It So Happens came to my attention when it was longlisted for the Orange Prize, a couple of years ago I think, but I didn't read it at the time. Earlier this summer I was browsing in the library for slim paperbacks to take on holiday, and was attracted by the originality it promised. It was this line of blurb that got me:

"a gothic tale of crime, blackmail, redemption and the importance of soft furnishings"

It certainly sounded like it would offer something different; I read a lot, for work and for pleasure, and sometimes feel that every book I pick up is remarkably similar to the last one, so I'm always on the look-out for a book that will surprise me, and remind me of why I love reading. This looked like it would appeal to my dark sense of humour.

And on the whole, it delivers. Part Muriel Spark, part Hitchock, it's set in a retirement home for women, run by the sinister Betty Potts. It swings alternately from the domestic to the macabre. There's a wonderful cast of characters, not least the blackmailer / warden Betty Potts ("paperwork had no chance against Betty Potts"), the villain of the piece. Then there's Annie, who seems ridiculous to others, but dignified and intelligent to the reader. The themes of the book range from old age, friendship, disability and mother-daughter relationships on one side, to blackmail, incest, psychics and secrecy on the other.

The only thing I'm not sure about is what the point of the book is. I'd love to ask the author what she was trying to do, or find someone else who's read this book and can share their reaction with me. Is she just having fun, playing with mixing genres? Anyone out there know the answer?