Taking Possession

by Kelly Harte

A funny, sad, endearing novel of midlife crises, love gone wrong and the value of friends human and canine. It will appeal to all fans of Madeleine Wickham, Joan Marysmith and Ann Stevens, or anyone who enjoys an Aga saga laced with black humourAnna has left her husband. Hes a cheating, lying, miserly rat and her friends agree that shes better off without him. But he refuses to stay out of her life. He keeps coming back to reclaim just one more picture, one more ornament, one more memento of a failed relationship and reminding her of how much self-esteem shes lost. So she decides to kill him.It is all perfectly rational. People meet with domestic accidents every swallowing rat poison, eating infected food. Who could possibly pin the blame on her Why is it then so difficult to make him actually dieResidents of the small Yorkshire village wonder whats going on in the charming old cottage with roses round the door. Its only Anna trying to sort out her life but finding order amidst the chaos of husbands, lovers, daughters and parents proves tougher than anyone could imagine.

Paperback

Published January 1, 1998

About the author

Kelly Harte is a British author known for her witty and heartfelt novels that explore love, life, and the joys of laughing through it all. Writing under her own name and the pseudonym Sheila Harris, she began her writing career later in life after raising a family and working in hospitality and tourism. Following her divorce, she pursued a master's degree in creative writing and found her voice through storytelling, with short stories broadcast by the BBC. Harte made her novel debut with Taking Possession in 1998, followed by Guilty Feet and Spitting Feathers, both published by Red Dress Ink. Her work often draws inspiration from personal experience, blending humor and emotional depth. In addition to her novels, she has developed television scripts and continues to explore new creative avenues.

Reviews

[Fiona MacDonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book hidden on my shelves the other day - it must've been there for years and I cannot for the life of me remember when or where I bought it. I can't say I was particularly desperate to read it, but I am finding that I have so many books now that I'm finding it impossible to decide what to actually pick up first.. so I pick up all the 'mediocre' books to 'get them out the way' of all the books I am convinced are going to be amazing reads..
I picked this up and settled down to read. Within 2 hours I was finished, and lapping up the story I had just experienced.
Anna has finally left her husband Michael. He's a cheating so and so who has bullied her and upset her for years, chipping away at her self esteem until she thinks almost nothing of herself. Her close friend Nell is happy that she has finally given him the nudge. Luckily (for her) Michael has 'allowed' her to take a small, cosy house for herself, and this becomes her safe haven. As she tries to pick up the pieces of her broken marriage, (which is difficult because Michael can't stop coming by to pick up things he believes are his and make Anna feel guilty in the process) Anna cannot help thinking about all the different ways she could murder Michael (in a fantasy world of course) because she couldn't possibly do this for real... could she? But people die every day, and she's feeling totally rational about it all. But will she actually go through with it?
I am going to have to look up more of this author, a bit of a hidden gem in my opinion.