A Tidy Ending took a turning I wasn't expecting! Enjoyable read.

*3.5

Thanks to the publisher for an eArc via NetGalley.

I have enjoyed all of Joanna Cannons books but this one may be my favourite so far. You never know where you are in this one or how to feel but in the best way. The characters are incredible and there is humour in there too for such a gloomy story.

I am so excited to share my thoughts on "A Tidy Ending" by Joanna Cannon! From the moment I read the synopsis, I knew that this book would be a thrilling and mysterious read, one that would leave me on the edge of my seat. And let me tell you, it did not disappoint!

Cannon's writing is exquisite, with each word carefully chosen to create a vivid and engrossing world. The protagonist, Linda, is a fascinating character, with a talent for solving puzzles and uncovering secrets. I found myself rooting for her from the very first page, eager to see where her journey would take her.

The setting of Cavendish Avenue is both parochial and stifling, and yet full of unexpected twists and turns. I loved the way that Cannon played with my expectations, constantly subverting them and keeping me guessing until the very end. The pacing of the novel is masterful, with each chapter building upon the last and leading to a truly jaw-dropping finale.

But what really sets "A Tidy Ending" apart is the humor and humanity that Cannon infuses into her story. Despite the darkness and danger that Linda faces, there are moments of levity and warmth that made me smile and feel deeply connected to the characters.

Overall, I would highly recommend "A Tidy Ending" to anyone looking for a thrilling, mysterious, and deeply human read. This book truly has it all, and I can't wait to see what Joanna Cannon writes next!

This book started off a bit slowly for me, but I was soon engulfed in the mind and thoughts of Linda, and what a place to find myself!

Linda is one of those characters who often misreads or misunderstands the situations in which she finds herself. It was sad to see inside her mind, how she interprets situations, often believing that she is more important to other people than they feel her to be.

There was a delightful little twist at the end, which had been building up all the way through, but that I had not suspected.

I love Linda! She doesn’t know how to behave around other people. She can’t read social cues and just wants to be friends with everyone. She isn't too keen on her husband Terry either. I loved the narrator, I thought she brought Linda to life. The author captured the character so well perhaps its based on someone she knows! It follows Linda as she tries to find out who has been murdering young girls around her estate. It goes back in time to what happened with her father and why she had to leave Wales. It wasn't the kind of book I was expecting and that was just because of the cover. I genuinely didn't realise how the picture on the front can influence your beliefs about a book.

Great audiobook, really enjoyed it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me access this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

A Tidy Ending is a delectable, engrossing and darkly humorous tale, featuring as its unlikely heroine the middle-aged and deceptively introverted Linda.

Charity shop worker Linda becomes obsessed with the glamorous previous occupant of the suburban home into which she and her husband Terry have recently moved. Under-stimulated by her humdrum life, and the frequent target of ridicule and gaslighting from both her husband and mother, Linda finds a private delight in poring over fashion and lifestyle catalogues that arrive in the mail for the mysterious Rebecca, meanwhile fantasising about a more exciting existence of her own.

Meanwhile, Terry's behaviour is becoming increasingly erratic, and a series of vicious attacks on young women are keeping the town in a state of ghoulish agitation...

Joanna Cannon weaves together a self-actualisation storyline featuring an endearingly quirky protagonist, with lashings of dark humour, revenge and jaw-dropping twists. This was an absolute delight to read and Lissa Berry's narration of the audiobook version added wonderfully to the immersive experience - a perfect casting decision!

I'd thoroughly recommend A Tidy Ending to any reader who enjoys a sprinkling of dark humour in their crime-mystery-thriller reads, and equally to those who love "the mouse that roared" type plots.

My thanks to the author, Joanna Cannon, voice artist Lissa Berry, publisher HarperCollins UK Audio and NetGalley (UK) for the opportunity to listen to and review this wonderful title.

A good thriller, exceptionally well wrapped up, uncomfortable as for a large part of the story it hinges on a character being picked on, and taken advantage of for their intelligence / perceived neurodiversity , and it was relentlessly punching down and using social awkwardness as a punchline.

Compulsively readable and the twist is redemptive, it not enough to take the rest of the book out of my mind?

I really enjoyed listening to this book!
I enjoyed the narration very much and I laughed through the book. There were some great one liners and mum was hysterical!

In the middle it became a little confusing when listening to it in spurts, but it soon became apparent.

A great story, a new author to me, will look at previous books.

Definitely recommended

The first thing that I must mention is that the cover art is quite deceiving. Bright, colourful, birds and flowers! Looks like a country-side cozy mystery or even romance novel, don’t you agree? Only afterwards you recognise that some of the elements are present in the story, but not as one maybe expects. It is just a hint of what’s to come, that things aren’t always what it seems to be at first glance.

“A Tidy Ending” is mainly set in a quiet estate and suburb in Yorkshire.
The main character, Linda, is indeed a very interesting woman. Because the story is told only from Linda’s point of view, we get into her state of mind and way of thinking right from the start. She is socially awkward, naïve and don’t have a lot of friends. In many ways, she reminded me of Molly in Nita Prose’s “The Maid”. The OCD, the quirky observations of human interactions, the misinterpretation of social clues – very much like someone on the spectrum, I thought?

She is married to Terry, who after a couple of years of marriage takes her very much for granted and doesn’t really take any of her quirks and peculiarities to heart. For some reason, every time he said “Linda”, I had Mr Brittas’s voice in my head!

There are two timelines present as well, a slow reveal of Linda’s past experiences – that you only get little teasers of initially, and her current situation.

This book is the perfect example of having an unreliable narrator (now I know what the recommend the next time I come across this prompt on a Goodreads challenge). So much so that, from a couple of reviews I saw, readers either love or hate Linda – there’s no in-between.

I found her eccentric, and really enjoyed her unique observations of everyday life and people, as well as the dark humour present this book.

The author is such a brilliant storyteller and the way she allowed us deeper and deeper into Linda’s back-story and deeper psyche was simply fantastic. I am keen to check out “The Trouble with Goats and Sheep” as well.

This was a 5-star read for me!

Thanks to NetGalley/ HarperCollins UK Audio, HarperCollins/Jonathan Ball Publishers for the gifted copies

Linda is a private woman who enjoys helping others … she dreams of a different life, being someone else entirely. One day when another woman goes missing, she’s enthralled into the case and finding out the truth… or is she withholding the truth from the audience?

An excellent thriller that left me guessing the whole way.

Rating - 4.5 rounded off to 5

A mild form of a mystery thriller that feels pleasant, cozy yet at the same time, cleverly hides all things sinister.

Synopsis –

Linda leads a dull, ordinary life in the quiet suburbs, having fled from her dark childhood in Wales. Her husband Terry annoys her with his shabbiness, which doesn’t help her OCD. Linda craves a good social life, glamourous lifestyle and wants nothing more but to fit in - just like the previous occupant of her house, Rebecca Finch. As she makes it a mission to track down and befriend Rebecca, the secrets start spilling and bodies keep piling. Linda’s life now seems to change for good.

Review –

I thoroughly enjoyed this as an audiobook narrated by Lissa Berry. Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, Audio for the ALC!

First of all, I want to applaud the narrator. Lissa does a great job of bringing Linda’s character to life. The pace, flow and voice modulation seemed to reflect Linda’s personality perfectly, with all her quirks and eccentricities – making listening a joyful experience.

It is Linda’s character that draws you to this book like quick sand. Bored with the sheer domesticity of her life, a dreary marriage to an uninteresting and irksome husband, she can only obsess about something more attractive.

I loved Linda for all that she is. The author punctuates her characterization with a keen sense of observation, her deepest thought processes, snide and cheeky remarks, humorous, witty and candid opinions about all the things and people around her. Although I found her strange initially, she certainly grew on me slowly.

Furthermore, Linda’s mother Younis’ character brought its own flavor to the emerging plot. Her influence on Linda all through childhood and their unconventional relationship almost shapes who she has become.

With her OCD, Linda’s fixation about Rebecca and the lifestyle she dreams about both seem to overstep the acceptable threshold. As she decides to revisit her past to right the wrongs, the murders begin to threaten this little town and thus we soon reach this “tidy” ending.

True to its name, the ending is what takes the main spotlight. Cannon pulls it off so immaculately indeed and that “aahh” moment is every bit worth the ride.

The audiobook includes an exclusive interview between Lissa and the author at the end. I really appreciated her ideas behind her characters and storyline imaginings, as well as how she came to work backwards from this “ending”.

Highly recommended to cozy mystery lovers, especially on audio!

This was an incredibly twisty thriller. I loved the dual time line and I was on tenter hooks until the final moment wondering what the main character was actually like. I thought the narrator did an amazing job of conveying a character who was not as she first appeared. There was so much complexity to the character and it will certainly stick with me for a long time. I really want to read more by this author!

This was a pleasant listen, but it took me a while to get into and I wasn't a fan of Linda and thought the end was inevitable. Others will find the intriguing tale appealing.

I'd definitely read the author's other books based on this one.

It took me a while to get into the story as it was a slow burner, but I loved the character of Linda. There were some excruciatingly painful moments where she misunderstood a situation, and her internal thoughts were amusing and sometimes heartbreaking. Reminiscent of Elinor Oliphant, there are some wonderfully dark comments which made me laugh. With a twist at the end, it's an unusual cozy mystery with a serial killer on the loose!

Thank you to the publisher, author and NetGalley for a chance to listen to the audiobook.

A Tidy Ending by Joanna Cannon is a fascinating story about the murder of young women. There were a few good twists to the storyline that all come together at the end. Very clever and unexpected ending. It’s a funny book, dark and enjoyable.

Thank you @netgalley

This is a great book, nice easy read for when life gets to insensitive, this book makes you feel warm inside.

I can see this book being a beat seller keep a eye out for Amazon best seller list.

I loved the tone of this and Linda. It was refreshing to hear about a very 'ordinary' protagonist. Though not everything is at it seems. I did guess what those things were, but it didn't alter my enjoyment. Highly recommended.

4.5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Thankyou #netgalley #joannacannon #harpercollinsaudio for the arc copy of this book for a honest review.
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.pacing was abit slow on the story.not as original as she has done with her writing style but she did amazing in the story.
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Overall it was a 4.5⭐️ .
Narrator was amazing too.



❤️Shaye.reads

I loved the narration and felt real warmth to Linda, stuck in an unhappy relationship, when a series of murders start to happen she becomes very interested. The writing is suburb and seeing the world through Linda’s eyes is heartwarming with its innocence, very much recommend