Not a long read, but a good read. Demonstrating the many facets of love, jealousy and infidelity. Such a nice surprise to read something from a completely different angle.
Kathleen and Frank have a fling while she is on location. The repercussions come many years later after Frank's death.
I would definitely recommend this book.

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!

Sorry to say that i couldnt finish this. I just didnt gel with the story or the setting. I was bored to tears. Sorry.

A really interesting book that starts with a sudden death just as the central character makes or tries to make a connection, and the rest of the story completely changes our initial view of him. It is a love story and a hate tale, full of hurt and cover ups but full of hope for the future. The characters are well drawn and the plot moves at a good pace. It is a well written, refreshingly different read.

I enjoyed reading this, despite the fact that most of the characters are unlikable and some aspects of the plot are fairly unbelievable. The beautifully descriptive passages and the evocation of a part of France I know well kept me reading to the end and the story unfolded without becoming predictable. I would recommend this if you're off to Provence as an antidote to the Peter Mayle cliches.

I did not enjoy this book, finding it too disjointed, most of the characters were annoying, and some of the plot went nowhere. What was the point in killing Vincent? The stories for some events started in depth, but then just faded away with no connection with the main plot. The only two characters I liked were Jem and Romy, however they never really showed any of that relationship (what little there was). Overall, the writer can write, but the plot and editing let it all down for me.

This is a very quick and easy read which begins with the death of Frank. I didn't care for many of the characters particularly Frank who wasn't very nice at all. However it was an interesting read.

As usual in my reviews, I won't go into the plot (plenty of other reviews out there if that's what you're after!). 

This is a compelling and somewhat unusual read.  In common with many other current novels, it features a number of rather horrid characters - tempered in this case by some rather loveable and sympathetic ones.  The plot is excellent, beginning with the death of one of the main characters, and ending on an optimistic note.  I would love to know what happens next - a sure sign of a good read!

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in return for my honest review.

I didn't love this book but I stayed with it to the end.  Frank turns out to be a horrible man and the repercussions that filter through the lives of others is where the tension lies.

I really enjoyed this and zipped through it! A great exploration of character- at first luring you in to like Frank, his charisma and charm, before revealing a dark underbelly. When he drops dead his next of kin- his estranged daughter Jem is informed. The intricacies of dealing with unknown biological family and revelations were dealt with sensitively and felt true to life. A great read.

This is an Interesting storyline. I thoroughly enjoyed the different aspects. Good characters. A good read!

A bit too many coincidences, and rather an unappealing a set of people not really behaving in credible ways slightly put me off despite its wit.  Two people who are really half brother and sister bump into each other at heathrow .. death of a rather awful  father they share brings them together by torturous route. The misdirections of the author made me feel cheated in a way .. but I admit its wit even though it's all kind of cold.  Very adept-cold though, so I admire this novel even if I do not love it! It's written to amuse and dissect in a way...

A tough read but definitely worth it. Estranged family and affairs lead to a brutal crime and trauma. Somehow the book ends on a positive note

Frank Martell drops dead at Heathrow on Christmas Eve.

All they can find is his passport and wallet on him where he collapses.  He has no luggage.  His estranged daughter Jem is contacted by the police and asked to make a formal identity in the local morgue.  The man she has not seen for years has just appeared back into her life and now has gone.  He wasn't on his way to meet her though, and this is the basis for his story.

Jem discovers that he has another child, a son.  Because of the medical reason Frank died is hereditary, she feels duty-bound to find her brother to warn him.

His family is in for a shock as his father (or so he thought) knew nothing about Frank's appearance in wife Kathleen's life, let alone leaving her pregnant.  It is Christmas time and the news rocks the family, especially Walter and Scott.

Frank seems to be an amiable man, who enjoys living in the South of France, illustrating, listening to Radio 4 and readying himself to see his friends.  It is only how he was as a father and husband that we get to see the real Frank.

The author has a keen eye for detail and it is this which gives the characters some lift.  I found the middle a little slow, but the end of this story has left me wanting to know more.


I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are all my own and completely unbiased.  My thanks to NetGalley for this opportunity.

I disliked most if not all the two dimensional characters in this book.  I also was irritated by the author’s assumption that the reader would suspend all thoughts or intelligence just so the story could hang together.  Sorry but it may appeal to others, but not to me.

This is a book which explores the way families interact and the ways in which they can fall apart. In theory, it is very intriguing as Jem, whose estranged and abusive father has died, searches for her half brother. Sonny and his family have to deal with the ramifications of his mothers previously admitted affair. For me though, this fell flat. I couldn't find anything redeeming in any of the characters, who all seems just awful. This is probably going to be a book that a lot of people enjoy, but it wasn't for me.

A beautifully written book which is both moving and heartbreaking.  Frank is not what he seems but I do not want to give any spoilers, suffice to say this is a great book which I can highly recommend.

A great read.  Strong characters that you get to know as the story of an illicit love affair unfolds.  Only as the story is reaching the climax do we get to know the darker side of the story and it changes from a casual romance to something far more sinister.  A story you wont want to end, but you have to know the truth, which is worse than you imagined.  I will look out for this author again, crisp writing and perfect tension.

I very much enjoyed this book ,although it starts quite dramatically with the death of Frank travelling from France to Heathrow ,the pace of the book then draws us into all the secrets from the past that come back to haunt .This book is all about relationships and betrayal and secrets .I found all the characters very self absorbed and not at all likeable except Jem and Walter ,Frank was simply horrible .This all made for a very enjoyable read  which was interesting and very well written with a very satisfying conclusion .Many thanks to the Publishers the Author and NetGalley for my review copy in return for an honest review .

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.