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Long Shadows: A Tenhamshire Comedy
It's been two years since Derek and Angela met on a coach holiday to Tenhamshire in Driven to Distraction. Now they have decided to start a new life together in the county where they fell in love. It's just unfortunate they're not able to do it alone.
Inviting Derek's mum, Ursula to come to the county was one thing, having her move into their new home while looking for a place of her own is quite another. She's already taken over two rooms. Then Angela's petty thief father, Bert turns up unannounced. The two parents start spending their days together and Derek is pretty sure his mother has become an unsuspecting getaway driver.
A fellow passenger on that eventful coach trip, Margaret is also enjoying a fresh start in the county, running an exclusive retirement home where her mother, Dora runs amok, operating a secret death sweepstake among the residents, spying on the nurses, and slipping syrup of figs into the gravy. Working there as a gardener, Derek often finds himself an unwilling accomplice to her schemes while tending the extensive grounds and trying to train up his accident-prone assistant who unfortunately doesn't know his Allium from his Erisymum.
But new lives are always going to be stressful when the old ones haven't been settled correctly. How far will Angela go to protect her family and new life when someone from the old one turns up threatening to expose her secrets? Why does Dora pass out when a new resident arrives at the Home? Why is Ursula always jumpy about Derek's father's death? Why is Derek visiting his ex-wife, Leanne?
The past is still haunting the newest residents of Tenhamshire. Old sins cast long shadows.
Inviting Derek's mum, Ursula to come to the county was one thing, having her move into their new home while looking for a place of her own is quite another. She's already taken over two rooms. Then Angela's petty thief father, Bert turns up unannounced. The two parents start spending their days together and Derek is pretty sure his mother has become an unsuspecting getaway driver.
A fellow passenger on that eventful coach trip, Margaret is also enjoying a fresh start in the county, running an exclusive retirement home where her mother, Dora runs amok, operating a secret death sweepstake among the residents, spying on the nurses, and slipping syrup of figs into the gravy. Working there as a gardener, Derek often finds himself an unwilling accomplice to her schemes while tending the extensive grounds and trying to train up his accident-prone assistant who unfortunately doesn't know his Allium from his Erisymum.
But new lives are always going to be stressful when the old ones haven't been settled correctly. How far will Angela go to protect her family and new life when someone from the old one turns up threatening to expose her secrets? Why does Dora pass out when a new resident arrives at the Home? Why is Ursula always jumpy about Derek's father's death? Why is Derek visiting his ex-wife, Leanne?
The past is still haunting the newest residents of Tenhamshire. Old sins cast long shadows.
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About the author
Stuart Bone
5 books28 followersStuart Bone was born and raised in Essex, England. He spent twenty years working as an accountant in the London banking industry before giving it all up to concentrate full time on his writing career.
He started out writing humorous fiction and sets each of these books in his fictional county of Tenhamshire.
Stuart then branched out into psychological mystery thrillers. He continues to write in both genres and has seen his writing career go from strength to strength.
He started out writing humorous fiction and sets each of these books in his fictional county of Tenhamshire.
Stuart then branched out into psychological mystery thrillers. He continues to write in both genres and has seen his writing career go from strength to strength.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 22, 2019
Very disappointing!
After the hilarity of the prequel, "Driven to Distraction" I was really looking forward to reading this book. However, I found it unfunny and, quite frankly, boring. I finally gave up after getting through about a third of the book. I know it has received some glowing reports but, for me, it fell flat. Perhaps the author was trying too hard to recreate his previous success . I really cannot believe that both books were written by the same person. Sorry!
After the hilarity of the prequel, "Driven to Distraction" I was really looking forward to reading this book. However, I found it unfunny and, quite frankly, boring. I finally gave up after getting through about a third of the book. I know it has received some glowing reports but, for me, it fell flat. Perhaps the author was trying too hard to recreate his previous success . I really cannot believe that both books were written by the same person. Sorry!
July 13, 2018
a great follow on that follows Derek and angela's life after driven to distraction
its funny, its sad and its got a great ending
the story is well paced
the Derek and Angela are now living together but Angela's past has come to haunt them
the story unfolds like a Victorian farce and its a brilliant read
its funny, its sad and its got a great ending
the story is well paced
the Derek and Angela are now living together but Angela's past has come to haunt them
the story unfolds like a Victorian farce and its a brilliant read
July 9, 2018
The main characters from the authors first book Driven to Distraction are back in this book and now live together after meeting and falling in love on a coach holiday. Derek and Angela both have issues from their past that are clearly interfering with their relationship. Added to that Derek's mum Ursula is living with them whilst she looks for her own apartment. Angela's father Bert also makes an unexpected entrance and stays for a week causing quite a few disruptions due to his shady past.
Thought I enjoyed the trademark humour of the author I actually really enjoyed the depth we get to see of the main characters and the emotional stresses associated with the past. Both Derek and Angela have unresolved issues from their past that impact on their relationship and I thought that the insights given about them allowed me to care about them more. A good read with lighthearted humour interspersed.
Thought I enjoyed the trademark humour of the author I actually really enjoyed the depth we get to see of the main characters and the emotional stresses associated with the past. Both Derek and Angela have unresolved issues from their past that impact on their relationship and I thought that the insights given about them allowed me to care about them more. A good read with lighthearted humour interspersed.
October 15, 2020
Heartwarming and smut all in one book
Great characters, the usual layer or double entendre, unexpected visitor's throwing curve balls - excellent.
What more could you ask for.
It also connects some of the dots from earlier books.
Great characters, the usual layer or double entendre, unexpected visitor's throwing curve balls - excellent.
What more could you ask for.
It also connects some of the dots from earlier books.
October 23, 2020
A very amusing story in the third book about the lives of the two main characters and their friends. This book at times had me laughing out loud and I can thoroughly recommend it but please read the first two books to get the full story.
December 30, 2018
Long shadows
Another good story by Stuart Bone. Still humorous but with a more serious side to it. Looking forward to his next one
Another good story by Stuart Bone. Still humorous but with a more serious side to it. Looking forward to his next one
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews