A Novel Solution: Tragedy and comedy clash in this hilarious summer read

by Sue Clark

'It's a bit tricky to find. Just down the lane from the old ochre pit.'With these words, Trish , badly bruised by life, is catapulted into the world of once-celebrity author, Amanda Turner .Her marriage on the rocks, no job, and at odds with her teenage daughters, Trish vows to reinvent herself. 'Like Madonna, ' she tells her teens. 'Only as a writer.'Naively, she pins her hopes on arrogant Amanda to nurture her and weekly classes begin at Amanda's gloomy house in the woods. Trish takes an instant dislike to Amanda's young, strapping handyman, Pavel , with an air of foreboding hanging over the scene-as well as an unpleasant aroma.When Amanda vanishes, it's left to Trish to mount a rescue. Is she woman enough for the job? Will she ever write that bestseller?Funny and touching, A Novel Solution is an engaging and uplifting story of a woman's struggle to sort her life out.

310 pages, Hardcover

Published March 19, 2024

About the author

In a varied writing career, Sue Clark has penned BBC radio and TV comedy scripts for the likes of David Jason, Lenny Henry and Tracey Ullman, as well as contributing to newspapers, magazines, trade journals and guidebooks, as a journalist, copywriter, PR and editor.

But she had never done what she had always longed to do: write comic fiction.

That is, until she was able to give up the old nine-to-five, take a creative writing course with Oxford University, join a writing group and – at last! – unshackle her Imagination and let her love for comedy roam free.

She brings this comic touch to her short story, On The Brushes, in this exciting new anthology, Taking Liberties.

Her debut comic fiction, Note to Boy, was published in 2020, gaining a Pencraft award, and her second, A Novel Solution, will be released in late 2023/early 2024.

Sue Clark believes no story, no matter how tragic isn’t enhanced by an injection of comedy. And likewise, no story, no matter how comic, isn’t enriched by an injection of pathos.

Her aim: to give the reader that winning combination of laughter, laced with a few tears. Heart and humour.

Reviews

[Kerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so quintessentially English and eccentric, it was a rip-roaring read! Part mid-life angst, part thriller/mystery, all entertainment.
The two main characters, Trish and Amanda, are great foils for each other. Trish has always put everyone else first and taken up as little room as possible whereas Amanda demands all the oxygen and attention in any situation. Both women have not ended up where they thought they would and are now using very different approaches to changing their fortunes, with varying degrees of success.
The cynical humour that Sue Clark uses throughout the book hits all the right notes, the quick wit of Trish and the pithy put-downs of Amanda had me giggling to myself as I read it.
This book does have a serious message within its laughs - as we age, women find it difficult to see their worth and to define their place in a world that is hell-bent on making them more and more invisible. The world should take heed from this book and ignore women ‘of a certain age’ at its peril!

[Reader Views · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Novel Solution by Sue Clark is one of those smartly clever and deeply relatable novels that make it an incredibly fast read and yet something a reader wants to savor. With a sharp eye for life’s absurdities and a refreshing sense of humor, Clark captures the messiness of midlife reinvention with both heart and bite.

The story follows Trish Lightowler, a middle-aged woman who’s suddenly out of a job, out of a relationship, and very nearly out of wine. After an unfortunate cycling accident, Trish spontaneously decides to become a novelist out of sheer desperation for work. What follows is a hilarious, often cringe-worthy, and often heartwarming journey into the world of writing workshops, self-doubt, and literary delusion. We’ve all been here in one way or another, which makes this book so intriguing and impossible to put down. The humor and the charm of Trish’s inner voice are so entertaining.

The running commentary throughout the novel adds a fun and lively tone that makes Trish’s emotional journey feel raw and real. This is especially true when Trish finds herself under the mentorship of a local celebrity author. The dynamic between the two characters is one of the highlights of the book because of the juxtaposition of the author having an exaggerated ego and Trish struggling with a lack of confidence. The laugh-out-loud moments and unexpected insights are heartwarming.

While I mostly laughed my way through this humorous book, don’t let the amusing tone and British humor fool you; the book explores serious themes of aging, rejection, and a yearning to be seen. The thread throughout the story is about finding purpose when things fall apart and about how creativity, regardless of how messy and imperfect it may be, can be the defining lifeline.

A Novel Solution is a witty and compassionate look at what it means to start over, told with a distinctively British sense of humor. Sue Clark has crafted a delightful story of midlife chaos and creative ambition, which I, for one, could relate to, and I think others will, too. Fans of Nina Stibbe, Gail Honeyman, Elizabeth Berg, and anyone who loves stories about women finding their voices will enjoy it.

[Tyler Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun read!

I love a good cosy mystery and Sue for sure nailed this, if you're looking for your next read that's packed with British humour, a mystery and a quirky fmc that you cant help but love then look no further. Trish our fmc is someone we can all relate too in one way or another, down on her luck she plans to reinvent herself only it doesn't exactly go to plan. I quickly connected to Trish and her ecentric nature.

I flew through this book within a few hours, which each chapter getting me more and more hooked. The mystery that ensues is fun to try and solve while reading and I was making new guesses with every page turn. The pacing is great and there's never a moment where there's a lull or you feel like you can look away. Overall a solid read that's great for mystery lovers who like something a bit lighter and cozy.

[Paterson Loarn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trish’s self-esteem is at rock bottom in A Novel Solution, Sue Clark’s witty, satirical second novel. Her husband is unfaithful, her adult daughters are selfish and her boss underrates her. When Trish finds herself alone and out of a job, she decides to repair her shattered confidence by writing a best-selling book. As she has no idea how to go about this, she signs up for individual writing lessons. The tutor she chooses, Amanda Turner, is a self-styled celebrity author whose teaching method is to charge Trish a lot of money for being insulted. But Trish persists with the lessons, because she genuinely believes Amanda will teach her how to become a successful writer. After a few visits to her tutor’s gloomy mansion, Trish becomes convinced that Amanda is in danger from Pavel, her Eastern European live-in handyman. A persistent bad smell and a disused ochre pit in the woods contribute to this conclusion. Because she has begun to think of Amanda as a sort of friend, kind-hearted Trish sets out to save her from what she fears will be a horrid fate.
Sue Clark uses clever writing techniques to emphasise her main character’s inner conflicts. Trish’s inner voice is personified as Ivy, who comments on and appraises her efforts to better herself. As well as being very funny, Ivy helps to explain why Trish sticks like glue to the arrogant Amanda. Anyone who has been through the mill of overpriced creative writing courses will enjoy an extra level of humour. Clark also avoids stereotypes, which is difficult to do when writing a cosy thriller. From Trish’s cheating husband Gregory to Felicity the librarian, all of her characters are original and entertaining.
I also enjoyed Sue Clark’s beautifully written, relatable first novel Note to Boy. I heartily recommend both of her novels as pacy, entertaining reads which will make you giggle. To paraphrase Trish’s dream review – these are great books. Buy them!

[Ali Bacon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The novel opens with Trish, a middle-aged Mum, frazzled in every respect. She’s been sacked from her job and has just discovered her husband has been living a double life in the USA. While her daughters are living their student lives away from home, she has given up on her appearance. To add insult to injury, she has bladder issues. In desperation, when she runs into a ‘celebrity’ author in her local library, she signs up for lessons in how to write a novel, but writer Amanda lives in an oddly unfashionable house in the woods where there’s a nasty smell and something equally fishy going on with handyman Pavel. The plot moves along at a great pace until Trish, whose self-esteem is at an all-time low, faces up to all the challenges thrown in her way and begins to make her own decisions. The humour keeps pace with the plot and I particularly liked how Amanda’s writing lessons are demonstrated in the narrative in a kind of meta-fiction layer. The twists and turns are satisfying and the mother-daughter scenarios provide warmth and realism. This is clever and funny, an easy light-hearted tonic of a read.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable and engaging novel with a mix of tragedy and comedy which kept me happily turning the pages. With her marriage on the rocks, teenage daughters she rows with and no job, Trish vows to reinvent herself. When she meets celebrity author Amanda Turner, Trish naively pins her hopes of becoming a writer on Amanda. During the weekly classes at Amanda’s rather gloomy house in the woods, Trish soon discovers how arrogant the author actually is. She also takes an instant dislike to Pavel, the strapping young handyman and she becomes suspicious of the strange happenings at the house, and then notices a nasty smell. When Trish discovers that Amanda has vanished it’s left to her to organise a rescue, but worries that she’s not woman enough for the job. Throughout this touching and also funny story in which Trish struggles to sort her life out, she continues to dream of writing a bestseller. This is a heartwarming and uplifting story with some laugh out loud moments and also more emotional scenes. The mix of an intriguing storyline, quirky characters and a rather claustrophobic house in the woods setting, made this a real page turner.

[Steve Sheppard · Rating 5 out of 5]

We seem to have been waiting ages for Sue Clark’s follow-up to the brilliant Note to Boy but the wait is over and we’re not disappointed. No one does Comedy of Mismatched Personalities better than Sue and A Novel Solution is not only hilarious but incredibly clever with an “oh gosh” moment you probably won’t see coming. Trish Lightowler (great name), nearing 50, family life a mess, newly unemployed, decides to become an author (if only it were that easy) and signs up for writing lessons with washed-up, arrogant , celebrity novelist, Amanda Turner. But all is not as it seems. The two principal characters are beautifully realised but so are the supporting cast. The sub-plot involving Trish’s daughters and her ex, now in America with the excruciating Maddy-Rose, is adeptly interwoven with the main narrative and also adds a lot of fun. As does Trish’s inner voice, Ivy. And as for Pavel the “handyman”, fantastic. This is a fabulous read and I urge you to go out and buy it. We all need cheering up and Sue Clark is a mistress of the art.

[PJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trish is odd, maybe eccentric, certainly, it would seem, unconventional, but with a great sense of humour despite the challenges in her life. Oh, the usual stuff life throws at a 50+ year old, unpredictable adult children, unexpected job loss and a dodgy husband who announces he wants a divorce as he’s fallen for someone else.

What does Trish do to cope? She decides to become a writer. Always fancied it and, how hard can it be? So she pays (from her redundancy payment) a published author, Amanda, to provide her with the tricks of the trade. Unfortunately, Trish does not have that compelling storyline. It’s just not coming to her but she perseveres as she enjoys the company of Amanda and in time, sees her as a friend. But she does not enjoy the company of the always around odd job man, Pavel.

This is a great, fun-loving book. Fast pace and with great tongue in cheek humour.

[Vanessa Wild · Rating 5 out of 5]

Patricia Lightowler is not having a good time of it. She’s lost her job and her husband has run off with a younger woman. A chance introduction to once upon a time celebrity author, Amanda Turner, seems to be the answer to her dream of becoming an author. She begins weekly lessons but is Amanda all that she seems and just what is her handyman up to?

This is such a fun and easy read. As well as the humour and lightheartedness, there’s also a bit of a cosy mystery going on which adds a certain sort of intrigue. The characters are well drawn and the story flows along at a good pace. I liked the parts written in the voice of Trish’s alto ego, namely her mother, which give a great insight into Trish’s feelings and her inner turmoil. It’s perceptively written in its way with nods towards teenagers, the menopause and trying to find yourself again after motherhood and family matters. It’s an entertaining and amusing romp which I very much enjoyed.

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was definitely drawn in by the blurb but unfortunately it didn’t reach all of my expectations. Trish, our protagonist, is having a pretty bad time of it - she’s been made redundant and her husband is having an affair and wants to call time on their marriage. Trish decides she wants to write a novel and enlists the help of local writer, Amanda Turner (who charges £50 an hour for the privilege). The story revolves around Trish, her visits to Amanda and her homelife- which also involves her twin daughters, Flo and Nell who are currently at University.
There were a few different narratives, which I didn’t quite get and these didn’t really add to the story.
I would class this as an enjoyable, light-hearted read that didn’t really grip me in the way I’d hoped 4⭐️

[Chloe · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you to the author and publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really disliked this book. Maybe I'm not the target demographic but I STRUGGLED through 200 pages before I called quits. I found the characters unlikeable and whiny, the interruptions of 'Ivy' and whichever author Trish was trying to pretend she was at the time distracting, and worse of all nothing really happened in the good 60%+ I read- where's the disappearance of her author friend like I was sold on the blurb??? The kitty🔪 was the excuse I needed to stop reading and I actually threw my book which is a first for me.

I wouldn't recommend this book.

[Fatguyreading · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun read.

It's a mix of mystery, British humour and thriller and it's just full of quintessential English eccentrism. But it's also a drama and a comedy, all the while remaining easy to read and thoroughly entertaining.

My first read by Sue Clarke, but judging by my enjoyment of this, certainly not my last.

It's a read full of great, well fleshed out, quirky characters and a past-paced storyline.

It's genuine, real and hard to put down and I read this in two sittings.

But it's also a book of depth and emotion, with a main theme that women "of a certain age" may find it difficult to find their place in the world or might feel left behind.

5 stars from me.

[Amelia B. Kyazze · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sue Clark’s second book, A Novel Solution, demonstrates again what a witty, personable writer Clark is. The main character, Trish, is down on her luck but so relatable; even when bad things happen, you feel her pain and know that things have to get better, but how? That’s Clark’s skill as a storyteller.

Every character is unique here, with quirks and believable flaws, no stereotypes. Clark accomplishes what others may try to do but fail – this is a funny, cozy-thriller about a woman in mid-life crisis. It is pacy and hooks the reader right away, so that you have to keep turning the pages. I read this in one go, on a plane ride, and enjoyed every minute.

[Erin Coull · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book - I think Sue’s style of writing is so unique! It never fails to make me laugh and the way that such simple things can be explained in the most hilarious way is brilliant! This novel was also so clever as I did not expect the end at all, nor did I foresee the developments of Trish along the way. I really appreciate Sue’s descriptive prowess because the description of Woodview was so realistic, it felt as though I was in the house with Trish! I would definitely recommend this book

[Alana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really rather bonkers but I liked it. You meet the protagonist Trish, who is having a hard time in life in general (rubbish husband has left her, she's been made redundant, she has two fairly fickle daughters etc) and who needs to sort her life out. She makes the decision to become an author and signs on for lessons with a local author in the hope of gaining some wisdom.

The story is a slight mystery/English eccentricity/feel-good easy read. I can't really categorise it but I enjoyed it, I laughed, and I despaired at some of Trish's decision making.

[Ivy Ngeow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I tore through this book. A funny and satirical read about two middle-aged women Trish and Amanda, the former a wannabe writer with a failed marriage, and the latter, a supposed "success" in the literary world, A Novel Solution highlights the plight of Trish as she takes "writing classes" from Amanda to gain some skills to reinvent herself. The characters/voices are well-developed and likeable, including the builder and a metaphysical, surrealish Ivy character too.

[Louise Sowter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book greedily and maybe because too close to home .. her emotions I identified too closely so laughed and cried and sympathised and empathised .. I think rhere are many women could identify and would love this book and truly enjoyed reading it … the characters are so rich you feel like you truly know them and the story so easy to pick up and not so easy to put down …. Definitely would recommend

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trish would like to write a novel but doesn't know where to begin. After a visit to the library and after a recommendation from the librarian Trish attends a booksigning where she asks the author Amanda if she would give her tips on how to write a book. Straight talking Amanda decides she will help but requires payment. This is a cosy read with plenty of good one liners that made me laugh out loud. A very enjoyable read.

[ZS Platten · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book, loved how it starts with the drive from Trish to write her first book using her redundancy money. This then leads to a twisty, in some places gripping and what I found to be a fast paced read.  I felt I got to know the characters and was so intrigued as to how the plot would unfold. Had a couple of laugh out loud moments however thought provoking topics were also in the mix.

Very well written, would definitely recommend it.

[B. Fleetwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-paced romp with the focus on Trish who is trying to re-define herself after losing her job and finding out her husband is leaving her for another woman. There are some serious moments - the reader is thoroughly on Trish's side even if she is frustratingly naive when it comes to taking author, Amanda's advice - a good few far-fetched plot twists but all are written in a flowing style with great humour.
Most enjoyable and highly recommended for an UpLit read.

[Emma Hardy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the opening to this, and it was hilarious which hooked me in.

This did feel a tad experimental at times and I wasn't always sold on it, but I went with the flow.

A wonderful mix of colourful characters that were entertaining and surprising in equal measure.

I just felt that the book perhaps tried a tad too hard.

[Georgina Candy · Rating 4 out of 5]

As soon as I started reading this, I was hooked. Trish is hilarious, but also hard done by by everyone - her boss, her husband and her girls. You wonder if anything is going to go right for her through the book, then she meets Amanda and things start to look up a bit - but not for long. The writing lessons are fun, well for Amanda anyway. Poor Trish gets her confidence squashed every time she goes round there. You do wonder why she keeps going but at this point, she is quite low and really needs a boost - and a friend.

I really liked Trish, and felt so sorry for her as the secrets and bad luck kept on coming, but she did meet some good people along the way and never gave up. One of my favourites was Ivy, Trish’s inner voice that fills in any gaps that she leaves out whilst telling us the story.

This was another fab book that was so well written that I couldn’t put it down. I’m definitely going to look out for more by this author for sure, and if you want a good, fun, emotional read then go read it.

[Bary Reeves · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the many voices that contributed to this tale. The short paragraphs made it easy not to get lost and helped to make it a real page turner. But I found that I didn’t like the final version of Trish (the main character) so much at the end. She seemed too ruthlessly focussed on getting her full pound of flesh from Amanda and Gregg, despicable as they were!

[Eamon Somers · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Novel Solution is a delightful mystery tale and an excellent summer read.

Delightful mystery posing as an excellent "how to write a novel" course for would-be writers. I loved the ease with which Sue Clark drew me into getting to know her hard-done-by main character Trish, her dreadful husband, her challenging daughters, and the monstrous Amanda a novelist after my own heart

[Eva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trish is looking for purpose and decides out of the blue that she should become a writer...the novel unfolds. The characters are many and varied, I loved that variety and the interactions. It's a very enjoyable mystery that unfolds and you start to really cheer for Trish. A cozy mystery for this season.

[Lin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the unusual style of this one, with Trish telling her story, her inner voice keeping us up to date with what's going on, and Trish trying out different writing styles as she struggles to find her voice.
A fun mix of genres, with a cozy mystery wrapped up in a life crisis. A good, relaxing, entertaining read - what more could you ask for?

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Post menopausal empty nester Trish is about as low as she can go when her husband moves on. In this wry, relatable tale the author wrings out every drop of comedy she can from her character’s situation but laces it with pathos and the result is a cosy, twisty, quirky and uplifting read with some killer one liners. A great tonic to a cold winter’s day.

[Susan Burns · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a few chapters to get into this role, but then started to really enjoy it when I got to know about the character Trish and see her try and rebuild herself after losing her job and her marriage coming to an end. I'm glad I stuck with it as I really enjoyed it when I got into the thick of the story.

[Naomi C · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful comedy fiction, this book follows Trish, a lovable mess, who meets Amanda, a renowned author offering to mentor her. Masterfully written, hilarious, and effortlessly engaging, it's a brilliant story brimming with laughter and surprising twists.

[Penny-sue Wolfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the start we, as the reader, are invested in Trish and her journey. We laugh and cry, cheer and mourn as we travel through her story.
A captivating book. Well written with the right amount of humour and empathy.
Read it!