Gossip

by Katy Hayes

Where Katy Hayes previous novel, Curtains, was set in the world of theatre, Gossip is set in the world of newspapers. Mary Jane is the gossip columnist of a leading Dublin newspaper, attending all the openings in skimpy frocks and high heels, keeping an eye on who's with whom and making up what she can't see. Well that's the by-line anyway. The truth is that Mary Jane is a man—40, unfit, endearingly incapable of keeping up with his wife, his physiotherapist, or even with the times. When Mary Jane reports on a sighting of a prominent Dublin businessman's extra-marital canoodlings, he doesn't expect to become embroiled in infidelity and murder.

247 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2000

Reviews

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a light hearted easy read, Colm has a stereo typical middle aged male existence. He also has a fairly typical male mid life crisis, but Katy Hayes adds just enough depth and quirkiness to Colm's character to keep the reader hooked. His mid life crisis is a little different from the norm as well so this keeps the story interesting. Interesting is the word though, there is definately nothing in there that is going to make you gasp or shock you, or think very deeply about anything.

The ending is anti-climatic, but that is to be expected from a down to earth novel like this. It's not going to challenge you on any level, but you will be entertained. Katy Hayes does write a male character reasonably well. Although there is nothing really out of the ordinary in the way he thinks or sees the world, its very much as one would expect from the a-typical middle aged man.

An Ideal read after you have just read something a lot more heavy.