. This was a lovely, heartfelt story that tackles difficult subjects with sensitivity and without being preachy, and it all leads to a very satisfactory ending. After two very special books, Nigel Jay Cooper is a must-read author for me.
I received an ARC for review purposes, thank you.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Roundfire Books, and Nigel Jay Cooper for the opportunity to read his new novel. I was a fan of his debut work, Beat the Rain, and this book was just as compelling - 4.5 stars and highly recommended.


Dan, a homeless man, witnesses a car crash where a man is killed. He watches as the man's wife screams and cradles his body. He exchanges looks with the man's wife and then later can't get them out of his mind. He soon believes he is possessed by the dead man (Joe) and is compelled to find the wife (Natalie). When he does, she easily lets him into her home and her life. So is he possessed? Why would Natalie do this?


This may seem like a farfetched premise that you wouldn't want to read about but you need to read this book. There are so many issues addressed here but especially the one of mental illness. How do we perceive others with mental illness and how do they perceive themselves? Bravo to Cooper for exploring these themes with dignity and respect.

Unfortunately I didn't enjoy this book. I thought the premise was interesting, but it quickly became quite a predictable story (I guessed the main reveal in the first couple of chapters). I found it quite frustrating that long passages were repeated from the other character's perspective - I can understand revisiting moments to show a different side of the story, but here we had full scenes and dialogue repeated with only small additions. I also felt the examination of domestic violence to be quite superficial and didn't really reflect real experiences in terms of the long-lasting impact after the survivor has escaped the abuse. Overall, not for me.

Readable with some interesting insights into mental illness which made me think about the stigma attached to it. What I struggled with was the retelling from different perspectives. I realise there has to be some overlap, when you finish with a chapter from his point of view, you need to be reoriented when you go back to a certain point where her point of view begins over again, but there seemed way too much repetition, down to the level of detail where whole conversations were replayed along with decriptions of decor and food choices and teeth cleaning. I grew tired of having to go through so much material I had already read.

A homeless man wanders the streets of Brighton after witnessing a fatal car accident. But he can't forget the crash, he can't get the face of the woman cradling the face of her dying husband out of his mind.

When Joe dies in his wife's arms, his spirit enters Dan, a homeless man, who witnessed the accident. How will Dan convince Natalie that he is not a fraud. We are told the same story from different perspectives and by doing this we get told something new. I found this book quite an emotional read. I found myself quickly bonding with the characters. This book is well written, with parts uplifting and other parts sad. I do recommend this emotional book.

I would like to thank NetGalley, John Hunt Publishing LTD and the author Nigel Jay Cooper for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The story gets going right away with twists from the beginning and they continue until the end. Though the events are not presented chronologically, Cooper masterfully structures the book that adds to the story. There are so many elements, such as family, love and mental health. What is mental illness verses simply finding unconventional ways to cope? What is love versus control?

Cooper slowly exposes each of these three characters, and we gradually discover the unsettling present and past of each of them.

I recommend The Pursuit of Ordinary to those who want to read anything but the ordinary.

The complete review will be posted on www.underratedreads.com on the release date of Apr. 27

Roundfire Books brings us another homerunner. The Pursuit of Ordinary is an intriguing novel - actually a feel-good novel though it incorporates spousal abuse, grief, mental illness and a touch of romance. The characters are charismatic, the story line tense and the tale well told. I happily recommend it to friends and family. Nigel Jay Cooper is an author to watch for.

I received a free electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley, Nigel Jay Cooper, and Roundfire Books in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.

After reading so many thrillers it was nice to read something original. I don't remember reading anything like The Pursuit of Ordinary before. Though I realised what was happening quite early on it didn't take away the enjoyment from the book.

What an intriguing story-line. Dan is a homeless man who witnesses a fatal car accident, he watches as Natalie cradles the head of her dying husband and then disappears !
Dan then pops up claiming to be possessed by her dead husbands spirit - what will Natalie do? how will she discover the truth behind the claims?
An un-put-a-down-able read that keeps you at the edge of your seat and involved with the twists and turns at every page.
Thank you Netgalley

Three and a half star rating.
A strange triangle, Natalie, dead husband Joe and homeless man Dan, with Brighton as a backdrop. To be honest I really did not like the first chapter at all because it was just so confusing, but decided to carry on a bit longer and am glad I did. Really got into it from the second chapter when it was easier to work out what was what and who was who. This is a complex and intriguing story with its share of flawed characters which certainly kept me gripped!

Thanks to net galley and Round fire / John Hunt publishing for the opportunity to preview this really good read.

This is a captivating story of a homeless man, who, upon witnessing an accident, appears to have taken on the spirit of the dead man. It's well written and the 3 main characters of Dan, Joe and Natalie are well rounded and interesting. It meandered slightly at times, but, absolutely kept my interest throughout and I’d recommend this really good read.

A very unusual book dealing with mental illness.I'm really not sure about this one

This book is a very long way from ordinary. Brilliantly different concept with great writing throughout. I loved the twists and turns of the plot and found it very hard to put down.