Linda Standish has worked for the local council for years in rural Sotland and is now in the little-known lost heirs department. Her job is to find out more about the deceased and track down their relatives, tying up loose ends and to bring things together in a tidy fashion.
Linda is now in her mid-fifties and the department is facing a shake-up. In her last 'case' before taking redundancy, Linda finds herself on a tiny island, investigating the life of Levi Norman, a hermit of a man no-one knows very much about.
This was my first Ruth Jones novel - I love her screenwriting and also her television roles, so was pleased to be sent this book from NetGalley and the publishers.
I was not disappointed.
It's a lovely, easy read, with lots of humour, heart and warmth, and holds its head higher above its women's commercial fiction competitors by really getting to the kernel of characters and taking the reader with them, laughing with them, crying with them, and wanting to find out what happens.
The dual narrative between Linda in the present and Levi and his family in the past works very well, with the reader quite comfortable in both time zones. It's pacy, funny and would make a great Sunday everning television series, with Ruth (obviously) taking the role of Linda.
Highly recommended.

This was my first Ruth Jones read but it certainly won't be my last!

What a beautiful and heartwarming read about the trials and tribulations of family life. We follow Linda, a council worker for the unclaimed heirs department who takes on one final case before accepting early retirement.
The story crosses between timelines between present and past as we learn the life of Levi Norman. This is a truly heartbreaking read at moments, but it is beautifully balanced with humour and connection.
I loved the setting, I loved the multiple and interwoven story lines and mostly I loved the characters. Ruth's writing made me feel like I knew them all - I enjoyed the humour and the more tender, vulnerable moments each character showed.

Thank you to Netgalley, Ruth Jones and the publisher for allowing me an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Families are not necessarily made by blood but love and commitment.
Working for the council tracking down relative's of people who have died with no known heirs Linda travels to a remote Scottish Isle to find clues leading to any relatives.
Not just the story of the deceased but residents of the Isle, Linda and her family.
I became invested in all the story lines and enjoyed all of them.
Enjoy I definitely did.

God how do I even start to talk about the impact this book had on me? After reading Sunrise on the Reaping last month I honestly didn’t think any book would hit quite as good but I was so very wrong!

‘By Your Side’ follows Linda Standish, a council worker in the Unclaimed Heirs Unit on her final case before retirement - that of Levi Norman, a Welshman who had made his home on a remote Scottish island. The more that Linda (and I) learned about the details of Levi’s past the more hooked I became in the story. How Ruth Jones interves the details of the past and present is nothing short of pure genius storytelling.

You will fall in love with every character you meet in this story (except perhaps a certain Storrich local and his angry wife) and really feel like you come to know them infinitely - Linda and Levi in particular. Linda’s character feels so refreshingly honest, she is a wonderful mix of humour, anguish, insecurity and strength.

From probably 15% of the way into this book I’ve been telling everyone I know about it, updating them on Levi’s life and the revelations as they came, usually with tears streaming down my face. Having recently lost a family member this story felt particularly poignant; it was completely heart warming whilst also being utterly devastating. It’s fair to say I will be buying a copy of this book for all of my friends and family when it is released.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review 💜

It’s been so long since a book made me both laugh and cry in equal measure.

I’ve been filled with existential depth: You never really know the importance of a stranger’s memory box until you learn their story.

Linda’s about to retire from her role of 30+ years as an employee who hunts out the wills of the lonely deceased, tracking down their next of kin to ensure any treasured inheritance lands in the right hands. Her last job is a particularly emotional one, it’s the friends she makes along the way that are 100% the real treasure.

A beautiful book by Ruth Jones. I’m a huge fan of her writing, notably Gavin and Stacey of course, but this book gave me all the feels too. It felt like reading about Nessa in another life. Highly recommended if you want to set your emotions alight in one delightful sitting. X

This is an emotional and compelling read which really tugged at the heartstrings. Linda works at the missing heirs section of the council in Inverness, tracking down relatives of people that have died alone. Contemplating retirement she is given one last case, that of Levi Norman who has died on an island in the Hebrides.
As she travels to the island with a local undertaker, to bring back the body and search for clues as to whether he has any family, Linda reflects on her own life and the next stage of it. Her son and grandson are moving away and she is feeling slightly lost.
This is also the story of Levi and the reader is treated to his past history, how he met the love of his life and the secret he has kept for most of it.
I found this book very moving, Levi’s decisions were not well thought out but he made them because of love and a very human emotion, fear of loss
The novel also examines grief and how different people deal with it. Levi found it difficult to let go but Linda is driven to help others to mitigate her own loss..
The characters are all well rounded and seemed real to me- Linda’s large size and her jokes about it are a defence mechanism against tge hurtful comments she fears.
I liked the romance element, both in Levi’s life in the 1980s and Linda’s present day encounter on the island.
There was also a lot of humour in the novel which lightened the dark subjects being discussed. Linda made an excellent narrator - she had such a great turn of phrase and some of her comments were so funny. Her banter with Fergus , her travelling companion and the local undertaker offers many examples of this.
All in all this was a thoroughly enjoyable read, cleverly plotted and thought provoking. I definitely recommend it as a five star novel and will look out for further books by this author as, believe it or not, this was actually my first!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.

A lovely, heart warming, unusual tale of grasping life while you can and celebrating it. Linda searches out the family of the bereaved and her last case is a man who died alone on a Scottish island. His story is gradually revealed as is that of Linda.

Thank you to @netgalley @bantambooksuk for the digital advance copy of By Your Side!

Linda works in the unclaimed department of the council, which leads her to a case on a remote Hebridean island where an elderly man has passed, seemingly without any family or next of kin. A recluse in the tight knit, small community, no one knew the mysterious Levi Norman. So it's Linda's job to find out more and hopefully tie up some loose ends.

And what follows is a heartbreaking journey through past and present as Linda learns as much about herself as she does Levi.

I absolutely adored this book and the way Ruth has told the story so beautifully and with so much humour and heart. There's so much to take away from it about the power of family and never taking anything for granted.

Five stars from me if there's nothing higher available!

By Your Side is released in May 💜

What can I say orher than I absolutely loved this story. I became so invested in Linda and her mission to find out what happened with Levi & his daughter. Such a wonderful but sad story and the setting couldn't have been more perfect. I really didn't want this book to end.

I’ve read and enjoyed Ruth Jones’s previous novels, so I knew I’d be in safe hands here, but it surpassed my hopes by re-connecting me with a niche interest I’ve had since coming across another (non-fiction) book, Ashes to Admin: Tales from the Caseload of a Council Funeral Officer by Evie King. This was a couple of years ago, and I found myself fascinated by the behind-the-scenes work of council-based “unknown heirs” departments, and the emotions involved in the jobs they do - bearing witness to a stranger’s life when there’s no-one close to the deceased to do this. So By Your Side scratched this itch, as we delve into archiving the life of just such a case as would appear on a council funeral officer’s books. I need to find more books that provide perspectives on this profession, but for now, I’m so glad that Ruth has novelised it.

What a fabulous read! Linda works in the unclaimed heirs unit at her local council, and has just discovered that due to cuts she will be leaving the service. She takes on one last case of a deceased man called Levi to reunite his ashes with his family.

The book weaves from past to present day as Linda travels to a remote Scottish island to unpick the mysteries of one man's life.

Full of fabulous characters, a hint of romance and the real emotions of being a menopausal woman and all that brings, i thought this was just brilliant. Thoroughly heart warming and definitely one for the book shelf. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was so looking forward to reading this new title from Ruth Jones and it so did not disappoint. What a fabulous characters and such a brilliant storyline. I felt as though I had known these people for years and really cared about them and their lives. Totally brilliant read. Thank you, Ruth,

I loved this book. I have read previously books by Ruth Jones so knew that this story would be a page turner.
The story focuses on two characters, Levi and Linda. I loved the humour that was shown throughout the book. It is a beautiful story of love, loss and discovery.
I recommend this book, I really enjoyed it.

I've loved and devoured all of Ruth's previous novels, so I was super excited to get my hands on this one. Now, whilst I did really enjoy it, I will admit it wasn't my favourite, not for any real particular reason, but for some very small reason, it felt like something was missing.

Levi was a recluse, living on a remote Scottish island, alone and apart from the local community.

On his death, with no family to arrange a funeral and pass on his assests, it's left to Linda Standish from the Unclaimed Heirs Unit at her local council to try and work her magic.

For the past 33 years, Linda has devoted her working life to the council. A divorced Mum and Gran, when her role is no longer needed and early retirement is pretty much forced upon her, she decides to make sure her last case, that of Levi, is wrapped up with a big bow.

Told over dual timelines and POVs. This is a tale of two lives, two peoples stories, but both have love as the focus.

The characters are extremely well executed, well rounded, relatable, and likeable in equal measure. I must confess i had a little soft spot for Fergus. His relationship with Linda really made me smile.

Full of humour and empathy, it's a tale that anyone could relate to, even in some small way.

A book that is a stark reminder of just how precious and short life really is. Love deeply and with no regrets!

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for the ARC.

Linda Standish can't understand why her son can't see the faults in his ex wife, they are going through a divorce but he still is trying to please her; their son is the light of her life and she loves that they are living with her. She is approaching retirement with her job at the council and has one last case, she needs to shine some light on the life of solitary Levi Norman who kept to himself on the remote Scottish island of Storrich. She must travel there to search for clues and talk to the locals about him. We follow Linda's travels intertwined with Levi's story. Interesting.

Ruth Jones does it again. Empathy, understanding, forgiveness and humour all in one. What else can one ask for?

A job for Linda that I did not know personally knew existed, heirs estate. So sad really for people dying when they have no one family to mourn them. Who does all the background work in closing their estates, Also the isolation of a lot of the small Scottish Islands and how people pull together on a day to day basis?

Excellent emotive writing.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this book.

A wonderful story, well told.
This book runs on two timelines.One starts in late 2024. It concerns the death by natural causes of Levi Norman on the Scottish Hebridean Isle of Storich.. It is Jon Linda Standish to conduct an investigation to help settle the affairs of people with no family in evidence to help this task. She works in the Unclaimed Heirs department of the council, and this is to be her last case before retiring. She travels to Storich with an undertaker who will be taking charge of the body. The other timeline concerns Levi's earlier life and goes forward until his death. I'm not a fan of split timelines, but this one works really well.
This is fundamentally a sad story for the most part, but the book is filled with humour, some of which had me laughing out loud.
I'm familiar with and a fan of author Ruth Jones' television work, but this is the first of her books I've read and an excellent and beautifully written one it is.
Thank you, Ruth Jones and Penguin Books.

Another wonderful book by Ruth Jones. Levi has passed away, with no obvious next of kin. Linda works for the council, and is tasked with trying to find out if any exist, and to give Levi a funeral of sorts. What follows is a beautiful story of love, loss and discovery. I find Ruth Jones' books very emotive, and this one was no different. She is a must read author for me, this is a beautifully told story. I loved Brodie, and Levi's story was sensitively explored. Told from multiple points of view, in different times.

In ‘by your side’, we meet Linda who works for the local council searching for a next of kin when someone dies seemingly with no heir. Linda is a ‘heir hunter’, about to retire with one last case to solve. Not only do we follow Linda, we also discover more about Levi’s life, the dead man that has become Linda’s final case.

I absolutely adored this book! What a great plot, well written and as you would expect, Jones brings all the characters to life. It flows well between the two main stories and it’s a book full of warmth and laughter! I was laughing out loud at times, especially Linda’s replies to Lauren 😂

It was the perfect holiday read! This is my third Ruth Jones novel that I’ve read and it was by far my favourite so far. I was lucky to receive an early copy of this beauty, it’s out 22 May ❤️📚

Just lovely! Linda is is about to retire but before she does her last case takes her to a remote island where she finds herself involved in solving a mystery left behind by the death of her last client. Spanning decades the story cleverly reveals itself and for Linda sends her on a personal journey too. Poignant and sad but heartwarming and funny at the same time, The story is so entertaining that it’s definitely one of those that you won’t want to put down.