Where to begin! I loved listening to this audiobook - I think only Lissa Berry could have been the narrator - she was quite simply Linda!

Linda is married to Terry and they live an unremarkable life in suburbia, where he works in a factory and she works in a charity shop. She doesn’t appear to have friends and when she tries to make friends, is incredibly socially awkward and tries to latch onto them. The encounters feel like a social car crash. If you knew Linda or even knew of her, she is one of those people you would cross the road from to avoid having to speak to. Linda appears to be so socially awkward and unable to read social cues, yet at the same time she is incredibly observant of the world around her.

Linda becomes fixated on things and people. She obsesses on the previous tenant in their house after opening up some post delivered to her. It begins with her imaging how the sophisticated Rebecca lives, where she’d go on holiday, and then leaps forward to Linda tracking her down.

The mundaneness of Linda and Terry’s lives is broken when women start to get murdered in their area. Eunice, Linda’s busy body mother has opinions which she is only too happy to share with anyone who will listen. The neighbours start to look at each other differently. Linda starts to notice Terry’s change of habits and routine.

I really had no idea where the book was going - there was a lot going on around Linda and in Linda’s head. As the story unfolds, you learn more about her past and that perhaps she isn’t really one of those beige people who blend into crowds.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK Audio for providing me with the audio-ARC to review for a fair and honest review.


A TIDY ENDING by JOANNA CANNON.

Linda is seemingly an ordinary and unremarkable woman. In her mid forties she is married to Terry her ordinary husband, they live in an ordinary house in an ordinary neighbourhood.
Linda has been left damaged by a traumatic childhood. Now as an adult she is generally unnoticed, but she notices everything in its most intricate detail.
She craves friendship but is socially awkward.

As mail arrives for Rebecca, the previous owner of the house, Linda opens the letters and becomes obsessed with the perfect life that she pictures Rebecca to have. If only she could find Rebecca, Linda just knows they would be the best of friends.

Everyone in the neighbourhood is on edge when a series of murders occur. Linda becomes frustrated at the police response and also somewhat suspicious at the sudden change to Terry’s working hours and his generally odd behaviour.

What is going on???

I loved this story. It was dark, clever, intuitive and gripping, but with some brilliant humour throughout.
There are many twists and turns, with a curveball thrown in right at the end.

Lissa Berry did a great job of narrating the story and bringing Linda to life.

This is a brilliant book, the only thing I struggled with a little was the sole voice of the story being Linda’s inner monologue. While I enjoyed the language and descriptions, I found that just that one voice, at times got too much and I had to take a break from listening.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Out now in all formats.

With thanks to #Netgalley and #HarperCollinsAudio for an audio arc of #ATidyEnding by #JoannaCannon

This was a fantastic audiobook, brilliantly narrated by Lissa Berry (she does the various accents extremely well). Surprisingly funny yet also moving and very dark, this is a gripping story with superbly drawn characters and some very clever twists and turns right up to the end. I loved it.
With grateful thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK Audio and Joanna Cannon for my copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

“…we might not see the world how it really is. We might be mistaken about things and we need someone to help us who can see it all more clearly.’
‘But how do you know?’
‘Know what, Linda?’
‘Who are the people who are seeing the world how it really is and who are the people that are mistaken? How do you know which way around it is?’”

A Tidy Ending is the third novel by best-selling British psychiatrist and author, Joanna Cannon. The audio version is narrated by Lissa Berry and includes a chat with the author that reveals the genesis of the novel and also of a particular incident in the story. Linda and Terry Hammett have recently moved to Cavendish Avenue from another house on their estate: this one isn’t so different, but it’s where Linda wants to live. She is dismayed to find that her life hasn’t improved: she’s still working her part-time job at the charity shop; her opinionated mother still criticises her every move; and Terry still ignores her efforts to keep everything properly clean.

Accidentally opening a catalogue addressed to the former resident, Rebecca Finch, she’s soon convinced that if this woman were her friend, her life would be so much better: perfect, in fact. Could she track down this potential friend?

But people on the estate are becoming uneasy: a young woman’s body was found by the canal, and this is the second one in just a few weeks. By the time a third body is found, people are talking about a serial killer, anonymous threatening letters are circulating, and Linda’s mother Eunice is getting anxious: the restlessness in the neighbourhood reminds her a little too closely of the reason she and Linda left Wales thirty years earlier.

Linda prides herself on being observant, on remembering details, and she’s noticed that Terry is departing from his usual schedule, one of several things that are suddenly out of the ordinary with her husband. And she’s surprised that no one else has noticed anything about the photograph shown in the police press conference, but the police, who can’t be trusted anyway, are repeatedly dismissive of anything Linda brings to their attention.

Linda relates her story from within some sort of care facility, six weeks after everything happened, but it’s soon apparent that she’s an unreliable narrator. She presents as naïve, a bit simple, and is used to people underestimating her, doesn’t mind that, in fact. Those who are aware of her history might put it down to a traumatic childhood experience…

From keenly observed human traits and behaviours, Cannon crafts characters familiar to us all from everyday life: the gossipy, hygiene-obsessed mother, the ever-vigilant, self-appointed street monitor, and the lazy, unappreciative husband, among others.

Linda’s inner monologue is filled with insightful observations: “There are certain people who make you start to worry when they say there’s nothing to worry about. Doctors, for example, and often accountants. But especially police officers. When a police officer tells you there’s nothing to worry about, you know it’s time to be concerned” and “Because when something extraordinary happens, if you concentrate on the ordinary things instead, it stops you from having to look at it all too closely.”

Cannon has a talent for descriptive prose: “Mother has always been very good at spotting untruths and scooping them out of their shells, like whelks. Even when I disguised a lie in a wide avenue of truth, she could still manage to find it, because all she had to do was stare at me for long enough and out it would pop and wave at her” and “My mother is a surrogate for other people’s lives, stacking the empty shelves of her mind with nonsense” and “She said it kindly. Not like most people. Not like Mother’s words with their serrated edges.”

This is a story so cleverly constructed that even the most astute reader is unlikely to see the full picture before the jaw-dropping reveal. With red herrings, twists and distractions, and a chilling last line, Cannon’s latest novel is brilliantly plotted and deliciously dark.
This unbiased review is from an audio copy provided by NetGalley and Harper Collins UK Audio.

This Year’s Eleanor Oliphant

🧡 Joanna Cannon creates insanely intriguing characters, She did it in The Trouble With Goats and Sheep and, in this, she has surpassed herself. Seriously. Linda is c o m p l i c a t e d; A Gobsmackingly Unforgettable Character. She made me cringe and laugh and cringe and gasp and… cringe. Sometimes I was on her side and sometimes I found her incredibly frustrating, but she was always compelling.

💚 Listen to this for the time spent in Linda’s head, for the breadcrumbs of clues scattered along the way and for the spit-take-worthy twist.
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SOUNDBITE

🎧 I wasn’t surprised to learn that Lissa Berry’s voice had inspired the creation of Linda. She embodies the character perfectly, from her quirks and endearing foibles to her pernickety pickiness.

🎧 This could either be an easy listen where you’re on board for the ride or you could spend your time listening intently for every detail. The great thing is, either works.

Big thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK Audio for providing me with an ALC in return for an honest review.

Linda is a marvellous character in A Tidy Ending. For me she was brought to life by Lissa Berry , the narrator who Joanna Cannon wrote the character for as she loved Lissas voice so much and Lissa IS Linda!! Linda lives a lacklustre life with her husband Terry. She cleans and cooks and has a little job in a charity shop What I loved about Linda was her observations on life. After receiving some mail from the previous owner of her house - Linda makes a connection with Rebecca and the story starts to get more interesting. Alongside , In the background we also have the narrative of young women who are being murdered in the area. This is a very clever and enjoyable listen with a quirky character and a mystery in there too! Thanks to Harper Collins and Netgalley for my copy!

Well, this definitely was an interesting listen!

The character of Lynda makes the book, with all her quirks and simple mind (or has she? 🤔) you can’t help but laugh, cringe and root for her.

I have to say that the ending seemed to have come from nowhere and left me a little confused, but all in all in was a really good and entertaining listen.

I must mention the narrator, Lissa does a great job of giving life to Lynda.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for letting me review this book.

**Listened to audio book and read the electronic copy too**

I adore Joanna Cannon's writing - I have read all of her novels up until now, and whether or not I rate the books as a whole, I always come away loving her writing and the characters in particular.
It's the same with this book.

I didn't really know where the book was going, and I felt a little lost in terms of plot at times. However, Cannon's writing and her skilful way of writing such realistic characters kept me hooked and wanting to read. At times, it felt like I was reading a piece of non-fiction, or memoir because the characters just felt so believable.

The plot flicks back and forth from the past to present day, and it's a good plot devise to keep you guessing, and feeling a little confused.

In the audio book, I really liked the narrator and didn't imagine that the central character was Welsh to begin with (when reading the e-book) but the narrator was great, and helped give it that 'true-crime' feel - despite the fact that it was a work of fiction.

I'm still feeling a little lost in terms of the storyline and plot, but I did really enjoy my reading experience. It was a long time coming for this latest Joanna Cannon book - I just hope that it's not a long wait until the next one!

This novel is pretty dark, but written well enough to make it hugely enjoyable. Linda is a very interesting character who portrays being a little awkward around people – and she comes across as not the sharpest pencil in the pack. Linda, with all her quirks, certainly seems authentic as a character throughout – it’s clear that the Author has a great understanding of people and their idiosyncrasies. Linda's recounting of her life includes a plethora of amusing observations and anecdotes, although all is not as it would appear: There are certainly quite a few surprises at the end. The narrator of audio is well matched to the story and the Author Q&A at the end of the narration is insightful about this pairing - it's certainly worth listening to. Many thanks to HarperCollins UK Audio for allowing me to get a copy of the book.

This wasn't the usual sort of book I'd read however I enjoyed the change from crime and thrillers.

The protagonist Lynda is quite a strange character. She doesn't seem to pick up on social cues and at times I was frustrated with people taking advantage of her need to be liked. Lynda's relationship with Terry is habitual and there doesn't seem like there's much love lost. I wondered for a while whether he was real.

The book reads like a character study, with the murders of local women being a backdrop and I think that could have featured more.

The narration was really great and the ending was brilliant. I would definitely read more by Joanna Cannon.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review A Tidy Ending.

I have read previous books from this author and really enjoyed them, the writing and detail is so perfect. The plot is about an every day mundane life of Linda, the character of Linda is developed throughout the bookend you cannot help but like her, feel her excitement, understand her woes and boring life. Socially awkward and desperate to find friends Linda lacks the every day common sense approach to social interaction. I really loved the descriptions of Linda being methodical in her work and travels written with such careful observations. There are some twists and turns throughout the plot and I couldn't put it down. I listened on audio and really enjoyed this narration. Thank you #NetGalley for the audiobook to review.

This was a great read. It was funny, dark and twistier than I’d probably expected it to be but that just added a great dimension to it.
It works great as an audiobook, really engaging and entertaining.

Wonderful, wonderful story! This book is just amazing. I read it in one sitting, couldn’t put it down. Linda (the main character) is so unusual. Trying to fit in, find friends and live her life- yet her past will haunt her forever. Without ruining the book, she’s a very twisted person who people underestimate. Sometimes she’s so socially inept you can help laughing at the situations she gets into. But then as the book goes on, you realise how astute she really is.
I loved the narrator, she really got the story going and brought the characters to life.
Great book by a very clever author.
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for offering me with the opportunity to read this before publication.

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins UK Audio for this audiobook ARC.

Lynda is a very observant and peculiar person, she has certain standards and always displays the perfect mannerisms around people. When women are being murdered the town goes into uproar. People start receiving letters that they are next, until Rebecca, the previous tenant in Lynda's house, receives one as well Lynda has to find her and warn her. She develops a bit of an obsession with her.

This book reads/listens very smoothly, the writer kept you engaged and gave you all the insights needed to follow the story. The narration was really great.

Although not my absolute favorite, still a very likeable story!