I did not expect to love this book as much as I did but it was such a good story with the added smattering of mystery to be unravelled. An average family, 2 daughters with good future prospects due to education and skills and a son who at times is a little wayward. Then their world is turned upside down when the mother dies leaving her husband Fred with the 3 children. When he meets another woman they are all expected to move into her boarding house home and the girls quickly realise she is a manipulative woman with a past, using them as low paid skivvies. Finding out their new step mother's history and her unsavoury past uncovers a bombshell that gives the girls the escape route they needed. A very good, well written read

It was very emotional and very well written I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC

What an exciting read.
The Quinn’s are your average family, mother and father Ava & Fred with son Joe and younger daughters Sarah and Janette.
Sarah’s suspicions are aroused when Ava starts making suggestions for when she’s not around, never thinking that there was a chance it would happen any time soon.
The house is in turmoil after the loss of Ava who ran it with precision, unfortunately Sarah is expected leave school and take her mothers place. A heavy load for a young girl, especially with a worse than useless father and a brother who is always losing his job.
The Joe and Sarah start to notice out of character changes in their father, could he have a friend!
Sarah and Janette have been staying with their aunt Irene in Fettling when on their return they are introduced to Mavis Swindel (an appropriate name I thought)
Mavis runs a boarding house, I use that term loosely, it sounds more like a ramshackle. You just had to laugh at places.
Mavis certainly knew how to get her own way, no matter the cost. I loved the descriptions of the lodgers, especially Percy Lovell.
This book just flows, always something happening. I couldn’t put it down. Even when I got to the end it just left me wanting more.
I look forward to the next book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ doesn’t do it justice.