A Country Affair

Rebecca Shaw has written eight novels in a series set in a village called Turnham Malpas. I have read the first five of these so far (and written opinions on them!) and I’m planning to read the others too.

But Shaw has now finished her Turnham Malpas series and has changed tack – from a quiet village based around the church and rectory to a more modern setting, centred round the Barleybridge Veterinary Practice.

The main character in the first book of this new series – A Country Affair – is Kate Howard, a nineteen year old who begins a new job as a receptionist, while aspiring to become a trained vet one day.

Shaw is excellent at bringing to life a wide range of realistic characters from the very young to the elderly. This was shown in her previous novels, but the Turnham Malpas series seemed more old, with the average age of characters rather younger in this new one.

Kate lives with her father and his second wife, Mia. Kate’s boyfriend is Adam, a rather strange man, far too predictable, dull, boring and going nowhere fast. His predictability borders on obsession. What would happen if his behaviour suddenly tipped over that line?

Shaw’s books are a mixture of styles really – the gentle village life of a Barbara Pym mixed with the characterisation of a Maeve Binchy, but with an added spice, a bit of soap opera drama and the occasional shock thrown in. This adds up to a book which entices its readers in gradually, before becoming completely addictive and unputdownable.

There is something for everyone to relate to in this novel, whatever the age or gender of the reader. Each character has their own story to tell as well, with strands of future plot lines being woven in to the tale as it develops.

When I finished the book, I felt quite annoyed that I’d have to wait another year or so to find out what happens in the second book
. Not that it needs to be read as part of a series. Like the Turnham Malpas books, it is a stand alone novel, but it does make you want to continue to follow their adventures.

As A Country Affair is set in a veterinary practice, animal lovers will enjoy these scenes, which clearly show the author’s love for them too. From rescued kittens to raging bulls, once again they are all beautifully described and interestingly written.

This book is a mystery, a romance, a slice of everyday life, but much more than that. There are no swear words, no sex and no slush.

The romances are chronicled in a very realistic way, warts and all – unrequited love, marriages of love but not passion, the comfortable familiarity of a long-term relationship, the passion of a new one.

Overall, I would recommend this book whole-heartedly. I read a lot and this is one of the best novels I’ve read this year.