‘Can you come round?’ Dad says tremulously.
‘Of course. Are you OK? Is it Mum?’
‘No!’ He almost shouts it. ‘Just come quickly. The garden…the…body… we need you, Penny.’
For women of Penny’s generation, being on hand for elderly parents is just part of life. But for Penny, things have become a little more serious…
When she receives a frantic phone call from her parents one night, with express instructions NOT to call the police, Penny rushes over at once. But they haven’t had a fall. They haven’t forgotten their computer passwords. They’ve killed someone. And his body is lying in the garden, right next to the rose bushes.
Everyone is capable of murder. They just need to meet the right person.
Book Info: 297 pages. Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton. Publication Date 4 July 2024
My Thoughts:
They say never judge a book by it’s cover and I did.. I assumed this was a light hearted, funny book about an elderly couple who accidentally killed someone. Well I was completely wrong and will happily admit it.
A Good Place to Hide A Body is the 5th standalone book by Laura Marshall and is published in July 2024.
The story is narrated by Penny. She’s in her 50’s, divorced, has a teenage son Zach and her elderly parents, Sissy and Heath are requiring more of her time as they struggle with getting older, physical limitations and the financial implications of maintaining their large family home.
Unable to help them financially herself, they decide to rent out the self-contained annex in the basement and that’s where handsome, charming and single Cooper turns up. He seems too good to be true and could he be the answer to their money worries? Err, NO.. he is literally the beginning of the problems and soon Penny and her parents find themselves terrorised by the very person they hoped could help.
I don’t want to go into much detail because you need to read this for yourself. Yes, there is some humour and light moments and yes it’s a really enjoyable book which I read in one sitting, but the underlying feeling throughout this book is of dread and tension. The horrific actions and behaviour of the tenant simmered in pure evil and my heart broke for both Sissy and Heath.
I did mention the humour and light moments above and have to say Sissy deserves an award just for being “absolutely fabulous”.
This is a wonderful book about being a parent and having parents and the complicated dynamics of family life. I absolutely loved it and have no hesitation in recommending A Good Place to Hide A Body.
