The Importance of Being Delia

by Meredith Jaffe

Pleasing other people is hell. Pleasing herself is a revolution.

The gorgeous, cosy new family drama from the bestselling author of The Dressmakers of Yarrandarrah Prison
A loathsome feline. A family mystery. And a woman who's done playing nice.

For more than thirty years, Delia Watson has been the woman behind the man. The silent engine driving her husband Charlie's glittering music career, the backbone of a thriving dental practice and the woman who could always be relied upon by friends and family alike. Now retired, she's ready to embrace life as a lady of leisure.

But the universe has other plans.

Against her better judgment, Delia is guilt-tripped into cat-sitting the ghastly Igor in Pretty Point, the harbourside suburb where Charlie grew up. Just as Delia's resigned to making the best of things - again - a letter arrives for her husband, from a cryptic stranger.

Charlie claims he's never heard of this woman but Delia knows him better than anyone - and he's lying.

Finally, Delia's had enough. Aided and abetted by the ladies from the bridge club, she's determined to solve the mystery.

But her quarry proves elusive, the cat goes missing, her husband's furious and her mother-in-law is threatening to call the police. Beneath the superficial charms of Pretty Point lurks a sordid story of betrayal, greed, and ambition ... and the dead have stories to tell.

Praise for Meredith

'An author with evident skill in writing realistic characters, place and dialogue. Jaffe has an ear and eye for each of these aspects' The Australian

'Meredith Jaffe is a joy to read' Joanna Nell

350 pages, Paperback

Published June 30, 2026

About the author

Meredith Jaffé is the author of four novels for adults— The Tricky Art of Forgiveness (2022), The Dressmakers of Yarrandarrah Prison (2021), The Making of Christina (2017) and The Fence (2016.) Her bestselling novel, The Dressmakers of Yarrandarrah Prison, was voted in the 2021 Booktopia Favourite Australian Book Award Top 50 and the 2022 Better Reading Top 100. She also writes for children.

She is the former Festival Director of StoryFest, held on the NSW South Coast, and regularly facilitates at other writers’ festivals, literary lunches and author events. In a previous life, she wrote the weekly literary column for the online women’s magazine The Hoopla. Her reviews, author interviews, feature articles and opinion pieces have appeared in The Hoopla, Australian Author, the Guardian Australia, The Huffington Post and Mamamia.

Her reviewing policy is to only post comments on books she truly enjoyed and wants to share with other readers.

Reviews

[Laura Black Reads]

The Importance of Being Delia is a delightful novel with endearing characters, a twisty plot, mysterious family stories and comeuppance (of a sort) for the villain. The setting is small-town Australia, and the writing contains lots of vivid and funny Australian expressions.

Delia and Charlie have been married for a long time, but he has been keeping secrets. Delia has recently retired and while this gives her more free time, she’s a bit of a pushover and prey to manipulative ‘friends’ in her community. As a result, she is cat-sitting Igor in nearby Pretty Point, and helping with costumes and direction of the local production of The Importance of Being Earnest. She manages husband Charlie’s life, including opening his mail and she reads a letter to him from the mysterious Henny Penny. The Hibiscus Court Bridge Club ladies are gold and they cheerfully work with Delia to find out who Henny Penny is and how she is connected to Charlie.

Delia is just lovely, even though she talks too much, assumes too much, and jumps to conclusions. She’s also big-hearted and so kind, and wants to see the best in everyone, even toxic old mother-in-law Claudia. I enjoyed every page. It’s lighthearted, with some underlying reflection on the complications of family and people-pleasing and childlessness.

Plot twists are fun and unexpected, and Delia grows into herself as the mystery unfolds. She’s quite self-aware and once she sees how her people-pleasing has stopped serving her, she works hard to lose the old patterns and prioritise her own happiness.

Thank you very much Meredith Jaffé for the copy of The Importance of Being Delia. Opinions are all my own.

[Belinda Loves Books]

Set in the current time, a story addressing family dysfunction, aging, a cat and people pleasing with a touch of mystery.

[Kirsten]

I feel in love Meredith’s books after reading The Dressmaker of Yarrandarrah Prison and was excited to read her latest offering. A cozy character driven family drama. I loved getting to know Delia. I felt for her as she was treated badly by her best friend who took off and left her to look after her cat and the way she was treated by her husband Charlie and Claudia. But was glad she had The Bridge Club Ladies for support. Delia was very well fleshed out and relatable with being pulled in so many directions. I enjoyed the mystery element and watching family secrets spill and couldn’t help having a soft spot for Igor the cat. I really enjoyed Meredith’s thoughts and insights around people pleasing and her dark humour. A beautiful story of regret, ambition and learning to put yourself first.

[Janine]

This novel ticks a lot of boxes for me. Firstly it features a cast of mature characters who were just delightful in being friends supporting each other and becoming involved in a mystery.
Delia has always been a people pleaser who is married to Charlie - a talented musician who spends a lot of time performing overseas. Unfortunately his mother Claudia is a prickly character who Delia has never had any luck getting along with. Whilst Charlie is away, Delia takes on looking after her best friend's one-eyed cat Igor while she is away tending to her daughter. She shares this responsibility with the mysterious painter Harry, who she has never met, but his artwork work in progress is added to with each visit. After opening a letter for Charlie in his absence from a mysterious Henny Penny, this starts a mystery which involves not only Delia, but the members of her card group, plus the local theatrical society and others.
This was such a joy to read, and a mystery to solve with red herrings galore. Delia was a brilliant amateur detective and the story kept me turning the pages until the very satisfying end. This is the second book I've read by this author, and I see I still have a few to catch up on her backlist. Will appeal to readers of Women's Fiction and cozy mysteries.

[Donna]

First I must say I loved the cover of this book. But more importantly I really enjoyed reading this one. Delia is a character anyone can relate to, whether it reminds you of yourself or someone you know, her character is so real! And this is her story, a story of how her life evolved through loss, family drama, look after others, and through to retirement.

Her story is real, and in this book the author portrays her perfectly, you can't help but like Delia and you want to cheer her own, help her in her many quests to find answers and you want to see her life change for the better. I love the way Delia develops throughout this book, love her quirky bridge group friends and how they help her overcome some of the hurdles she has to jump over.

A great read, a story filled with heart, family, secrets, loss and so much more. It is a story that could be true of anyone and someone you know. It flows well, is easy to read and is a book that makes you think. A very enjoyable and entertaining read. Oh and Igor the cat... Well what can you say about this crazy cat, the book just wouldn't be the same without Igor!

The Importance of Being Delia
Meredith Jaffe
HarperCollins Publishers

[alwaysreadingmims mims]

Borrowed from my local library — because libraries matter

I’ll be honest, the first half of this book and I took a little while to find each other. There was a disconnection I couldn’t quite put my finger on; the characters and storyline felt like they were keeping me at arm’s length, and I found myself wondering whether it was the book or simply me being distracted. Either way, I wasn’t hooked.

And then the second half arrived and everything changed.

Suddenly I was locked in completely, turning pages with that urgency that only comes when a story has truly claimed you. The character work deepens beautifully, and two standouts absolutely stole the show for me. Igor the cat, with his enormous personality, is an absolute scene-stealer. And Delia’s friend Olivia, what a character. Vivid, surprising, and completely unforgettable.

And the plot? Let’s just say this book contains at least one moment that will make your jaw drop. I did not see it coming. I loved that I didn’t.

Stick with it through the slower opening — it absolutely earns your patience.

[Kate thebooklover]

Meredith has done it again, a wonderfully warm, witty and utterly satisfying novel that celebrates the power of finding your voice, no matter your age.

For more than thirty years, Delia Watson has quietly stood beside her husband Charlie, supporting his glittering music career while putting her own needs last. But when she's reluctantly cat-sitting in the seemingly peaceful suburb of Pretty Point and a mysterious letter arrives exposing cracks in everything she thought she knew, Delia decides she's finished being the silent partner. What follows is a clever, cosy mystery filled with secrets, betrayal, unexpected friendships and a group of delightfully formidable bridge club ladies determined to uncover the truth.

Delia is an absolute joy to spend time with. Watching her grow in confidence and finally put herself first was both uplifting and deeply satisfying. Meredith has created a cast of characters that feel wonderfully real, blending humour, heart and intrigue with effortless charm. The mystery unfolds at just the right pace, keeping me guessing while never losing sight of the emotional journey at the story's core.

This is one of those books that leaves you smiling long after you've turned the final page. It's cosy, clever and full of warmth, reminding us that it's never too late to reinvent yourself or make a little noise. If you love character-driven fiction with a touch of mystery, plenty of humour and a heroine you'll be cheering for from beginning to end, The Importance of Being Delia is an absolute must-read.

[Lyn]

A thoroughly enjoyable story about family secrets, friendships, a cat and trying to find yourself after a life of being a people pleaser. Delia unravels a real can of worms after she reads a letter to her husband from Henny Penny. Her husband has secrets, but his mother and father had heaps more. With the aid of her bridge circle friends she finds out what really happened in her husband’s childhood. Wonderful dialogue and sharp observations about people’s behaviour and motivation make for entertaining reading.

[Kathy Walsh]

Absolutely loved this book.
With her description of Igor the cat to the dynamics of her relationship with the women in her life and her husband Charlie.
The exploration of people pleasing and how as women we do it consistently and by a certain age we learn how damaging this is to ourselves.
Loved how Delia discovers this about herself and finally stands up and says no more.
On top of that there is a mystery within the family and her discovery of it and the process of solving it.
The bridge club ladies were synonymous with so many women groups we are a part of and the way Meredith describes them we can all relate to.
This book was a delight to read and very relatable to us as women, with a mystery to solve added to the enjoyment and a real page turner.
Thanks Meredith for such a terrific novel that you have shared with us all.

[Lesley Cross]

Really enjoyed. Related to Delia re: people pleasing and the ramifications of being a PP.

[Maree Gray]

I absolutely loved this book, getting to know Delia, uncovering the mysteries of the past.

Igor was a special favourite as I love my two cats.

[Sue Thorpe]

I really enjoyed the quirky The Dressmaker of Yarrandarrah Prison, and Meredith’s new book is another fun read. It is a cosy family drama with a drop of mystery.

People pleaser Delia, is left to cat sit her friends awful one eyed cat Igor. She is to share the responsibility with a mysterious painter called Harry, whom she has never met. The only proof of him having been in the apartment is the development of the painting he is working on.

Delia’s husband Charlie is a talented musician currently performing overseas. When a letter arrives for him from a cryptic stranger called Henny Penny (of whom Charlie says he doesn’t know), she enlists the help of her bridge club ladies to solve the mystery.

Throw in an awful mother-in-law, a betrayal, a cat gone AWOL, and things get messy. Will Delia learn to stop pleasing people and start putting herself first??

Meredith writes realistic characters with heart and warmth. This is a really lovely, light read, and I was cheering Delia on the whole way!

4.5 ⭐️'s

[Marianne]

4.5★s
The Importance Of Being Delia is the fifth novel by bestselling Australian author, Meredith Jaffe. Her best friend, Steph, headed to Montenegro for the birth of a grandchild, Delia Watson has been talked into sharing cat-sitting duty with an unmet Harry, for the very spoiled Igor, at Steph’s apartment on Pretty Point.

Now retired after twenty-five years as a receptionist for a sole-practice dentist, Delia figures she can improve her fitness with walks along the beautiful harbour foreshore, indulge in some bridge-playing, maybe volunteer for a community service, and tackle the bundle of her husband’s fan mail.

World-renowned conductor, Charlie Watson is on tour in Berlin, and suggests, as a favour to him, she could visit his mother, Claudia, just around the corner from Steph’s. Ever the people-pleaser, Delia allows him to talk her into calling on the woman who has always treated her like “something unpleasant she’d trodden in and ruined her best shoes.” Needless to say, she’s not looking forward to it.

In amongst Charlie’s fan mail, a puzzling letter from a woman calling herself Henny Penny, who seems to be in dire straits and claims a connection to Charlie. Charlie denies all knowledge, but Delia feels he’s being evasive, especially when he forbids any mention of it to Claudia.

All these things are discussed with her new friends in their bridge four at the Hibiscus Court Bridge Club, with comments and suggestions only fuelling her intrigue and determination to find out the truth. Along the way, they get involved with the local theatre group staging “The Importance of Being Earnest”.

With each revelation of facts around Charlie’s family, some of which come from a surprising quarter, Delia and the bridge ladies speculate, often getting the wrong end of the stick. Before matters are satisfactorily resolved, there are several confrontations with a nasty Claudia, a rescue mission that involves an icy harbour swim, and the hospitalisation of two older ladies.

In a tale that explores inheritance, grief, guilt, and homelessness, none of Jaffe’s characters are black and white, poor behaviour often proving due to a deeply-rooted cause. Many of them share wise words and insightful observations. There’s plenty of humour, some of it quite black, and fans won’t be disappointed with Jaffe’s latest offering.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Harper Collins Australia.

[Kathryn]

The importance of being Delia

Thank you to Meredith Jaffe for giving me a copy this very funny and entertaining read.

The story centers on Delia, whose husband Charlie is a well known and respected conductor and musician.
Charlie is away so Delia is dog sitting for her sister Stephanie, a drama queen who ironically was a great actress when they were younger. Delia was always in the background during school productions whilst Stephanie took the main stage. But once Stephanie met her husband she only wanted to settle down and not pursue the acting career that Delia perceived she would.
So Delia finds herself dog-sitting Stephanie's beloved pooch (who her sister sends postcards to and calls daily to check on his well-being) along with Harry, an artist, whom Stephanie informed her needed a place to stay and who came with good references. The only problem is Delia has yet to meet the elusive Harry. Delia arrives daily and whilst there is evidence of someone having been there there is never any sign of Harry. During one of her visits to check in on the pooch, she encounters Olivia from the local amateur dramatics society who pops in to see her sister. Somehow Delia finds herself recruited to help out backstage for the forthcoming production, *The Importance of Being Earnest" because Olivia is not the type of person you can say no too.

Delia's mother-in-law, Cloudia, is a pompous, entitled lady who dislikes Delia and feels Charlie married beneath him.
When a note arrives for Charlie that Delia reads—from someone named Alison asking for Charlie's help—she calls her husband whom dismisses it, claims he does not know any Alison and tells her not to bother his mother with it either.

Delia cannot forget the note; it implied Alison desperately needed Charlie's help. So, at the next meeting of her bridge club she tells them about it and what Charlie said.
Delia's bridge and amateur dramatics club decide to become detectives. While these ladies are far from young, their sleuthing starts an array of amusing and entertaining antics that will have you laughing until the conclusion.
Delia, Olivia, Margie and Kay from the bridge and amateur dramatics groups are a delight—so easy to warm to and love—unlike Cloudia, who swans around in her kaftans. Meredith has written them so colourfully that it is very easy to visualize the characters in this story.

[Shelleyrae at Book'd Out]

Since her enforced retirement, former dental assistant Delia Watson has been searching for ways to fill her time. With her husband Charlie, an internationally renowned orchestra conductor, working in Europe, Delia lets herself get roped into babysitting her best friend’s ill-tempered cat in an inconvenient week-on/week-off arrangement. Worse, her friend’s Pretty Point apartment is only a few streets away from her mother-in-law’s home, making it difficult to refuse Charlie’s request that she check in on her.

Claudia has never made any secret of her dislike of Delia, even after nearly forty years of marriage, though Delia has never really understood why. Claudia’s loathing only deepens when Delia, after opening Charlie’s fan mail, discovers a letter pleading for his help from someone called ‘Henny Penny’. When she mentions it to Charlie, he dismisses it with a speed that raises her suspicions. Intrigued, and encouraged by her Bridge Club friends, Delia decides to investigate.

The Importance of Being Delia is an engaging but reserved family drama with a touch of mystery from Australian author Meredith Jaffe.

Latching onto the mystery of ‘Henny Penny’ is somewhat out of character for Delia who, as a people pleaser, rarely rebels against what others want or need from her. I enjoyed following Delia’s gradual unraveling of the mystery, which ultimately exposes some dark family secrets. It’s not a straightforward investigation, however, as Delia is frequently distracted by Igor the cat, an anonymous painter, and her reluctant involvement with the Pretty Point Players’ production of The Importance of Being Earnest.

The octogenarian members of Delia’s Bridge group are a delightful supporting cast. Olivia likes to stir the pot, Margaret is a little flaky but a surprising font of gossip, and Kay proves to be something of a dark horse.

Guilt, self-recrimination, and redemption are major themes explored in the novel. Both Delia and ‘Henny Penny’ are marked by events in their respective childhoods. I couldn’t find anything redemptive about Claudia, though, she’s simply an awful woman. Jaffe also explores themes including self-worth, ageing, grief, friendship, and homelessness.

Thoughtfully told with a subtle wit, The Importance of Being Delia is a lovely story.

[Lori S.]

Delia Watson has recently been forced into retirement, and she has a lot of time on her hands. She is pushed into sharing cat sitting duties for best friend Steph, who is away. Then there's her husband who has been away due to his music career. She's left dealing with her MIL who really doesn't like her and never wastes time letting her know. Delia also looks after her husband's mail as she has done throughout his career. A mystery letter appears from a "Henny Penny" and her husband claims no knowledge of it and says to ignore it. And then Delia is recruited to help out with the local theatre company and her life suddenly is quite full.

This was an enjoyable read about a woman at a crossroads in life and how she handles it, with help from some friends. There are some secrets to uncover and realities to face for her and others in her life. I like the way she is supported by her friends and how taking on other roles changes her life, in many ways for the better. And also, she comes to a reckoning with this cat who doesn't like her. Overall, a very nice piece of women's fiction set in Australia. I also like the play on the Oscar Wilde play, that features in this book.

Overall, I rate these a solid four stars and recommend it for anyone who enjoys good women's fiction revolving around middle-aged women. Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins Australia for providing a free copy. I have provided my opinions voluntarily.

[Bec]

3.5 stars rounding up to 4.
The Importance of Being Delia was a fun, entertaining read with plenty happening in Delia's life. Recently retired from her job as a dental receptionist, Delia finds herself at a bit of a crossroads. With her husband away for work, she spends every second week cat-sitting for her friend. While staying there, she becomes involved with the local theatre group, who are staging The Importance of Being Earnest.

Being physically closer to her mother-in-law, Claudia, also means Delia is expected to visit her on behalf of her husband, despite the fact that the two women have never really got along.

Adding another layer to the story, Delia discovers a letter addressed to her husband from someone called "Henny Penny", setting her off on a quest to uncover who this mysterious person is.

Along the way, the novel explores themes of friendship, relationships, family dynamics, inheritance, guilt and homelessness. Overall, it was an easy, enjoyable read with a good mix of humour, mystery and heart.

[Karen]

I think there’s a little bit of Delia in all of us. I certainly know I felt a sense of kinship with her, as she dealt with the needs of everyone in her life. But I also felt sorry for her. If my best friend treated me the way Delia’s does, I’d be finding a new best friend.
This is a lighthearted story of one woman, Delia, navigating a challenging time in her life. She finds herself pushed and pulled in many different directions while trying to look after everyone and keep them all happy. She’s also attempting to solve the mystery of Henny Penny who has sent her husband a rather cryptic letter. Along the way, she realises what is important to her, and where she needs to learn to stand up for herself and her beliefs.
The characters in this book were very believable, and I could imagine the situations and people so clearly. This book was a lot of fun.
Thanks to NetGalley and Meredith Jaffe for the opportunity to read this book

[amanZa]

This book follows Delia as she starts retirement. Tired of being a lifelong people pleaser, she finally starts making decisions for herself. When a mysterious letter addressed to her husband arrives, Delia begins digging into her family's history, much to the dismay of her husband Charlie and mother in law Claudia, who would rather leave the past buried.

Based on the blurb, this isn't the sort of book I'd normally read. But I was drawn by the cat on the cover so I gave the book a go and I'm so glad I did.

It was easy to read and I couldn't put the book down. I was eager to see how the story unfolds as Delia unravels the family mystery. It was nice to read a mystery that isn't a murder mystery (murder mystery isn't my cup of tea). Delia was relatable, especially her people pleasing tendencies. Her interactions with the bridge girls and with her best friend's cat, Igor, were hilarious.

[Emily (the_bookdragons_den)]

The Importance of Being Delia is a cosy and character driven family drama that explores friendships, grief and people pleasing that is a witty and enjoyable read.

🎭 This book took a little time for me to settle into, but once I did, I enjoyed following Delia and her colourful bridge club friends. The family mystery of Henny Penny added an intriguing layer to the narrative.

I think a lot of people will find Delia’s character very relatable through the subtle wit Jaffe infuses, even though the story explores some heavier topics like grief, ageing, self-worth and homelessness.

There are also some explosive family secrets, the production of The Importance of Being Earnest and Igor the usual cat that add different dynamics to the story keeping readers engaged. Overall a fun read that will appeal to those who enjoy reading about mature characters.

Thank you to Harpercollins Aus for a copy to review.

[Regina]

A compelling novel overall, but I have reduced my rating by one star due to the audiobook narration. Unfortunately, the narrator's character voices, particularly for the older characters, felt exaggerated and caricatured rather than authentic. I found these vocal portrayals distracting and jarring, which pulled me out of the story and made it difficult to remain immersed in the narrative.

The issue became significant enough that I eventually abandoned the audiobook altogether and borrowed the ebook version so I could finish the novel. Once reading the text directly, I was able to appreciate the story much more without the distraction of the narration. Readers who prefer print or ebook formats may have a different experience, but for me, the audiobook performance detracted from an otherwise worthwhile read.

[Michelle's Shelf]

I went into this book knowing almost nothing about Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, and came out feeling like I’d been given a crash course in satire, social masks, and the exhausting performance of keeping up appearances and the mockery of the superficial morality of Victorian society. Jaffe cleverly threads those themes through her own story. It is packed with family drama, humour, mystery, awkward moments, secrets, revelations, guilt, blame, admiration, shame, loss, grief, purpose, envy, disappointment, service, people‑pleasing, loyalty, forgiveness… and yes, even a spoilt cat. There’s a lot going on — sometimes almost too much — but I enjoyed the ride. It’s thoughtful, layered, occasionally chaotic, and full of sharp little insights about how we present ourselves to the world. A very enjoyable 3.5 star read.

[Essie]

I think I may be an outlier with this one. I felt there was way too much inner dialogue and introspection by Delia, too much telling and not enough showing. I kept thinking how this would have worked better for me if it had been told in a more linear fashion or at least a two-handed time frame- Claudia, Jack, Alison and Charlie back in the day and them living their dynamic, with shifts to present day. I am not a cat person and found the swim a little hard to believe. I have loved Meredith Jaffe novels since the wedding dress novel but this one just didn't do it for me.

[Anna]

Delia is a person you’d like to have as a friend. From the first page to the last, her engaging voice carries you along. Intrigue and humour, as well as flashes of wisdom, make the novel compulsive reading. A cosy to warm your winter.

[Jo Budden]

Started strong & I was page turning like a dervish until about the midway point when I felt like what had been concise, well written began to flounder and I lost interest.

Igor and Olivia were the stars of the story I feel.

[Cass Ward]

Felt like it had a slow start but once it got going I was really enjoyable