I haven't read any of Sandi Toksvig's writing before, and I enjoyed her style. This was an enjoyable, fun story that was perfect for my holiday reading. The central idea, of an elderly lady refusing to leave her house after it is sold manages to be both tragic and, with Sandi's writing, very funny. I really liked Dorothy, and I was intrigued as to what was going on and how Amber and Stevie were going to manage the situation.

We're introduced to a good range of characters, all of whom are interesting in different ways, and have their own little stories along the way. I was intrigued throughout as to what Dorothy's story was going to be, but I wasn't sure that it evolved as I would have liked it to, so that was a little disappointing. Things do get wrapped up nicely, but I think I had just been hoping for a different rounding out of Dorothy and what was happening to her.

But there were lots of little moments that I really enjoyed - especially the builders who come to work on the house, and the extremely painful parental Christmas visit (and I was very happy about Stevie's mum at the end!)