This was a devilishly delicious read that had me trying to fit all the puzzle pieces together. Linda Hammett is a tormented woman from a childhood trauma and her adult life is sad and dreary. But she tries to reinvent herself and also deal with the murders going on in her small town. Her perspective on the world is so twisted and unique that those observations alone were worth the read. This is the second book I’ve read by Joanna Cannon and I love how she writes. She knows how to keep her reader engaged and in suspense. Thank you #NetGalley and Scribner for this advanced reader copy.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of A Tidy Ending.

I admit it took me a few tries before I started to get into reading A Tidy Ending.

We meet Linda, a meek woman married to a schlubby man named Terry and with an overbearing mother. When Linda was young, her father did something very bad which forced Linda and her mother to leave town and start a new life.

But the loss of her father has never left Linda. At the same time, a series of murders are rocking her small town and setting the locals on edge.

When mail addressed to the previous occupant, Rebecca, of her house begins arriving, Linda is convinced if she only emulated Rebecca, she would be just as successful and confident.

The writing is good, but the pacing is slow, lacking suspense.

I'm not a fan of novels featuring characters like Linda; she is socially awkward, perhaps on the spectrum.

Most of the narrative is about her observations about the people in her neighborhood, social interactions, dealing with her frustrating mother.

These comments are blunt, accurate and right on the spot, but filled with the mundane.

There are pages of her first visit to a department store, which she's never been to; Linda doesn't understand social cues, jokes or when someone is laughing at her expense.

At first I couldn't understand why Linda was so intent on befriending Rebecca but I soon understood her ulterior motive.

This made it difficult for me to suspend disbelief for the identity of the serial killer, though I had guessed correctly right from the start.

Nothing about Linda suggests she is a clever, devious person. She's just not interesting, which I guess is the point of the twist at the end. But I didn't believe it.

I can see she's socially maladjusted, mentally and psychologically devastated by the loss of her father, who she talks about constantly, despite how many years has passed since his death.

I get it; her father was the only one who understood her, unlike her mother who scoffs and scolds her most times.

I understand Linda is not whom she appears to be but I didn't believe in the ending.

The writing was good, the style and tone is a bit formal, which makes sense according to Linda's personality, but there's no suspense or urgency.

This book was excellent! I have loved everything the author has written and this book was no exception. There is a lot of comfort of routine in this story - some twists and very clever. The last chapter was one of the best and left me with a feeling of awe and happiness that I read this book and such books exist in the world. Also, a great window into British society and mannerisms.

A tidy ending is exactly what it’s title states. It’s just not the tidiness that is expected. I however loved this book and plan to read more by this author as this was my first.

Linda, a married housewife, lives in a small community with her husband, Terry. Convenient or not her mother lives close by. Linda has a seemingly boring life, cooking, cleaning, and work at a thrift store. Linda and her mother share a horrible secret that they want to keep buried. Linda starts to get mail from the previous owner of their house, Rebecca. These magazines show Linda a glamorous life she wishes she could have. Her husband starts keeping strange hours around the time that girls in their community start to go missing. Linda starts to focus on the amazing life this Rebecca must have based on her mail and wonders how much better her life could be with Rebecca as a best friend.

What is the old saying…be careful what you wish for. This is it with a twist. I really can’t say how much I enjoyed this book. It’s a mystery but deceptively humorous. I can’t wait to read the other books by this author.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

OMG this book was so good! I would recommend it to anyone who likes mystery, quirky lead characters, and twist endings! I absolutely loved Linda’s awkward understanding of the world and her naivety. I felt protective of her and kept hoping she wouldn’t be taken advantage of. I also really liked the back and forth between past and present tense. It allowed the story to move fast and made me desperate to know the truth of what was going on. No spoilers, but the ending was Wow! I give this book 5/5 stars!

“A Tidy Ending” by Joanna Cannon is a difficult book to describe. The Publisher’s summary gives part of the story - but it doesn’t tell all. We follow the main character, Linda, as she tells her story in two different periods - then (six or so weeks ago) and now. Linda’s a bit different from others - one who observes a lot but is usually regaled to the shadows by others. Linda becomes obsessed with the former tenant in the house they own - from imagining the woman’s life (via catalogues to the house), her likes (ditto) - and eventually finds her. Then there’s Linda’s husband, Terry, who begins acting mysteriously … just about the time young women begin disappearing in the area.

This book was interesting, but not necessarily enjoyable. I found some of Linda’s observations interesting (along with some of her reactions to things), but because she wasn’t always a reliable narrator, I wasn’t sure what to take at face value and what was, well, her belief opposed to the truth. I figured out “the twist,” which isn’t a negative, but I kept waiting for - well - an explanation, not just the twist (and maybe I missed it - the last few chapters were devoted to wrapping up the story). While an interesting story, it didn’t always work for me. I liked the writing style and would read another of Ms. Cannon’s books. A 3.5 star read.

I just finished reading this novel and I’m a little dizzy with shock. I love when books leave you like that, the ones that refuse to let you go when you finish reading them. This story is amazing. So many characters with direct ties to each other, and everything comes together in the end. I was enthralled by Linda, the main character in this story. It’s hard to do this novel justice without spoilers, so I will leave it at that. I loved this story, I loved the writing, I loved the twists and turns, and I loved how the author toyed with my emotions and made me go back and make sure I had read that part right because now it's everything is different. Some readers may not like that, but I love a book that keeps me guessing. Five stars from me. Bravo!

If you like thrillers, but with a side of dark dark humor, this is for you! Hard to put into words, but the vibe and tone of this book is fantastic. You can sense how dry the MC humor is, and it fits so well. The ending was a total TWIST and I did not see it coming, and was on the edge of my seat the whole time. A super twisted story, part mystery, part psychological thriller, and part dark comedy, I highly recommend this if you liked Eleanor Oliphant or Gone girl.

I adored Joanna Cannon's debut; The Truth About Goats and Sheep. I was disappointed in Three Things About Elsie, and so was hesitant to pick this one up. This fell in the middle for me; I liked it better than Elsie but not as well as Goats and Sheep.

This slow burn thriller had a main character, Linda, who does not understand social cues and the reader can’t help but feel sorry for her. At first, the multiple storylines were a little hard to follow, but the author does a good job of bringing them together. I especially enjoyed the end.

What an interesting read! I’m having a tough time putting this book in a category. Maybe psychological drama against the background of a murder mystery. But it was just so engaging. I knew a twist or two would be coming but I didn’t guess the ending. Highly recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.

This is a phenomenal book. When I saw I had the opportunity to read another book by Joanna Cannon I jumped on it. I read her book The Trouble with Goats and Sheep a few years ago, and I knew—KNEW—that she wouldn’t let me down. She didn’t; she actually exceeded my expectations.

This is a book about a person who had gone through a severe trauma as a child. Someone who now feels she has been “disappeared”; that parts of her are have been “cut away”. She states, “You can’t take a pair of scissors to one thing and leave the rest undamaged. It’s impossible.”

From her trauma, Linda (now 43) has learned to “Keep herself to herself”. That often means she stays unnoticed; a person no one—including her husband--pays any attention to. This is okay with her. Within her imagination she can decide how she will interpret the world. However, she knows that it is often the case that “keeping oneself to oneself” is not a choice one makes; that others have made that decision for them.

There are several events going on in the timeframe of this book. Linda begins stalking the previous tenant of her house (Rebecca), her husband starts to work strange and erratic hours, and young women are being murdered. To give more information than this will ruin the twist and turns of this book. The ending is a humdinger.

I want to thank NetGalley and Scribner Publishers for the opportunity to read and review this outstanding work of fiction.

I really enjoyed this book. It has a little of everything. The writing style was easy to follow and the characters were great! I’ll definitely be looking up more of this authors books.

Despite the name, this was book with a not-so-tidy ending (at least to me?)... the ending didn't feel believable given everything we learned about the main characters throughout the novel. I did enjoy and appreciate the whimsical tone and often found the tone-deafness of the main character amusing, but the twists at the end really lost me.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle by Scribner and #NetGalley for my honest opinion.

This thriller took a bit to get in to, but was an overall good read. Fans of quirky protagonists and slow-burn suspense will enjoy this book.

This book was wonderfully written. The characters were great and it was a satisfying read. I love an unreliable narrator.

This is the third book that I have read by this author. I never find myself disappointed in her writing style or her ability to keep me turning the page,
This a witty, clever read that kept me guessing ( incorrectly more than once) until the final page.
Thank you NetGalley and Scribner for the digital arc.

Hilarious yet heart wrenching, Fans of "Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine" will love this read.

The main character, Linda, is lovable to the reader, yet mostly invisible in her world. She is discounted by all, yet a power to be reckoned with. Her opinions of the ongoings around her are inaccurate and laugh out loud funny.

"A Tidy Ending" is a thriller masked as a comedy. This is one of those books that make you want to reread the moment you finish the last sentence.

A great page turner in the covid era... a great escape for an afternoon, a day at the beach, a vacation or plane read to divert ones thoughts from everyday life.

This story was brilliantly written! Linda seemed to be such a simple character but the narrative expertly added complex layer after layer. At first, it seems like there are two storylines but they come together so well that the bigger picture of what is happening suddenly comes into focus. In many ways Linda has to be the most viciously subtle character I’ve encountered in a while which is exciting to reflect on after finishing this book. My only critique is that their could have been a supplement chapter where Linda shares how she did what she did step by step to the reader. However, that may just be me and my curious mind wanting more details than are needed. Highly enjoyed this story! My real rating with be a 4.5.