A Practical Arrangement: A life less ordinary. Unfulfilled ambition, adultery and descent into crime

by Verity Trevethan

He is approaching forty but sometimes Andy feels closer to fifty. His career, home and family life are rapidly going downhill and he is approaching a self-induced crisis. A tipping point.

When a nurturing and championing boss leaves the biotech company Andy works for, he is left struggling with his jealous peers and the fear of onrushing redundancy. With finances stretched and a growing family to support, Andy is pushed to breaking point.

Sneaking some samples of an untested depression medication into his bag one evening after work, Andy hopes the drug will help him to turn his life around - but instead, Andy finds himself spiralling into a pit of selfishness leading to an abusive, life-changing affair. Will he be able to turn things around, or has the drug and the choices he has made ruin his family life and career beyond redemption?

298 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 3, 2022

Reviews

[Sue Foxall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable, easy to read. Got quite captivated by the characaters and found it a good holiday read. Not too complicated but a pleasurable walk through their lives.

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise behind this book is really interesting and maybe my rating is impacted by the feeling that I didn't quite get what I was expecting. It is a reasonably good read and there are some excellent moments, but it didn't quite gel for me. There are a few things that another editor would have demanded to be changed (and weirdly the author knows exactly what they are because there are some references to these stylistic elements within the text). There are also plot lines that I thought might be explored but it was like being walked down a corridor of doors, being allowed a peek behind each one and then having it closed in your face.
It could have been a gritty tale of drug experimentation and crime, or a tongue-in-cheek comedy of errors, and although there are elements of those, it is mainly an examination of middle-aged suburban life under some unusual stresses.
The author definitely has talent to create an engaging story, but they need reining in with some strong editorial advice in order to tighten things into a gripping, focused page-turner.

[Robin Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read lots of debut novels and am always excited to come across new writers with raw talent who then go on to find successful literary careers. Verity Trevethan's debut is one of those books that sparked excitement as I read it.
This is a book about neighbours in middle class suburbia, full of all the jealousy and competitiveness that is rife in these situations. I loved the characters despite (or perhaps because of) their deceitful traits. There's suspense, innuendo, lust and deliciously black humour throughout. There are also carefully structured character arcs and lessons are learned about what is really important in life and love. A beautifully written bitter-sweet story.

[Isabel Gonzalez · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read, perfectly combining deep emotions with a great sense of humour. Very difficult to put down. You grow fond of the protagonist and whatever he gets up to you find yourself liking him more and more. I hope the author publishes more books within this style, I am certainly hooked!

[Jessica Maxfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good read, I throughly enjoyed the story. This had many twists and turns. I would highly recommend

[Tom Pritchard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good read.
I am not much of a reader but I really enjoyed this

[Debbie Dorris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good read, I am an avid reader and this was an interesting story line that kept me gripped

[Lady · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book. I liked how unique the story was. I certainly haven't read many books like this one. It was really interesting in places. I enjoyed the majority of the book it just needed tightening in places. I also would have liked to experience more emotions from reading it or a change in the atmosphere created. These issues are mine. They are likely down to my tastes. If you love medical drama around drug development, then you should give this book a go or at least try a sample to see if this book is your next 5 star read.