I like Joolz Denby's chatty, informal style to her writing and it is a contrast to more poetic novels that I find refreshing.
This novel seems to gently meander through life in a small Cornish village for sometime and seems pleasant, but not earth shattering. However, the action gathers a pace and ends fairly horrifically. She manages this quite well and develops the story in a way that feels about right.
The narrative is told by Astra, in her 20s and an all round good person and through her eyes we see all the other characters in the novel. She makes judgements on the other characters, that reflect back on her. ( )

Joolz's latest variation on her theme. Strong Bradfordian lass, her relationships with her family, her attempts to make her life as stable as she can under difficult circumstances, until an event, a person or a lightening flash from the past throws everything off kilter.

This time our Yorkshire heroine, Astra (as always with a slight Brontesque streak), lives in an old fishing village in Cornwall looking after her MS-stricken mother and little sister, works in her best friend, Con's café and puts up with the influx of tourists that the village makes its money from now the fishing industry is dying.

Life plods on as near to normal as it can until Con's little sister, Angel, arrives; as beautiful as her name suggests and deadly with it. Everyone falls in love with her, and she, careless to their feelings leaves a trail of havoc in her wake.

This is a tale of obsession, of stalkers and unrequited love. But it is also a tale of our planet, of nature, of the power of the sea and the way in which us mere mortals are affected by the weather and the movement of the tides. As Astra's life becomes more complex, more depressing, the more secrets she has to hold inside her, the more oppressive the weather becomes; humid, overcast, still, the sea as flat as a pancake. And when the storm finally breaks, so does Astra's life.

While I find all Joolz's books very similar in theme and content, they are all gripping, beautifully written and unputdownable. Why fix what ain't broken?! ( )