How to describe this book? Darkly funny and with one of the wittiest and sassiest female leads I’ve read in a while.

Beverly Saunders is one gutsy lady. She’s had a rough time as a teenager and lost her dad to suicide, now she’s recovering from a failed marriage. She’s got problems and a hard shell because of it. Now living in a friends basement, she starts to help out other wronged women. If there’s anyone going to suss our your wayward husband or cheating boyfriend and even your weird boss, then this is that person. She takes on the case of a woman married to a government minister and it soon becomes apparent that as she investigates him, he is also the one under the microscope. Would you want your history to come out if you had such a colourful one as her? The title describes what happens next well - Beverly is on a tightrope throughout balancing and taking care not to fall into one hole, then another, then that trap..

It’s got that quirky Marnie humour and dark comedy and it all comes together very nicely indeed. There’s lots of Manchester locations and towns dotted around the area to take a peek at too.

Another tour de force from Marnie. Written around where i was brought up so i could easily envisage the locations.
I really enjoyed this and hope that this is the start another series that will draw us in keep us wanting just like the girl who...

Tightrope – Marnie Richies

This novel almost seemed like a “blind date” of a book for me, I knew what it was called, a little of what it was about but no idea on the cover. What swung it was the fact that it’s been written by one of my favourite authors. Marnie Richies isn’t scared to take on any topic in this novel there’s addiction and domestic abuse for starters. I must say that although these are sensitive subjects and that there are some rather graphic descriptions they haven’t been written about in a gratuitous fashion.

The main female protagonist Beverley Saunders had a rough time from her teens onwards, she lost her dad from suicide quite young and in effect she might as well have lost her mum, she was about as much use as a chocolate fireguard as she had demons of her own to fight. This really affected Bev leaving her with mental health problems, addiction and trust issues although it’s hardly surprising. But on saying that she is a gutsy lady with the heart of a lion and a mouth like a sewer their were times she literally made me laugh out loud with some of the things she came out with. I think that she’s as mad as a box of frogs and a very likeable character. Fingers crossed that we hear from her again.

All grown up now Bev is a down at heel PI, having been royally shafted by her ex-husband Rob and is living in her friend from Uni Sophie’s mould infested basement flat struggling to pay the rent never mind the other bills. Having just finished up a case her friend introduces her to Angela she’s looking for help with her husband. She’s a woman married to a bullying control freak called Jerry Fitzsimmons who just happens to be the shadow Science Minister. All she needs/wants is enough dirt on him to get herself a divorce and keep her children close.

I will be honest and say that I was more than a little surprised by a couple of the other female characters, I always thought I was a good judge of character as it turns I badly misjudged one, was almost completely wrong about the other and another that I disliked immediately. There were times when I wanted to shout at them to get a grip but then that’s easier said being an outsider looking in. At other times I just felt heart sorry for them and the situations they found themselves in.

There are a few male characters that you just can’t like no matter how you try. Most of them are just plain nasty. The Wolf and the rest of his crew the pig, the cockerel, the bulldog and the horse are in a whole new league of their own. Nearly all of them more than deserve their comeuppance and more. Doc on the other hand is the closest ally that she has even though he’s not the bravest of chaps. What he lacks in courage he more than makes up for in other ways he’s a proper tech geek, he is the only one who seems to have her back despite his own demons.

Whilst trying to find the evidence that Angela so desperately needs Bev has to keep her wits about her and to try to rein her temper in. Using what tech knowledge she has Bev sets out her stall to catfish Jerry on social media and it doesn’t take long before he bites. What follows next is a whole whirlwind of events, including debauched partying at a “sex house”, violence, origami and Lego. I know the mind boggles doesn’t it?

Although it’s not a particularly funny part of the story there’s a chapter involving a second hand toaster that sparks when it’s switched on. It had that feeling of knowing it was wrong to laugh at something but being unable to stop myself from having a good old chuckle. I think that was possibly favourite bit of this novel.

I’m going to stop here or else I’ll probably end up letting out too many spoilers suffice it to say that this is a full on book with something happening on almost every page. I’d definitely recommend giving #tightrope a shot.


Read for an honest review. Thank you Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group Trapeze

what a story what a book so hope another to this Bev is one sassy lady .who lives in her friends Sallys basement .she is a private investigator but she has took on a big case who is very high powered how this story unfolds is brilliant praise for this author. all she wants is her daughter hope but her ex took everything from her I so recommend and I love dock a must read