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The Fancies
Abigail Fancy returns to the tiny town that the Fancys have ruled for decades, fresh from her second stint in prison and utterly out of time... A bold, punchy and wry novel from the author of The Other Side of Beautiful.
A story about stories - those we tell, those we believe and those we make into a reality - whether they are true, murky or not true at all.
Port Kingerton: the insular cray-fishing town at the butt-end of South Australia, where everyone knows everyone. And everyone knows too that when Abigail Fancy left town at seventeen, she hung out the window of her boyfriend's Corolla, middle fingers held high, swearing she'd never come back. And she hasn't, until now.
At her parents' house Abigail finds a party (read: town meeting) in full swing over something iffy found on the beach - a thigh bone. And although iffy things aren't uncommon in Port Kingerton, Abigail's surprise arrival forces a family - and an entire town - to unpack a twenty-four-year-old secret that rocked this tiny place to its core: that time they found something much iffier ...
Through Abigail, her grandfather Old Dick Fancy's unreliable memories and the collective voices of the town itself, Port Kingerton unravels as old wounds are picked open, skeletons fall from closets and unlikely bonds are forged. But will Abigail finally change the past ...?
Fresh, punchy, expertly crafted and deliciously wry - the author of The Other Side of Beautiful returns with a tour de force of a small-town mystery where a homecoming lifts the veil on a time when a town failed to stand up for its girls.
A story about stories - those we tell, those we believe and those we make into a reality - whether they are true, murky or not true at all.
Port Kingerton: the insular cray-fishing town at the butt-end of South Australia, where everyone knows everyone. And everyone knows too that when Abigail Fancy left town at seventeen, she hung out the window of her boyfriend's Corolla, middle fingers held high, swearing she'd never come back. And she hasn't, until now.
At her parents' house Abigail finds a party (read: town meeting) in full swing over something iffy found on the beach - a thigh bone. And although iffy things aren't uncommon in Port Kingerton, Abigail's surprise arrival forces a family - and an entire town - to unpack a twenty-four-year-old secret that rocked this tiny place to its core: that time they found something much iffier ...
Through Abigail, her grandfather Old Dick Fancy's unreliable memories and the collective voices of the town itself, Port Kingerton unravels as old wounds are picked open, skeletons fall from closets and unlikely bonds are forged. But will Abigail finally change the past ...?
Fresh, punchy, expertly crafted and deliciously wry - the author of The Other Side of Beautiful returns with a tour de force of a small-town mystery where a homecoming lifts the veil on a time when a town failed to stand up for its girls.
400 pages, Paperback
Published April 5, 2023
About the author
Kim Lock
5 books143 followersKim Lock is an internationally published author of four novels, including The Other Side of Beautiful (2021). Her writing has also appeared in Kill Your Darlings, The Guardian, Daily Life and The Sydney Morning Herald online, among others. She lives in regional South Australia with her family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews
February 24, 2023
Abigail Fancy returns to Port Kingerton, in South Australia after she left dramatically twenty three years ago and when she was sixteen. Abigail has finished her second prison sentence, she’s not sure what sort of welcome she will receive from her parents and she needs somewhere to stay and she's broke.
Port Kingerton is a tiny beach side township, most of the men go to sea and catch crayfish for six months of the year. Everyone knows everyone’s business, it only takes twenty four hours for the local grapevine to spread the word that Abigail is back and the same day a human thigh bone is found on the beach.
Abigail’s family have lived in the area for over a hundred years, her grandfather Old Dick (Richard) has dementia, and he lives with his son Young Dick and daughter-in-law Nell. Young Dick is a cray fisherman, the licenses are handed down from father to son and Nell's busy looking after her horses. The whole town is in a tizz, they remember why Abigail left all those years ago and now she’s back a convicted criminal. Abigail’s arch rival, Jessica Bram still lives in Port Kingerton, they have hated each other since kindergarten, and their grandfathers had a big fall out years ago and Old Dick still mutters the odd comment about it.
A story about the town’s black sheep returning, everyone has an opinion about Abigail Fancy, her character is funny and flawed and the things she says, my mum would wash her mouth out with soap and I haven’t laughed so much in years.
I received a copy of The Fancies by Kim Lock from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. The narrative is told from three different perspectives, with larger-than-life characters and be prepared for the odd swear word, dry Aussie sentiment and sense of humor. I liked Ms. Lock's style of writing, it's a chronicle about the past and full of secrets, mystery, family feuds and skeletons in the closest. People are quick to judge others, especially young women and the trials of living in a small country town. Five stars from me, The Fancies is one heck of a tale and I’m keen to read the authors previous book, The Other Side of Beautiful.
Port Kingerton is a tiny beach side township, most of the men go to sea and catch crayfish for six months of the year. Everyone knows everyone’s business, it only takes twenty four hours for the local grapevine to spread the word that Abigail is back and the same day a human thigh bone is found on the beach.
Abigail’s family have lived in the area for over a hundred years, her grandfather Old Dick (Richard) has dementia, and he lives with his son Young Dick and daughter-in-law Nell. Young Dick is a cray fisherman, the licenses are handed down from father to son and Nell's busy looking after her horses. The whole town is in a tizz, they remember why Abigail left all those years ago and now she’s back a convicted criminal. Abigail’s arch rival, Jessica Bram still lives in Port Kingerton, they have hated each other since kindergarten, and their grandfathers had a big fall out years ago and Old Dick still mutters the odd comment about it.
A story about the town’s black sheep returning, everyone has an opinion about Abigail Fancy, her character is funny and flawed and the things she says, my mum would wash her mouth out with soap and I haven’t laughed so much in years.
I received a copy of The Fancies by Kim Lock from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. The narrative is told from three different perspectives, with larger-than-life characters and be prepared for the odd swear word, dry Aussie sentiment and sense of humor. I liked Ms. Lock's style of writing, it's a chronicle about the past and full of secrets, mystery, family feuds and skeletons in the closest. People are quick to judge others, especially young women and the trials of living in a small country town. Five stars from me, The Fancies is one heck of a tale and I’m keen to read the authors previous book, The Other Side of Beautiful.
April 5, 2023
3.5★ for this quirky tale of provincial Australia that I can imagine adapting well to the small screen. While I really enjoyed it, I have rated it down a little as I thought it took a while to get going.
The townsfolk of Port Kingerton are convinced that there is nothing coincidental about the return of Abigail Fancy - absent for 23 years - on the very same day that a human thighbone washes up on the local beach. Arriving to a mixed reception from her parents, and a decidedly confused one from her grandfather, Abigail herself would rather be anywhere else. But with literally only the (inadequate) clothes on her back, it's the only place she could go to make a fresh start. Which is what this belligerent, straight-talking 39yo needs after being released from prison...for the second time.
What Abigail finds in Kingo is exactly what she expects; same people, same attitudes, same prejudices. All that, but just older than when she was last here. What she didn't expect was that there would be some who have got her back - if only she'd let them.
Full of great characters (some more complex than others), recognisable small-town Australiana and something of a mystery to keep the plot chugging along, this is a great holiday read that kept the smile on my face a lot of the time I was reading it.
With thanks to NetGalley and HQ Fiction for an uncorrected proof to read and review.
The townsfolk of Port Kingerton are convinced that there is nothing coincidental about the return of Abigail Fancy - absent for 23 years - on the very same day that a human thighbone washes up on the local beach. Arriving to a mixed reception from her parents, and a decidedly confused one from her grandfather, Abigail herself would rather be anywhere else. But with literally only the (inadequate) clothes on her back, it's the only place she could go to make a fresh start. Which is what this belligerent, straight-talking 39yo needs after being released from prison...for the second time.
What Abigail finds in Kingo is exactly what she expects; same people, same attitudes, same prejudices. All that, but just older than when she was last here. What she didn't expect was that there would be some who have got her back - if only she'd let them.
Full of great characters (some more complex than others), recognisable small-town Australiana and something of a mystery to keep the plot chugging along, this is a great holiday read that kept the smile on my face a lot of the time I was reading it.
With thanks to NetGalley and HQ Fiction for an uncorrected proof to read and review.
July 6, 2024
I have had this on my TBR pile for way too long and I am so glad I finally picked it up, I did very much enjoy this one, it is witty, funny and moving as Abigail Fancy arrives back in her hometown, Pot Kingerton after swearing she would never return twenty four years ago, but here she is at thirty nine and back in the town that seems to be run by The Fancies.
A small cray fishing and farming town, close knit residents where everyone knows everything or do they really know everything it seems to me that the town lives on the old Chinese whispers game, Abigail has just been released from jail for the second time and finds herself in need of a place to stay and returning to her home is her only option, is it time to let the truth be known about what really happened twenty four years ago?
The story is told in three narratives, Abigail, Old Dick (Abagail’s Grandfather) and Them, being the residents including Abigail’s parents, Nell and Young Dick, a lot happened while Abigail was a teenager and there are many residents who are not impressed she is back considering her timing on the day a human bone is found washed up and the beach some are convinced it is linked to Abigail, will all the answers come out the secrets reveled and what will happen to Abigail?
I loved Kim Lock’s The Other Side of Beautiful and I can highly recommend this one as well, I loved Old Dick he made me laugh and I really felt for Abigail this one kept me turning the pages to get all of the answers.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy to read and review.
A small cray fishing and farming town, close knit residents where everyone knows everything or do they really know everything it seems to me that the town lives on the old Chinese whispers game, Abigail has just been released from jail for the second time and finds herself in need of a place to stay and returning to her home is her only option, is it time to let the truth be known about what really happened twenty four years ago?
The story is told in three narratives, Abigail, Old Dick (Abagail’s Grandfather) and Them, being the residents including Abigail’s parents, Nell and Young Dick, a lot happened while Abigail was a teenager and there are many residents who are not impressed she is back considering her timing on the day a human bone is found washed up and the beach some are convinced it is linked to Abigail, will all the answers come out the secrets reveled and what will happen to Abigail?
I loved Kim Lock’s The Other Side of Beautiful and I can highly recommend this one as well, I loved Old Dick he made me laugh and I really felt for Abigail this one kept me turning the pages to get all of the answers.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy to read and review.
May 9, 2023
Well, this was a trip. Having recently read Ms Lock's The Other Side of Beautiful, I was expecting something similar. Our heroine here is a 39 year old South Australian woman, similar to the previous book's heroine, but there the similarities end. There was more going on here on each page than in the entire previous book.
Abigail has not been back to her home town on the South Australian Southern coast in 23 years and has had a couple of stints in prison. As he story slowly unveils itself from herself, others in the town and her demented grandpa, we finally get the entire story with present events sending the entire population into a tizzy. A very fun, if convoluted journey for sure.
Having stayed for a night in a town that could have been this one, many years ago, it is a combination of cray fishing and cattle raising. A beautiful part of the world for sure, but the small town rumour mill rules, including every old family rivalry there is at play. Fun, if a bit over the top. A library ebook, 4 stars
Abigail has not been back to her home town on the South Australian Southern coast in 23 years and has had a couple of stints in prison. As he story slowly unveils itself from herself, others in the town and her demented grandpa, we finally get the entire story with present events sending the entire population into a tizzy. A very fun, if convoluted journey for sure.
Having stayed for a night in a town that could have been this one, many years ago, it is a combination of cray fishing and cattle raising. A beautiful part of the world for sure, but the small town rumour mill rules, including every old family rivalry there is at play. Fun, if a bit over the top. A library ebook, 4 stars
April 22, 2023
Abigail Fancy returns to her small home town in South Australia after being released from jail, the home town she left when she was a teenager and hasn’t been back since. The novel is told from three points of view, and the chapters alternate between Abigail, Old Dick (her grandfather who is in suffering from dementia) and Them (the townspeople). There’s lots going on here,including small town intrigue and gossip, inter family relationships, misogyny and trauma. I was a bit disappointed with this one, I enjoyed her previous book more (The Other Side of Beautiful). This novel while intriguing and at times amusing, just took too long to get going for me and in the end I expected a much darker mystery, it was a bit of a letdown but very readable.
March 20, 2023
The Fancies is the fifth novel by Australian author, Kim Lock. On the same day a human thigh washes up on the beach at Port Kingerton, at the southernmost tip of South Australia, Abigail Fancy, remembered by some as gangly, wild and slightly terrifying teenage girl, and now a stacked, lush, blonde-haired powerhouse, returns to the small town she emphatically left twenty-three years earlier. The next day, it seems that Lofty’s boat is missing. Some in the town concoct wildly speculative connections between these three occurrences.
Abigail, it turns out, is as prickly as ever, with good reason. Returning to Kingo, this pipsqueak, self-absorbed town with its stupid, insular politics, filled with obsessive braggarts who thought they were the centre of the universe? That had never been her plan, but after five months in prison (her second stint in two years), she’s not just broke, but deep in debt, owning only the clothes on her back.
Her dad, known as Young Dick Fancy, is, with growing reluctance, a figure of influence in the town and his main concerns just now are: that the bone washed up is causing the town’s nerves to fray as it recalls events of twenty-four years earlier; Abigail’s predicament, and how he can help; the unexplained absence of Lofty’s boat, and then Lofty; and his dad, Old Dick’s disinhibited ramblings.
Old Dick, some years into dementia, makes an unreliable narrator, and it’s quickly apparent from his comments that he has no filter, and that his inner monologue is not necessarily a silent one. He offers opinions like “‘Be careful whose money you take. They might want to collect it later. With interest. Sometimes it’s blood. Other times it’s your balls.’”
As Abigail is well aware, Port Kingerton is a place where information (gossip) rates as currency, affording prestige to the teller, and offering the frisson of excitement at the prospect of sharing it. “She had come here because she needed to get away, to start over, to be a self-governing private person, but she may as well have mounted a camera on her head, livestreaming her every move, for all privacy she actually felt. Everyone knew who she was—everyone had decided, long ago, who she was— and there was no changing that.”
About the only person who doesn’t have preconceived ideas about Abigail, or the arrogance to pass judgement is the new, attractive veterinarian, who comes to check on a naughty mare about to foal in autumn, and who is also the target of attacking goose called Kitten.
In a tale populated by vibrant, zany, larger-than-life characters, with plenty of laugh-out-loud lines, and a generous sprinkling of expletives, old rivalries re-emerge, loyalties are tested and long-held secrets are revealed. And some, carrying two decades of guilt, try to make amends. Lock perfectly conveys her setting: the atmosphere and mindset, the claustrophobia, and the jealousies that are endemic in a small Australian coastal town. Funny, moving and thought-provoking, Lock’s latest does not disappoint.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Harlequin Australia.
Abigail, it turns out, is as prickly as ever, with good reason. Returning to Kingo, this pipsqueak, self-absorbed town with its stupid, insular politics, filled with obsessive braggarts who thought they were the centre of the universe? That had never been her plan, but after five months in prison (her second stint in two years), she’s not just broke, but deep in debt, owning only the clothes on her back.
Her dad, known as Young Dick Fancy, is, with growing reluctance, a figure of influence in the town and his main concerns just now are: that the bone washed up is causing the town’s nerves to fray as it recalls events of twenty-four years earlier; Abigail’s predicament, and how he can help; the unexplained absence of Lofty’s boat, and then Lofty; and his dad, Old Dick’s disinhibited ramblings.
Old Dick, some years into dementia, makes an unreliable narrator, and it’s quickly apparent from his comments that he has no filter, and that his inner monologue is not necessarily a silent one. He offers opinions like “‘Be careful whose money you take. They might want to collect it later. With interest. Sometimes it’s blood. Other times it’s your balls.’”
As Abigail is well aware, Port Kingerton is a place where information (gossip) rates as currency, affording prestige to the teller, and offering the frisson of excitement at the prospect of sharing it. “She had come here because she needed to get away, to start over, to be a self-governing private person, but she may as well have mounted a camera on her head, livestreaming her every move, for all privacy she actually felt. Everyone knew who she was—everyone had decided, long ago, who she was— and there was no changing that.”
About the only person who doesn’t have preconceived ideas about Abigail, or the arrogance to pass judgement is the new, attractive veterinarian, who comes to check on a naughty mare about to foal in autumn, and who is also the target of attacking goose called Kitten.
In a tale populated by vibrant, zany, larger-than-life characters, with plenty of laugh-out-loud lines, and a generous sprinkling of expletives, old rivalries re-emerge, loyalties are tested and long-held secrets are revealed. And some, carrying two decades of guilt, try to make amends. Lock perfectly conveys her setting: the atmosphere and mindset, the claustrophobia, and the jealousies that are endemic in a small Australian coastal town. Funny, moving and thought-provoking, Lock’s latest does not disappoint.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Harlequin Australia.
August 23, 2023
3.5 ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️ ✨
April 16, 2023
3.5*
Kim Lock’s, The Other Side of Beautiful was one of my very favourite reads from over the past couple of years - I own it in multiple formats. So it was therefore with great anticipation that I embarked on her follow up novel, The Fancies. Whilst the writing and subtle messages are still clearly present in Kim’s writing, this was a very different sort of tale.
‘… she was tired of running and simply would not anymore. So be it. She would stop and face it, the tidal wave of emotion, and she would deal with whatever that meant, whatever that came with.’
This is a story told from three different perspectives with larger-than-life characters. Firstly, there is Abigail just out of jail, Old Dick (Abigail's grandfather) who brings a hefty dose of humour and then 'Them' - various people from Port Kingerton in third person. This is Australiana on steroids - the dark/dry humour, the laid back mentality and culture, the shenanigans and the language (both foul and otherwise). Mysteries and secrets from the past arise and generational family rivalry stir up the town
‘Maybe they never stop being what other people say they are, and it goes on and on, generation after generation, until it’s just a town where everyone thinks they know who everyone else is, but no one knows who they really are themselves.’
Scratch the surface a bit more and by the end when all is settled, it is clear that Kim’s writing is wonderful. With themes of how people are quick to judge (especially in small rural towns) the bias towards people out of prison and the treatment of young women are just some of the issues placed under Kim’s spotlight. One of my favourites concerned Abigail and how she learned to pause and consider her reactions - not everything had to be an angry confrontation.
I have to say I am a little saddened but that is purely personal as I am just not a fan of this style of dialogue or Australian dark humour. However, if I dug a little deeper, my love for Kim’s writing and thought provoking ideas were still evident.
‘They were both searching for the exact same thing: freedom. The liberty to be whoever they really are.’
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.
Kim Lock’s, The Other Side of Beautiful was one of my very favourite reads from over the past couple of years - I own it in multiple formats. So it was therefore with great anticipation that I embarked on her follow up novel, The Fancies. Whilst the writing and subtle messages are still clearly present in Kim’s writing, this was a very different sort of tale.
‘… she was tired of running and simply would not anymore. So be it. She would stop and face it, the tidal wave of emotion, and she would deal with whatever that meant, whatever that came with.’
This is a story told from three different perspectives with larger-than-life characters. Firstly, there is Abigail just out of jail, Old Dick (Abigail's grandfather) who brings a hefty dose of humour and then 'Them' - various people from Port Kingerton in third person. This is Australiana on steroids - the dark/dry humour, the laid back mentality and culture, the shenanigans and the language (both foul and otherwise). Mysteries and secrets from the past arise and generational family rivalry stir up the town
‘Maybe they never stop being what other people say they are, and it goes on and on, generation after generation, until it’s just a town where everyone thinks they know who everyone else is, but no one knows who they really are themselves.’
Scratch the surface a bit more and by the end when all is settled, it is clear that Kim’s writing is wonderful. With themes of how people are quick to judge (especially in small rural towns) the bias towards people out of prison and the treatment of young women are just some of the issues placed under Kim’s spotlight. One of my favourites concerned Abigail and how she learned to pause and consider her reactions - not everything had to be an angry confrontation.
I have to say I am a little saddened but that is purely personal as I am just not a fan of this style of dialogue or Australian dark humour. However, if I dug a little deeper, my love for Kim’s writing and thought provoking ideas were still evident.
‘They were both searching for the exact same thing: freedom. The liberty to be whoever they really are.’
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.
June 4, 2023
The Fancies isn’t quite as sweet and charming as The Other Side Of Beautiful. It’s closer to Dyschronia, or one of Evie Wyld’s novels, or even Melissa Lucashenko’s. It’s a story that speaks to our collective history of burying uncomfortable truths about what the world does to women.
My full review of The Fancies is up now on Keeping Up With The Penguins.
My full review of The Fancies is up now on Keeping Up With The Penguins.
September 2, 2023
The Fancies by Aussie author Kim Lock was a book I went into not knowing much about it. The cover is very eye-catching and a bit intruding. Having read her other books and enjoyed them I thought I’d give this one a go and I’m so glad I did. Well written story with likeable characters. A very entertaining read and well worth reading.
March 29, 2023
Thank you Harlequin for sending us a copy to read and review.
A feel good Aussie book with many strong attributes and lots of personality.
Kim brings to the table, a story that people will remember.
On the day human remains wash up from the ocean, Abigail Fancy arrives in town after her latest stint behind bars.
Having no money and no where to stay, she shows up on her parents doorstep.
She left as a seventeen year old, swearing never to return.
It doesn’t take long for the gossip to spread around Port Kingerton, the small seaside town that Abigail has come back.
Soon a decades old secret is being unpacked, scandal is raging, hearsay is thrown into the mix, slander is rampant, people are talking and the past is in the present.
Her grandfather, her parents and all the town folk have opinions and their own version of events.
Will the returning black sheep be able to change history……..?
Original, entertaining, funny, interesting, moving and just plain delightful.
A story that will bring all the good feels to the surface.
Our leading protagonist, Abigail is charming, humorous, clever and downright marvellous.
For me, her characterisation is very much a highlight throughout the plot and every time her point of view chapter came along, I was smiling.
I loved the structure of this read too, told from the voices of Abigail, her grandfather and then the rest of miscellaneous cast titled “Them”, it worked tremendously and I was quite impressed.
The tale itself is ambitious and it’s smart, there were times when I thought where is this going but it comes together in the last quarter.
It’s one I can confidently recommend.
A feel good Aussie book with many strong attributes and lots of personality.
Kim brings to the table, a story that people will remember.
On the day human remains wash up from the ocean, Abigail Fancy arrives in town after her latest stint behind bars.
Having no money and no where to stay, she shows up on her parents doorstep.
She left as a seventeen year old, swearing never to return.
It doesn’t take long for the gossip to spread around Port Kingerton, the small seaside town that Abigail has come back.
Soon a decades old secret is being unpacked, scandal is raging, hearsay is thrown into the mix, slander is rampant, people are talking and the past is in the present.
Her grandfather, her parents and all the town folk have opinions and their own version of events.
Will the returning black sheep be able to change history……..?
Original, entertaining, funny, interesting, moving and just plain delightful.
A story that will bring all the good feels to the surface.
Our leading protagonist, Abigail is charming, humorous, clever and downright marvellous.
For me, her characterisation is very much a highlight throughout the plot and every time her point of view chapter came along, I was smiling.
I loved the structure of this read too, told from the voices of Abigail, her grandfather and then the rest of miscellaneous cast titled “Them”, it worked tremendously and I was quite impressed.
The tale itself is ambitious and it’s smart, there were times when I thought where is this going but it comes together in the last quarter.
It’s one I can confidently recommend.
March 27, 2023
An interesting story about how quickly gossip can escalate; and how to some people, truth is not as relevant to a story as one would hope. Exploring the complicated nature of self-perception, reflection and interpersonal dynamics, Lock writes a story exposing how society can target certain people. I found it interesting to see how quickly stories and actions can escalate, and thought that Lock did a good job in subtly changing perceptions based on character experiences.
February 6, 2023
Kim Lock has returned with her trademark breath of fresh air approach to fiction, this time around with a very Australian story that put me in mind of The Dressmaker by Rosalie Ham. That type of dark humour that pokes some friendly fun at what it means to exist in a tiny, insular town in Australia. The Fancies are a family who appear to ‘rule the town’ in a *mostly* non-criminal mafia like way. The return of their prodigal daughter, Abigail, coinciding with a couple of gossip worthy events, ignites the town in way that is reminiscent of days gone by – days that are better left in the past.
‘Young Dick didn’t want to be a leader; he simply wanted to live his life, quiet with his family. Sure, he guarded some unfortunate truths he’d have to take to his grave, but regardless, for six years he had tried to wean the town from the Fancy reign and tonight it appeared they’d finally chosen to let go of the damn nipple. They had decided to ignore him and think for themselves. And now he wished they hadn’t.’
To me, this was a very funny novel that also dug deep into misogyny. The chapters told from the perspective of Old Dick were hilarious and a lot more insightful than I first gave them credit for. I really enjoyed the way in which Kim utilised third-person omniscient narration to provide the perspectives of the townsfolk. Again, as the novel progressed, incredibly insightful in terms of the way people accept or resist change when making comparisons with past events. Also, again, very funny. With this novel, Kim has proven that she has a sharply intelligent sense of humour and that she’s not afraid to use it.
‘Maybe aversion – to other people, to connections, to feeling things – can run in the genes, thread into one’s DNA little stitches of repulsion. Or maybe sometimes there simply isn’t an explanation.
For a good part of the story, I wasn’t entirely sure what was going on. Put your trust into Kim, it all comes together in the last quarter, and it was well worth the entertaining journey. Five stars and a highly recommended for this one.
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
‘Young Dick didn’t want to be a leader; he simply wanted to live his life, quiet with his family. Sure, he guarded some unfortunate truths he’d have to take to his grave, but regardless, for six years he had tried to wean the town from the Fancy reign and tonight it appeared they’d finally chosen to let go of the damn nipple. They had decided to ignore him and think for themselves. And now he wished they hadn’t.’
To me, this was a very funny novel that also dug deep into misogyny. The chapters told from the perspective of Old Dick were hilarious and a lot more insightful than I first gave them credit for. I really enjoyed the way in which Kim utilised third-person omniscient narration to provide the perspectives of the townsfolk. Again, as the novel progressed, incredibly insightful in terms of the way people accept or resist change when making comparisons with past events. Also, again, very funny. With this novel, Kim has proven that she has a sharply intelligent sense of humour and that she’s not afraid to use it.
‘Maybe aversion – to other people, to connections, to feeling things – can run in the genes, thread into one’s DNA little stitches of repulsion. Or maybe sometimes there simply isn’t an explanation.
For a good part of the story, I wasn’t entirely sure what was going on. Put your trust into Kim, it all comes together in the last quarter, and it was well worth the entertaining journey. Five stars and a highly recommended for this one.
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
April 25, 2023
I really enjoyed Kim Lock's 'The other side of beautiful' so I was looking forward to reading this one. Unfortunately, it just didn't work for me. The mention of a washed up bone made me expect more of a mystery but this wasn't that. The pacing was incredibly slow. I couldn't connect with the characters. The writing was pretty verbose and reflective which didn't seem to match the nature of the town and characters. There were secrets exposed but not until right at the end and by that point I just didn't care. This does make a good commentary about the nature of small towns, gossip, and misogyny. I'm sad that this didn't work for me, but still keen to check out more of Kim Lock's novels.
April 18, 2023
Abigail Fancy turns up at her parents home unexpected after her second stint in jail, the same day a human thigh bone washes up on the beach. The little town they live in is tight where everyone knows everyone's business.
Abigail vowed never to return to her hometown but with not a penny to her name, she has no choice. We are taken through flashbacks of her childhood and secrets start to come out.
With lots of plot twists, this book is sure to keep you on your toes.
I found this book to be really well written. It kept me engaged page after page after page and it was really hard to put down!
You'll fall in love with the characters as the story takes you through the the eyes of the different lives of the Fancy fam and towns people.
Abigail vowed never to return to her hometown but with not a penny to her name, she has no choice. We are taken through flashbacks of her childhood and secrets start to come out.
With lots of plot twists, this book is sure to keep you on your toes.
I found this book to be really well written. It kept me engaged page after page after page and it was really hard to put down!
You'll fall in love with the characters as the story takes you through the the eyes of the different lives of the Fancy fam and towns people.
April 27, 2023
Did not finish. After persevering for about half of the audiobook, I decided I was too old and I'd had enough of screwing, hard-ons, dicks, balls, sausages, and all the coarse language in this book. How could an author write something so bad when I clearly loved some of her other novels? I loved The Other Side of Beautiful and Like I Can Love/The Good Mother! The narration was dreadful- stilted, halting, and often uncertain! (It's pronounced gas-ket nor gars-ket for goodness sake!) Abigail was an immature 16-year-old in a 39-year-old body! And for the author, 'always' and 'never' are absolutes, not superlatives! Apparently, there was a mystery to be solved, but I really didn't have any sense of it or even care!
April 21, 2023
A tall tale of tales about small towns with not much else to do than fish and be the first around town with the hottest gossip.
The Fancies see Abigail out of her second jail stint with absolutely nothing to her name except some boots, a flowy dress, and a bag of underwear.
24 years ago, she left town. Now she's back and unknowingly so is a secret in the form of a human thigh bone.
A compelling, fun, and easy read, this book has a slow start, just like a fish trawler on her way out, but picks up speed and hauls in one good ending.
Thanks to BetterReading for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The Fancies see Abigail out of her second jail stint with absolutely nothing to her name except some boots, a flowy dress, and a bag of underwear.
24 years ago, she left town. Now she's back and unknowingly so is a secret in the form of a human thigh bone.
A compelling, fun, and easy read, this book has a slow start, just like a fish trawler on her way out, but picks up speed and hauls in one good ending.
Thanks to BetterReading for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 2, 2023
This took longer to read than usual as I came down with Covid in the middle so found it a bit disjointed. Fascinating study of rumours and small towns.
April 20, 2023
Abigail Fancy returns to her hometown of Port Kingerton South Australia after being released from prison. She’d vowed never to return after leaving at 17 with her then boyfriend and her middle fingers hanging out the car window.
Abigail’s return also happens to be the day that a thigh bone is found on the beach and secrets from the past start to be unlocked.
This book didn’t quite hit the mark for me after absolutely loving The Other Side of Beautiful which was a 5 star read for me back in 2021. I found the story hard to follow at times and confusing. The Fancies is a story that is full of quirky characters and good old Aussie humour.
Thank you to @harlequinaus for the gifted copy. The Fanices is available now available to purchase.
Abigail’s return also happens to be the day that a thigh bone is found on the beach and secrets from the past start to be unlocked.
This book didn’t quite hit the mark for me after absolutely loving The Other Side of Beautiful which was a 5 star read for me back in 2021. I found the story hard to follow at times and confusing. The Fancies is a story that is full of quirky characters and good old Aussie humour.
Thank you to @harlequinaus for the gifted copy. The Fanices is available now available to purchase.
June 23, 2023
Kim Lock's new book takes us on a much darker journey than her previous book, and I like it!
The story follows protagonist Abigail Fancy as she returns to her little country town after her second stint in prison. Small town politics, judgement, unsavoury opinions and secrets are rife in this community, which sets up the perfect opportunity for twists and turns.
I'd like to give a special shout out to Old Dick Fancy, Abigail's grandfather who is experiencing dementia in his old age. His one liners are an absolute joy and provide so many laugh out loud moments. It brings in the struggles of caring for an older family member and the humilty, pain and joy that our elders bring into our lives.
The small town vibe, the beautiful and complex characters, and the alluring mystery kept this one going right until the end! Really enjoyed this one!
The story follows protagonist Abigail Fancy as she returns to her little country town after her second stint in prison. Small town politics, judgement, unsavoury opinions and secrets are rife in this community, which sets up the perfect opportunity for twists and turns.
I'd like to give a special shout out to Old Dick Fancy, Abigail's grandfather who is experiencing dementia in his old age. His one liners are an absolute joy and provide so many laugh out loud moments. It brings in the struggles of caring for an older family member and the humilty, pain and joy that our elders bring into our lives.
The small town vibe, the beautiful and complex characters, and the alluring mystery kept this one going right until the end! Really enjoyed this one!
April 3, 2023
The Fancies is a small-town fiction set in South Australia, following Abigail Fancy and her family. The book is told from three different perspectives, Abigail Fancy, her grandfather ‘Old Dick Fancy’, and everyone else. Filled with dark humor, mystery, secrets, and self-discovery.
Abigail returns home after two degrades of estranging herself from her family. She was released from prison and turned up on her family's doorstep in the middle of winter wearing a dress, one boot, and holding a bag of her underwear.
The tension between Abigail and her mother Nell is high, and by morning the whole town knows that she's home but for what reason? Returning home brings up all the memories from being a child again, which is quite confronting for Abigail. While she is trying to get back on her feet things keep happening in the small town, and somehow the Fancies seem to be stuck in the middle of it.
Mysteries and secrets are being brought up from the past, and generational family rivalry stirs up in the town, like sediment at the bottom of the lake.
Desperate to keep her freedom, Abigail tries to live normally, but at least when she was in prison they didn’t try to lie to her about her freedom.
Working through years of grief and guilt that had built up since her departure from her family home, Abigail realizes that she always had a choice about her reactions to situations. That they don’t have to be out of anger.
Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin for giving me an ARC, in return for an honest review!
Abigail returns home after two degrades of estranging herself from her family. She was released from prison and turned up on her family's doorstep in the middle of winter wearing a dress, one boot, and holding a bag of her underwear.
The tension between Abigail and her mother Nell is high, and by morning the whole town knows that she's home but for what reason? Returning home brings up all the memories from being a child again, which is quite confronting for Abigail. While she is trying to get back on her feet things keep happening in the small town, and somehow the Fancies seem to be stuck in the middle of it.
Mysteries and secrets are being brought up from the past, and generational family rivalry stirs up in the town, like sediment at the bottom of the lake.
Desperate to keep her freedom, Abigail tries to live normally, but at least when she was in prison they didn’t try to lie to her about her freedom.
Working through years of grief and guilt that had built up since her departure from her family home, Abigail realizes that she always had a choice about her reactions to situations. That they don’t have to be out of anger.
Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin for giving me an ARC, in return for an honest review!
April 17, 2023
I really loved Kim Lock's The Other Side of Beautiful, published in 2021 and she offered us a flawed but engaging and likeable lead. I probably didn't gel with Abigail quite as much. She's a prickly character though Lock does a great job of putting us in her head and we're conscious that she's trying hard to quell her natural instinct to anger quickly.
It takes us a while to get to Abigail's backstory and understand her antipathy towards the town, and its residents towards her. The pacing was perhaps a little slow in the early stages for me.
I felt like I'd missed a bit of Abigail's backstory (after leaving town) so perhaps I'd skimmed more of the early stages than I'd meant to as her behaviour (in jail twice) seemed inconsistent in some ways.
There's a bit happening 'in town' and I guess it sets the (small town / gossipy) tone and gave us insight into the place and its population, but it meant I wasn't sure what the book was about for quite some time. I'd assumed the discovery of a human leg bone meant The Fancies was going to be a mystery of sorts. And I guess it ultimately unveils secrets but not the kind I was imagining.
I appreciated the relationships on offer here: Abigail with her parents; her father with his father; and the town hierarchy involving the fishermen... not to mention the old grudges handed down by generations of families.
Lock picks up the pace and eventually reveals all, along with a surprise or two and offers an interesting study in human nature. So I look forward to what she writes next.
3.5 stars
It takes us a while to get to Abigail's backstory and understand her antipathy towards the town, and its residents towards her. The pacing was perhaps a little slow in the early stages for me.
I felt like I'd missed a bit of Abigail's backstory (after leaving town) so perhaps I'd skimmed more of the early stages than I'd meant to as her behaviour (in jail twice) seemed inconsistent in some ways.
There's a bit happening 'in town' and I guess it sets the (small town / gossipy) tone and gave us insight into the place and its population, but it meant I wasn't sure what the book was about for quite some time. I'd assumed the discovery of a human leg bone meant The Fancies was going to be a mystery of sorts. And I guess it ultimately unveils secrets but not the kind I was imagining.
I appreciated the relationships on offer here: Abigail with her parents; her father with his father; and the town hierarchy involving the fishermen... not to mention the old grudges handed down by generations of families.
Lock picks up the pace and eventually reveals all, along with a surprise or two and offers an interesting study in human nature. So I look forward to what she writes next.
3.5 stars
July 5, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.25/5 stars
𝙰 𝚍𝚊𝚛𝚔 𝚑𝚞𝚖𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚊 𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝙰𝚞𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚎-𝚎𝚜𝚚𝚞𝚎 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚊 𝚕𝚘𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝!
𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚌𝚕𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚕𝚢 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚗 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚖𝚎 𝚕𝚊𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚕𝚘𝚞𝚍 𝚖𝚊𝚓𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚢 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚞!
𝙰 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚊𝚒𝚗 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝙰𝚋𝚒𝚐𝚊𝚒𝚕, 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚝𝚘𝚠𝚗𝚜𝚏𝚘𝚕𝚔 𝚊𝚗𝚍 ’𝙾𝚕𝚍 𝙳𝚒𝚌𝚔’ 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚌𝚑 𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚊𝚢 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚖𝚢 𝚏𝚊𝚟𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚘𝚗𝚎-𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚞𝚝𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚘𝚗 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚊𝚋𝚜𝚘𝚕𝚞𝚝𝚎 𝚐𝚘𝚕𝚍!
𝚂𝚎𝚝 𝚒𝚗 𝚖𝚢 𝚑𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚂𝙰 𝚒𝚗 𝚊 𝚜𝚖𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚏𝚒𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚊𝚕 𝚏𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚍 𝙿𝚘𝚛𝚝 𝙺𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚛𝚝𝚘𝚗 𝙸 𝚏𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚖𝚢𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏 𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚌𝚎𝚛𝚝𝚊𝚒𝚗 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚏𝚞𝚗 𝚏𝚊𝚌𝚝 𝙸 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚛𝚗, 𝚋𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚗 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚖𝚢𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏 𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚕 𝙸 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝟸𝟸!
𝙿𝚒𝚌𝚔 𝚞𝚙 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚠𝚘𝚗'𝚝 𝚋𝚎 𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚍!
𝙰 𝚍𝚊𝚛𝚔 𝚑𝚞𝚖𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚊 𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝙰𝚞𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚎-𝚎𝚜𝚚𝚞𝚎 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚊 𝚕𝚘𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝!
𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚌𝚕𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚕𝚢 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚗 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚖𝚎 𝚕𝚊𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚕𝚘𝚞𝚍 𝚖𝚊𝚓𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚢 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚞!
𝙰 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚊𝚒𝚗 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝙰𝚋𝚒𝚐𝚊𝚒𝚕, 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚝𝚘𝚠𝚗𝚜𝚏𝚘𝚕𝚔 𝚊𝚗𝚍 ’𝙾𝚕𝚍 𝙳𝚒𝚌𝚔’ 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚌𝚑 𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚊𝚢 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚖𝚢 𝚏𝚊𝚟𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚘𝚗𝚎-𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚞𝚝𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚘𝚗 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚊𝚋𝚜𝚘𝚕𝚞𝚝𝚎 𝚐𝚘𝚕𝚍!
𝚂𝚎𝚝 𝚒𝚗 𝚖𝚢 𝚑𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚂𝙰 𝚒𝚗 𝚊 𝚜𝚖𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚏𝚒𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚊𝚕 𝚏𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚍 𝙿𝚘𝚛𝚝 𝙺𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚛𝚝𝚘𝚗 𝙸 𝚏𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚖𝚢𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏 𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚌𝚎𝚛𝚝𝚊𝚒𝚗 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚏𝚞𝚗 𝚏𝚊𝚌𝚝 𝙸 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚛𝚗, 𝚋𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚗 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚖𝚢𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏 𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚕 𝙸 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝟸𝟸!
𝙿𝚒𝚌𝚔 𝚞𝚙 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚠𝚘𝚗'𝚝 𝚋𝚎 𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚍!
July 12, 2024
good but interesting story
June 28, 2023
Cute Aussie story that was nice and heart warming.
March 15, 2023
Kim Lock's book, the Other Side of Beautiful is one of my favourite books - so I had high hopes for 'The Fancies' but unfortunately it didn't live up to its predecessor.
Abigail Fancy has finished her prison time and returns to the tiny town that the Fancys have ruled for decades - Port Kingerton: a cray-fishing town in South Australia, where everyone knows everyone and everyone's business. At 17 Abigail left the town and no one expected her to return... or what would come with it. The story is told from three perspectives - Abigail's, her Grandfather's and everyone else's. While I found some bits funny and relatable, I did find it hard to follow along. Sometimes reading a book at the 'wrong time' in your life can also influence the way you perceive a book. I hope this was the case for me because I really wanted to love it.
Try it for yourself and see what you think!
Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Australia for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Abigail Fancy has finished her prison time and returns to the tiny town that the Fancys have ruled for decades - Port Kingerton: a cray-fishing town in South Australia, where everyone knows everyone and everyone's business. At 17 Abigail left the town and no one expected her to return... or what would come with it. The story is told from three perspectives - Abigail's, her Grandfather's and everyone else's. While I found some bits funny and relatable, I did find it hard to follow along. Sometimes reading a book at the 'wrong time' in your life can also influence the way you perceive a book. I hope this was the case for me because I really wanted to love it.
Try it for yourself and see what you think!
Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Australia for the opportunity to read and review this book.
April 8, 2023
Copy received via Netgalley for an honest review
3.5 stars
Hmm, where do I start with this one?
I loved the coming back home, I loved the small town (though in reality it can seem even more smothering that Port Kingerton!). I get theI loved the family dymanics for the most part.
But I just didn't feel this one as much as I have other Kim Lock books.
Abigail is great - though when I first started reading, I thought she was a lot younger than the 39 years old she turned out to be.
I liked the way the author could change my feelings about things that have happened, just by showing us the narrative from a different perspective.
It was an enjoyable read, however there is one thing that I am still scratching my head about - you'll get it when you read it.
3.5 stars
Hmm, where do I start with this one?
I loved the coming back home, I loved the small town (though in reality it can seem even more smothering that Port Kingerton!). I get theI loved the family dymanics for the most part.
But I just didn't feel this one as much as I have other Kim Lock books.
Abigail is great - though when I first started reading, I thought she was a lot younger than the 39 years old she turned out to be.
I liked the way the author could change my feelings about things that have happened, just by showing us the narrative from a different perspective.
It was an enjoyable read, however there is one thing that I am still scratching my head about - you'll get it when you read it.
May 5, 2023
This was interesting. And not at all what I expected.
It’s not every day that your protagonist is just out of prison. And not for the first time. But that is what we get here, with Abigail Fancy, who has just been released from prison in Adelaide and has made the long busride home to her family in Port Kingerton, along the coast in south-eastern South Australia. Abigail hasn’t set foot in the town for over twenty years, since she left when she was just a teenager.
This is told from 3 different perspectives: Abigail’s, the perspective of her grandfather, known as ‘Old Dick’ who has dementia and often forgets what year it is, as well as various townspeople, under the heading of “them”. Abigail’s arrival into town coincides with the discovery of a bone on the beach and it sets the rumour mill buzzing – is that something to do with her? Why is she back after all this time? What does she want? Is she planning anything? The town wants to know but Abigail’s parents, her father (known as Richard or ‘Young Dick’) and Nell, aren’t talking.
This is definitely a look at small towns and the politics that rule them. Abigail’s family, the Fancies, sort of rule the town in a way. It’s a fishing town, a lot of the players have fishing licenses (which are restricted) and passed down through families. Abigail’s grandfather, ‘Old Dick’ seemed to be in a bit of a war with another local, who has since passed away and it’s continued somewhat, through the generations: Abigail herself had a longtime war with the man’s granddaughter Jessica, which has picked back up again upon Abigail’s arrival back into town. A lot of the young men are allied with ‘Young Dick’ and tend to do what he says and from what ‘Old Dick’ occasionally mutters, it definitely seems like there’s been some shenanigans over the years.
For a large portion of this book (almost the entirety of it) almost everything remains a mystery – the reason why Abigail left and hasn’t returned, the reason she’s back now, the reason she went to prison, etc. It makes for interesting reading and I was definitely intrigued and wanted to find out all the answers to the questions I had. Abigail has a sort of…complex?… relationship with her mother, the two of them communicate in quite unusual ways. She seems much more comfortable speaking more frankly to her father.
Abigail needs a job – she ended up in debt due to jail and she needs money to get herself back on her feet (especially for reasons that don’t become that clear until the end of the book) but due to the whole leaving thing and why some people think she left, it’s unlikely she’ll find anyone to hire her….until she meets Nell’s vet, who isn’t from the local town and doesn’t seem to care much about what people think. It was funny how the most innocuous of things that Abigail did, from purchasing a cheap phone (because she has no money) became so much more embellished along the town’s gossip grapevine. Everyone wnats to be be seen as being ‘in the know’ and even if they have no information about why Abigail is back or what she’s up to, or how her parents feel about it, they’ll hedge and drop hints and pretend they know more than they do so you end up with everything changing a little as it’s told to more and more people until the result doesn’t even resemble the original action.
I really enjoyed the chapters from the perspective of Old Dick, Abigail’s grandfather. For the most part, he doesn’t even remember who Abigail is exactly, he’s mostly in another time, when things were dealt with in a certain way. I found his chapters quite humorous (he constantly apologises to his deceased wife for swearing or saying something inappropriate) and occasionally comes out with one liners that are hilarious. You learn more than you’d think, because he’s watching everything and listening and he may not know everything that’s happening and be thinking of things from before but it does give you some information and some history and a way to begin to put the pieces together.
I have to admit, I spent a lot of this book not knowing where it was going and what the mysteries were and what was going to be revealed – longer than I probably would’ve thought actually, but I liked the way it all came together. Actually, I wanted a little bit more! I feel like a lot of the reveals were quite late that I would’ve liked to explore some of them a little more! I felt like it did a good job of showcasing the small town, the rumour mill, the factions, the way that people are regarded as “blow-ins” still, even when they may have lived there for decades. Small towns are very insular, they can be vicious as well as kind and protective. And we get to see that in various ways here.
I enjoyed this – it was different and fun and had some hidden depths. Kim Lock is a very talented author, an auto-read for sure.
It’s not every day that your protagonist is just out of prison. And not for the first time. But that is what we get here, with Abigail Fancy, who has just been released from prison in Adelaide and has made the long busride home to her family in Port Kingerton, along the coast in south-eastern South Australia. Abigail hasn’t set foot in the town for over twenty years, since she left when she was just a teenager.
This is told from 3 different perspectives: Abigail’s, the perspective of her grandfather, known as ‘Old Dick’ who has dementia and often forgets what year it is, as well as various townspeople, under the heading of “them”. Abigail’s arrival into town coincides with the discovery of a bone on the beach and it sets the rumour mill buzzing – is that something to do with her? Why is she back after all this time? What does she want? Is she planning anything? The town wants to know but Abigail’s parents, her father (known as Richard or ‘Young Dick’) and Nell, aren’t talking.
This is definitely a look at small towns and the politics that rule them. Abigail’s family, the Fancies, sort of rule the town in a way. It’s a fishing town, a lot of the players have fishing licenses (which are restricted) and passed down through families. Abigail’s grandfather, ‘Old Dick’ seemed to be in a bit of a war with another local, who has since passed away and it’s continued somewhat, through the generations: Abigail herself had a longtime war with the man’s granddaughter Jessica, which has picked back up again upon Abigail’s arrival back into town. A lot of the young men are allied with ‘Young Dick’ and tend to do what he says and from what ‘Old Dick’ occasionally mutters, it definitely seems like there’s been some shenanigans over the years.
For a large portion of this book (almost the entirety of it) almost everything remains a mystery – the reason why Abigail left and hasn’t returned, the reason she’s back now, the reason she went to prison, etc. It makes for interesting reading and I was definitely intrigued and wanted to find out all the answers to the questions I had. Abigail has a sort of…complex?… relationship with her mother, the two of them communicate in quite unusual ways. She seems much more comfortable speaking more frankly to her father.
Abigail needs a job – she ended up in debt due to jail and she needs money to get herself back on her feet (especially for reasons that don’t become that clear until the end of the book) but due to the whole leaving thing and why some people think she left, it’s unlikely she’ll find anyone to hire her….until she meets Nell’s vet, who isn’t from the local town and doesn’t seem to care much about what people think. It was funny how the most innocuous of things that Abigail did, from purchasing a cheap phone (because she has no money) became so much more embellished along the town’s gossip grapevine. Everyone wnats to be be seen as being ‘in the know’ and even if they have no information about why Abigail is back or what she’s up to, or how her parents feel about it, they’ll hedge and drop hints and pretend they know more than they do so you end up with everything changing a little as it’s told to more and more people until the result doesn’t even resemble the original action.
I really enjoyed the chapters from the perspective of Old Dick, Abigail’s grandfather. For the most part, he doesn’t even remember who Abigail is exactly, he’s mostly in another time, when things were dealt with in a certain way. I found his chapters quite humorous (he constantly apologises to his deceased wife for swearing or saying something inappropriate) and occasionally comes out with one liners that are hilarious. You learn more than you’d think, because he’s watching everything and listening and he may not know everything that’s happening and be thinking of things from before but it does give you some information and some history and a way to begin to put the pieces together.
I have to admit, I spent a lot of this book not knowing where it was going and what the mysteries were and what was going to be revealed – longer than I probably would’ve thought actually, but I liked the way it all came together. Actually, I wanted a little bit more! I feel like a lot of the reveals were quite late that I would’ve liked to explore some of them a little more! I felt like it did a good job of showcasing the small town, the rumour mill, the factions, the way that people are regarded as “blow-ins” still, even when they may have lived there for decades. Small towns are very insular, they can be vicious as well as kind and protective. And we get to see that in various ways here.
I enjoyed this – it was different and fun and had some hidden depths. Kim Lock is a very talented author, an auto-read for sure.
April 9, 2023
The Fancies is the fifth novel by Australian author, Kim Lock. The audio version is narrated by Nicole Gulasekharam. On the same day a human thigh washes up on the beach at Port Kingerton, at the southernmost tip of South Australia, Abigail Fancy, remembered by some as gangly, wild and slightly terrifying teenage girl, and now a stacked, lush, blonde-haired powerhouse, returns to the small town she emphatically left twenty-three years earlier. The next day, it seems that Lofty’s boat is missing. Some in the town concoct wildly speculative connections between these three occurrences.
Abigail, it turns out, is as prickly as ever, with good reason. Returning to Kingo, this pipsqueak, self-absorbed town with its stupid, insular politics, filled with obsessive braggarts who thought they were the centre of the universe? That had never been her plan, but after five months in prison (her second stint in two years), she’s not just broke, but deep in debt, owning only the clothes on her back.
Her dad, known as Young Dick Fancy, is, with growing reluctance, a figure of influence in the town and his main concerns just now are: that the bone washed up is causing the town’s nerves to fray as it recalls events of twenty-four years earlier; Abigail’s predicament, and how he can help; the unexplained absence of Lofty’s boat, and then Lofty; and his dad, Old Dick’s disinhibited ramblings.
Old Dick, some years into dementia, makes an unreliable narrator, and it’s quickly apparent from his comments that he has no filter, and that his inner monologue is not necessarily a silent one. He offers opinions like “‘Be careful whose money you take. They might want to collect it later. With interest. Sometimes it’s blood. Other times it’s your balls.’”
As Abigail is well aware, Port Kingerton is a place where information (gossip) rates as currency, affording prestige to the teller, and offering the frisson of excitement at the prospect of sharing it. “She had come here because she needed to get away, to start over, to be a self-governing private person, but she may as well have mounted a camera on her head, livestreaming her every move, for all privacy she actually felt. Everyone knew who she was—everyone had decided, long ago, who she was— and there was no changing that.”
About the only person who doesn’t have preconceived ideas about Abigail, or the arrogance to pass judgement is the new, attractive veterinarian, who comes to check on a naughty mare about to foal in autumn, and who is also the target of attacking goose called Kitten.
In a tale populated by vibrant, zany, larger-than-life characters, with plenty of laugh-out-loud lines, and a generous sprinkling of expletives, old rivalries re-emerge, loyalties are tested and long-held secrets are revealed. And some, carrying two decades of guilt, try to make amends. Lock perfectly conveys her setting: the atmosphere and mindset, the claustrophobia, and the jealousies that are endemic in a small Australian coastal town. Funny, moving and thought-provoking, Lock’s latest does not disappoint.
Abigail, it turns out, is as prickly as ever, with good reason. Returning to Kingo, this pipsqueak, self-absorbed town with its stupid, insular politics, filled with obsessive braggarts who thought they were the centre of the universe? That had never been her plan, but after five months in prison (her second stint in two years), she’s not just broke, but deep in debt, owning only the clothes on her back.
Her dad, known as Young Dick Fancy, is, with growing reluctance, a figure of influence in the town and his main concerns just now are: that the bone washed up is causing the town’s nerves to fray as it recalls events of twenty-four years earlier; Abigail’s predicament, and how he can help; the unexplained absence of Lofty’s boat, and then Lofty; and his dad, Old Dick’s disinhibited ramblings.
Old Dick, some years into dementia, makes an unreliable narrator, and it’s quickly apparent from his comments that he has no filter, and that his inner monologue is not necessarily a silent one. He offers opinions like “‘Be careful whose money you take. They might want to collect it later. With interest. Sometimes it’s blood. Other times it’s your balls.’”
As Abigail is well aware, Port Kingerton is a place where information (gossip) rates as currency, affording prestige to the teller, and offering the frisson of excitement at the prospect of sharing it. “She had come here because she needed to get away, to start over, to be a self-governing private person, but she may as well have mounted a camera on her head, livestreaming her every move, for all privacy she actually felt. Everyone knew who she was—everyone had decided, long ago, who she was— and there was no changing that.”
About the only person who doesn’t have preconceived ideas about Abigail, or the arrogance to pass judgement is the new, attractive veterinarian, who comes to check on a naughty mare about to foal in autumn, and who is also the target of attacking goose called Kitten.
In a tale populated by vibrant, zany, larger-than-life characters, with plenty of laugh-out-loud lines, and a generous sprinkling of expletives, old rivalries re-emerge, loyalties are tested and long-held secrets are revealed. And some, carrying two decades of guilt, try to make amends. Lock perfectly conveys her setting: the atmosphere and mindset, the claustrophobia, and the jealousies that are endemic in a small Australian coastal town. Funny, moving and thought-provoking, Lock’s latest does not disappoint.
April 28, 2023
“The Fancies” is a funny novel about very difficult things. I enjoyed it, although it was a little darker than I anticipated.
The Fancy family more or less runs the small town in which they live. This is not exactly intentional; in fact, Dave, the current patriarch, would really rather people weren’t constantly looking to him for direction. And yet, somehow, he and his wife not only know everything that happens in town, but influence it too.
Then their daughter Abigail, who’s been gone for decades, returns at a most inconvenient moment. Abigail, mouthy, angry, broke, and newly released from prison, is a disruptive influence at the best of times. And this is not a particularly good time. Dave is already distracted by the need to damp down the rumors around a human bone found on the beach.
There’s a slightly wild, wacky flavor to this, which I think is due mostly to Abigail’s character. She’s not always easy to like, but most readers, especially the female ones, are likely to eventually feel a good deal of empathy for her.
The humor is sardonic and often unexpected, but is a necessary counter point to the darker issues the novel eventually discusses. In fact, this is a bit of a sneaky novel; initially it seems like a fairly mild family drama, but gradually darker tones emerge.
The novel is told in multiple voices, which is less confusing than it sounds. By switching between characters, Lock gives the reader not only different perspectives, but also some hints about things that emerge more fully later. Each voice is distinctive. Even without the headings which let you know which character’s head you’re in, I don’t think most readers would get confused.
I liked the way the gradual revelations were calculated to change the reader’s perspective as well as provide more information. Individuals and relationships shift as we learn more about them and events (some legendary) in the past.
This is also a searing indictment of the worst of small towns, and of letting your preconceptions rule your behaviour. It’s very sad in places.
Mostly, though, this was just a really enjoyable novel. It engaged me, it involved me emotionally, and it gave me some memorable characters. It was a good reading experience, and I think the story will linger with me for some time.
You may also be interested in my review of “The Other Side of Beautiful” by Kim Lock:
https://otherdreamsotherlives.home.bl...
If you enjoyed this review, please visit www.otherdreamsotherlives.home.blog to read more.
The Fancy family more or less runs the small town in which they live. This is not exactly intentional; in fact, Dave, the current patriarch, would really rather people weren’t constantly looking to him for direction. And yet, somehow, he and his wife not only know everything that happens in town, but influence it too.
Then their daughter Abigail, who’s been gone for decades, returns at a most inconvenient moment. Abigail, mouthy, angry, broke, and newly released from prison, is a disruptive influence at the best of times. And this is not a particularly good time. Dave is already distracted by the need to damp down the rumors around a human bone found on the beach.
There’s a slightly wild, wacky flavor to this, which I think is due mostly to Abigail’s character. She’s not always easy to like, but most readers, especially the female ones, are likely to eventually feel a good deal of empathy for her.
The humor is sardonic and often unexpected, but is a necessary counter point to the darker issues the novel eventually discusses. In fact, this is a bit of a sneaky novel; initially it seems like a fairly mild family drama, but gradually darker tones emerge.
The novel is told in multiple voices, which is less confusing than it sounds. By switching between characters, Lock gives the reader not only different perspectives, but also some hints about things that emerge more fully later. Each voice is distinctive. Even without the headings which let you know which character’s head you’re in, I don’t think most readers would get confused.
I liked the way the gradual revelations were calculated to change the reader’s perspective as well as provide more information. Individuals and relationships shift as we learn more about them and events (some legendary) in the past.
This is also a searing indictment of the worst of small towns, and of letting your preconceptions rule your behaviour. It’s very sad in places.
Mostly, though, this was just a really enjoyable novel. It engaged me, it involved me emotionally, and it gave me some memorable characters. It was a good reading experience, and I think the story will linger with me for some time.
You may also be interested in my review of “The Other Side of Beautiful” by Kim Lock:
https://otherdreamsotherlives.home.bl...
If you enjoyed this review, please visit www.otherdreamsotherlives.home.blog to read more.
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