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Worst Case Scenario
A delicious dark, relentless and chilling psychological thriller by the international bestselling author of The Cry
‘The harrowing plot keeps you gripped until the final, devastating revelation’ Sunday Mirror
Mary Shields is a moody, acerbic probation offer, dealing with some of Glasgow’s worst cases, and her job is on the line.
Liam Macdowall was imprisoned for murdering his wife, and he’s published a series of letters to the dead woman, in a book that makes him an unlikely hero – and a poster boy for Men’s Rights activists.
Liam is released on licence into Mary’s care, but things are far from simple. Mary develops a poisonous obsession with Liam and his world, and when her son and Liam’s daughter form a relationship, Mary will stop at nothing to impose her own brand of justice … with devastating consequences.
A heart-pounding, relentless and chilling psychological thriller, rich with deliciously dark and unapologetic humour, Worst Case Scenario is also a perceptive, tragic and hugely relevant book by one of the most exciting names in crime fiction.
‘The harrowing plot keeps you gripped until the final, devastating revelation’ Sunday Mirror
Mary Shields is a moody, acerbic probation offer, dealing with some of Glasgow’s worst cases, and her job is on the line.
Liam Macdowall was imprisoned for murdering his wife, and he’s published a series of letters to the dead woman, in a book that makes him an unlikely hero – and a poster boy for Men’s Rights activists.
Liam is released on licence into Mary’s care, but things are far from simple. Mary develops a poisonous obsession with Liam and his world, and when her son and Liam’s daughter form a relationship, Mary will stop at nothing to impose her own brand of justice … with devastating consequences.
A heart-pounding, relentless and chilling psychological thriller, rich with deliciously dark and unapologetic humour, Worst Case Scenario is also a perceptive, tragic and hugely relevant book by one of the most exciting names in crime fiction.
210 pages, Paperback
First published March 16, 2019
124 people are currently reading
832 people want to read
About the author
Helen Fitzgerald
20 books346 followersHelen FitzGerald is the second youngest of thirteen children. She grew up in the small town of Kilmore, Victoria, Australia, and studied English and History at the University of Melbourne. Via India and London, Helen came to Glasgow University where she completed a Diploma and Masters in Social Work. She works part time as a criminal justice social worker in Glasgow. She's married to screenwriter Sergio Casci, and they have two children.
Follow her on twitter @fitzhelen
Follow her on twitter @fitzhelen
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 210 reviews
September 18, 2019
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4.5 stars!!!
“Every time Mary tried to relax in a bath, a paedophile ruined it.”
With a first line like that, I was pretty sure this was going to be one wild read.
Shocking, hilarious, moving, twisted, and gritty are some of the words that come to mind when I think of this novel.
Fifty-two year old, Mary has worked as a probation officer in Glasgow for almost thirty years. Mary is currently going through “ the menopause ”. She is stressed and moody, and all alone while her husband works away from home. Taking sick time is frowned upon and Mary is on notice for how many sick days she’s taken.
But now Mary has had enough. She gives her one month notice. This way she can leave with her record intact and her head held high.
How much can go wrong in one month?
Mary is meeting her last new client who is in prison for murdering his wife. While incarcerated, Dr. Liam MacDowall wrote a book, “Cuck: Letters to My Dead Wife”. The book and MacDowall will be released soon. They have a meeting to go over all of the rules and restrictions MacDowall will have to abide by once released. MacDowall’s lawyer, publisher, counselor, and twenty-six-year-old daughter, Holly attend the meeting. MacDowall plans to live with Holly after his release .
Mary met with Holly a few days earlier and the visit did not go well (but it had me in stitches). Mary doesn’t think Holly should let her father live with her “A load of shite. I’d prefer to share a house with Hannibal Lecter”. Holly can’t believe how Mary talks to her and tells her that she's going to make a complaint. Mary has no problem handing her a complaint form. Years ago this would have had Mary in a tizzy wondering how she could fix things.
That evening, after the meeting, Mary tries to settle in for the night…
”This might have been the day, the hour, the minute, the moment that she made the decision that ruined her life”
Mary will soon realize just how much can go wrong in one month.
I thought this was a terrific read! It was also a quick read at just over 200 pages.
The author, Helen Fitzgerald obviously has a terrific sense of humor. Mary is a character many will relate to. Her dry sense of humor and outspokenness is delightful. I often wondered, did she really just say that? Her struggle with “the menopause” is hilarious and realistic!
“A hot flash is like an orgasm. If you're not sure you've had one, you haven't.”
“Worst Case Scenario” makes no apologies. This book may not be for everyone, but in my opinion, it was a great read.
Dark, compelling, disturbing and unsettling… but oh so entertaining!
I'd like to thank Orenda Books for providing me with a copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.
4.5 stars!!!
“Every time Mary tried to relax in a bath, a paedophile ruined it.”
With a first line like that, I was pretty sure this was going to be one wild read.
Shocking, hilarious, moving, twisted, and gritty are some of the words that come to mind when I think of this novel.
Fifty-two year old, Mary has worked as a probation officer in Glasgow for almost thirty years. Mary is currently going through “ the menopause ”. She is stressed and moody, and all alone while her husband works away from home. Taking sick time is frowned upon and Mary is on notice for how many sick days she’s taken.
But now Mary has had enough. She gives her one month notice. This way she can leave with her record intact and her head held high.
How much can go wrong in one month?
Mary is meeting her last new client who is in prison for murdering his wife. While incarcerated, Dr. Liam MacDowall wrote a book, “Cuck: Letters to My Dead Wife”. The book and MacDowall will be released soon. They have a meeting to go over all of the rules and restrictions MacDowall will have to abide by once released. MacDowall’s lawyer, publisher, counselor, and twenty-six-year-old daughter, Holly attend the meeting. MacDowall plans to live with Holly after his release .
Mary met with Holly a few days earlier and the visit did not go well (but it had me in stitches). Mary doesn’t think Holly should let her father live with her “A load of shite. I’d prefer to share a house with Hannibal Lecter”. Holly can’t believe how Mary talks to her and tells her that she's going to make a complaint. Mary has no problem handing her a complaint form. Years ago this would have had Mary in a tizzy wondering how she could fix things.
That evening, after the meeting, Mary tries to settle in for the night…
”This might have been the day, the hour, the minute, the moment that she made the decision that ruined her life”
Mary will soon realize just how much can go wrong in one month.
I thought this was a terrific read! It was also a quick read at just over 200 pages.
The author, Helen Fitzgerald obviously has a terrific sense of humor. Mary is a character many will relate to. Her dry sense of humor and outspokenness is delightful. I often wondered, did she really just say that? Her struggle with “the menopause” is hilarious and realistic!
“A hot flash is like an orgasm. If you're not sure you've had one, you haven't.”
“Worst Case Scenario” makes no apologies. This book may not be for everyone, but in my opinion, it was a great read.
Dark, compelling, disturbing and unsettling… but oh so entertaining!
I'd like to thank Orenda Books for providing me with a copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.
September 16, 2021
3.5 stars
This was an odd read for me. I was quite distracted with the audio format, where I have recently started listening more often while being busy with whatever life chores I am doing at that present time. So, basically, I was a tad misplaced while listening. I don’t think this added to my not being overly taken by this one; it was more the premise and storyline; it grated a little with the extra layer of an unlikeable protagonist.
Helen Fitzgerald is a skilled Australian writer, her storylines extremely interesting, and, she has lived experience holding a Master of Social Work and works in criminal justice.
Our protagonist Mary is a jaded menopausal probationary officer in Glasgow. She’s had enough of her career (although seemingly good at it when she feels the urge), she pushes the envelope with sick time, attitude and doesn’t show a lot of respect for authority. She follows her own rules! As the story gets messier, we see she has been capable and empathetic social worker, but flip that and we see her give cash to clients for drugs and turns the other cheek in return for favours!
A strange case of accused wife murderer Liam, come cult author, who has written a book which consists of letters to his dead wife. Charged with keeping an eye on this man on his release from prison her life plummets, as she makes terrible, immoral, rash, and, unlikely decisions. This is where things seem far-fetched. She is definitley a loose cannon, a bit of a nutter.
These foolhardy decisions ultimately affect her family, who I fear may be long suffering. Her husband seems very loving of a wife that possibly isn’t very lovable! This is dark and comical, and perhaps my humour lacks imagination and possibly I didn’t appreciate its cleverness.
On a positive note though, she is funny. Talk of orgasms (and the manner in reaching those!) and menopause, Mary is a character, but simply clueless for a professional woman.
If you like a kind of quirky Scottish romp that borders on silly this would appeal, the ending was clever and unexpected, which gave me that satisfied ‘Oh?’ surprised and satisfied but still scratching the head type of finale. So, if I am sending mixed messages on this one, I apologise! It was strange, but I will certainly still seek out this author again.
This was an odd read for me. I was quite distracted with the audio format, where I have recently started listening more often while being busy with whatever life chores I am doing at that present time. So, basically, I was a tad misplaced while listening. I don’t think this added to my not being overly taken by this one; it was more the premise and storyline; it grated a little with the extra layer of an unlikeable protagonist.
Helen Fitzgerald is a skilled Australian writer, her storylines extremely interesting, and, she has lived experience holding a Master of Social Work and works in criminal justice.
Our protagonist Mary is a jaded menopausal probationary officer in Glasgow. She’s had enough of her career (although seemingly good at it when she feels the urge), she pushes the envelope with sick time, attitude and doesn’t show a lot of respect for authority. She follows her own rules! As the story gets messier, we see she has been capable and empathetic social worker, but flip that and we see her give cash to clients for drugs and turns the other cheek in return for favours!
A strange case of accused wife murderer Liam, come cult author, who has written a book which consists of letters to his dead wife. Charged with keeping an eye on this man on his release from prison her life plummets, as she makes terrible, immoral, rash, and, unlikely decisions. This is where things seem far-fetched. She is definitley a loose cannon, a bit of a nutter.
These foolhardy decisions ultimately affect her family, who I fear may be long suffering. Her husband seems very loving of a wife that possibly isn’t very lovable! This is dark and comical, and perhaps my humour lacks imagination and possibly I didn’t appreciate its cleverness.
On a positive note though, she is funny. Talk of orgasms (and the manner in reaching those!) and menopause, Mary is a character, but simply clueless for a professional woman.
If you like a kind of quirky Scottish romp that borders on silly this would appeal, the ending was clever and unexpected, which gave me that satisfied ‘Oh?’ surprised and satisfied but still scratching the head type of finale. So, if I am sending mixed messages on this one, I apologise! It was strange, but I will certainly still seek out this author again.
June 18, 2019
“Worst Case Scenario” is written by Helen Fitzgerald, bestselling author of ten adult and young adult thrillers, including The Donor and The Cry, which was made into a recent major TV drama.
This utterly FANTASTIC story is led predominantly by Mary Shields, a menopausal, middle aged mother who works as a probation officer for the criminal justice system in Glasgow. She’s acerbic, moody, straight talking and fabulously relatable. I know I should be saying this book is so wrong but it’s just so right!! Darkly humorous, funny and positively uplifting, this unapologetically dark thriller was an absolute joy to read and I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. In fact it was such an exhilarating ride, I barely came up for breath! I found myself laughing at the most inappropriate times and nodding my head in relation to Mary’s trials and tribulations during her menopausal moments. Chillingly authentic, this deliciously dark story has a brilliant storyline, that grips you throughout and with many gasp out loud risqué moments, you can’t help falling utterly head over heels in love with Mary.
You don’t need a crazy and warped sense of humour to enjoy this book but it does help - the easily offended and wholly politically correct should avoid though. The fact that the author can convey such sensitive issues and subjects in a light hearted way, yet still managing to alert the reader to the stress and intense pressure social workers are under in trying to get every case right for the people involved, shows a very talented, imaginative and compassionate author. I haven’t read anything by Helen before but I will continue to do so in the future and I hope and pray I’ll be reading about Mary again in the future. She’s a sure fire winner and this book is an assured bestseller for 2019 and so far will be in my top five for this year GUARANTEED!
5 humongous ‘bunny’ sized stars!!
This utterly FANTASTIC story is led predominantly by Mary Shields, a menopausal, middle aged mother who works as a probation officer for the criminal justice system in Glasgow. She’s acerbic, moody, straight talking and fabulously relatable. I know I should be saying this book is so wrong but it’s just so right!! Darkly humorous, funny and positively uplifting, this unapologetically dark thriller was an absolute joy to read and I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. In fact it was such an exhilarating ride, I barely came up for breath! I found myself laughing at the most inappropriate times and nodding my head in relation to Mary’s trials and tribulations during her menopausal moments. Chillingly authentic, this deliciously dark story has a brilliant storyline, that grips you throughout and with many gasp out loud risqué moments, you can’t help falling utterly head over heels in love with Mary.
You don’t need a crazy and warped sense of humour to enjoy this book but it does help - the easily offended and wholly politically correct should avoid though. The fact that the author can convey such sensitive issues and subjects in a light hearted way, yet still managing to alert the reader to the stress and intense pressure social workers are under in trying to get every case right for the people involved, shows a very talented, imaginative and compassionate author. I haven’t read anything by Helen before but I will continue to do so in the future and I hope and pray I’ll be reading about Mary again in the future. She’s a sure fire winner and this book is an assured bestseller for 2019 and so far will be in my top five for this year GUARANTEED!
5 humongous ‘bunny’ sized stars!!
April 28, 2019
**DISCLAIMER** I am a fifty-two year old woman. I spent many years working in the criminal justice system. The only reason that I have not been arrested, or sectioned over the past year is purely due to the fact that each night I take a small tablet. That small tablet is HRT, and for that, I am eternally grateful; as is my husband, my parents, my colleagues, my friends, and my cat.
If you too are a menopausal woman, or you are the partner of one, or the friend, or relation, or colleague, you will read Worst Case Scenario and will realise. You will realise that you are not alone; you are not the only one who lays towels on the bedsheets to mop up the unrelenting night sweats, or who wears layers of clothing that can be rapidly removed as your interior heating system goes crazily out of control. You will realise that when your partner/mother/sister/colleague/friend shouted at you last week because the bin men didn't put the wheelie bin back in exactly the right place on the driveway, and that the words that exploded from their lips in louder and more aggressive bursts were not really directed at you, or even at the bin men. No, these were the words and actions of the menopause. I can assure you that whilst it may have hurt you, it hurts us even more.
Worst Case Scenario is a novel about flexi-time. Flexi-time! Well, it's not really the subject of the story, but it's certainly the spark that lit Mary Shield's firework. It was the final straw after years and years of working in Probation. Years and years of doing her best for her clients; running an unofficial food bank from the boot of her car; letting small children keep her expensive sunglasses because they'd never owned anything before. Years and years of writing reports, enduring re-structures and student social workers. Years and years of trying to make a difference. When you are owed over 40 hours in flexi time, and you know that it has to be taken by tomorrow, and you know that tomorrow the machine will tell you that those 40 years have disappeared because it is impossible to take any time out, you know that finally, it's time to leave.
It helps if your husband has finally been 'discovered' and is on the verge of signing a contract for huge amounts of money for his illustrations. It helps that your only son is now settled and training to work in Law. After years of being the main bread winner, it helps.
Mary is leaving. She is going. She is going to be a stand up comic, or practice yoga, or read books. No more will she have to endure the lowest of the low; the child abusers and the rapists. She will be free.
Mary's final case is that of Liam. He murdered his wife, has served a jail sentence and is due to be released. Liam is something of a celebrity, having written a book whilst inside. He has a manager, a huge social media following, and Mary hates him. She hates him even more when her own son becomes mixed up in Liam's family. Her menopausal symptoms come to the forefront and what follows is a roller coaster ride of pure craziness, mixed with flash backs from Mary's life and that of her clients that are heartbreakingly poignant. You will cry; tears of laughter, and also snorting tears of sadness.
Mary is a wonderful character. She's flawed, yet perfectly so. I really can identify with her feelings; with her determination to protect those who she loves, she's like a lioness defending her brood and that single-minded intention is often her downfall. She speaks without thinking, she does things that make you want to cover your eyes in horror; but she's real and funny and underneath the coarse language and the near-alcoholism, she's a tiny bit vulnerable too.
Complex and intricately woven. Worst Case Scenario is a character-led story with a middle-aged, menopausal lead character who one should love, and cheer and applaud; despite her mistakes. It's a brave and clever novel, hugely addictive, tense and hilarious, all at the same time.
Highly recommended from me. Treat yourself, buy this book.
If you too are a menopausal woman, or you are the partner of one, or the friend, or relation, or colleague, you will read Worst Case Scenario and will realise. You will realise that you are not alone; you are not the only one who lays towels on the bedsheets to mop up the unrelenting night sweats, or who wears layers of clothing that can be rapidly removed as your interior heating system goes crazily out of control. You will realise that when your partner/mother/sister/colleague/friend shouted at you last week because the bin men didn't put the wheelie bin back in exactly the right place on the driveway, and that the words that exploded from their lips in louder and more aggressive bursts were not really directed at you, or even at the bin men. No, these were the words and actions of the menopause. I can assure you that whilst it may have hurt you, it hurts us even more.
Worst Case Scenario is a novel about flexi-time. Flexi-time! Well, it's not really the subject of the story, but it's certainly the spark that lit Mary Shield's firework. It was the final straw after years and years of working in Probation. Years and years of doing her best for her clients; running an unofficial food bank from the boot of her car; letting small children keep her expensive sunglasses because they'd never owned anything before. Years and years of writing reports, enduring re-structures and student social workers. Years and years of trying to make a difference. When you are owed over 40 hours in flexi time, and you know that it has to be taken by tomorrow, and you know that tomorrow the machine will tell you that those 40 years have disappeared because it is impossible to take any time out, you know that finally, it's time to leave.
It helps if your husband has finally been 'discovered' and is on the verge of signing a contract for huge amounts of money for his illustrations. It helps that your only son is now settled and training to work in Law. After years of being the main bread winner, it helps.
Mary is leaving. She is going. She is going to be a stand up comic, or practice yoga, or read books. No more will she have to endure the lowest of the low; the child abusers and the rapists. She will be free.
Mary's final case is that of Liam. He murdered his wife, has served a jail sentence and is due to be released. Liam is something of a celebrity, having written a book whilst inside. He has a manager, a huge social media following, and Mary hates him. She hates him even more when her own son becomes mixed up in Liam's family. Her menopausal symptoms come to the forefront and what follows is a roller coaster ride of pure craziness, mixed with flash backs from Mary's life and that of her clients that are heartbreakingly poignant. You will cry; tears of laughter, and also snorting tears of sadness.
Mary is a wonderful character. She's flawed, yet perfectly so. I really can identify with her feelings; with her determination to protect those who she loves, she's like a lioness defending her brood and that single-minded intention is often her downfall. She speaks without thinking, she does things that make you want to cover your eyes in horror; but she's real and funny and underneath the coarse language and the near-alcoholism, she's a tiny bit vulnerable too.
Complex and intricately woven. Worst Case Scenario is a character-led story with a middle-aged, menopausal lead character who one should love, and cheer and applaud; despite her mistakes. It's a brave and clever novel, hugely addictive, tense and hilarious, all at the same time.
Highly recommended from me. Treat yourself, buy this book.
July 28, 2019
Have loved Helen Fitzgerald’s zany characters since reading The Devil’s Staircase, about an Australian ingenue living at a London hostel also inhabited by a serial killer. The author has gone from being an obscure Australian novelist to major British author on the strength of a popular television adaptation of her 2013 novel The Cry. Whilst always delighted at the success of a favourite writer, I don’t feel that The Cry showed Fitzgerald at the her best, as the main character Joanna wasn’t nearly as engaging as her rival Alistair’s ex and her daughter Chloe. I’m not sure how to characterise Mary Shields, the principal character in Worst Case Scenario. If you imagine an Elinor Oliphant who isn’t too endearingly saccharine, but just as crazy, you might get the idea. Mary is a Glasgow criminal social worker, and as we’d expect from the author, the epithet ‘criminal’ applies both ways. She has a husband Roddie, a comic-book illustrator (i.e. graphic fiction author) from whom she is semi-estranged (if that makes no sense to you, you haven’t been reading Fitzgerald enough) and a just grown-up son Jack training as a lawyer. One of her cases, ‘not a sex offender but this time a wife-killer’, Dr. Liam Mcdowell, has been released on licence from prison, and publishes a best-seller Cuck: Letters to My Dead Wife, composed whilst in prison and promoted by Derek McLaverty, ‘a leading Men’s Rights Advocate (MRA)’. Mcdowell also has a daughter Holly, with whom Jack finds a mutual attraction. Another of her cases is a paedophile who hides a pen drive containing child pornography (worse than ‘baby-plus-cats’!) in his Zimmer frame that Mary finds and comes up with a brilliantly hare-brained scheme to download to McLaverty’s computer. Of course things go very wrong for Mary.
Mary is in a constant state of extreme agitiation, owed by the flex machine 41 hours of sick-leave she dare not take lest she be accused by her co-workers of slacking. To relieve stress, she resorts to a literal though solitary form of box orgy - wanking with her Just Ears vibrator whilst watching episodes of Sex in the City. There are also some darkly humorous visits to HMP Lowfield and details of the Scottish welfare and legal system (I love the titles Sheriff and Procurator Fiscal). I have to stop at four stars though. Mary Shields was neither sufficiently interesting nor likeable for me to care what happened to her. The misadventures she encounters are grimly funny (perhaps like Glasgow itself). Not a total flop like Deviant or The Donor, but lacking the hilarity of Devil’s Staircase or Dead Lovely. Strangely, her inconsistency is a quality I admire in Helen Fitzgerald: the sense of being out of control is a lot of the fun and we never know what to expect.
Mary is in a constant state of extreme agitiation, owed by the flex machine 41 hours of sick-leave she dare not take lest she be accused by her co-workers of slacking. To relieve stress, she resorts to a literal though solitary form of box orgy - wanking with her Just Ears vibrator whilst watching episodes of Sex in the City. There are also some darkly humorous visits to HMP Lowfield and details of the Scottish welfare and legal system (I love the titles Sheriff and Procurator Fiscal). I have to stop at four stars though. Mary Shields was neither sufficiently interesting nor likeable for me to care what happened to her. The misadventures she encounters are grimly funny (perhaps like Glasgow itself). Not a total flop like Deviant or The Donor, but lacking the hilarity of Devil’s Staircase or Dead Lovely. Strangely, her inconsistency is a quality I admire in Helen Fitzgerald: the sense of being out of control is a lot of the fun and we never know what to expect.
August 31, 2019
This book was not for me. I hated it. It was stressful and unpleasant and ended badly, abruptly. I can also see that other people could read it and find it funny or maybe exciting... I am not those people. This was not my book. 😖
May 29, 2019
I don’t know about any other bookseller but I am just waiting for the day when someone says, “You wouldn’t by any chance have any books where Irvine Welsh is channelled through the madcap world of a slightly unhinged menopausal woman would you?” To which I could triumphantly declare that yes, I have the very thing. Having read and reviewed Helen Fitzgerald’s books before, I think it really is fair to say that there are few contemporary writers that display the natural versatility and scope that she so confidently displays from book to book. For this reason alone, her books are unerringly readable, and as she turns her acerbic and probing gaze on, in this case, a woman under extreme pressure for a whole variety of reasons, you are never quite sure where she is going to take you…
Throughout Worst Case Scenario we become fully immersed in the world of Mary, an ageing criminal-justice social worker, grappling with a host of unpleasant clients, the daily struggle with petty bureaucracy, an over-reliance on illegal, and legal stimulants, and the nefarious onset of intense menopausal symptoms. Oh, and her perceived involvement in the suicide of one of her clients, an entanglement with the #MeToo movement, and attracting the hatred of pretty much every ‘cuckolded’ man the length and breadth of the nation. All told there’s quite a lot going on in Mary’s life, which becomes increasingly difficult with her son’s involvement with the daughter of said suicide victim, and the growing strain on her relationship with her husband Roddie. It’s all here: misogyny, misandry, perversion, hot flashes, and a pervading feel at times of a woman drowning, not waving.
As totally unhinged as this all sounds, Fitzgerald absolutely takes the reader through this strange and almost hallucinogenic world, where depravity and constant self doubt plague Mary’s life, but where Mary meets each challenge with all the subtlety of a blunt instrument, and with all the tact of the aforementioned too. She is a real force of nature, and despite her numerous flaws and the frustration she arouses in the reader, I liked her very much. Would I want her job? No. Would I want her ballsiness? Absolutely.
I’ve never had cause to refer to Greek mythology in a review before, but there’s a first time for everything, but Fitzgerald really does summon up the Muses of comedy, Thalia and tragedy, Melpomene in this book. Cut through with dark humour, moments of excruciating discomfort, Fitzgerald balances her razor-sharp comic touch, with moments of extreme pathos and heartbreak, carefully harnessing the moments of psycho-drama with the inherent need for the pace and suspense of any compelling psychological thriller. Taking a diversion from Greek mythology to the film Jumpin’ Jack Flash (yeah, stay with me), Whoopi Goldberg declares that she has the face of a woman on the edge, and that’s how I saw Mary, and I loved her all the more for it.
Worst Case Scenario is one of Fitzgerald’s best books to date, in its relevancy and very unique spin on a whole host of social, criminal and women’s issues. Would absolutely recommend this one…
Throughout Worst Case Scenario we become fully immersed in the world of Mary, an ageing criminal-justice social worker, grappling with a host of unpleasant clients, the daily struggle with petty bureaucracy, an over-reliance on illegal, and legal stimulants, and the nefarious onset of intense menopausal symptoms. Oh, and her perceived involvement in the suicide of one of her clients, an entanglement with the #MeToo movement, and attracting the hatred of pretty much every ‘cuckolded’ man the length and breadth of the nation. All told there’s quite a lot going on in Mary’s life, which becomes increasingly difficult with her son’s involvement with the daughter of said suicide victim, and the growing strain on her relationship with her husband Roddie. It’s all here: misogyny, misandry, perversion, hot flashes, and a pervading feel at times of a woman drowning, not waving.
As totally unhinged as this all sounds, Fitzgerald absolutely takes the reader through this strange and almost hallucinogenic world, where depravity and constant self doubt plague Mary’s life, but where Mary meets each challenge with all the subtlety of a blunt instrument, and with all the tact of the aforementioned too. She is a real force of nature, and despite her numerous flaws and the frustration she arouses in the reader, I liked her very much. Would I want her job? No. Would I want her ballsiness? Absolutely.
I’ve never had cause to refer to Greek mythology in a review before, but there’s a first time for everything, but Fitzgerald really does summon up the Muses of comedy, Thalia and tragedy, Melpomene in this book. Cut through with dark humour, moments of excruciating discomfort, Fitzgerald balances her razor-sharp comic touch, with moments of extreme pathos and heartbreak, carefully harnessing the moments of psycho-drama with the inherent need for the pace and suspense of any compelling psychological thriller. Taking a diversion from Greek mythology to the film Jumpin’ Jack Flash (yeah, stay with me), Whoopi Goldberg declares that she has the face of a woman on the edge, and that’s how I saw Mary, and I loved her all the more for it.
Worst Case Scenario is one of Fitzgerald’s best books to date, in its relevancy and very unique spin on a whole host of social, criminal and women’s issues. Would absolutely recommend this one…
May 21, 2019
Whatever you think this book will be about, set your thoughts aside. This is nothing like I expected and that’s a marvellous thing because Worst Case Scenario is incredibly original, refreshing and just an all-round fabulous surprise.
Just look at this opening line!
"Every time Mary tried to relax in the bath, a paedophile ruined it."
Meet Mary Shields, a criminal justice social worker. Mary is awfully moody, menopausal, has a bit of a drinking problem, likes the occasional joint and is just plain fed up with her job and ready for retirement. She is also one of the most fantastic characters I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting and she had me chuckling from the very first page, even when at times it didn’t seem all that appropriate. You know how you sometimes laugh out loud and then quickly cover your mouth with your hand because it feels wrong? Yes, that. Then Liam, a man who spent time in prison for murdering his wife, is released on licence into Mary’s care. How could anything possibly go wrong?
Worst Case Scenario is often witty but also dark and moving. It’s extremely easy to imagine the frustration these social workers go through on a daily basis. With mountains of paperwork, flexitime and criminals that need constant supervision who keep finding ways to break the restrictions that have been put upon them, it’s a small miracle these social workers don’t go absolutely insane. Heck, I’d be drinking!
I’m trying to keep this vague because you should experience Mary’s turmoil for yourself. There are some tough topics along the way, all too realistic and believable and ultimately also thought-provoking. While part of me kept thinking there was no way things could possibly end well, shit hits the fan in a way I couldn’t have predicted at all. But I loved everything about it. I was quite sad to see my journey with Mary coming to an end and I’m secretly hoping she will be back some day.
I knew I’d enjoy this one, because Orenda Books never lets me down, but I wasn’t prepared for how much I’d absolutely love it. Gripping, addictive, impossible to put down and with an incredible female protagonist you can’t help but root for, Worst Case Scenario is responsible for one of the best afternoons I’ve ever had. As such, this moves straight onto my list of books of the year. A list which Orenda Books may just end up dominating at this rate. Highly recommend you check this one out!
Just look at this opening line!
"Every time Mary tried to relax in the bath, a paedophile ruined it."
Meet Mary Shields, a criminal justice social worker. Mary is awfully moody, menopausal, has a bit of a drinking problem, likes the occasional joint and is just plain fed up with her job and ready for retirement. She is also one of the most fantastic characters I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting and she had me chuckling from the very first page, even when at times it didn’t seem all that appropriate. You know how you sometimes laugh out loud and then quickly cover your mouth with your hand because it feels wrong? Yes, that. Then Liam, a man who spent time in prison for murdering his wife, is released on licence into Mary’s care. How could anything possibly go wrong?
Worst Case Scenario is often witty but also dark and moving. It’s extremely easy to imagine the frustration these social workers go through on a daily basis. With mountains of paperwork, flexitime and criminals that need constant supervision who keep finding ways to break the restrictions that have been put upon them, it’s a small miracle these social workers don’t go absolutely insane. Heck, I’d be drinking!
I’m trying to keep this vague because you should experience Mary’s turmoil for yourself. There are some tough topics along the way, all too realistic and believable and ultimately also thought-provoking. While part of me kept thinking there was no way things could possibly end well, shit hits the fan in a way I couldn’t have predicted at all. But I loved everything about it. I was quite sad to see my journey with Mary coming to an end and I’m secretly hoping she will be back some day.
I knew I’d enjoy this one, because Orenda Books never lets me down, but I wasn’t prepared for how much I’d absolutely love it. Gripping, addictive, impossible to put down and with an incredible female protagonist you can’t help but root for, Worst Case Scenario is responsible for one of the best afternoons I’ve ever had. As such, this moves straight onto my list of books of the year. A list which Orenda Books may just end up dominating at this rate. Highly recommend you check this one out!
May 20, 2020
I’ve attempted to read this book a few times, and I failed miserably each time. My first attempt was listening to the audiobook but I had to stop as I found the narrator difficult to follow due to her strong accent. Next attempted the eBook, but failed on finishing that too. Finally, I picked up a physical copy from the library just before lockdown and I finally got to the end and here we are with this mini review.
While Worst Case Scenariohad great potential but I found the plot to be a little chaotic and confusing. I also found the writing style hard to read. I ended up reading parts over again just to try and make sense of what the main character was talking about or referring to, this in turn slowed me down in finishing the book.
Another thing I’m a little confused about is that I’ve heard people describe this main character Mary as funny and dark humoured but personally I could see it. I just found her super annoying and unlikeable.
This is definitely one of those books you’ll either love or hate. Sadly, this one wasn’t for me.
While Worst Case Scenariohad great potential but I found the plot to be a little chaotic and confusing. I also found the writing style hard to read. I ended up reading parts over again just to try and make sense of what the main character was talking about or referring to, this in turn slowed me down in finishing the book.
Another thing I’m a little confused about is that I’ve heard people describe this main character Mary as funny and dark humoured but personally I could see it. I just found her super annoying and unlikeable.
This is definitely one of those books you’ll either love or hate. Sadly, this one wasn’t for me.
June 18, 2019
3.5 Stars rounded up to 4
Wow, what a rollercoaster of a story!
Firstly I just want to acknowledge what a fantastic character Mary Shields is! Menopausal and brilliantly blunt. I have a very dry sense of humor so this book had me literally laughing out loud at times. I loved the honesty of the character, she thinks and says the kinds of things that we all probably think to ourselves from time to time about people or situations, its really good to see it on paper through a totally believable protagonist.
Don’t be under any illusions, Worst Case Scenario is a gritty, Psychological Crime Thriller with just enough dark humor to take the edge off.
Read my full review here http://darkreads.blog/2019/05/25/blog...
Wow, what a rollercoaster of a story!
Firstly I just want to acknowledge what a fantastic character Mary Shields is! Menopausal and brilliantly blunt. I have a very dry sense of humor so this book had me literally laughing out loud at times. I loved the honesty of the character, she thinks and says the kinds of things that we all probably think to ourselves from time to time about people or situations, its really good to see it on paper through a totally believable protagonist.
Don’t be under any illusions, Worst Case Scenario is a gritty, Psychological Crime Thriller with just enough dark humor to take the edge off.
Read my full review here http://darkreads.blog/2019/05/25/blog...
May 1, 2019
I love Helen Fitzgerald’s books and have been a fan for many years! I love her dark humour which, when combined with her shocking plot lines, always makes sure I never quite know what to expect when I pick up one of her books. So I was thrilled when she signed with Orenda Books and was desperate to read Worst Case Scenario as soon as I could. And what a book!! Helen Fitzgerald has absolutely smashed it with her socially relevant, wickedly humorous and pertinently shocking novel. As a menopausal woman myself I found myself cheering Mary on even though she was so unapologetically politically incorrect at times that I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry! (I laughed!!!)
The plot follows Mary in her job as a probation officer, a victim of a career that asks for more and more from the employees who want to make a difference to the world. The scenes where she interacted with the worst of humanity were acerbic and a biting commentary on the criminal justice system. And it was very easy to understand the pressure she was constantly under! The ways in which she dealt with the daily challenges she had to face were handled with an incredibly dark humour especially when we saw her relationship with her ex. These were some of the funniest, laugh out loud moments for me and counteracted the horrors that faced Mary every other hour of the day.
I loved the style of the narrative and how it used the letters written by Liam Macdowell to his dead wife to open up his character. But there were so many shocks awaiting me around every corner I turned, that I probably had my jaw firmly planted on the floor throughout! Helen Fitzgerald is such a brilliant creator of plots that don’t go in the direction that you expect and the final few pages especially were horrifically disquieting even though there was still a thread of that dark humour twisted into the unsettling denouement.
I feel like I shouldn’t be saying I enjoyed this book as that makes it sound like a much lighter read than it really is! But I did enjoy it-especially the brilliant portrayal of a menopausal woman on the edge. True to life and compelling so make sure you check out Worst Case Scenario for yourself!
The plot follows Mary in her job as a probation officer, a victim of a career that asks for more and more from the employees who want to make a difference to the world. The scenes where she interacted with the worst of humanity were acerbic and a biting commentary on the criminal justice system. And it was very easy to understand the pressure she was constantly under! The ways in which she dealt with the daily challenges she had to face were handled with an incredibly dark humour especially when we saw her relationship with her ex. These were some of the funniest, laugh out loud moments for me and counteracted the horrors that faced Mary every other hour of the day.
I loved the style of the narrative and how it used the letters written by Liam Macdowell to his dead wife to open up his character. But there were so many shocks awaiting me around every corner I turned, that I probably had my jaw firmly planted on the floor throughout! Helen Fitzgerald is such a brilliant creator of plots that don’t go in the direction that you expect and the final few pages especially were horrifically disquieting even though there was still a thread of that dark humour twisted into the unsettling denouement.
I feel like I shouldn’t be saying I enjoyed this book as that makes it sound like a much lighter read than it really is! But I did enjoy it-especially the brilliant portrayal of a menopausal woman on the edge. True to life and compelling so make sure you check out Worst Case Scenario for yourself!
September 6, 2020
My Review: Worst Case Scenario is Helen Fitzgerald’s latest thriller and first book published with Orenda and this, to me, is a KILLER COMBINATION, and as a fan of Helen’s previous work I was very excited to read this book.
Firstly, we need to talk about Helen’s dark humour and without giving away any spoilers her opening sentence reads “Every time Mary tried to relax in the bath, a paedophile ruined it.” and that basically is the start of a very dark, funny and shocking story which is guaranteed to make you laugh, squirm and cringe possibly all at the same time.
Mary is a 52 year old probation officer on the last days of her job working in Glasgow with some of the worst offenders imaginable. She’s had enough of her job after 30 something years dealing with the dregs of humanity and the bureaucracy of the Criminal Justice System and therefore she basically no longer gives a sh*t. It probably doesn’t help that her husband is overseas, her son is distant and she’s in the midst of the menopausal experiencing all the worst symptoms at the same time.
Her final case is Dr Liam Macdowell, a man who has served 10 years in prison for killing his wife and has now published a book containing letters he wrote to his wife whilst in prison. Mary is determined to ensure Liam is returned to prison and makes it a very personal quest to make his life as unpleasant as possible and this starts a chain of events that I really didn’t see coming.
Full of dark twists and turns, with some absolutely cringe-worthy scenarios WORST CASE SCENARIO is guaranteed to keep the reader entertained, shocked and laughing throughout.
Firstly, we need to talk about Helen’s dark humour and without giving away any spoilers her opening sentence reads “Every time Mary tried to relax in the bath, a paedophile ruined it.” and that basically is the start of a very dark, funny and shocking story which is guaranteed to make you laugh, squirm and cringe possibly all at the same time.
Mary is a 52 year old probation officer on the last days of her job working in Glasgow with some of the worst offenders imaginable. She’s had enough of her job after 30 something years dealing with the dregs of humanity and the bureaucracy of the Criminal Justice System and therefore she basically no longer gives a sh*t. It probably doesn’t help that her husband is overseas, her son is distant and she’s in the midst of the menopausal experiencing all the worst symptoms at the same time.
Her final case is Dr Liam Macdowell, a man who has served 10 years in prison for killing his wife and has now published a book containing letters he wrote to his wife whilst in prison. Mary is determined to ensure Liam is returned to prison and makes it a very personal quest to make his life as unpleasant as possible and this starts a chain of events that I really didn’t see coming.
Full of dark twists and turns, with some absolutely cringe-worthy scenarios WORST CASE SCENARIO is guaranteed to keep the reader entertained, shocked and laughing throughout.
May 12, 2019
Oh my life. How can something so very, very wrong be so absolutely right?
Well ... read Worst Case Scenario by Helen Fitzgerald and you will start to get some idea of exactly what I mean. This book ... It had me laughing from the very first chapter whilst inwardly cringing at some of the situations which occur and the position that our protagonist, Mary Shields, finds herself in.
And what a character Mary is. A long term Criminal Justice Social Worker, or Probation Officer as she'd be known south of the border, battling both bureaucracy and menopause, Mary is all manner of wrong. Politically, socially and emotionally incorrect, her time working with offenders and the powers that be have left her cynical, jaded and desperately counting down the days to her retirement. And with her partner on the verge of hitting the big time, it looks like that wish of retirement is about to come true, leaving Mary with a devil may care and gung-ho attitude towards everything.
I loved Mary as a character. Good lord, she is not remotely likeable - acerbic, abrupt, hard as nails - but she still brought a huge smile to my face. Her hilarious but oh so astute observations of her working environment just made me howl, and I'm sure the early comments on working time will resonate with anyone who has ever worked in a job where lunch breaks are aspirational and flexi time is a perfect theory but hard to put into practice. She gets her personal pleasure in a way which is wholly inappropriate, almost skin crawling, and yet undeniably funny, making you laugh even though you know you absolutely shouldn't. But there is another side to her character, and as certain events unfurl you get to see it, albeit briefly. Emotional turmoil which even her keen sense of humour cannot protect her from.
���Now there is a serious side to this book. This is, after all, also about Mary's 'clients' sex offenders and abusers, who will make your skin crawl and sicken you as you read. Helen Fitzgerald has captured their character perfectly, and people such as Jimmy McKinley will make your skin crawl, reminding you of the true nature of the job Mary does and the reason why her black humour is absolutely necessary in order to cope. The author does not make light of the seriousness of the crimes committed by some of the characters, nor the emotional toll of events upon those at the heart of the action, walking a fine line when capturing this on the page. But she has done a brilliant job of balancing the gravity of the backstory against the dark humour of Mary and her co workers.
This book could be described as a comedy of errors almost. For all the good that Mary attempts to do, how well-meaning her actions may have been, everything that can go wrong, does go wrong, sometimes with shocking impact, other times almost inevitable and yet still comedic effect. There is much to be said for playing it straight, perhaps a lesson that might have served Mary well and certainly changed the course of what happened throughout the book. But there would be little fun for the reader in that now would there?
I loved the way in which Mary's various relationships were explored in this book. From the way in which she interacted with family, the strain which develops between her and her son and her partner, to the strange kind of chemistry which quickly formed between her and Liam MacDowell, the author has created an elaborate tangle which threatens to eat up Mary's life. And all of it is beautifully narrated, sharing Mary's thoughts and reactions as each bond takes an almighty battering. I think it was the back and forth between Mary and Liam which hooked me the most, making the conclusion all the more shocking. It's fair to say there was more than a little obsession over Liam's past crimes on Mary's part, but was she as savvy a judge of character as she thought she was?
It's so hard to talk about this book in detail without giving key bits of the story away, or really being able to explain why I absolutely bloody loved it. Was it the simple touches, the completely inappropriate nature of the humour such as the very odd and very creepy doll which Jimmy McKinley kept in his home? Perhaps it was the way that all of Mary's best intentions and her actions - completely ill-advised as they were - just seemed to jump up and bite her in the backside? Maybe it was the way in which the writing was just so fluid, so witty and well observed, a spot on portrayal of life in public service, with an outrageously politically incorrect character that says, does and acts out all the things we aren't allowed to do ourselves, not without fear of a lynching at least. All I know is that I bombed through the book in no time and was recommending it to anyone who would listen before I even read past chapter two. I know that this book had me hooked.
Dark, uncompromisingly funny, tense, littered with moments of emotional stillness and acutely observed, this is a book I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.
February 23, 2020
As a woman of a certain age who has been going through the menopause for over 5 years with symptoms that even HRT couldn’t defeat, I was extremely interested to read this, not least because of the rave reviews it has received from fellow bloggers and reviewers.
52 year old Mary Shields is a criminal justice social worker, working in Glasgow. She is tired, irrational, moody, suffering from menopause systems, and it takes one just one thing to push her over the edge and want to quit her job. Once she decides she is going to resign, she doesn’t care any more. A job that is pressurised and understaffed with overflowing caseloads and which owes her 41 hours flex time which she stands to lose because she can’t use the hours up.
I knew what social workers/probation officers did, to a degree, but before reading this book, I hadn’t realised just how intrusive they had to be in offenders lives after their release from prison in making sure that they are complying with the terms of their release and how many rules that offenders had to follow; to that extent I found it an enlightening read. They deal with the worst of society – murderers, paedophiles and it must take a special kind of person to be able to do that job. Mary has her own emotional troubles to deal with and yet she has to be responsible for looking after other peoples lives.
One of her last cases is Dr Liam Macdowall. Liam is released on licence after killing his wife, he writes a book about his experiences and becomes a bit of a celebrity. She is assigned as his social worker and it becomes personal between the two of them and not in a good way. At times I actually felt quite sorry for Liam in his dealings with Mary and I’m not sure that I was supposed to!
Mary wants to do good things and she means well. However there were times when her actions were so outrageous and ill advised that I feared her life was becoming a car crash and I spent much of the time, especially during the second half of the book, shaking my head in disbelief and muttering “why the hell are you doing this” when one bad decision followed another. Much of Mary’s antics and dialogue were humorous, however sometimes I felt there was danger of it turning into farce, particularly on occasions when she became a one woman vigilante. Mary didn’t suffer fools and whilst I admired and even envied her ‘don’t give a ‘f*ck’ attitude, mostly my feelings about her veered between sympathy, amusement and utter bewilderment. I have to say though, I had my hands in my mouth at that ending!
Mary Shields is definitely a force to be reckoned with. Worst Case Scenario is dark, shocking, thought provoking, outrageous but always entertaining.
52 year old Mary Shields is a criminal justice social worker, working in Glasgow. She is tired, irrational, moody, suffering from menopause systems, and it takes one just one thing to push her over the edge and want to quit her job. Once she decides she is going to resign, she doesn’t care any more. A job that is pressurised and understaffed with overflowing caseloads and which owes her 41 hours flex time which she stands to lose because she can’t use the hours up.
I knew what social workers/probation officers did, to a degree, but before reading this book, I hadn’t realised just how intrusive they had to be in offenders lives after their release from prison in making sure that they are complying with the terms of their release and how many rules that offenders had to follow; to that extent I found it an enlightening read. They deal with the worst of society – murderers, paedophiles and it must take a special kind of person to be able to do that job. Mary has her own emotional troubles to deal with and yet she has to be responsible for looking after other peoples lives.
One of her last cases is Dr Liam Macdowall. Liam is released on licence after killing his wife, he writes a book about his experiences and becomes a bit of a celebrity. She is assigned as his social worker and it becomes personal between the two of them and not in a good way. At times I actually felt quite sorry for Liam in his dealings with Mary and I’m not sure that I was supposed to!
Mary wants to do good things and she means well. However there were times when her actions were so outrageous and ill advised that I feared her life was becoming a car crash and I spent much of the time, especially during the second half of the book, shaking my head in disbelief and muttering “why the hell are you doing this” when one bad decision followed another. Much of Mary’s antics and dialogue were humorous, however sometimes I felt there was danger of it turning into farce, particularly on occasions when she became a one woman vigilante. Mary didn’t suffer fools and whilst I admired and even envied her ‘don’t give a ‘f*ck’ attitude, mostly my feelings about her veered between sympathy, amusement and utter bewilderment. I have to say though, I had my hands in my mouth at that ending!
Mary Shields is definitely a force to be reckoned with. Worst Case Scenario is dark, shocking, thought provoking, outrageous but always entertaining.
June 9, 2019
Worst Case Scenario – Dark but funny
Worst Case Scenario is the latest outing from the bestselling author, Helen Fitzgerald. She has managed to conquer the disadvantages in life, being an Aussie, sentenced to live in Glasgow, with her husband, even I am not the cruel. Her wonderful sense of humour screams at you throughout this deliciously dark and funny thriller. The dark humour screams the dark truths at you and sometimes it is those truths we cannot bare to look at.
Mary Shields is an experienced probation officer, with over thirty years of experience, she gets to deal with the ‘dregs’ of society, and in her case the worst cases. She is getting hot flushes, possibly the menopause, the wine drinking, over worked and completely dysfunctional in work and in her private life.
When murderer Liam Mcdowall is set to be released on life licence, she is going to be his probation. So, when he is released, she will be the first person he sees, whatever he wants to do he has to ask her permission. Things are made slightly harder is that he has published a series of letter to the wife, he murdered. The book has made him a hero especially to Men’s Right Activists.
Things do not go well from the moment she meets him in prison for the last time before his release, when she meets Derek his agent, and his daughter Holly. Mary’s son falls in love/lust with Holly and the feelings are returned when they meet at an author event. Mcdowall misses his probation meetings and send Mary after him and breach him, as in contravention of his licence.
Mcdowall’s agent also has his problems with the law and decides to take Mary on and there can only be one winner. At the same time Mary decides to take the law in to her own hands as she wants to dish out the justice which the system clearly failed to deliver. What possibly could go wrong? Well besides the hot sweets, the drinking and the world out to prove that Mary is a man hater?
While at times being dark, the humour shines a light into the darkness, and while you cannot but have sympathy with Mary, she is a walking disaster area. Can Mary do what every probation officer has probably wanted to do, and keep her job, while flexitime really is getting on her nerves.
A fantastic dark and funny thriller that really does as the old cliché says, it is a page turner!
Worst Case Scenario is the latest outing from the bestselling author, Helen Fitzgerald. She has managed to conquer the disadvantages in life, being an Aussie, sentenced to live in Glasgow, with her husband, even I am not the cruel. Her wonderful sense of humour screams at you throughout this deliciously dark and funny thriller. The dark humour screams the dark truths at you and sometimes it is those truths we cannot bare to look at.
Mary Shields is an experienced probation officer, with over thirty years of experience, she gets to deal with the ‘dregs’ of society, and in her case the worst cases. She is getting hot flushes, possibly the menopause, the wine drinking, over worked and completely dysfunctional in work and in her private life.
When murderer Liam Mcdowall is set to be released on life licence, she is going to be his probation. So, when he is released, she will be the first person he sees, whatever he wants to do he has to ask her permission. Things are made slightly harder is that he has published a series of letter to the wife, he murdered. The book has made him a hero especially to Men’s Right Activists.
Things do not go well from the moment she meets him in prison for the last time before his release, when she meets Derek his agent, and his daughter Holly. Mary’s son falls in love/lust with Holly and the feelings are returned when they meet at an author event. Mcdowall misses his probation meetings and send Mary after him and breach him, as in contravention of his licence.
Mcdowall’s agent also has his problems with the law and decides to take Mary on and there can only be one winner. At the same time Mary decides to take the law in to her own hands as she wants to dish out the justice which the system clearly failed to deliver. What possibly could go wrong? Well besides the hot sweets, the drinking and the world out to prove that Mary is a man hater?
While at times being dark, the humour shines a light into the darkness, and while you cannot but have sympathy with Mary, she is a walking disaster area. Can Mary do what every probation officer has probably wanted to do, and keep her job, while flexitime really is getting on her nerves.
A fantastic dark and funny thriller that really does as the old cliché says, it is a page turner!
May 12, 2019
Hi and welcome to my stop on the Worst Case Scenario blog tour! First of all, many thanks to Anne Cater for having me on the tour and to Orenda Books for the eARC!
This is the story of Mary Shields, parole officer. I have always thought the job of probation officer must be a fascinating one. To have convicted felons being released in your care, to be responsible for determining their worst case scenario in an attempt to prevent said scenario from ever coming true, to be the one to evaluate all that could go wrong and all that needs to be done to make sure it doesn’t? Fascinating! But tough! And this particular probation officer is becoming a bit unhinged. Is it her comic artist husband who has finally found success, is it the job that’s finally got to her, is it hormones? Could be all of the above, but whatever the cause(s), Mary’s a hot mess and has lost sight of her own worst case scenario. She has come at a point in her life where she just doesn’t give a rat’s ass anymore. And being menopausal sure doesn’t help. Unfortunately she doesn’t realise that her devil-may-care attitude could very well ruin her life, and the lives of others, including those she cares about.
Know that feeling when you’ve overslept and you jump out of bed, cleaning your teeth, combing your hair and putting on your socks all at the same time, hurrying out of the house in total bewilderment, not quite knowing what the hell you’re doing? That’s pretty much how Worst Case Scenario felt to me! The story takes off at breakneck speed and you’re hurtled along with it, and in its wake you’re left breathless and bewildered and very much alive. Utterly exhilarating!
Part of me admired part of Mary. She’s going to quit the job that drives her crazy, and to hell with everything and everyone! On the other hand, she sometimes had me muttering questions like: Are you delusional?! What the hell are you doing?! However, it wasn’t in an eye-roll kind of way, Mary got under my skin but not on my nerves, and believe me, that’s an impressive balancing act right there!
This wasn’t quite what I was expecting it to be, but while I was certainly surprised, I was anything but disappointed. This was an insane ride, super-fast, dark, funny, crazy as hell and yes, please, I want more! Recommended!
This is the story of Mary Shields, parole officer. I have always thought the job of probation officer must be a fascinating one. To have convicted felons being released in your care, to be responsible for determining their worst case scenario in an attempt to prevent said scenario from ever coming true, to be the one to evaluate all that could go wrong and all that needs to be done to make sure it doesn’t? Fascinating! But tough! And this particular probation officer is becoming a bit unhinged. Is it her comic artist husband who has finally found success, is it the job that’s finally got to her, is it hormones? Could be all of the above, but whatever the cause(s), Mary’s a hot mess and has lost sight of her own worst case scenario. She has come at a point in her life where she just doesn’t give a rat’s ass anymore. And being menopausal sure doesn’t help. Unfortunately she doesn’t realise that her devil-may-care attitude could very well ruin her life, and the lives of others, including those she cares about.
Know that feeling when you’ve overslept and you jump out of bed, cleaning your teeth, combing your hair and putting on your socks all at the same time, hurrying out of the house in total bewilderment, not quite knowing what the hell you’re doing? That’s pretty much how Worst Case Scenario felt to me! The story takes off at breakneck speed and you’re hurtled along with it, and in its wake you’re left breathless and bewildered and very much alive. Utterly exhilarating!
Part of me admired part of Mary. She’s going to quit the job that drives her crazy, and to hell with everything and everyone! On the other hand, she sometimes had me muttering questions like: Are you delusional?! What the hell are you doing?! However, it wasn’t in an eye-roll kind of way, Mary got under my skin but not on my nerves, and believe me, that’s an impressive balancing act right there!
This wasn’t quite what I was expecting it to be, but while I was certainly surprised, I was anything but disappointed. This was an insane ride, super-fast, dark, funny, crazy as hell and yes, please, I want more! Recommended!
June 9, 2019
Everyone's read the blurb and given lots more info about the book in their reviews so I won't do that in mine.
First time I've read this author. I like the writing style. Short, sharp and to the point. I like that it's set in Glasgow (very near my home town) so I understand the people, the culture, the humour.
Very much liked that it opened my eyes to the workloads, working conditions, types of cases and professionalism mixed with self doubt that social workers/probation officers have to contend with.
Love Mary's attitude. She's a very relateable woman regarding her menopause, her jadedness, her drinking, her desire to do good for her fellowmen, even for her case subjects, regardless of her personal opinion.
I saw this described somewhere as a psychological thriller, which it most definitely isn't. That's my favourite genre so I've read hundreds pf those therefore often like to read something lighter or different in between. This was definitely a different in between. But not a thriller at all. Nor a lighter one.
Disturbing subject matter dealt with in dark humour and totally non pc. And I liked that too. I looked forward to reading more each time I had to put it down. (Yes, life takes over and takes priority even when I'd rather carry on reading).
I'd give it a 3.5 out of 5 rather than the 3 stars but only because I can't say I REALLY liked it to merit 4 stars. I'm very glad I read it as it was worth my time in doing so and I learnt a lot from it regarding social workers and what a very thankless but great job they do in very difficult circumstances. I certainly couldn't do what they do and remain impartial. I think I'd go mad or become extremely depressed. Mary just drinks and pleasures herself (both maybe a little too often)! Seeing her retirement ahead, I loved her dropping her professionalism and telling it like it is to certain people. Haven't we all wanted to say exactly what we thought of people to them at some point? And then circumstances unexpectedly change and we've had to backpedal??? Then, trying to correct things, just dig yourself in deeper?
I found Mary very honest and self aware. She kept telling her boss she needs help but she's not heard and just given more work. I can't hate the boss for that either because I imagine the boss feels the same way about her own pressures too. Mary obviously knew she was close to breaking point and saw her retirement as her saviour and was expecting it to provide her perfect idyll ... being looked after instead of looking after everyone else. Not having to mix with, let alone defend and provide for, scum. Having more money so she could GIVE more materially to those in physical need too?! Seeing her husband rise in his chosen arty profession and on the brink of huge success .. hence her whole reason for being able to retire. And her beloved teenage son progress towards his law career. She'd done a fantastic job so far in supporting them both (literally financially) and getting them to this point. Who wouldn't want that?
Then things changed. Circumstances, which she had no control over, made worse by sensationalist press reports .... and people's belief in them, started a downwards spiral towards her worst case scenario. And that's when the real rollercoaster starts. To this point, we've seen Mary at her best, mediocre and probably thought, her worst too. Her worst is also relateable, but cringingly embarrassing ... car crash tv.
Loved everything up to that point then formulated my own continued plot and ending and was just going to enjoy the author taking me, much more entertainingly than I could myself, through that same plot and ending.
Then I noticed I was at 98% (ebook) and thought surely it can't finish in a couple of pages? It did. Most unsatisfactorily. Which is another reason why I'm only giving it 3. Whether the author has a sequel planned or not, I don't know. But it's been a while since a book left me this annoyed and hoping there will be one. Could be a marketing ploy ... I've experienced others that have left me hanging and wanting a sequel ... but none that have also made me feel so angry it ended like this!
On another positive though .... I'll look out other books by the same author. I liked the writing and hopefully another book by her might leave me in a better mood!
First time I've read this author. I like the writing style. Short, sharp and to the point. I like that it's set in Glasgow (very near my home town) so I understand the people, the culture, the humour.
Very much liked that it opened my eyes to the workloads, working conditions, types of cases and professionalism mixed with self doubt that social workers/probation officers have to contend with.
Love Mary's attitude. She's a very relateable woman regarding her menopause, her jadedness, her drinking, her desire to do good for her fellowmen, even for her case subjects, regardless of her personal opinion.
I saw this described somewhere as a psychological thriller, which it most definitely isn't. That's my favourite genre so I've read hundreds pf those therefore often like to read something lighter or different in between. This was definitely a different in between. But not a thriller at all. Nor a lighter one.
Disturbing subject matter dealt with in dark humour and totally non pc. And I liked that too. I looked forward to reading more each time I had to put it down. (Yes, life takes over and takes priority even when I'd rather carry on reading).
I'd give it a 3.5 out of 5 rather than the 3 stars but only because I can't say I REALLY liked it to merit 4 stars. I'm very glad I read it as it was worth my time in doing so and I learnt a lot from it regarding social workers and what a very thankless but great job they do in very difficult circumstances. I certainly couldn't do what they do and remain impartial. I think I'd go mad or become extremely depressed. Mary just drinks and pleasures herself (both maybe a little too often)! Seeing her retirement ahead, I loved her dropping her professionalism and telling it like it is to certain people. Haven't we all wanted to say exactly what we thought of people to them at some point? And then circumstances unexpectedly change and we've had to backpedal??? Then, trying to correct things, just dig yourself in deeper?
I found Mary very honest and self aware. She kept telling her boss she needs help but she's not heard and just given more work. I can't hate the boss for that either because I imagine the boss feels the same way about her own pressures too. Mary obviously knew she was close to breaking point and saw her retirement as her saviour and was expecting it to provide her perfect idyll ... being looked after instead of looking after everyone else. Not having to mix with, let alone defend and provide for, scum. Having more money so she could GIVE more materially to those in physical need too?! Seeing her husband rise in his chosen arty profession and on the brink of huge success .. hence her whole reason for being able to retire. And her beloved teenage son progress towards his law career. She'd done a fantastic job so far in supporting them both (literally financially) and getting them to this point. Who wouldn't want that?
Then things changed. Circumstances, which she had no control over, made worse by sensationalist press reports .... and people's belief in them, started a downwards spiral towards her worst case scenario. And that's when the real rollercoaster starts. To this point, we've seen Mary at her best, mediocre and probably thought, her worst too. Her worst is also relateable, but cringingly embarrassing ... car crash tv.
Loved everything up to that point then formulated my own continued plot and ending and was just going to enjoy the author taking me, much more entertainingly than I could myself, through that same plot and ending.
Then I noticed I was at 98% (ebook) and thought surely it can't finish in a couple of pages? It did. Most unsatisfactorily. Which is another reason why I'm only giving it 3. Whether the author has a sequel planned or not, I don't know. But it's been a while since a book left me this annoyed and hoping there will be one. Could be a marketing ploy ... I've experienced others that have left me hanging and wanting a sequel ... but none that have also made me feel so angry it ended like this!
On another positive though .... I'll look out other books by the same author. I liked the writing and hopefully another book by her might leave me in a better mood!
July 20, 2019
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
Mary Shields is a social worker/probation officer, and I can't imagine that there are many in either field that can't recognize themselves a little in those above quotations (I couldn't pick one). It's probably my (understandable) lack of knowledge about Scottish penology/jurisprudence, but I don't get exactly how her job works. She refers to herself as a social worker, and seems to work for a private employer, while she manages people on probation. It didn't impact the novel for me, it's just something I stumbled over a few times.
Before I go on, can I just ask something? Police procedurals and PI novels are never going away, but are we done with Forensic Scientists/CSI-types now and moving on to Probation/Parole Officers? Maybe it's just me, but I've gone my entire life without reading a book focused on/featuring a Probation Officer and now I've read two in the last month and a half. I'm all for it, if the books are as good as these two are, I should stress.
Anyway, Mary is going through several changes in her life -- including The Change. Her adult son has finished school and has found gainful enough employment that he has moved into his own place, her husband—a struggling artist for years is on the brink of making good, reliable money; and her own employment is getting the best of her—the schedule, the clients, the management—it's all too much and with Roddie about to have a reliable income, she's decided to give her notice once things become official for him. Having made that decision, she's being a little less careful than she should be with her clients. Instead of doing everything by the book and diplomatically, she's going to cut to the chase and do what she can to protect society from her clients and do what's right for the people around them (even if they don't want her to.)
The strategy sounds all well and good, but the execution could use a little work. Mary describes her role to one client as imagining the worst case scenario and then working to make sure it doesn't happen. Well, she couldn't imagine this scenario if she'd tried. Things start to go wrong immediately, and to a degree she can't cope with.
The biggest example of this (but far from the only) is Liam Macdowall, her newest client. He was convicted of murdering his wife, and is on the verge of release. Not at all coincidentally, on the same day, his book is due to be published. It's a series of letters he wrote to his dead wife from prison, essentially exonerating himself and putting the blame for the problems on his life on her. He's become the poster child for Men's Rights Activists throughout the country and his release is the occasion for protests (not necessarily the non-violent kind) for feminist groups as well as his fellow MRAs. Mary lays down the law on the eve of his release, setting forth very strict guidelines and expectations for him. Which is begins openly defying within hours of his release.
Before Mary can do anything about it, thing after thing after thing go disastrously wrong—regarding Macdowall, but with other clients, too. I can't get into the details, but let's just say the best of the things that go wrong is that her own son begins dating Macdowall's oddly devoted daughter and sipping the MRA Kool-Aid. Everything that Mary tries to do to either fix the problems in her life, or just alleviate them, fails miserably. The only thing thing that doesn't blow up in her face is retreating home to her bed and streaming Sex and the City. Her life doesn't go from bad to worse just once or twice, but at every turn, she finds another level of worse for things to go to.
I've never talked about Christopher Buckley on this site, which is a crying shame (if only because I'd like to link to the posts demonstrate this point), but I haven't read anything by him since I started here. I've been reading him since the late Eighties and love his approach to satire. The problem with all of his novels (with one exception) is that the last 5-10% seems to get away from him—like a fully-loaded shopping cart speeding down a hill. No brakes and only gravity and momentum exercising any control over what happens to it, while the wheels are close to falling off. I mention this only because I kept thinking of Buckley's endings while reading this. There are two significant differences—the out-of-control part set in around the 25% mark and somehow (I wish I could understand how) Fitzgerald pulled it off. I do think in the last 15 pages or so, the wheels got a little wobbly, but while things felt out-of-control, Fitzgerald kept things going exactly where she intended.
While I don't understand fully how Fitzgerald kept things from spiraling out of control in the novel (not Mary's life) is the character of Mary Shields. She's just fantastic. She's funny (usually unintentionally); earnest but jaded; angry at so much of what's going on around her; fully aware that she's a mess (and not getting better); yet she pushes on in her Sisyphean tasks to the best of her ability. Her life is a car wreck, and we are invited to rubberneck as we drive by. When we read:
we actually understand her frame of mind. She's a woman whose life is crumbling around her and she's doing all she can to hold it together for just a few more days until she can retire.
We don't get to spend enough time with other characters to get a strong sense of them—this is all about Mary and the disaster that is her professional, personal, and family life. I liked the portrayal of almost everyone else in the book, I just wish the style of the novel allowed Fitzgerald to develop them more fully. Particularly the MRAs—I felt that their depiction was rather shallow and lacked nuance, making them rather cartoon-y. Sure, you could argue that she's just being accurate and MRAs are cartoon-y, but I'd like to see a bit more subtlety in their portrayal. But on the whole, things are moving so fast, and Mary bounces from one calamity to another so rapidly that there's no time to develop anyone else.
There's a lot about this book that I'm not sure about, and a significant part of me wants to rate it lower. But I can't largely because of Mary Shields. I've never read anything or anyone like her. This is definitely a Gestalt kind of novel—various parts of it may not make a lot of sense; or may be good, but not great. But the whole of the novel is definitely greater than the sum of its parts—when you take all the parts that may not be that stellar and combine them the way that Fitzgerald did—and with Mary at the core—it works, it all really works.
Insane, fun, insanely fun—and probably a little closer to reality than any one is ready to admit. I have a number of family members and friends in the social work/probation/parole fields—and I'm probably going to insist that most of them read this while I encourage all of you to do the same. I can virtually promise that you won't read anything like this anytime soon.
---
When Mary decided to get her diploma [to become a Social Worker], she believed it would be her role to stand on bridges and stop people jumping off. Very soon after qualifying she realised she would never stand on bridges. She and everyone else were too busy catching casualties downstream. Except for sex offenders. If you saw a drowning sex offender being swept with the current you threw a large rock at him. Mary had done her best work in her first five years in the job. Those early cases were the ones she could recall, where she’d made the time and had an impact. She should have been forced to resign at the five-year mark. Every worker should.
Please let me get through today without killing a child, they’d all be thinking, as Mary had thought for the last thirty years. Please help me not ruin a child's life. She’d prayed each day that she’d get through it without fucking up, without turning out to be the bad guy after all. No-one in the office was expecting fame, riches, or even thanks, even though each worker would have made an excellent protagonist in It's a Wonderful Life. They all saved lives, all the time, but no-one ever noticed. Boy did people notice when it went wrong, though.
Mary Shields is a social worker/probation officer, and I can't imagine that there are many in either field that can't recognize themselves a little in those above quotations (I couldn't pick one). It's probably my (understandable) lack of knowledge about Scottish penology/jurisprudence, but I don't get exactly how her job works. She refers to herself as a social worker, and seems to work for a private employer, while she manages people on probation. It didn't impact the novel for me, it's just something I stumbled over a few times.
Before I go on, can I just ask something? Police procedurals and PI novels are never going away, but are we done with Forensic Scientists/CSI-types now and moving on to Probation/Parole Officers? Maybe it's just me, but I've gone my entire life without reading a book focused on/featuring a Probation Officer and now I've read two in the last month and a half. I'm all for it, if the books are as good as these two are, I should stress.
Anyway, Mary is going through several changes in her life -- including The Change. Her adult son has finished school and has found gainful enough employment that he has moved into his own place, her husband—a struggling artist for years is on the brink of making good, reliable money; and her own employment is getting the best of her—the schedule, the clients, the management—it's all too much and with Roddie about to have a reliable income, she's decided to give her notice once things become official for him. Having made that decision, she's being a little less careful than she should be with her clients. Instead of doing everything by the book and diplomatically, she's going to cut to the chase and do what she can to protect society from her clients and do what's right for the people around them (even if they don't want her to.)
The strategy sounds all well and good, but the execution could use a little work. Mary describes her role to one client as imagining the worst case scenario and then working to make sure it doesn't happen. Well, she couldn't imagine this scenario if she'd tried. Things start to go wrong immediately, and to a degree she can't cope with.
The biggest example of this (but far from the only) is Liam Macdowall, her newest client. He was convicted of murdering his wife, and is on the verge of release. Not at all coincidentally, on the same day, his book is due to be published. It's a series of letters he wrote to his dead wife from prison, essentially exonerating himself and putting the blame for the problems on his life on her. He's become the poster child for Men's Rights Activists throughout the country and his release is the occasion for protests (not necessarily the non-violent kind) for feminist groups as well as his fellow MRAs. Mary lays down the law on the eve of his release, setting forth very strict guidelines and expectations for him. Which is begins openly defying within hours of his release.
Before Mary can do anything about it, thing after thing after thing go disastrously wrong—regarding Macdowall, but with other clients, too. I can't get into the details, but let's just say the best of the things that go wrong is that her own son begins dating Macdowall's oddly devoted daughter and sipping the MRA Kool-Aid. Everything that Mary tries to do to either fix the problems in her life, or just alleviate them, fails miserably. The only thing thing that doesn't blow up in her face is retreating home to her bed and streaming Sex and the City. Her life doesn't go from bad to worse just once or twice, but at every turn, she finds another level of worse for things to go to.
I've never talked about Christopher Buckley on this site, which is a crying shame (if only because I'd like to link to the posts demonstrate this point), but I haven't read anything by him since I started here. I've been reading him since the late Eighties and love his approach to satire. The problem with all of his novels (with one exception) is that the last 5-10% seems to get away from him—like a fully-loaded shopping cart speeding down a hill. No brakes and only gravity and momentum exercising any control over what happens to it, while the wheels are close to falling off. I mention this only because I kept thinking of Buckley's endings while reading this. There are two significant differences—the out-of-control part set in around the 25% mark and somehow (I wish I could understand how) Fitzgerald pulled it off. I do think in the last 15 pages or so, the wheels got a little wobbly, but while things felt out-of-control, Fitzgerald kept things going exactly where she intended.
While I don't understand fully how Fitzgerald kept things from spiraling out of control in the novel (not Mary's life) is the character of Mary Shields. She's just fantastic. She's funny (usually unintentionally); earnest but jaded; angry at so much of what's going on around her; fully aware that she's a mess (and not getting better); yet she pushes on in her Sisyphean tasks to the best of her ability. Her life is a car wreck, and we are invited to rubberneck as we drive by. When we read:
...she didn't want to kill [Macdowall's MRA publisher], as this would mean losing the moral high ground.
we actually understand her frame of mind. She's a woman whose life is crumbling around her and she's doing all she can to hold it together for just a few more days until she can retire.
We don't get to spend enough time with other characters to get a strong sense of them—this is all about Mary and the disaster that is her professional, personal, and family life. I liked the portrayal of almost everyone else in the book, I just wish the style of the novel allowed Fitzgerald to develop them more fully. Particularly the MRAs—I felt that their depiction was rather shallow and lacked nuance, making them rather cartoon-y. Sure, you could argue that she's just being accurate and MRAs are cartoon-y, but I'd like to see a bit more subtlety in their portrayal. But on the whole, things are moving so fast, and Mary bounces from one calamity to another so rapidly that there's no time to develop anyone else.
There's a lot about this book that I'm not sure about, and a significant part of me wants to rate it lower. But I can't largely because of Mary Shields. I've never read anything or anyone like her. This is definitely a Gestalt kind of novel—various parts of it may not make a lot of sense; or may be good, but not great. But the whole of the novel is definitely greater than the sum of its parts—when you take all the parts that may not be that stellar and combine them the way that Fitzgerald did—and with Mary at the core—it works, it all really works.
Insane, fun, insanely fun—and probably a little closer to reality than any one is ready to admit. I have a number of family members and friends in the social work/probation/parole fields—and I'm probably going to insist that most of them read this while I encourage all of you to do the same. I can virtually promise that you won't read anything like this anytime soon.
September 4, 2020
This humorous, all action book, reads like watching a hard-hitting Scottish tv drama: dark, raw, busy, powerful and so, so thoroughly gripping. In fact, for UK readers especially, just think of a mix of 'Rebus', 'Taggart' and 'Vera' and you won't be far off the mark. I guarantee that you will either love it or loathe it, depending on what you make of the author's writing style and the way the story is initially constructed and developed (for me, both fascinating and very, very clever). Yep, make sure that you have a marmite butty at the ready if you decide to give it a go, you might just be ready for one!
Anyway, you will discover that Mary is an over- worked, on the edge, menopausal, Glaswegian criminal justice social worker who's 100 miles/hour job involves dealing, and helping to rehabilitate back into everyday society, various heavy duty, long term, serious offenders...some very bad hombres, indeed. Then, just when her life appears to have reached tipping point, and is starting to spiral badly out of control, a book is published from a convicted 'wife - murderer' which sets about protesting his innocence due to mitigating factors. How will Mary react to this added pressure on her already saturated and mad hectic daily routine and how exactly does it impact and influence her own private life and its attached set of personal circumstances?
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, though at times the 'Mary this..., Mary that..., Mary the other...' style became a bit too noticeable and ultimately slightly distracting.
A good dark, but amusing story based upon serious issues which I would thoroughly recommend - especially if an emotionally raw, full-on, piece of Scottish commentary is your thing.
Well done Mary and work colleagues, keep up the good work! Rating: 4.0 stars.
Anyway, you will discover that Mary is an over- worked, on the edge, menopausal, Glaswegian criminal justice social worker who's 100 miles/hour job involves dealing, and helping to rehabilitate back into everyday society, various heavy duty, long term, serious offenders...some very bad hombres, indeed. Then, just when her life appears to have reached tipping point, and is starting to spiral badly out of control, a book is published from a convicted 'wife - murderer' which sets about protesting his innocence due to mitigating factors. How will Mary react to this added pressure on her already saturated and mad hectic daily routine and how exactly does it impact and influence her own private life and its attached set of personal circumstances?
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, though at times the 'Mary this..., Mary that..., Mary the other...' style became a bit too noticeable and ultimately slightly distracting.
A good dark, but amusing story based upon serious issues which I would thoroughly recommend - especially if an emotionally raw, full-on, piece of Scottish commentary is your thing.
Well done Mary and work colleagues, keep up the good work! Rating: 4.0 stars.
May 7, 2019
First of all, thank you so much to Anne Cater for inviting me on this blog tour and to Karen Sullivan and Orenda Books for providing me with a complimentary digital copy of Worst Case Scenario in exchange for an honest review. What can I say? I wasn't expecting this at all! I haven't read any of the author's previous books so had no expectations in term of style or substance and she delivered on both counts with such a unique piece of work and a different, interesting female protagonist that I was instantly hooked. It probably helped that the novel begins with such an intriguing first line that I challenge anyone not to want to read on further:
"Every time Mary tried to relax in a bath, a paedophile ruined it."
I have no words. I just needed to read on after that!
Worst Case Scenario was a novel for me that encompassed so many different genres. It combined contemporary Scottish life with a psychological thriller and crime element but there there were wry moments of humour too which I very much appreciated. It felt much more to me like a character study of one woman, our female protagonist Mary Shields who is at a very frustrating and difficult moment in her life. She is struggling with the menopause and all the symptoms that accompany it including mood swings, hot flushes, night sweats and weight gain. Additionally, she has an incredibly stressful job as a probation officer and often has to deal with quite harrowing cases involving children and the individuals she monitors are often sex offenders, hardened criminals or drug addicts that have heart-breaking back stories of their own.When we first meet Mary in Worst Case Scenario she is at the height of her emotional and personal struggles and is starting to get to the point where she just doesn't care anymore. She has informed her superiors that she is planning to resign so feels a new freedom of being able to do and say whatever she wants to her clients - after all, she's leaving, what's the worst that could happen? Then she encounters a new client, Liam Macdowell, who has just been released from prison who causes her all kinds of new problems. The decisions that Mary ends up making now, in this uneasy and stressful part of her life have the potential to cause repercussions not only for herself but for those closest to her.
What made Worst Case Scenario such a different read for me? I think it was a combination of multiple elements. Mainly, it was our protagonist, Mary. I loved reading about an older woman going through the menopause which is often a subject you don't see explored in fiction and should definitely be highlighted a bit more. She was grumpy, she was irrational, she made some hideously bad decisions and at some points, I just wanted to scream at the book: "No Mary, don't!" but she was such an authentic and believable character because of these things. It was also touching to read about her vulnerabilities, her worries about her husband and her own sexuality and her caring nature towards the troubled individuals that she has to monitor. As a reader, it made you want to root for her even if at times you just wanted to cringe and cover your eyes a little bit!Additionally, being Scottish I'm always a huge fan of a Scottish setting and Helen Fitzgerald has captured this beautifully in the novel. I felt instantly back at home and as I read this just after a short trip back to Edinburgh, it made the experience strangely comforting, despite the often dark subject matter of the story. Finally, the author has written a fantastic narrative that really makes you want to keep reading with moments that may not necessarily be conventionally "thriller-like," but are truly gasp-worthy all the same. After this particular ending.... well, I NEED to know what happened next!
For my full review and many more, please visit my blog at http://www.bibliobeth.com
"Every time Mary tried to relax in a bath, a paedophile ruined it."
I have no words. I just needed to read on after that!
Worst Case Scenario was a novel for me that encompassed so many different genres. It combined contemporary Scottish life with a psychological thriller and crime element but there there were wry moments of humour too which I very much appreciated. It felt much more to me like a character study of one woman, our female protagonist Mary Shields who is at a very frustrating and difficult moment in her life. She is struggling with the menopause and all the symptoms that accompany it including mood swings, hot flushes, night sweats and weight gain. Additionally, she has an incredibly stressful job as a probation officer and often has to deal with quite harrowing cases involving children and the individuals she monitors are often sex offenders, hardened criminals or drug addicts that have heart-breaking back stories of their own.When we first meet Mary in Worst Case Scenario she is at the height of her emotional and personal struggles and is starting to get to the point where she just doesn't care anymore. She has informed her superiors that she is planning to resign so feels a new freedom of being able to do and say whatever she wants to her clients - after all, she's leaving, what's the worst that could happen? Then she encounters a new client, Liam Macdowell, who has just been released from prison who causes her all kinds of new problems. The decisions that Mary ends up making now, in this uneasy and stressful part of her life have the potential to cause repercussions not only for herself but for those closest to her.
What made Worst Case Scenario such a different read for me? I think it was a combination of multiple elements. Mainly, it was our protagonist, Mary. I loved reading about an older woman going through the menopause which is often a subject you don't see explored in fiction and should definitely be highlighted a bit more. She was grumpy, she was irrational, she made some hideously bad decisions and at some points, I just wanted to scream at the book: "No Mary, don't!" but she was such an authentic and believable character because of these things. It was also touching to read about her vulnerabilities, her worries about her husband and her own sexuality and her caring nature towards the troubled individuals that she has to monitor. As a reader, it made you want to root for her even if at times you just wanted to cringe and cover your eyes a little bit!Additionally, being Scottish I'm always a huge fan of a Scottish setting and Helen Fitzgerald has captured this beautifully in the novel. I felt instantly back at home and as I read this just after a short trip back to Edinburgh, it made the experience strangely comforting, despite the often dark subject matter of the story. Finally, the author has written a fantastic narrative that really makes you want to keep reading with moments that may not necessarily be conventionally "thriller-like," but are truly gasp-worthy all the same. After this particular ending.... well, I NEED to know what happened next!
For my full review and many more, please visit my blog at http://www.bibliobeth.com
May 25, 2019
Yes Yes Yes YES!! What a dark deliciously wicked and fantastic read! Opening lines bam yes I am laughing and I really should not be! This book had me hooked and I had absolutely no idea where this journey would go. The unknown was just fantastic!
Now I have no idea how it works in a probation office but I can imagine it is not easy with the types of people they have to deal with daily and the behaviour they might encounter, I did not understand the lingo and the acronyms but I did not care, I am and was invested in Mary. She brought the story to life and gave me an insight into the unknown. From what I have heard Fitzgerald has got it spot on!
Oh, Mary tries to do good and just ends up making it a big pickle of a mess! Going through the change, something all women have the delight of looking forward to if they have not already. To the outside world, she is perceived as a mess, a hot sweaty mess. Inside you can see the inner turmoil as everything slowly falls apart and she has not got a clue on how to fix it……well she does……but possibly it is not the right thing she could do.
Mary is fantastic, she does not take any rubbish from anyone and she is completely straight talking! Watching her have the conversations, especially with Holly, Liam’s daughter, was hilarious. Mary just did not care, perfectly flawed and a 100% real is what you get. She likes to slice things so close to the bone and worry about the consequences later….if at all. She has brought a smile to my face albeit she really shouldn’t but I threw caution to the wind and had a cackle and a cringe throughout the story.
I have not read anything by Fitzgerald before but I do have The Cry on my radar. I devoured the writing in front of me and to keep guessing and thinking about Worst Case Scenario even after I had put it down is a testament to the author. It is like she knows how close she can go to shock her audience before turning it around bringing you back to a bit of comfort before shocking you again! It is such an awesome journey to go on because just as things get too dark you do get a light relief.
The way Worst Case Scenario ends I am hoping that there will be a follow-up. I mean I need to know how Mary is and how she is going to deal with all the fallout. Fingers crossed we do soon!
October 15, 2019
“Every time Mary tried to relax in the bath, a paedophile ruined it.”
The opening line of Helen Fitzgerald’s latest thriller sets the tone, as the Glasgow-based Australian offers something very fresh and original to crime fans.
Mary Shields is menopausal probation officer with a messy life who likes to drink and hates office bureaucracy. Ready to walk away from her job, she gets a tricky case dumped on her: wife killer Liam Macdowall, who’s become a poster boy for men’s rights activists after publishing his letters to his dead wife. Newly released Liam becomes a dangerous obsession for Mary, which only worsens when her son gets into a relationship with Liam’s daughter. Determined to mete out her own justice, Mary kicks over a Jenga tower of consequences that fit the book’s title.
Fitzgerald has created something quite brilliant, both in the character of Mary and the overall tale. The revs are kept high and readers will feel, like Mary, that they’re barely clinging on throughout.
Energetic and darkly hilarious
The opening line of Helen Fitzgerald’s latest thriller sets the tone, as the Glasgow-based Australian offers something very fresh and original to crime fans.
Mary Shields is menopausal probation officer with a messy life who likes to drink and hates office bureaucracy. Ready to walk away from her job, she gets a tricky case dumped on her: wife killer Liam Macdowall, who’s become a poster boy for men’s rights activists after publishing his letters to his dead wife. Newly released Liam becomes a dangerous obsession for Mary, which only worsens when her son gets into a relationship with Liam’s daughter. Determined to mete out her own justice, Mary kicks over a Jenga tower of consequences that fit the book’s title.
Fitzgerald has created something quite brilliant, both in the character of Mary and the overall tale. The revs are kept high and readers will feel, like Mary, that they’re barely clinging on throughout.
Energetic and darkly hilarious
February 15, 2023
Well, I've given this book 2 fair shots but I think in the end Helen Fitzgerald and I are simply not a good fit. After 10 months in lockdown I was ready for a laugh but I didn't find one here. Maybe I don't have an Aussie sense of humour? I know mine's pretty gritty - laughed myself sick over a few Rescue Me episodes on TV, and found The Martian funny enough to give everyone I knew a copy, but this didn't even raise a smile. It's certainly fast-paced with some intriguing characters, and I think I'd enjoy a beer with Mary Shields if the opportunity arose, but some of the conversations were tedious enough to skip through, and I hated the ending. There were also some awkward word choices (she "honed" in on something, rather than "homed") and Australian in-jokes that fell flat to my Canadian ears. Maybe it's just me. 2 stars.
December 15, 2019
Chaotic, disorganized and all over the place..
No. This is not Mary.. it is this book!
Artificial characters. dull plot and a boring story. All that aside, the end was... terrible!
I did not like the book and did not find it funny nor engaging.
No. This is not Mary.. it is this book!
Artificial characters. dull plot and a boring story. All that aside, the end was... terrible!
I did not like the book and did not find it funny nor engaging.
June 4, 2019
Time taken to read - 1 day
Pages - 276
Publisher - Orenda Books
Source - Bought at an Orenda road show
Blurb from Goodreads
Mary Shields is a moody, acerbic probation offer, dealing with some of Glasgow’s worst cases, and her job is on the line.
Liam Macdowall was imprisoned for murdering his wife, and he’s published a series of letters to the dead woman, in a book that makes him an unlikely hero – and a poster boy for Men’s Rights activists.
Liam is released on licence into Mary’s care, but things are far from simple. Mary develops a poisonous obsession with Liam and his world, and when her son and Liam’s daughter form a relationship, Mary will stop at nothing to impose her own brand of justice … with devastating consequences.
A heart-pounding, relentless and chilling psychological thriller, rich with deliciously dark and unapologetic humour, Worst Case Scenario is also a perceptive, tragic and hugely relevant book by one of the most exciting names in crime fiction.
My Review
The opening line in this book, lmao ooft, Fitzgerald is going to get a rep for being the author who nails it in the opening line. Mary is a probation officer and had enough, dealing with some of the worst people in Glasgow, crap working conditions she has had it. Her other half is about to score a huge contract so Mary can give up her job and be free. Liam MacDowell is one of her last cases and will be one to remember as she becomes a wee bit obsessed and professionalism goes right oot the windae.
Guys, Fitzgerald is hilarious, the book is unpc so if you are easily offended this one isn't for you. Mary is menopausal and had enough anyway. She ends up in a boiling pot that will bring chaos and anarchy to pretty much all aspects to her life. Actions and consequences are the best way to cover what kicks off in this book. It is a dominos effect, things descend and many a page I was cringing for Mary. I think a lot of readers will identify with Mary's plight, we have all been at the end of our tether, add menopause to that and you have a boiling pot that can only go one possible way. Car crash at its absolute best, you don't want to see where it is going but you are desperate to know where it is going so you can't put the book down!
Mary is a character pushed to the limit and we get to watch the descension from the safety behind the pages. Shocking, funny, horrific, riveting - honestly this book is an absolute OMFG, 4/5 for me. Fitzgerald books are all very different, you can't put her in a box and one word you will not hear associated to her writing is boring, she pushes boundaries, the readers and her characters are something else!
Pages - 276
Publisher - Orenda Books
Source - Bought at an Orenda road show
Blurb from Goodreads
Mary Shields is a moody, acerbic probation offer, dealing with some of Glasgow’s worst cases, and her job is on the line.
Liam Macdowall was imprisoned for murdering his wife, and he’s published a series of letters to the dead woman, in a book that makes him an unlikely hero – and a poster boy for Men’s Rights activists.
Liam is released on licence into Mary’s care, but things are far from simple. Mary develops a poisonous obsession with Liam and his world, and when her son and Liam’s daughter form a relationship, Mary will stop at nothing to impose her own brand of justice … with devastating consequences.
A heart-pounding, relentless and chilling psychological thriller, rich with deliciously dark and unapologetic humour, Worst Case Scenario is also a perceptive, tragic and hugely relevant book by one of the most exciting names in crime fiction.
My Review
The opening line in this book, lmao ooft, Fitzgerald is going to get a rep for being the author who nails it in the opening line. Mary is a probation officer and had enough, dealing with some of the worst people in Glasgow, crap working conditions she has had it. Her other half is about to score a huge contract so Mary can give up her job and be free. Liam MacDowell is one of her last cases and will be one to remember as she becomes a wee bit obsessed and professionalism goes right oot the windae.
Guys, Fitzgerald is hilarious, the book is unpc so if you are easily offended this one isn't for you. Mary is menopausal and had enough anyway. She ends up in a boiling pot that will bring chaos and anarchy to pretty much all aspects to her life. Actions and consequences are the best way to cover what kicks off in this book. It is a dominos effect, things descend and many a page I was cringing for Mary. I think a lot of readers will identify with Mary's plight, we have all been at the end of our tether, add menopause to that and you have a boiling pot that can only go one possible way. Car crash at its absolute best, you don't want to see where it is going but you are desperate to know where it is going so you can't put the book down!
Mary is a character pushed to the limit and we get to watch the descension from the safety behind the pages. Shocking, funny, horrific, riveting - honestly this book is an absolute OMFG, 4/5 for me. Fitzgerald books are all very different, you can't put her in a box and one word you will not hear associated to her writing is boring, she pushes boundaries, the readers and her characters are something else!
August 22, 2019
Listened to this on audio which brought it to (cringing) life lol. Laugh out loud in places but dark and inappropriate too. Right up my street.
May 28, 2019
This book is INCREDIBLE. All the hallmarks of a quality Orenda publication are in place and elevated to the max as you are hooked from the first sentence to the last.
‘‘Every time Mary tried to relax in a bath, a paedophile ruined it.’‘
In Mary , Helen Firrzgerald has created an angry, ferocious creature who is railing against all the restrictions her job, and society are imposing on her and she is pissed.
Her filters have gone and she is coming out swinging as menopause hits-her house is an empty nest, the people she shepherds as a parole officer she detests and her husband is forging ahead with his own career. She signs up for a variety of evening classes-including standup comedy-to try and feel, and live again after so many years in the yoke of female servitude. Wife. Mother. Herder of criminals. NO MORE.
The freedom granted her by her impending resignation and her last case-an odious wife killer come celebrity who bestselling book based on letters to the wife he murdered-is her liberation.
It’s an eye opener into the justice and parole system, about which I knew little before starting this book, and Helen is quite clearly a woman without moorings or anchor apart from her strong sense of right and wrong. She is a brilliant and darkly comic creation that alternately leaves you with your jaw dropped in shock or punching the air screaming ‘YES!’
It’s outstanding, refreshing and gives a voice to the unheard-the menopausal woman. She is fully rounded, realistic and loudly in your face and completely fantastic. She is , rightly or wrongly, my she-ro. What a woman, what a writer, what a book.
”Meditation had been stressful for Mary ever since she first tried it two months ago,and she rarely persevered these days.She’d only been at it one minute,when the intensity and uselessness of doing nothing but breathing created a current that seemes to Tazer her to the mat.Mary acknowledged the shuddering feeling, the tsunami of screams in her chest,the insatiable itch of shins she’d scarred attempting to sate these last months.She acknowledged these terrible feelings,shared them with the universe and waited for the zzzzzzz to go away like the horny Zen abbot promised it would.”
This is an absolute blast of a book that literally shakes your bones, rattles your teeth and screams ‘WAKE UP!’ in your ear. It’s purely brilliant.
‘‘Every time Mary tried to relax in a bath, a paedophile ruined it.’‘
In Mary , Helen Firrzgerald has created an angry, ferocious creature who is railing against all the restrictions her job, and society are imposing on her and she is pissed.
Her filters have gone and she is coming out swinging as menopause hits-her house is an empty nest, the people she shepherds as a parole officer she detests and her husband is forging ahead with his own career. She signs up for a variety of evening classes-including standup comedy-to try and feel, and live again after so many years in the yoke of female servitude. Wife. Mother. Herder of criminals. NO MORE.
The freedom granted her by her impending resignation and her last case-an odious wife killer come celebrity who bestselling book based on letters to the wife he murdered-is her liberation.
It’s an eye opener into the justice and parole system, about which I knew little before starting this book, and Helen is quite clearly a woman without moorings or anchor apart from her strong sense of right and wrong. She is a brilliant and darkly comic creation that alternately leaves you with your jaw dropped in shock or punching the air screaming ‘YES!’
It’s outstanding, refreshing and gives a voice to the unheard-the menopausal woman. She is fully rounded, realistic and loudly in your face and completely fantastic. She is , rightly or wrongly, my she-ro. What a woman, what a writer, what a book.
”Meditation had been stressful for Mary ever since she first tried it two months ago,and she rarely persevered these days.She’d only been at it one minute,when the intensity and uselessness of doing nothing but breathing created a current that seemes to Tazer her to the mat.Mary acknowledged the shuddering feeling, the tsunami of screams in her chest,the insatiable itch of shins she’d scarred attempting to sate these last months.She acknowledged these terrible feelings,shared them with the universe and waited for the zzzzzzz to go away like the horny Zen abbot promised it would.”
This is an absolute blast of a book that literally shakes your bones, rattles your teeth and screams ‘WAKE UP!’ in your ear. It’s purely brilliant.
May 31, 2020
The best thing about this dark yet very witty novel was the characterisation. The female social worker at the centre of this story had aspects of Denise Mina’s heroines and this very quickly and thoroughly drew me in and kept me rapt. A psychological thriller with plenty of Scottish noir, I found this an involving read - albeit a fairly dark and disturbing one throughout. My only criticism would be that the plot slightly fell apart towards the end and for all the interesting novelties that having a social worker as your heroine provided, I was left wondering if I’d have preferred some of the anchors provided had this instead been a police detective or more familiar type of role as protagonist.
August 7, 2021
This book is impressive for having no redeeming features. It adds to the myth that social workers and probation officers are alcoholic inept and dysfunctional. The main character is Mary Shields who perhaps is worth reading about as she is appalling. yes she is burned out; and she has no support from managers, and she is going through menopause and she has too big a caseload and on occassions helps people. But mostly she is thoughtless, insightless, needy, destructive, self opionated, entitled and sadly has no other characters in the story to temper her selfishness. Anyone wanting to find a dysfunctional female who acts appallingly but has some engaging attributes should read Stuart MacBrides Logan McRae series with the wonderful DI Roberta Steel
June 18, 2021
(Audiobook) The synopsis pulled me in and the story kept me listening right to the end. I had seen the debate over the ending and I feel like it was actually a good choice, the chaos that Mary had stretched out before her. I thought it was clever although I feel like there was a big jump in the middle in the timeline that I struggled to figure out what was going on!
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