I really wanted to like this as I loved The Trouble with Goats & Sheep. It really didn’t do it for me I’m afraid. I don’t know what it was but I didn’t have the urge to pick it up. I thought the twist was excellent however I just didn’t like some of the characters and perhaps I struggled to find an attachment to the book.

It's taken me a wee while to review this book as I am still thinking about it! Linda was a wonderfully complicated character, she seemed such a downtrodden soul. Then you realise she is extremely quirky with seemingly no social skills whatsoever. Then you wonder is it all an act and is she is much more savvy than she appears?
To be completely honest I am still not 100% sure. I think I know what was going on in her head but I am one of these people who dislike any kind of ambiguous ending and want it all explained!
I really did enjoy the book and it was excellently written, I just want a few loose ends tied up.

Wow…..there is more to Linda than meets the eye! She appears to be quiet, gentle and unassuming and has led quite a sad life. The story of her childhood and her relationship with her mother unfolds as the book goes on and I found myself feeling more and more sorry for her. The twists and turns in this story surprised me and kept me hooked. I found myself at the end of the book but still wanting more as I really wanted to know what happens next for Linda. Thanks to the publishers and to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this great story,

I have absolutely adored Joanna Cannon’s previous novels and this one was no exception. Very well written with an intriguing storyline, a protagonist you can’t help being endeared to and finished off with a very tidy ending. Most definitely will be recommending.

Linda is married to Terry but she spends a lot of time in her own head, particularly when Terry is eating noisily or watching sport on the TV.
Linda works in a charity shop, a job which her mother thinks is below her. But Linda is by her own admission, a simple soul and doesn't need lots of money. However when brochures start to arrive for the previous occupant of her home Linda begins to look at things differently.
There are lots of unanswered questions in this book and such a twist at the end which I really did not anticipate.

I love the writing style of this author and this story of Linda and her husband is told through the past and present and whilst Linda may appear to be a simple soul, she is a delightful awkward character and a force to be reckoned with

"I didn't know what to say. It's not the kind of conversation you expect to be having with your husband during your favourite television programme"

Linda is a sad character whom appears on the surface to lead a very normal, rather boring life with no aspirations or even hope of anything better. Her husband, Terry, tramps dirt through the house which she spends time cleaning up. Her mother tries to mind Linda's business for her, and Linda appears not to be able to do anything about this domineering character. Her job, in a charity shop, is mundane, and she only graduated to paid position from volunteer almost by accident.
It seems to Linda that other people live better lives than she does. For example, the woman who used to live in their house, still has brochures delivered in her name, and these brochures show a much more cultivated and extravagant existence than Linda has. Linda decides to find Rebecca and see if some of her lifestyle will rub off on her. While she is befriending Rebecca, Linda is able to ignore the fact that her husband is being investigated by the police for a string of murders that have taken place in the area.
This is a clever story that comes together in the final chapters with several twists leading to, a very satisfying and tidy ending. I very much enjoyed the storytelling. None of the characters are particularly likeable but you can't help feeling sorry for LInda and wishing she'd buck her ideas up.
A very enjoyable read from Joanna Cannon - again.
Many thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK and HarperFiction for a chance to read an ARC.

Linda the underdog you can't help but root for her she's misunderstood, vulnerable, unappreciated, awkward. stuck a modern day Shirley Valentine.
There are so many layers to this story it's quite a journey of discovery very cleverly written.

A kaleidoscopic storyline that led me in so many different directions. At times, I must admit I started to question whether I was enjoying the experience but so glad I stuck with it, as in retrospect this is such a clever, intelligent, stand out read. Will undoubtedly be a phenomenal success when it hits the shelves.

If you've read Joanna Cannon's previous two novels then you'll be accustomed to her style of writing. She writes beautifully and there is a lightness to the prose even when dealing with the subject matter here which is darker in places than her previous novels. The author draws characters with her words which draw you in and give you that all important impression that you know them well enough to care. Whilst retaining her flowing prose Cannon takes us into more ominous territory with this novel and it will be intriguing to see where her next novel takes her. Certainly worth reading.

Joanna Cannon's novels show a talent for depicting people right down to the tiniest of details. A Tidy Ending continues with this. In an Alan Bennett level of characterisation, the main character, Linda, comes to life. It felt like I was sitting in her kitchen, such are the intricate settings.
This is a complex novel of mixed genres. The undercurrent of crime keeps the tension going against the mundanity of Linda's life.
This is very different from the first two novels in that it's much darker. Not a bad thing but a warning for those expecting something lighter.

I absolutely loved Three Things About Elsie so was so excited to read Joanna Cannon's new book and it did NOT disappoint!

A Tidy Ending follows Linda whose life has settled into a monotonous routine. Her life is a far cry fom the lifestyle she sees in the glossy catalogues coming through the door for the house's previous occupant, a Ms Rebecca Finch. Linda becomes intent on tracking down Rebecca, because a person that perfect will surely rub off on her?

She needs some excitement in her life... she lives in a very normal estate with very normal neighbours, and a very normal husband...that is until young women start going missing.

A Tidy Ending is told in dual timelines, present day and the build up to the present day - as well as featuring flashbacks.

Linda is such an endearing character that you can't help but root for her, and I love that all the characters are told through her POV so you can see them through her eyes.

I thought I'd worked out this book around halfway through but a dramatic twist kept me guessing until the very end! A brilliant read, I got through it so quickly as I couldn't put it down!

A change of genre for me. I wasn’t sure how I’d get on but glad I read it. I really enjoyed reading this book and it kept me wanting to keep going to find out what happened. Well done.

Joanna at her best. I read this book over the course of a weekend as Joanna’s style of writing makes you want to read to the end.
The story is set around Linda and her husband Terry. You learn about the past, whats happening now and the background story keeps you reading to find out more. Linda’s life seems sad and you can’t help but feel you want to help her and comfort her. As I continued reading I was not expecting the twist at the end which I will not go into, so not to ruin the story. I would urge everyone who’s read Joanna’s other books to read this.

A Tidy Ending is the third book I've read from Joanna Cannon. I love the way Joanna takes control of the page. She has such a confident, effortless way of using razor sharp dialogue and weaving layers of stories into her novels. This is a excellent example of a mystery thriller with some fantastic dark humour. I'd definitely recommend this to friends.

I had previously read and thoroughly enjoyed Joanna Cannon's two previous books and didn't imaging that her third would excel as well, but it does. Linda, the main character, has such a wonderful way of collecting her thoughts and expressing them with a very clever, witty and darkly funny dialogue.
I loved it.

Absolutely outstanding by Joanna Cannon. Whatever you think you know of Linda’s story - and that’s the skill of Cannon’s writing which leads you all the way - gets blown apart right at the end. Her writing is exquisite - she knows ‘ordinary’ so well, creating characters which Alan Bennett would be proud of, weaving in dark humour, tragedy and tension that makes your empathy swing to and fro. It’s a crossover novel, part mystery, part thriller, part kitchen sink. This is Cannon at her best, she has produced her own type of genre and this is her best yet.

Linda and her husband Trevor live a fairly humdrum existence with shades of Shirley Valentine as Trevor comes home each day from the tyre factory, Linda serves his tea and muses over how loudly he chews his egg and chips.
Things start to look up when the postman delivers upmarket catalogues addressed to the previous occupant. Reading them provides Linda with plenty of fodder for daydreaming…. And then it starts to leach into real life.
Almost anything said about this stunning read would give rise to spoilers. Suffice to say that Joanna Cannon knows what makes people tick and that this is a masterclass in exploring the human tendency to be selective in absorbing evidence in support of a conclusion already reached.
Make a note in your diary of the publication date- this one is solid gold.

This was an intriguing read, part character story with bewildered Linda, part mystery with a serial killer operating in Linda’s neighbourhood and part thriller with Linda’s obsession with the former resident of her new home. Linda is a simple soul who was clearly affected from events that happened during her childhood, she has a love hate relationship with the police, an uninspiring marriage and a challenging mother. Many things in this book however are not as simple as they seem on the surface and you can’t help wondering just what transpired that led her to be in a mental health unit. This is a very smart read with layers of complexity that don’t become truly clear until the very tidy ending, 9/10

There is something calming and reassuring about the way that Joanna Cannon writes. I think it is because she writes about ordinary people in slightly extraordinary circumstances, and the characters just get on with it, nothing is sensationalist. "A Tidy Ending" is the third book I've read of Joanna Cannon's and once again, you are really drawn into the characters. Linda is a slight odd-bod but I think we can possibly see glimpses of ourselves in her to some extent or another. She is just ordinary, and she appears to be taken advantage of by Rebecca whom she wishes to befriend. Meanwhile there are two back stories simmering. The first is about her past; the reason her and her Mum left Wales.. Although this is not explicit in the text, there are enough clues to piece together what happened. The other story is about the serial killer - much excitement to the local town but maybe it is a little too close to home.