Unputdownable, indeed!, 06 Dec 2006
I started reading this book while on holiday, and the only reason I didn't finish it in one day was because I wanted to have something to read for the plane ride home! I love Ms. Routledge's writing style; everything just flows so seamlessly. My favorite character without a doubt is Carrie, whom the author makes so believable that one could easily imagine having her as a best friend if she existed in real life. Moreover, Ms. Routledge describes Carrie and Mark's relationship very realistically, which is refreshing, and the connection between them and the "mouse" when they initially start dating is very sweet. Reading about the various goings-on in St. Dee was quite fun and fascinating. As an American, I must say that I had never heard of the ghost villages in England until I read this book, which made me want to know more about them. This is another stellar work from Victoria Routledge, and I look forward to her next one!

Good Page Turner, 21 Oct 2006
Apart from Swansong, I love all of Victoria Routledge's books, although she does vary her writing style a great deal. I enjoyed the idea of the forgotten village reforming - I have visited a similar abandoned village in Dorset - and found the story quite compelling. However, on a slightly negative note, I disliked the husband and found their relationship a little unbelievable. Overall a good read though. Can also thoroughly recommend Kiss Him Goodbye, which I have read numerous times.

Another gem from this seriously under-rated author, 16 Oct 2006
Although I'm actually only two-thirds of the way through The Secrets of St Dee, I just had to break off and post a review. Having been a big fan of Victoria Routledge ever since I read her sparkling debut novel, Friends Like These, I'm mystified as to why she is not as well-known as some of the infinitely inferior writers on the market.
The Secrets of St Dee, like Constance and Faith, Ms Routledge's previous novel, is a real gem. Where Constance and Faith re-created a little piece of Cumbria, St Dee centres on a 'ghost village' in Wiltshire, an entire village evacuated during World War II and only now being repopulated by the descendants of its original inhabitants, which include Mark and his wife, Carrie, the character at the heart of the story. Victoria Routledge has a gift for creating strong, believable female characters that you can't help caring about from page one and then placing them in beautifully-evoked, intriguing settings that keep you turning the pages. Here, the threads of several mysteries weave through the book. There is the sixty-year old mystery surrounding Mark's grandparents, the village schoolteacher and his child bride, about whom Mark knows next to nothing. Then there is Carrie's next-door-neighbour, a man with a mysteriously absent wife and two small children, one of whom has an unsettling habit of talking to a friend who isn't there. And finally there is Carrie herself, who discovers that the idyllic village life she has been dreaming of is threatened by secrets within her own marriage.
What I love about her writing is how it is never obvious; she always keeps you guessing, right up to the last page.
A fantastic book if you have to go on a long journey - you'll want to read it in a single sitting.

Unputdownable, indeed!, 06 Dec 2006
I started reading this book while on holiday, and the only reason I didn't finish it in one day was because I wanted to have something to read for the plane ride home! I love Ms. Routledge's writing style; everything just flows so seamlessly. My favorite character without a doubt is Carrie, whom the author makes so believable that one could easily imagine having her as a best friend if she existed in real life. Moreover, Ms. Routledge describes Carrie and Mark's relationship very realistically, which is refreshing, and the connection between them and the "mouse" when they initially start dating is very sweet. Reading about the various goings-on in St. Dee was quite fun and fascinating. As an American, I must say that I had never heard of the ghost villages in England until I read this book, which made me want to know more about them. This is another stellar work from Victoria Routledge, and I look forward to her next one!

Good Page Turner, 21 Oct 2006
Apart from Swansong, I love all of Victoria Routledge's books, although she does vary her writing style a great deal. I enjoyed the idea of the forgotten village reforming - I have visited a similar abandoned village in Dorset - and found the story quite compelling. However, on a slightly negative note, I disliked the husband and found their relationship a little unbelievable. Overall a good read though. Can also thoroughly recommend Kiss Him Goodbye, which I have read numerous times.

Another gem from this seriously under-rated author, 16 Oct 2006
Although I'm actually only two-thirds of the way through The Secrets of St Dee, I just had to break off and post a review. Having been a big fan of Victoria Routledge ever since I read her sparkling debut novel, Friends Like These, I'm mystified as to why she is not as well-known as some of the infinitely inferior writers on the market.
The Secrets of St Dee, like Constance and Faith, Ms Routledge's previous novel, is a real gem. Where Constance and Faith re-created a little piece of Cumbria, St Dee centres on a 'ghost village' in Wiltshire, an entire village evacuated during World War II and only now being repopulated by the descendants of its original inhabitants, which include Mark and his wife, Carrie, the character at the heart of the story. Victoria Routledge has a gift for creating strong, believable female characters that you can't help caring about from page one and then placing them in beautifully-evoked, intriguing settings that keep you turning the pages. Here, the threads of several mysteries weave through the book. There is the sixty-year old mystery surrounding Mark's grandparents, the village schoolteacher and his child bride, about whom Mark knows next to nothing. Then there is Carrie's next-door-neighbour, a man with a mysteriously absent wife and two small children, one of whom has an unsettling habit of talking to a friend who isn't there. And finally there is Carrie herself, who discovers that the idyllic village life she has been dreaming of is threatened by secrets within her own marriage.
What I love about her writing is how it is never obvious; she always keeps you guessing, right up to the last page.
A fantastic book if you have to go on a long journey - you'll want to read it in a single sitting.

Didn't live up to its potential, 20 Aug 2004
With a back cover hinting at back stage rock star gossip, love triangles and dodgy parentage I expected to enjoy the story of Rosetta and her four sons. Unfortunately I was to be very disappointed with this book, as I did not feel it lived up to the blurb on the back. The questions regarding parentage were not satisfactorily answered, a lot more could have been made of this book. Rosetta was not a very nice person, and I felt her characterisation asked more questions than it answered, into how she lived her 'perfect' life. It was a slow read, not as scandalous as we had been led to believe. It is not a bad book, I enjoyed aspects of it, but the 'chick lit' market is competitive and flooded with better books than this.

Disappointing, 18 Sep 2003
I greatly enjoyed all of Victoria Routledge's previous books, especially '...and for starters', but actually gave up on 'Swansong' about half way through. I couldn't connect with the characters and found the structure of the book a little confusing.I expected more and was very disappointed.

Great charactors, 20 Mar 2003
When I picked this book up I actually didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did. I liked the way it dealt with Roseta's past and the way it effected all her boys. I think everyone would view her and her actions different but I actually did like her, and can see the difficulties of being a parent and a person yourself. I also liked the way it ended. I am normally put off of books over 400 pages and this is 500 pages plus but do recommend it to anyone who would be interested in the behind the scenes story of rockstars, or just life with children and families in general.

A brilliant family saga, with music as accompaniment, 02 Feb 2003
I love the saying that parents can push your buttons because they're the ones who installed them, and that certainly rings true in this wonderfully layered novel by Victoria Routledge, whose works I heartily recommend without hesitation. Not only is this an emotional exploration of a modern family, but also a fascinating behind the scenes look at the 60s and 70s rock music scene, and the extensive research that Ms. Routledge did for the book clearly stands out. Everything comes together as it should for Rosetta and her sons by the end, and I was sorry to let them go, because it was a great ride.

A deeply satisfying read, 09 Sep 2002
Victoria Routledge has really excelled herself with this latest novel, which far from being just another sample of 20-something 'chick lit', is a multi-generational book which would appeal to just about anybody (I'm sending a copy to my mum). The central character, Rosetta, is totally convincing, whether she is telling her story as a naive but ambitious teenager in the 60s, a young mum dealing with the ups and downs of touring with a rock band in the 70s, or a mature woman looking back on her life (and trying to deal with her four grown-up sons) in the present day. The story is compelling and the backdrop of the music business in the 60s and 70s beautifully evoked. This book deals with heavy-duty themes - 'true' love -v- duty to a partner; the conflicting roles of motherhood and celebrity - with a light touch and a lot of humour. Highly recommended, both to fans of Victoria Routledge's other books and to anyone looking for an alternative to by-the-numbers so-called 'chick lit'. Deserves to be a best-seller.

Unputdownable, indeed!, 06 Dec 2006
I started reading this book while on holiday, and the only reason I didn't finish it in one day was because I wanted to have something to read for the plane ride home! I love Ms. Routledge's writing style; everything just flows so seamlessly. My favorite character without a doubt is Carrie, whom the author makes so believable that one could easily imagine having her as a best friend if she existed in real life. Moreover, Ms. Routledge describes Carrie and Mark's relationship very realistically, which is refreshing, and the connection between them and the "mouse" when they initially start dating is very sweet. Reading about the various goings-on in St. Dee was quite fun and fascinating. As an American, I must say that I had never heard of the ghost villages in England until I read this book, which made me want to know more about them. This is another stellar work from Victoria Routledge, and I look forward to her next one!

Good Page Turner, 21 Oct 2006
Apart from Swansong, I love all of Victoria Routledge's books, although she does vary her writing style a great deal. I enjoyed the idea of the forgotten village reforming - I have visited a similar abandoned village in Dorset - and found the story quite compelling. However, on a slightly negative note, I disliked the husband and found their relationship a little unbelievable. Overall a good read though. Can also thoroughly recommend Kiss Him Goodbye, which I have read numerous times.

Another gem from this seriously under-rated author, 16 Oct 2006
Although I'm actually only two-thirds of the way through The Secrets of St Dee, I just had to break off and post a review. Having been a big fan of Victoria Routledge ever since I read her sparkling debut novel, Friends Like These, I'm mystified as to why she is not as well-known as some of the infinitely inferior writers on the market.
The Secrets of St Dee, like Constance and Faith, Ms Routledge's previous novel, is a real gem. Where Constance and Faith re-created a little piece of Cumbria, St Dee centres on a 'ghost village' in Wiltshire, an entire village evacuated during World War II and only now being repopulated by the descendants of its original inhabitants, which include Mark and his wife, Carrie, the character at the heart of the story. Victoria Routledge has a gift for creating strong, believable female characters that you can't help caring about from page one and then placing them in beautifully-evoked, intriguing settings that keep you turning the pages. Here, the threads of several mysteries weave through the book. There is the sixty-year old mystery surrounding Mark's grandparents, the village schoolteacher and his child bride, about whom Mark knows next to nothing. Then there is Carrie's next-door-neighbour, a man with a mysteriously absent wife and two small children, one of whom has an unsettling habit of talking to a friend who isn't there. And finally there is Carrie herself, who discovers that the idyllic village life she has been dreaming of is threatened by secrets within her own marriage.
What I love about her writing is how it is never obvious; she always keeps you guessing, right up to the last page.
A fantastic book if you have to go on a long journey - you'll want to read it in a single sitting.

Didn't live up to its potential, 20 Aug 2004
With a back cover hinting at back stage rock star gossip, love triangles and dodgy parentage I expected to enjoy the story of Rosetta and her four sons. Unfortunately I was to be very disappointed with this book, as I did not feel it lived up to the blurb on the back. The questions regarding parentage were not satisfactorily answered, a lot more could have been made of this book. Rosetta was not a very nice person, and I felt her characterisation asked more questions than it answered, into how she lived her 'perfect' life. It was a slow read, not as scandalous as we had been led to believe. It is not a bad book, I enjoyed aspects of it, but the 'chick lit' market is competitive and flooded with better books than this.

Disappointing, 18 Sep 2003
I greatly enjoyed all of Victoria Routledge's previous books, especially '...and for starters', but actually gave up on 'Swansong' about half way through. I couldn't connect with the characters and found the structure of the book a little confusing.I expected more and was very disappointed.

Great charactors, 20 Mar 2003
When I picked this book up I actually didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did. I liked the way it dealt with Roseta's past and the way it effected all her boys. I think everyone would view her and her actions different but I actually did like her, and can see the difficulties of being a parent and a person yourself. I also liked the way it ended. I am normally put off of books over 400 pages and this is 500 pages plus but do recommend it to anyone who would be interested in the behind the scenes story of rockstars, or just life with children and families in general.

A brilliant family saga, with music as accompaniment, 02 Feb 2003
I love the saying that parents can push your buttons because they're the ones who installed them, and that certainly rings true in this wonderfully layered novel by Victoria Routledge, whose works I heartily recommend without hesitation. Not only is this an emotional exploration of a modern family, but also a fascinating behind the scenes look at the 60s and 70s rock music scene, and the extensive research that Ms. Routledge did for the book clearly stands out. Everything comes together as it should for Rosetta and her sons by the end, and I was sorry to let them go, because it was a great ride.

A deeply satisfying read, 09 Sep 2002
Victoria Routledge has really excelled herself with this latest novel, which far from being just another sample of 20-something 'chick lit', is a multi-generational book which would appeal to just about anybody (I'm sending a copy to my mum). The central character, Rosetta, is totally convincing, whether she is telling her story as a naive but ambitious teenager in the 60s, a young mum dealing with the ups and downs of touring with a rock band in the 70s, or a mature woman looking back on her life (and trying to deal with her four grown-up sons) in the present day. The story is compelling and the backdrop of the music business in the 60s and 70s beautifully evoked. This book deals with heavy-duty themes - 'true' love -v- duty to a partner; the conflicting roles of motherhood and celebrity - with a light touch and a lot of humour. Highly recommended, both to fans of Victoria Routledge's other books and to anyone looking for an alternative to by-the-numbers so-called 'chick lit'. Deserves to be a best-seller.

Unputdownable, indeed!, 06 Dec 2006
I started reading this book while on holiday, and the only reason I didn't finish it in one day was because I wanted to have something to read for the plane ride home! I love Ms. Routledge's writing style; everything just flows so seamlessly. My favorite character without a doubt is Carrie, whom the author makes so believable that one could easily imagine having her as a best friend if she existed in real life. Moreover, Ms. Routledge describes Carrie and Mark's relationship very realistically, which is refreshing, and the connection between them and the "mouse" when they initially start dating is very sweet. Reading about the various goings-on in St. Dee was quite fun and fascinating. As an American, I must say that I had never heard of the ghost villages in England until I read this book, which made me want to know more about them. This is another stellar work from Victoria Routledge, and I look forward to her next one!

Good Page Turner, 21 Oct 2006
Apart from Swansong, I love all of Victoria Routledge's books, although she does vary her writing style a great deal. I enjoyed the idea of the forgotten village reforming - I have visited a similar abandoned village in Dorset - and found the story quite compelling. However, on a slightly negative note, I disliked the husband and found their relationship a little unbelievable. Overall a good read though. Can also thoroughly recommend Kiss Him Goodbye, which I have read numerous times.

Another gem from this seriously under-rated author, 16 Oct 2006
Although I'm actually only two-thirds of the way through The Secrets of St Dee, I just had to break off and post a review. Having been a big fan of Victoria Routledge ever since I read her sparkling debut novel, Friends Like These, I'm mystified as to why she is not as well-known as some of the infinitely inferior writers on the market.
The Secrets of St Dee, like Constance and Faith, Ms Routledge's previous novel, is a real gem. Where Constance and Faith re-created a little piece of Cumbria, St Dee centres on a 'ghost village' in Wiltshire, an entire village evacuated during World War II and only now being repopulated by the descendants of its original inhabitants, which include Mark and his wife, Carrie, the character at the heart of the story. Victoria Routledge has a gift for creating strong, believable female characters that you can't help caring about from page one and then placing them in beautifully-evoked, intriguing settings that keep you turning the pages. Here, the threads of several mysteries weave through the book. There is the sixty-year old mystery surrounding Mark's grandparents, the village schoolteacher and his child bride, about whom Mark knows next to nothing. Then there is Carrie's next-door-neighbour, a man with a mysteriously absent wife and two small children, one of whom has an unsettling habit of talking to a friend who isn't there. And finally there is Carrie herself, who discovers that the idyllic village life she has been dreaming of is threatened by secrets within her own marriage.
What I love about her writing is how it is never obvious; she always keeps you guessing, right up to the last page.
A fantastic book if you have to go on a long journey - you'll want to read it in a single sitting.

Unputdownable, indeed!, 06 Dec 2006
I started reading this book while on holiday, and the only reason I didn't finish it in one day was because I wanted to have something to read for the plane ride home! I love Ms. Routledge's writing style; everything just flows so seamlessly. My favorite character without a doubt is Carrie, whom the author makes so believable that one could easily imagine having her as a best friend if she existed in real life. Moreover, Ms. Routledge describes Carrie and Mark's relationship very realistically, which is refreshing, and the connection between them and the "mouse" when they initially start dating is very sweet. Reading about the various goings-on in St. Dee was quite fun and fascinating. As an American, I must say that I had never heard of the ghost villages in England until I read this book, which made me want to know more about them. This is another stellar work from Victoria Routledge, and I look forward to her next one!

Good Page Turner, 21 Oct 2006
Apart from Swansong, I love all of Victoria Routledge's books, although she does vary her writing style a great deal. I enjoyed the idea of the forgotten village reforming - I have visited a similar abandoned village in Dorset - and found the story quite compelling. However, on a slightly negative note, I disliked the husband and found their relationship a little unbelievable. Overall a good read though. Can also thoroughly recommend Kiss Him Goodbye, which I have read numerous times.

Another gem from this seriously under-rated author, 16 Oct 2006
Although I'm actually only two-thirds of the way through The Secrets of St Dee, I just had to break off and post a review. Having been a big fan of Victoria Routledge ever since I read her sparkling debut novel, Friends Like These, I'm mystified as to why she is not as well-known as some of the infinitely inferior writers on the market.
The Secrets of St Dee, like Constance and Faith, Ms Routledge's previous novel, is a real gem. Where Constance and Faith re-created a little piece of Cumbria, St Dee centres on a 'ghost village' in Wiltshire, an entire village evacuated during World War II and only now being repopulated by the descendants of its original inhabitants, which include Mark and his wife, Carrie, the character at the heart of the story. Victoria Routledge has a gift for creating strong, believable female characters that you can't help caring about from page one and then placing them in beautifully-evoked, intriguing settings that keep you turning the pages. Here, the threads of several mysteries weave through the book. There is the sixty-year old mystery surrounding Mark's grandparents, the village schoolteacher and his child bride, about whom Mark knows next to nothing. Then there is Carrie's next-door-neighbour, a man with a mysteriously absent wife and two small children, one of whom has an unsettling habit of talking to a friend who isn't there. And finally there is Carrie herself, who discovers that the idyllic village life she has been dreaming of is threatened by secrets within her own marriage.
What I love about her writing is how it is never obvious; she always keeps you guessing, right up to the last page.
A fantastic book if you have to go on a long journey - you'll want to read it in a single sitting.

Didn't live up to its potential, 20 Aug 2004
With a back cover hinting at back stage rock star gossip, love triangles and dodgy parentage I expected to enjoy the story of Rosetta and her four sons. Unfortunately I was to be very disappointed with this book, as I did not feel it lived up to the blurb on the back. The questions regarding parentage were not satisfactorily answered, a lot more could have been made of this book. Rosetta was not a very nice person, and I felt her characterisation asked more questions than it answered, into how she lived her 'perfect' life. It was a slow read, not as scandalous as we had been led to believe. It is not a bad book, I enjoyed aspects of it, but the 'chick lit' market is competitive and flooded with better books than this.

Disappointing, 18 Sep 2003
I greatly enjoyed all of Victoria Routledge's previous books, especially '...and for starters', but actually gave up on 'Swansong' about half way through. I couldn't connect with the characters and found the structure of the book a little confusing.I expected more and was very disappointed.

Great charactors, 20 Mar 2003
When I picked this book up I actually didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did. I liked the way it dealt with Roseta's past and the way it effected all her boys. I think everyone would view her and her actions different but I actually did like her, and can see the difficulties of being a parent and a person yourself. I also liked the way it ended. I am normally put off of books over 400 pages and this is 500 pages plus but do recommend it to anyone who would be interested in the behind the scenes story of rockstars, or just life with children and families in general.

A brilliant family saga, with music as accompaniment, 02 Feb 2003
I love the saying that parents can push your buttons because they're the ones who installed them, and that certainly rings true in this wonderfully layered novel by Victoria Routledge, whose works I heartily recommend without hesitation. Not only is this an emotional exploration of a modern family, but also a fascinating behind the scenes look at the 60s and 70s rock music scene, and the extensive research that Ms. Routledge did for the book clearly stands out. Everything comes together as it should for Rosetta and her sons by the end, and I was sorry to let them go, because it was a great ride.

A deeply satisfying read, 09 Sep 2002
Victoria Routledge has really excelled herself with this latest novel, which far from being just another sample of 20-something 'chick lit', is a multi-generational book which would appeal to just about anybody (I'm sending a copy to my mum). The central character, Rosetta, is totally convincing, whether she is telling her story as a naive but ambitious teenager in the 60s, a young mum dealing with the ups and downs of touring with a rock band in the 70s, or a mature woman looking back on her life (and trying to deal with her four grown-up sons) in the present day. The story is compelling and the backdrop of the music business in the 60s and 70s beautifully evoked. This book deals with heavy-duty themes - 'true' love -v- duty to a partner; the conflicting roles of motherhood and celebrity - with a light touch and a lot of humour. Highly recommended, both to fans of Victoria Routledge's other books and to anyone looking for an alternative to by-the-numbers so-called 'chick lit'. Deserves to be a best-seller.

Unputdownable, indeed!, 06 Dec 2006
I started reading this book while on holiday, and the only reason I didn't finish it in one day was because I wanted to have something to read for the plane ride home! I love Ms. Routledge's writing style; everything just flows so seamlessly. My favorite character without a doubt is Carrie, whom the author makes so believable that one could easily imagine having her as a best friend if she existed in real life. Moreover, Ms. Routledge describes Carrie and Mark's relationship very realistically, which is refreshing, and the connection between them and the "mouse" when they initially start dating is very sweet. Reading about the various goings-on in St. Dee was quite fun and fascinating. As an American, I must say that I had never heard of the ghost villages in England until I read this book, which made me want to know more about them. This is another stellar work from Victoria Routledge, and I look forward to her next one!

Good Page Turner, 21 Oct 2006
Apart from Swansong, I love all of Victoria Routledge's books, although she does vary her writing style a great deal. I enjoyed the idea of the forgotten village reforming - I have visited a similar abandoned village in Dorset - and found the story quite compelling. However, on a slightly negative note, I disliked the husband and found their relationship a little unbelievable. Overall a good read though. Can also thoroughly recommend Kiss Him Goodbye, which I have read numerous times.

Another gem from this seriously under-rated author, 16 Oct 2006
Although I'm actually only two-thirds of the way through The Secrets of St Dee, I just had to break off and post a review. Having been a big fan of Victoria Routledge ever since I read her sparkling debut novel, Friends Like These, I'm mystified as to why she is not as well-known as some of the infinitely inferior writers on the market.
The Secrets of St Dee, like Constance and Faith, Ms Routledge's previous novel, is a real gem. Where Constance and Faith re-created a little piece of Cumbria, St Dee centres on a 'ghost village' in Wiltshire, an entire village evacuated during World War II and only now being repopulated by the descendants of its original inhabitants, which include Mark and his wife, Carrie, the character at the heart of the story. Victoria Routledge has a gift for creating strong, believable female characters that you can't help caring about from page one and then placing them in beautifully-evoked, intriguing settings that keep you turning the pages. Here, the threads of several mysteries weave through the book. There is the sixty-year old mystery surrounding Mark's grandparents, the village schoolteacher and his child bride, about whom Mark knows next to nothing. Then there is Carrie's next-door-neighbour, a man with a mysteriously absent wife and two small children, one of whom has an unsettling habit of talking to a friend who isn't there. And finally there is Carrie herself, who discovers that the idyllic village life she has been dreaming of is threatened by secrets within her own marriage.
What I love about her writing is how it is never obvious; she always keeps you guessing, right up to the last page.
A fantastic book if you have to go on a long journey - you'll want to read it in a single sitting.

Unputdownable, indeed!, 06 Dec 2006
I started reading this book while on holiday, and the only reason I didn't finish it in one day was because I wanted to have something to read for the plane ride home! I love Ms. Routledge's writing style; everything just flows so seamlessly. My favorite character without a doubt is Carrie, whom the author makes so believable that one could easily imagine having her as a best friend if she existed in real life. Moreover, Ms. Routledge describes Carrie and Mark's relationship very realistically, which is refreshing, and the connection between them and the "mouse" when they initially start dating is very sweet. Reading about the various goings-on in St. Dee was quite fun and fascinating. As an American, I must say that I had never heard of the ghost villages in England until I read this book, which made me want to know more about them. This is another stellar work from Victoria Routledge, and I look forward to her next one!

Good Page Turner, 21 Oct 2006
Apart from Swansong, I love all of Victoria Routledge's books, although she does vary her writing style a great deal. I enjoyed the idea of the forgotten village reforming - I have visited a similar abandoned village in Dorset - and found the story quite compelling. However, on a slightly negative note, I disliked the husband and found their relationship a little unbelievable. Overall a good read though. Can also thoroughly recommend Kiss Him Goodbye, which I have read numerous times.

Another gem from this seriously under-rated author, 16 Oct 2006
Although I'm actually only two-thirds of the way through The Secrets of St Dee, I just had to break off and post a review. Having been a big fan of Victoria Routledge ever since I read her sparkling debut novel, Friends Like These, I'm mystified as to why she is not as well-known as some of the infinitely inferior writers on the market.
The Secrets of St Dee, like Constance and Faith, Ms Routledge's previous novel, is a real gem. Where Constance and Faith re-created a little piece of Cumbria, St Dee centres on a 'ghost village' in Wiltshire, an entire village evacuated during World War II and only now being repopulated by the descendants of its original inhabitants, which include Mark and his wife, Carrie, the character at the heart of the story. Victoria Routledge has a gift for creating strong, believable female characters that you can't help caring about from page one and then placing them in beautifully-evoked, intriguing settings that keep you turning the pages. Here, the threads of several mysteries weave through the book. There is the sixty-year old mystery surrounding Mark's grandparents, the village schoolteacher and his child bride, about whom Mark knows next to nothing. Then there is Carrie's next-door-neighbour, a man with a mysteriously absent wife and two small children, one of whom has an unsettling habit of talking to a friend who isn't there. And finally there is Carrie herself, who discovers that the idyllic village life she has been dreaming of is threatened by secrets within her own marriage.
What I love about her writing is how it is never obvious; she always keeps you guessing, right up to the last page.
A fantastic book if you have to go on a long journey - you'll want to read it in a single sitting.

Unputdownable, indeed!, 06 Dec 2006
I started reading this book while on holiday, and the only reason I didn't finish it in one day was because I wanted to have something to read for the plane ride home! I love Ms. Routledge's writing style; everything just flows so seamlessly. My favorite character without a doubt is Carrie, whom the author makes so believable that one could easily imagine having her as a best friend if she existed in real life. Moreover, Ms. Routledge describes Carrie and Mark's relationship very realistically, which is refreshing, and the connection between them and the "mouse" when they initially start dating is very sweet. Reading about the various goings-on in St. Dee was quite fun and fascinating. As an American, I must say that I had never heard of the ghost villages in England until I read this book, which made me want to know more about them. This is another stellar work from Victoria Routledge, and I look forward to her next one!

Good Page Turner, 21 Oct 2006
Apart from Swansong, I love all of Victoria Routledge's books, although she does vary her writing style a great deal. I enjoyed the idea of the forgotten village reforming - I have visited a similar abandoned village in Dorset - and found the story quite compelling. However, on a slightly negative note, I disliked the husband and found their relationship a little unbelievable. Overall a good read though. Can also thoroughly recommend Kiss Him Goodbye, which I have read numerous times.

Another gem from this seriously under-rated author, 16 Oct 2006
Although I'm actually only two-thirds of the way through The Secrets of St Dee, I just had to break off and post a review. Having been a big fan of Victoria Routledge ever since I read her sparkling debut novel, Friends Like These, I'm mystified as to why she is not as well-known as some of the infinitely inferior writers on the market.
The Secrets of St Dee, like Constance and Faith, Ms Routledge's previous novel, is a real gem. Where Constance and Faith re-created a little piece of Cumbria, St Dee centres on a 'ghost village' in Wiltshire, an entire village evacuated during World War II and only now being repopulated by the descendants of its original inhabitants, which include Mark and his wife, Carrie, the character at the heart of the story. Victoria Routledge has a gift for creating strong, believable female characters that you can't help caring about from page one and then placing them in beautifully-evoked, intriguing settings that keep you turning the pages. Here, the threads of several mysteries weave through the book. There is the sixty-year old mystery surrounding Mark's grandparents, the village schoolteacher and his child bride, about whom Mark knows next to nothing. Then there is Carrie's next-door-neighbour, a man with a mysteriously absent wife and two small children, one of whom has an unsettling habit of talking to a friend who isn't there. And finally there is Carrie herself, who discovers that the idyllic village life she has been dreaming of is threatened by secrets within her own marriage.
What I love about her writing is how it is never obvious; she always keeps you guessing, right up to the last page.
A fantastic book if you have to go on a long journey - you'll want to read it in a single sitting.

Didn't live up to its potential, 20 Aug 2004
With a back cover hinting at back stage rock star gossip, love triangles and dodgy parentage I expected to enjoy the story of Rosetta and her four sons. Unfortunately I was to be very disappointed with this book, as I did not feel it lived up to the blurb on the back. The questions regarding parentage were not satisfactorily answered, a lot more could have been made of this book. Rosetta was not a very nice person, and I felt her characterisation asked more questions than it answered, into how she lived her 'perfect' life. It was a slow read, not as scandalous as we had been led to believe. It is not a bad book, I enjoyed aspects of it, but the 'chick lit' market is competitive and flooded with better books than this.

Disappointing, 18 Sep 2003
I greatly enjoyed all of Victoria Routledge's previous books, especially '...and for starters', but actually gave up on 'Swansong' about half way through. I couldn't connect with the characters and found the structure of the book a little confusing.I expected more and was very disappointed.

Great charactors, 20 Mar 2003
When I picked this book up I actually didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did. I liked the way it dealt with Roseta's past and the way it effected all her boys. I think everyone would view her and her actions different but I actually did like her, and can see the difficulties of being a parent and a person yourself. I also liked the way it ended. I am normally put off of books over 400 pages and this is 500 pages plus but do recommend it to anyone who would be interested in the behind the scenes story of rockstars, or just life with children and families in general.

A brilliant family saga, with music as accompaniment, 02 Feb 2003
I love the saying that parents can push your buttons because they're the ones who installed them, and that certainly rings true in this wonderfully layered novel by Victoria Routledge, whose works I heartily recommend without hesitation. Not only is this an emotional exploration of a modern family, but also a fascinating behind the scenes look at the 60s and 70s rock music scene, and the extensive research that Ms. Routledge did for the book clearly stands out. Everything comes together as it should for Rosetta and her sons by the end, and I was sorry to let them go, because it was a great ride.

A deeply satisfying read, 09 Sep 2002
Victoria Routledge has really excelled herself with this latest novel, which far from being just another sample of 20-something 'chick lit', is a multi-generational book which would appeal to just about anybody (I'm sending a copy to my mum). The central character, Rosetta, is totally convincing, whether she is telling her story as a naive but ambitious teenager in the 60s, a young mum dealing with the ups and downs of touring with a rock band in the 70s, or a mature woman looking back on her life (and trying to deal with her four grown-up sons) in the present day. The story is compelling and the backdrop of the music business in the 60s and 70s beautifully evoked. This book deals with heavy-duty themes - 'true' love -v- duty to a partner; the conflicting roles of motherhood and celebrity - with a light touch and a lot of humour. Highly recommended, both to fans of Victoria Routledge's other books and to anyone looking for an alternative to by-the-numbers so-called 'chick lit'. Deserves to be a best-seller.

Unputdownable, indeed!, 06 Dec 2006
I started reading this book while on holiday, and the only reason I didn't finish it in one day was because I wanted to have something to read for the plane ride home! I love Ms. Routledge's writing style; everything just flows so seamlessly. My favorite character without a doubt is Carrie, whom the author makes so believable that one could easily imagine having her as a best friend if she existed in real life. Moreover, Ms. Routledge describes Carrie and Mark's relationship very realistically, which is refreshing, and the connection between them and the "mouse" when they initially start dating is very sweet. Reading about the various goings-on in St. Dee was quite fun and fascinating. As an American, I must say that I had never heard of the ghost villages in England until I read this book, which made me want to know more about them. This is another stellar work from Victoria Routledge, and I look forward to her next one!

Good Page Turner, 21 Oct 2006
Apart from Swansong, I love all of Victoria Routledge's books, although she does vary her writing style a great deal. I enjoyed the idea of the forgotten village reforming - I have visited a similar abandoned village in Dorset - and found the story quite compelling. However, on a slightly negative note, I disliked the husband and found their relationship a little unbelievable. Overall a good read though. Can also thoroughly recommend Kiss Him Goodbye, which I have read numerous times.

Another gem from this seriously under-rated author, 16 Oct 2006
Although I'm actually only two-thirds of the way through The Secrets of St Dee, I just had to break off and post a review. Having been a big fan of Victoria Routledge ever since I read her sparkling debut novel, Friends Like These, I'm mystified as to why she is not as well-known as some of the infinitely inferior writers on the market.
The Secrets of St Dee, like Constance and Faith, Ms Routledge's previous novel, is a real gem. Where Constance and Faith re-created a little piece of Cumbria, St Dee centres on a 'ghost village' in Wiltshire, an entire village evacuated during World War II and only now being repopulated by the descendants of its original inhabitants, which include Mark and his wife, Carrie, the character at the heart of the story. Victoria Routledge has a gift for creating strong, believable female characters that you can't help caring about from page one and then placing them in beautifully-evoked, intriguing settings that keep you turning the pages. Here, the threads of several mysteries weave through the book. There is the sixty-year old mystery surrounding Mark's grandparents, the village schoolteacher and his child bride, about whom Mark knows next to nothing. Then there is Carrie's next-door-neighbour, a man with a mysteriously absent wife and two small children, one of whom has an unsettling habit of talking to a friend who isn't there. And finally there is Carrie herself, who discovers that the idyllic village life she has been dreaming of is threatened by secrets within her own marriage.
What I love about her writing is how it is never obvious; she always keeps you guessing, right up to the last page.
A fantastic book if you have to go on a long journey - you'll want to read it in a single sitting.

Unputdownable, indeed!, 06 Dec 2006
I started reading this book while on holiday, and the only reason I didn't finish it in one day was because I wanted to have something to read for the plane ride home! I love Ms. Routledge's writing style; everything just flows so seamlessly. My favorite character without a doubt is Carrie, whom the author makes so believable that one could easily imagine having her as a best friend if she existed in real life. Moreover, Ms. Routledge describes Carrie and Mark's relationship very realistically, which is refreshing, and the connection between them and the "mouse" when they initially start dating is very sweet. Reading about the various goings-on in St. Dee was quite fun and fascinating. As an American, I must say that I had never heard of the ghost villages in England until I read this book, which made me want to know more about them. This is another stellar work from Victoria Routledge, and I look forward to her next one!

Good Page Turner, 21 Oct 2006
Apart from Swansong, I love all of Victoria Routledge's books, although she does vary her writing style a great deal. I enjoyed the idea of the forgotten village reforming - I have visited a similar abandoned village in Dorset - and found the story quite compelling. However, on a slightly negative note, I disliked the husband and found their relationship a little unbelievable. Overall a good read though. Can also thoroughly recommend Kiss Him Goodbye, which I have read numerous times.

Another gem from this seriously under-rated author, 16 Oct 2006
Although I'm actually only two-thirds of the way through The Secrets of St Dee, I just had to break off and post a review. Having been a big fan of Victoria Routledge ever since I read her sparkling debut novel, Friends Like These, I'm mystified as to why she is not as well-known as some of the infinitely inferior writers on the market.
The Secrets of St Dee, like Constance and Faith, Ms Routledge's previous novel, is a real gem. Where Constance and Faith re-created a little piece of Cumbria, St Dee centres on a 'ghost village' in Wiltshire, an entire village evacuated during World War II and only now being repopulated by the descendants of its original inhabitants, which include Mark and his wife, Carrie, the character at the heart of the story. Victoria Routledge has a gift for creating strong, believable female characters that you can't help caring about from page one and then placing them in beautifully-evoked, intriguing settings that keep you turning the pages. Here, the threads of several mysteries weave through the book. There is the sixty-year old mystery surrounding Mark's grandparents, the village schoolteacher and his child bride, about whom Mark knows next to nothing. Then there is Carrie's next-door-neighbour, a man with a mysteriously absent wife and two small children, one of whom has an unsettling habit of talking to a friend who isn't there. And finally there is Carrie herself, who discovers that the idyllic village life she has been dreaming of is threatened by secrets within her own marriage.
What I love about her writing is how it is never obvious; she always keeps you guessing, right up to the last page.
A fantastic book if you have to go on a long journey - you'll want to read it in a single sitting.

Unputdownable, indeed!, 06 Dec 2006
I started reading this book while on holiday, and the only reason I didn't finish it in one day was because I wanted to have something to read for the plane ride home! I love Ms. Routledge's writing style; everything just flows so seamlessly. My favorite character without a doubt is Carrie, whom the author makes so believable that one could easily imagine having her as a best friend if she existed in real life. Moreover, Ms. Routledge describes Carrie and Mark's relationship very realistically, which is refreshing, and the connection between them and the "mouse" when they initially start dating is very sweet. Reading about the various goings-on in St. Dee was quite fun and fascinating. As an American, I must say that I had never heard of the ghost villages in England until I read this book, which made me want to know more about them. This is another stellar work from Victoria Routledge, and I look forward to her next one!

Good Page Turner, 21 Oct 2006
Apart from Swansong, I love all of Victoria Routledge's books, although she does vary her writing style a great deal. I enjoyed the idea of the forgotten village reforming - I have visited a similar abandoned village in Dorset - and found the story quite compelling. However, on a slightly negative note, I disliked the husband and found their relationship a little unbelievable. Overall a good read though. Can also thoroughly recommend Kiss Him Goodbye, which I have read numerous times.

Another gem from this seriously under-rated author, 16 Oct 2006
Although I'm actually only two-thirds of the way through The Secrets of St Dee, I just had to break off and post a review. Having been a big fan of Victoria Routledge ever since I read her sparkling debut novel, Friends Like These, I'm mystified as to why she is not as well-known as some of the infinitely inferior writers on the market.
The Secrets of St Dee, like Constance and Faith, Ms Routledge's previous novel, is a real gem. Where Constance and Faith re-created a little piece of Cumbria, St Dee centres on a 'ghost village' in Wiltshire, an entire village evacuated during World War II and only now being repopulated by the descendants of its original inhabitants, which include Mark and his wife, Carrie, the character at the heart of the story. Victoria Routledge has a gift for creating strong, believable female characters that you can't help caring about from page one and then placing them in beautifully-evoked, intriguing settings that keep you turning the pages. Here, the threads of several mysteries weave through the book. There is the sixty-year old mystery surrounding Mark's grandparents, the village schoolteacher and his child bride, about whom Mark knows next to nothing. Then there is Carrie's next-door-neighbour, a man with a mysteriously absent wife and two small children, one of whom has an unsettling habit of talking to a friend who isn't there. And finally there is Carrie herself, who discovers that the idyllic village life she has been dreaming of is threatened by secrets within her own marriage.
What I love about her writing is how it is never obvious; she always keeps you guessing, right up to the last page.
A fantastic book if you have to go on a long journey - you'll want to read it in a single sitting.

Unputdownable, indeed!, 06 Dec 2006
I started reading this book while on holiday, and the only reason I didn't finish it in one day was because I wanted to have something to read for the plane ride home! I love Ms. Routledge's writing style; everything just flows so seamlessly. My favorite character without a doubt is Carrie, whom the author makes so believable that one could easily imagine having her as a best friend if she existed in real life. Moreover, Ms. Routledge describes Carrie and Mark's relationship very realistically, which is refreshing, and the connection between them and the "mouse" when they initially start dating is very sweet. Reading about the various goings-on in St. Dee was quite fun and fascinating. As an American, I must say that I had never heard of the ghost villages in England until I read this book, which made me want to know more about them. This is another stellar work from Victoria Routledge, and I look forward to her next one!

Good Page Turner, 21 Oct 2006
Apart from Swansong, I love all of Victoria Routledge's books, although she does vary her writing style a great deal. I enjoyed the idea of the forgotten village reforming - I have visited a similar abandoned village in Dorset - and found the story quite compelling. However, on a slightly negative note, I disliked the husband and found their relationship a little unbelievable. Overall a good read though. Can also thoroughly recommend Kiss Him Goodbye, which I have read numerous times.

Another gem from this seriously under-rated author, 16 Oct 2006
Although I'm actually only two-thirds of the way through The Secrets of St Dee, I just had to break off and post a review. Having been a big fan of Victoria Routledge ever since I read her sparkling debut novel, Friends Like These, I'm mystified as to why she is not as well-known as some of the infinitely inferior writers on the market.
The Secrets of St Dee, like Constance and Faith, Ms Routledge's previous novel, is a real gem. Where Constance and Faith re-created a little piece of Cumbria, St Dee centres on a 'ghost village' in Wiltshire, an entire village evacuated during World War II and only now being repopulated by the descendants of its original inhabitants, which include Mark and his wife, Carrie, the character at the heart of the story. Victoria Routledge has a gift for creating strong, believable female characters that you can't help caring about from page one and then placing them in beautifully-evoked, intriguing settings that keep you turning the pages. Here, the threads of several mysteries weave through the book. There is the sixty-year old mystery surrounding Mark's grandparents, the village schoolteacher and his child bride, about whom Mark knows next to nothing. Then there is Carrie's next-door-neighbour, a man with a mysteriously absent wife and two small children, one of whom has an unsettling habit of talking to a friend who isn't there. And finally there is Carrie herself, who discovers that the idyllic village life she has been dreaming of is threatened by secrets within her own marriage.
What I love about her writing is how it is never obvious; she always keeps you guessing, right up to the last page.
A fantastic book if you have to go on a long journey - you'll want to read it in a single sitting.

Didn't live up to its potential, 20 Aug 2004
With a back cover hinting at back stage rock star gossip, love triangles and dodgy parentage I expected to enjoy the story of Rosetta and her four sons. Unfortunately I was to be very disappointed with this book, as I did not feel it lived up to the blurb on the back. The questions regarding parentage were not satisfactorily answered, a lot more could have been made of this book. Rosetta was not a very nice person, and I felt her characterisation asked more questions than it answered, into how she lived her 'perfect' life. It was a slow read, not as scandalous as we had been led to believe. It is not a bad book, I enjoyed aspects of it, but the 'chick lit' market is competitive and flooded with better books than this.

Disappointing, 18 Sep 2003
I greatly enjoyed all of Victoria Routledge's previous books, especially '...and for starters', but actually gave up on 'Swansong' about half way through. I couldn't connect with the characters and found the structure of the book a little confusing.I expected more and was very disappointed.

Great charactors, 20 Mar 2003
When I picked this book up I actually didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did. I liked the way it dealt with Roseta's past and the way it effected all her boys. I think everyone would view her and her actions different but I actually did like her, and can see the difficulties of being a parent and a person yourself. I also liked the way it ended. I am normally put off of books over 400 pages and this is 500 pages plus but do recommend it to anyone who would be interested in the behind the scenes story of rockstars, or just life with children and families in general.

A brilliant family saga, with music as accompaniment, 02 Feb 2003
I love the saying that parents can push your buttons because they're the ones who installed them, and that certainly rings true in this wonderfully layered novel by Victoria Routledge, whose works I heartily recommend without hesitation. Not only is this an emotional exploration of a modern family, but also a fascinating behind the scenes look at the 60s and 70s rock music scene, and the extensive research that Ms. Routledge did for the book clearly stands out. Everything comes together as it should for Rosetta and her sons by the end, and I was sorry to let them go, because it was a great ride.

A deeply satisfying read, 09 Sep 2002
Victoria Routledge has really excelled herself with this latest novel, which far from being just another sample of 20-something 'chick lit', is a multi-generational book which would appeal to just about anybody (I'm sending a copy to my mum). The central character, Rosetta, is totally convincing, whether she is telling her story as a naive but ambitious teenager in the 60s, a young mum dealing with the ups and downs of touring with a rock band in the 70s, or a mature woman looking back on her life (and trying to deal with her four grown-up sons) in the present day. The story is compelling and the backdrop of the music business in the 60s and 70s beautifully evoked. This book deals with heavy-duty themes - 'true' love -v- duty to a partner; the conflicting roles of motherhood and celebrity - with a light touch and a lot of humour. Highly recommended, both to fans of Victoria Routledge's other books and to anyone looking for an alternative to by-the-numbers so-called 'chick lit'. Deserves to be a best-seller.

Unputdownable, indeed!, 06 Dec 2006
I started reading this book while on holiday, and the only reason I didn't finish it in one day was because I wanted to have something to read for the plane ride home! I love Ms. Routledge's writing style; everything just flows so seamlessly. My favorite character without a doubt is Carrie, whom the author makes so believable that one could easily imagine having her as a best friend if she existed in real life. Moreover, Ms. Routledge describes Carrie and Mark's relationship very realistically, which is refreshing, and the connection between them and the "mouse" when they initially start dating is very sweet. Reading about the various goings-on in St. Dee was quite fun and fascinating. As an American, I must say that I had never heard of the ghost villages in England until I read this book, which made me want to know more about them. This is another stellar work from Victoria Routledge, and I look forward to her next one!

Good Page Turner, 21 Oct 2006
Apart from Swansong, I love all of Victoria Routledge's books, although she does vary her writing style a great deal. I enjoyed the idea of the forgotten village reforming - I have visited a similar abandoned village in Dorset - and found the story quite compelling. However, on a slightly negative note, I disliked the husband and found their relationship a little unbelievable. Overall a good read though. Can also thoroughly recommend Kiss Him Goodbye, which I have read numerous times.

Another gem from this seriously under-rated author, 16 Oct 2006
Although I'm actually only two-thirds of the way through The Secrets of St Dee, I just had to break off and post a review. Having been a big fan of Victoria Routledge ever since I read her sparkling debut novel, Friends Like These, I'm mystified as to why she is not as well-known as some of the infinitely inferior writers on the market.
The Secrets of St Dee, like Constance and Faith, Ms Routledge's previous novel, is a real gem. Where Constance and Faith re-created a little piece of Cumbria, St Dee centres on a 'ghost village' in Wiltshire, an entire village evacuated during World War II and only now being repopulated by the descendants of its original inhabitants, which include Mark and his wife, Carrie, the character at the heart of the story. Victoria Routledge has a gift for creating strong, believable female characters that you can't help caring about from page one and then placing them in beautifully-evoked, intriguing settings that keep you turning the pages. Here, the threads of several mysteries weave through the book. There is the sixty-year old mystery surrounding Mark's grandparents, the village schoolteacher and his child bride, about whom Mark knows next to nothing. Then there is Carrie's next-door-neighbour, a man with a mysteriously absent wife and two small children, one of whom has an unsettling habit of talking to a friend who isn't there. And finally there is Carrie herself, who discovers that the idyllic village life she has been dreaming of is threatened by secrets within her own marriage.
What I love about her writing is how it is never obvious; she always keeps you guessing, right up to the last page.
A fantastic book if you have to go on a long journey - you'll want to read it in a single sitting.

Unputdownable, indeed!, 06 Dec 2006
I started reading this book while on holiday, and the only reason I didn't finish it in one day was because I wanted to have something to read for the plane ride home! I love Ms. Routledge's writing style; everything just flows so seamlessly. My favorite character without a doubt is Carrie, whom the author makes so believable that one could easily imagine having her as a best friend if she existed in real life. Moreover, Ms. Routledge describes Carrie and Mark's relationship very realistically, which is refreshing, and the connection between them and the "mouse" when they initially start dating is very sweet. Reading about the various goings-on in St. Dee was quite fun and fascinating. As an American, I must say that I had never heard of the ghost villages in England until I read this book, which made me want to know more about them. This is another stellar work from Victoria Routledge, and I look forward to her next one!

Good Page Turner, 21 Oct 2006
Apart from Swansong, I love all of Victoria Routledge's books, although she does vary her writing style a great deal. I enjoyed the idea of the forgotten village reforming - I have visited a similar abandoned village in Dorset - and found the story quite compelling. However, on a slightly negative note, I disliked the husband and found their relationship a little unbelievable. Overall a good read though. Can also thoroughly recommend Kiss Him Goodbye, which I have read numerous times.

Another gem from this seriously under-rated author, 16 Oct 2006
Although I'm actually only two-thirds of the way through The Secrets of St Dee, I just had to break off and post a review. Having been a big fan of Victoria Routledge ever since I read her sparkling debut novel, Friends Like These, I'm mystified as to why she is not as well-known as some of the infinitely inferior writers on the market.
The Secrets of St Dee, like Constance and Faith, Ms Routledge's previous novel, is a real gem. Where Constance and Faith re-created a little piece of Cumbria, St Dee centres on a 'ghost village' in Wiltshire, an entire village evacuated during World War II and only now being repopulated by the descendants of its original inhabitants, which include Mark and his wife, Carrie, the character at the heart of the story. Victoria Routledge has a gift for creating strong, believable female characters that you can't help caring about from page one and then placing them in beautifully-evoked, intriguing settings that keep you turning the pages. Here, the threads of several mysteries weave through the book. There is the sixty-year old mystery surrounding Mark's grandparents, the village schoolteacher and his child bride, about whom Mark knows next to nothing. Then there is Carrie's next-door-neighbour, a man with a mysteriously absent wife and two small children, one of whom has an unsettling habit of talking to a friend who isn't there. And finally there is Carrie herself, who discovers that the idyllic village life she has been dreaming of is threatened by secrets within her own marriage.
What I love about her writing is how it is never obvious; she always keeps you guessing, right up to the last page.
A fantastic book if you have to go on a long journey - you'll want to read it in a single sitting.

Unputdownable, indeed!, 06 Dec 2006
I started reading this book while on holiday, and the only reason I didn't finish it in one day was because I wanted to have something to read for the plane ride home! I love Ms. Routledge's writing style; everything just flows so seamlessly. My favorite character without a doubt is Carrie, whom the author makes so believable that one could easily imagine having her as a best friend if she existed in real life. Moreover, Ms. Routledge describes Carrie and Mark's relationship very realistically, which is refreshing, and the connection between them and the "mouse" when they initially start dating is very sweet. Reading about the various goings-on in St. Dee was quite fun and fascinating. As an American, I must say that I had never heard of the ghost villages in England until I read this book, which made me want to know more about them. This is another stellar work from Victoria Routledge, and I look forward to her next one!

Good Page Turner, 21 Oct 2006
Apart from Swansong, I love all of Victoria Routledge's books, although she does vary her writing style a great deal. I enjoyed the idea of the forgotten village reforming - I have visited a similar abandoned village in Dorset - and found the story quite compelling. However, on a slightly negative note, I disliked the husband and found their relationship a little unbelievable. Overall a good read though. Can also thoroughly recommend Kiss Him Goodbye, which I have read numerous times.

Another gem from this seriously under-rated author, 16 Oct 2006
Although I'm actually only two-thirds of the way through The Secrets of St Dee, I just had to break off and post a review. Having been a big fan of Victoria Routledge ever since I read her sparkling debut novel, Friends Like These, I'm mystified as to why she is not as well-known as some of the infinitely inferior writers on the market.
The Secrets of St Dee, like Constance and Faith, Ms Routledge's previous novel, is a real gem. Where Constance and Faith re-created a little piece of Cumbria, St Dee centres on a 'ghost village' in Wiltshire, an entire village evacuated during World War II and only now being repopulated by the descendants of its original inhabitants, which include Mark and his wife, Carrie, the character at the heart of the story. Victoria Routledge has a gift for creating strong, believable female characters that you can't help caring about from page one and then placing them in beautifully-evoked, intriguing settings that keep you turning the pages. Here, the threads of several mysteries weave through the book. There is the sixty-year old mystery surrounding Mark's grandparents, the village schoolteacher and his child bride, about whom Mark knows next to nothing. Then there is Carrie's next-door-neighbour, a man with a mysteriously absent wife and two small children, one of whom has an unsettling habit of talking to a friend who isn't there. And finally there is Carrie herself, who discovers that the idyllic village life she has been dreaming of is threatened by secrets within her own marriage.
What I love about her writing is how it is never obvious; she always keeps you guessing, right up to the last page.
A fantastic book if you have to go on a long journey - you'll want to read it in a single sitting.

Unputdownable, indeed!, 06 Dec 2006
I started reading this book while on holiday, and the only reason I didn't finish it in one day was because I wanted to have something to read for the plane ride home! I love Ms. Routledge's writing style; everything just flows so seamlessly. My favorite character without a doubt is Carrie, whom the author makes so believable that one could easily imagine having her as a best friend if she existed in real life. Moreover, Ms. Routledge describes Carrie and Mark's relationship very realistically, which is refreshing, and the connection between them and the "mouse" when they initially start dating is very sweet. Reading about the various goings-on in St. Dee was quite fun and fascinating. As an American, I must say that I had never heard of the ghost villages in England until I read this book, which made me want to know more about them. This is another stellar work from Victoria Routledge, and I look forward to her next one!

Good Page Turner, 21 Oct 2006
Apart from Swansong, I love all of Victoria Routledge's books, although she does vary her writing style a great deal. I enjoyed the idea of the forgotten village reforming - I have visited a similar abandoned village in Dorset - and found the story quite compelling. However, on a slightly negative note, I disliked the husband and found their relationship a little unbelievable. Overall a good read though. Can also thoroughly recommend Kiss Him Goodbye, which I have read numerous times.

Another gem from this seriously under-rated author, 16 Oct 2006
Although I'm actually only two-thirds of the way through The Secrets of St Dee, I just had to break off and post a review. Having been a big fan of Victoria Routledge ever since I read her sparkling debut novel, Friends Like These, I'm mystified as to why she is not as well-known as some of the infinitely inferior writers on the market.
The Secrets of St Dee, like Constance and Faith, Ms Routledge's previous novel, is a real gem. Where Constance and Faith re-created a little piece of Cumbria, St Dee centres on a 'ghost village' in Wiltshire, an entire village evacuated during World War II and only now being repopulated by the descendants of its original inhabitants, which include Mark and his wife, Carrie, the character at the heart of the story. Victoria Routledge has a gift for creating strong, believable female characters that you can't help caring about from page one and then placing them in beautifully-evoked, intriguing settings that keep you turning the pages. Here, the threads of several mysteries weave through the book. There is the sixty-year old mystery surrounding Mark's grandparents, the village schoolteacher and his child bride, about whom Mark knows next to nothing. Then there is Carrie's next-door-neighbour, a man with a mysteriously absent wife and two small children, one of whom has an unsettling habit of talking to a friend who isn't there. And finally there is Carrie herself, who discovers that the idyllic village life she has been dreaming of is threatened by secrets within her own marriage.
What I love about her writing is how it is never obvious; she always keeps you guessing, right up to the last page.
A fantastic book if you have to go on a long journey - you'll want to read it in a single sitting.