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Uncommon Relations #1
Uncommon Relations
Beware what you wish for! At 28, Terry fantasises a life more exciting than either marriage or job provide, but then an amazing encounter changes his life forever. He rushes home to tell his wife, Gudrun, but what is she hiding, and why? His search for identity opens his Pandora’s Box that traps him into increasingly bizarre situations. Bizarre can be funny, awkward or tragic, and this novel offers these, as well as a complex caste of characters. Dark secrets, guilt, mystery, illusions, disillusions; with there be any atonement?
- GenresFiction
Kindle Edition
Published November 28, 2019
48 people are currently reading
442 people want to read
About the author
Rosalind Minett
25 books52 followersA chartered psychologist in my other life, I enjoy writing about ordinary people in unusual situations, or unusual people struggling to fit in. My style is light, but even in humorous stories, there is always a dark edge.
Historical fiction: a trilogy set in WWII told from the perspective of a young boy. A Relative Invasion. Book 1, Intrusion, Book 2 Infiltration out in paperback and ebooks. Amazon Ratings 4.8 and 5.0 . Book 3 Impact to follow late 2016.
My collection of ironic short stories, Me-Time Tales: Tea-breaks for mature women and curious men, is available in paperback and e books. New edition, April 28th 2016.
Crime Shorts, a series. No. 1, updated, new cover. A boy with potential, no. 2, Homed, no. 3 Not Her Fault. Kindle only.
Two other novels (psychological dramas) are in the editing stage.
My other interests are Fine Art, Architecture, Dance and my hobby is sculpture. There's a similarity between creating characters in writing and creating forms in three dimensions or ‘cutting them down to size’.
The avatar stands instead of an author headshot. It saucily re-works Picasso's girl to show a word processor rather than a mirror. The two faces represent my serious and irreverent sides, the observer/recorder and the internal/external selves.
On Amazon I review literary and historical fiction, world literature in translation, children's books and some non-fiction. No dystopia, vampire, chicklit. When I like something, I take trouble to promote it.
I have two blogs: the quirky Me-Time Tales, and characterfulwriter, about the process of writing, where I also review.
http://fictionalcharacterswriting.blo... and http://characterfulwriter.com
Historical fiction: a trilogy set in WWII told from the perspective of a young boy. A Relative Invasion. Book 1, Intrusion, Book 2 Infiltration out in paperback and ebooks. Amazon Ratings 4.8 and 5.0 . Book 3 Impact to follow late 2016.
My collection of ironic short stories, Me-Time Tales: Tea-breaks for mature women and curious men, is available in paperback and e books. New edition, April 28th 2016.
Crime Shorts, a series. No. 1, updated, new cover. A boy with potential, no. 2, Homed, no. 3 Not Her Fault. Kindle only.
Two other novels (psychological dramas) are in the editing stage.
My other interests are Fine Art, Architecture, Dance and my hobby is sculpture. There's a similarity between creating characters in writing and creating forms in three dimensions or ‘cutting them down to size’.
The avatar stands instead of an author headshot. It saucily re-works Picasso's girl to show a word processor rather than a mirror. The two faces represent my serious and irreverent sides, the observer/recorder and the internal/external selves.
On Amazon I review literary and historical fiction, world literature in translation, children's books and some non-fiction. No dystopia, vampire, chicklit. When I like something, I take trouble to promote it.
I have two blogs: the quirky Me-Time Tales, and characterfulwriter, about the process of writing, where I also review.
http://fictionalcharacterswriting.blo... and http://characterfulwriter.com
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
February 25, 2020
UNCOMMON RELATIONS (Part 1) is a psychological mystery by Rosalind Minett.
I am at a loss as to what I think of this book. I usually read fast-paced psychological thrillers, crime mysteries, and I found this book a little slow for my liking. I found my mind wandering, and had to keep focusing on the storyline.
Terry lives a boring life; working for Ling Pharmaceuticals in administration, as the main bread winner while his wife, Gudrun worked part-time as a assistant social worker with the other half of her time devoted to art College and sculpturing.
Then one day everything changed! On his way to work he saw his “double.” He couldn’t believe it! He has a “identical twin”, that he knew nothing about. No one would believe this.
His clone paced along the streets, with Terry following closely behind. He follows him to his workplace. He would return after work to approach him.
Terry had been adopted when he was six years old, and was brought up in a loving family.
Terry approached his double after work, and convinces him to go and have a beer and talk. His name was Gerry. They had the same birthday, same age, same birth place and both adopted. Could this be his twin brother?
But Gerry outshines everything Terry has and does.
Gerry isn’t interested in pursuing the search for the truth…but Terry can’t let it go. They exchange phone numbers to stay in touch.
Thrilled, Terry rushes home to tell his shadowy wife, Gudrun, but, preoccupied with her job and her sculpture, she resists listening. Frustrated, he secretly searches out his identity.
This opens a Pandora’s Box of reprehensible characters his twin would prefer to conceal.
Terry now finds himself trapped into bizarre situations and misguided actions which he cannot reverse, while he finds Gudrun has dark secrets of her own.
Will Terry ever discover the truth?
A psychological mystery involving suspense, lies, confessions and guilt. There was a surprise twist at the end of the book, leaving some unexplained details to be further explored in book 2.
Many thanks to the author and The Book Club Reviewer Request Group (FB) for my digital copy.
I am at a loss as to what I think of this book. I usually read fast-paced psychological thrillers, crime mysteries, and I found this book a little slow for my liking. I found my mind wandering, and had to keep focusing on the storyline.
Terry lives a boring life; working for Ling Pharmaceuticals in administration, as the main bread winner while his wife, Gudrun worked part-time as a assistant social worker with the other half of her time devoted to art College and sculpturing.
Then one day everything changed! On his way to work he saw his “double.” He couldn’t believe it! He has a “identical twin”, that he knew nothing about. No one would believe this.
His clone paced along the streets, with Terry following closely behind. He follows him to his workplace. He would return after work to approach him.
Terry had been adopted when he was six years old, and was brought up in a loving family.
Terry approached his double after work, and convinces him to go and have a beer and talk. His name was Gerry. They had the same birthday, same age, same birth place and both adopted. Could this be his twin brother?
But Gerry outshines everything Terry has and does.
Gerry isn’t interested in pursuing the search for the truth…but Terry can’t let it go. They exchange phone numbers to stay in touch.
Thrilled, Terry rushes home to tell his shadowy wife, Gudrun, but, preoccupied with her job and her sculpture, she resists listening. Frustrated, he secretly searches out his identity.
This opens a Pandora’s Box of reprehensible characters his twin would prefer to conceal.
Terry now finds himself trapped into bizarre situations and misguided actions which he cannot reverse, while he finds Gudrun has dark secrets of her own.
Will Terry ever discover the truth?
A psychological mystery involving suspense, lies, confessions and guilt. There was a surprise twist at the end of the book, leaving some unexplained details to be further explored in book 2.
Many thanks to the author and The Book Club Reviewer Request Group (FB) for my digital copy.
February 10, 2020
Parts were well written and parts went on way too long. Terry and Gerry - I wonder what will happen to them in the next book. And maybe the next book will explain Fiona’s mistake a little better. Weird, unexpected ending. Weird as can be. NetGalley book.
August 1, 2021
Secrets of the past lead to secrets in the present for Terry Stedforth. Terry has always known he was adopted but a chance meeting with an identical twin sets him on a course of events that will make him question everything. Rosalind Minett has created a flawed vulnerable character in Terry and it’s his insecurities that cause more than a few of the troubles he’s having to deal with. It’s the deep rooted psychological issues that make this novel so successful. There are other issues with Terry’s home life that need resolving but as the story progresses he makes discoveries that often derail him. The title is very apt and well chosen. All of the characters, from Terry and his family, his wife and even his unknown twin, are all different and feel very alive with each having clear, and differing, personalities. There’s so much for each to deal with and with so much more to learn that I can’t wait to read book two.
January 19, 2020
UNCOMMON RELATIONS: Who should be forgiven?
A very unique book in many ways
I must say that this book is not your regular love story with sweet-savory romance. Uncommon Relations is more of a psychological mystery. It is a book that will make you think deeper of your own personality.
When it comes to psychological mystery, Rosaline Minett is certainly one author to watch out for. First, she introduces us to the major character Terry whose life was not all that an interesting one. Then, we meet his lookalike in the train and everything changes.
Slowly, we see how the events mess up with Terry’s head and the subsequent chaos it created in his life. While Terry had a lot to deal with personally, his wife was another problem. She was not making life easy for Terry.
This book is really engaging and interesting with a powerful story and good writing style to deliver the work. The Author has really proven that she can be different with this book. There was no attempt at recycling stories we have come across before.
I really take interest in how well she has gone with developing and describing her characters in the book. She made it easy to have a deeper relationship with the characters.
Rosaline is certainly a creative and talented author with a lot to offer in the area of storytelling.
A very unique book in many ways
I must say that this book is not your regular love story with sweet-savory romance. Uncommon Relations is more of a psychological mystery. It is a book that will make you think deeper of your own personality.
When it comes to psychological mystery, Rosaline Minett is certainly one author to watch out for. First, she introduces us to the major character Terry whose life was not all that an interesting one. Then, we meet his lookalike in the train and everything changes.
Slowly, we see how the events mess up with Terry’s head and the subsequent chaos it created in his life. While Terry had a lot to deal with personally, his wife was another problem. She was not making life easy for Terry.
This book is really engaging and interesting with a powerful story and good writing style to deliver the work. The Author has really proven that she can be different with this book. There was no attempt at recycling stories we have come across before.
I really take interest in how well she has gone with developing and describing her characters in the book. She made it easy to have a deeper relationship with the characters.
Rosaline is certainly a creative and talented author with a lot to offer in the area of storytelling.
February 29, 2020
Rosalind Minett is a new author for me. After reading the synopsis of the book I was very intrguied by the story.
Terry, the protagonist; is a 28-year-old man who like most people his age has a job, is married and just seems to be trudging along in life. He often contemplates how boring his life is and nothing "exciting" happens to him. However, a chance encounter on the train soon changes that. This encounter opens a can of worms, one that leads Terry to question the outcome of his life and decisions and actions he has previously taken.
A very interesting read with a great storyline, that takes the reader in many different directions that I was not expecting. There were points in the story that dragged a bit, which I felt were unnecessary to the plot and were often repeated at points.
The characters were well written and I was really rooting for Terry. I often thought he was very hard on himself and needed to have more self-confidence.
Overall, an enjoyable read and the ending was very unpredicted. I look forward to the second part in the series.
Terry, the protagonist; is a 28-year-old man who like most people his age has a job, is married and just seems to be trudging along in life. He often contemplates how boring his life is and nothing "exciting" happens to him. However, a chance encounter on the train soon changes that. This encounter opens a can of worms, one that leads Terry to question the outcome of his life and decisions and actions he has previously taken.
A very interesting read with a great storyline, that takes the reader in many different directions that I was not expecting. There were points in the story that dragged a bit, which I felt were unnecessary to the plot and were often repeated at points.
The characters were well written and I was really rooting for Terry. I often thought he was very hard on himself and needed to have more self-confidence.
Overall, an enjoyable read and the ending was very unpredicted. I look forward to the second part in the series.
June 28, 2020
A Psychologic Rollercoaster
In the prelude, Minett leaves a clue to the conflict in the core part of the book. Her psychological analysis centres on the possible trouble infertility and adoption can pose.
Terry lives a humdrum life with his wife Gudrun. His career at a pharmaceutical firm isn’t inspiring, and his mate, Leon sees him as a ‘yesterday’s man’. He, like so many, nurses unattainable dreams of excitement and wealth.
The accidental meeting with his physical double pivots Terry into a whirlpool of expectations, dreams, and jealousy. He pursuits the unknown man, who turns out to be his twin, Gerry. Gerry, who has everything that Terry dreams of, doesn’t want to investigate their background. Terry goes ahead and stumbles on a hornet’s nest.
Minett unfolds the story with remarkable insight into the depths of human nature. Her prose is satirical and – sometimes – disquieting. Highly recommended.
In the prelude, Minett leaves a clue to the conflict in the core part of the book. Her psychological analysis centres on the possible trouble infertility and adoption can pose.
Terry lives a humdrum life with his wife Gudrun. His career at a pharmaceutical firm isn’t inspiring, and his mate, Leon sees him as a ‘yesterday’s man’. He, like so many, nurses unattainable dreams of excitement and wealth.
The accidental meeting with his physical double pivots Terry into a whirlpool of expectations, dreams, and jealousy. He pursuits the unknown man, who turns out to be his twin, Gerry. Gerry, who has everything that Terry dreams of, doesn’t want to investigate their background. Terry goes ahead and stumbles on a hornet’s nest.
Minett unfolds the story with remarkable insight into the depths of human nature. Her prose is satirical and – sometimes – disquieting. Highly recommended.
December 26, 2019
This book is an entertaining twisty turning tale of lives mismanaged! Poor Terry, the main character of this spinning yarn, trying to pull his life from out from his current grey existence into to something better, only to discover an even bigger mess lurking in the shadows. Terry is so happy and amazed when he meets what can only be his identical twin, but covering his own secrets only brings out other darker mishaps… An exciting narrative artfully told by author Rosalind Minett that has us guessing right to the end, and further still to book 2…
March 1, 2020
At first, this was a rather boring book. It tells the storied the mundane life of Terry. Mundane, that is, until Terry sees his double on his ride to work one morning. This story takes a lot of unexpected twists as Terry opens a Pandora’s box. The ending of this book leaves a lot of unanswered questions. When I finished, I immediately started Part 2!
December 29, 2019
I am not sure what to think about this book. At times, I enjoyed reading it and thought the story was intriguing and thrilling. However, at other times, the pace of the story seemed slow and it was hard to keep my interest. I enjoyed the story line of Terry finding his doppelganger, which led him to investigating who he was and where he came from. Seeing everything from Terry’s perspective made me feel compassion for him and hope that better things would happen for him throughout the book. However, he does make some very bad decisions throughout the book that have potentially bad consequences for him, affecting his relationships with his parents, wife, and others. There was a crazy twist at the end involving Terry and his wife, which I was starting to put the pieces together as I was reading the book, but did not completely understand everything that had happened and was hoping for more of an explanation. The ending actually left me wanting more so I would probably read a book two if there was one, just so I could hopefully put all of the pieces to the puzzle together.
March 29, 2020
The mystery of whether Terry will find his adopted roots and bond with his newly discovered twin brother Gerry, along with the sad drama of his unhappy marriage kept me interested in Uncommon Relations, but I have to admit there were times where I skimmed dialogue, both inner and between characters, feeling like things could have been sped along. I also did not realize this was only the first part of this tale--I am not a fan of picking up first installments of unproven authors--so it's hard to stick with an unlikable, miserable character like Terry when you suddenly realize 3/4 of the way through that he will not be going through a character development arc in this single story. Aside from Terry, the other characters in the novel didn't feel fully fleshed out--I actually wondered at one point if he was making the whole thing up, if no one else could see Gerry or Fiona at all! I am curious will what happen next, and would read another NetGalley proof of the next installment, but I'm not sure if I would run out and buy part 2.
May 5, 2020
I received an ARC of this book via netgalley. This book had initial promise. I liked the concept of twins who were separated as babies and didn't even know the other's existence. However it didn't hold up to continued inspection. There were long passages where you just wanted the author to move the narrative on. The characters were as a job lot unlikeable almost unmoulded, plastic. one sided.
Terry becomes consumed by the mystery and the search but even from the outset it is evident that something is not "right" about all this. It is difficult to give a real account of what this is without giving away the plot. Some of its unraveling was predictable but there are twists that i had not seen coming. The ending is truly weird - appears to have no relationship to the rest of the book - but previews book two and is obviously a lure to the reader to go on with the series. Although this was not an awful book I am not sure that it did enough to make want to read more.
Terry becomes consumed by the mystery and the search but even from the outset it is evident that something is not "right" about all this. It is difficult to give a real account of what this is without giving away the plot. Some of its unraveling was predictable but there are twists that i had not seen coming. The ending is truly weird - appears to have no relationship to the rest of the book - but previews book two and is obviously a lure to the reader to go on with the series. Although this was not an awful book I am not sure that it did enough to make want to read more.
February 26, 2020
I must admit, I'm not generally a fan of series. One and done, is more my literary style.
That being said, I would read more of the Uncommon Relations series; both quirky and engaging, this book is just waiting to be a quick summer read. Follow the twists and turns of Terry's life as he finds his long lost twin, he never knew he had, as he uncovers a pile of family secrets which hit closer and closer to home.
I can easily see the Uncommon Relations series becoming an airport/hotel store mainstay.
Order yourself a margarita and get to reading Uncommon Relations!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Uptake Publications for a copy of Uncommon Relations in exchange for my honest review.
Would rate this a solid 3.5 stars/5
That being said, I would read more of the Uncommon Relations series; both quirky and engaging, this book is just waiting to be a quick summer read. Follow the twists and turns of Terry's life as he finds his long lost twin, he never knew he had, as he uncovers a pile of family secrets which hit closer and closer to home.
I can easily see the Uncommon Relations series becoming an airport/hotel store mainstay.
Order yourself a margarita and get to reading Uncommon Relations!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Uptake Publications for a copy of Uncommon Relations in exchange for my honest review.
Would rate this a solid 3.5 stars/5
May 11, 2020
I received an eGalley of this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Uncommon Relations: Part 1 had promise at first, but then it became dialogue heavy with little to no plot or character growth. I wanted a better relationship between Terry and his wife. I wanted more of Terry and Gerry together and more plot build up after the reveal at Leon's.
Uncommon Relations would be a great book for someone that likes books that have more dialogue in them and that you have to wait until the end of the book for the plot twist.
Uncommon Relations: Part 1 had promise at first, but then it became dialogue heavy with little to no plot or character growth. I wanted a better relationship between Terry and his wife. I wanted more of Terry and Gerry together and more plot build up after the reveal at Leon's.
Uncommon Relations would be a great book for someone that likes books that have more dialogue in them and that you have to wait until the end of the book for the plot twist.
December 28, 2020
I actually read a friends kindle unlimited copy of this book. Gotta say I agree with most of the other reviewers, it has its slow points and characters could be a little more developed - only got about half way thru when I had to put it down and seriously.i didn't think I would care if I finished or not. But I kept wondering... lol so I "borrowed' it again for my own peace of mind.. I like unexpected twists and this book delivers. Overall, I enjoyed it very much, not a perfect read, but has great potential.
February 28, 2020
I received a copy of this book from TBC Reviewers request- Thank you
This was a very different read to what I was expecting. Initially I found the book hard to follow and it had no clear path or direction. However about two thirds of the way through the book it all seemed to click for me! I found the book a light read and once I was engaged it was entertaining
This was a very different read to what I was expecting. Initially I found the book hard to follow and it had no clear path or direction. However about two thirds of the way through the book it all seemed to click for me! I found the book a light read and once I was engaged it was entertaining
September 5, 2021
Story had promise however the writing and pace were inconsistent. During periods in which the story moved slowly boredom set in, spoiling enjoyment of this book.
At best this book rates just okay, 3 stars
My thanks to goodreads and the book’s giveaway sponsors for the opportunity to obtain and read a copy of this book.
At best this book rates just okay, 3 stars
My thanks to goodreads and the book’s giveaway sponsors for the opportunity to obtain and read a copy of this book.
April 16, 2022
Uncommon Relations is a rather unique story about twins who were brought up by different families and led very different lifestyles. Rosalind Minett puts a very convincing plot together that grips the reader's attention, their meeting will unravel events that will deeply affect their lives and that of all those around them. Intriguing!
February 4, 2020
Terrible experience, the book was a little dragged out but finally when you look for an ending, there isn’t any!! Tells you it’s a series and to buy the next book. I was sure mad. Wasted all that time reading a useless book.
September 22, 2021
Wonderful mystery
March 12, 2020
The story starts with a prelude set a year before the main story, where a man is watching his wife and grown-up daughter (adopted from wife’s sister who had too many children already) as they coo over the adopted daughter’s new adopted baby.
Chapter One then moves to the present-day where the protagonist, 28-year-old dull and boring Terry, is going through the motions of his everyday humdrum life with his dull wife and dull job, when his world is jolted wide awake when he bumps into somebody who looks exactly like him. Terry can’t wait to tell his wife, Gudrun, all about what has happened but with a job in social care that soaks up all her time, she isn’t interested in listening to him.
Terry soon discovers that his lookalike is his twin, Gerry, and they were both adopted out to different parents. This sets a spiralling set of events in motion as Terry decides to trace his blood family; with little white lies scattered here and there as he tries to explain to Gudrun what is going on but can't quite get her to listen. But what really drives the story forward is the fact that Gudrun has a secret of her own that she is hiding from Terry - a much bigger one...
The narrative has a ‘fairy tale’ feel to it, and they way the author tells the story is utterly addictive. I had no option but to race through this story – but now I’m left thinking did I read it too quick? Have I missed something? The story ends with the same characters as the prelude and whilst I have an inkling I’m still not 100% sure how they fit into the story. There is a sequel Uncommon Relations part II, and I am just itching to read it…
I’m not sure who I would recommend this book to. Rosalind Minett really does have a unique voice all of her own. A truly wonderful and mesmerising one suitable for anybody who likes a good story.
Chapter One then moves to the present-day where the protagonist, 28-year-old dull and boring Terry, is going through the motions of his everyday humdrum life with his dull wife and dull job, when his world is jolted wide awake when he bumps into somebody who looks exactly like him. Terry can’t wait to tell his wife, Gudrun, all about what has happened but with a job in social care that soaks up all her time, she isn’t interested in listening to him.
Terry soon discovers that his lookalike is his twin, Gerry, and they were both adopted out to different parents. This sets a spiralling set of events in motion as Terry decides to trace his blood family; with little white lies scattered here and there as he tries to explain to Gudrun what is going on but can't quite get her to listen. But what really drives the story forward is the fact that Gudrun has a secret of her own that she is hiding from Terry - a much bigger one...
The narrative has a ‘fairy tale’ feel to it, and they way the author tells the story is utterly addictive. I had no option but to race through this story – but now I’m left thinking did I read it too quick? Have I missed something? The story ends with the same characters as the prelude and whilst I have an inkling I’m still not 100% sure how they fit into the story. There is a sequel Uncommon Relations part II, and I am just itching to read it…
I’m not sure who I would recommend this book to. Rosalind Minett really does have a unique voice all of her own. A truly wonderful and mesmerising one suitable for anybody who likes a good story.
March 15, 2020
This wore me down as it took forever to finish. The story was imaginative, good plot only by the end I found I could not care for Terry a most boring pathetic pain depressing character.The set up the end was the best part and clever only by this time I was over Terry.
An independent review from NetGalley
An independent review from NetGalley
November 28, 2019
‘Expected, excepted; words so near, yet so far apart’
British author Rosalind Minett began her career in the arts as a dancer - in RADA (for those outside the UK, The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art) - but switched directions when she studied psychology at Birmingham, Sussex and Exeter universities and became a Psychologist. This combination of experience offers her the ability to crawl inside the psyches of her characters while creating a proscenium arch setting in intricate details for her chosen subject - whether writing comedy, historically influenced novels or crime tales - before enjoying a career as a chartered psychologist. She is successfully able to wear the twin masks of comedy/tragedy and still maintain a rather phenomenal sense of finding the humor in the worst of situations and the compensatory dark side of the best of incidents. She is a hell of a fine writer!
Making use of her experience as a psychologist coupled with her obvious gifts as a writer, Rosalind has created a novel she terms ‘contemporary psychological fiction’ and the story is indeed mesmerizing and penetrating as well as insightful and marvelously entertaining to read. Her Prelude suggests a dark tone to come. ‘…Here they were at the start of a story, and he, the man of the house, was not the main character nor even one who would figure in the action. He was tangential to other people’s stories. This wasn’t a bitter thought, just the kind of resigned bystanding a man adopts when all the family is on his wife’s side. He was without parents or siblings, even his country a distant memory, and had no children himself. His lovely wife had proved infertile. They’d taken on the child of her inconsequential sister who’d produced too many children, and here she was, his delightful daughter, bouncing a little baby, hers, but not by birth…His thoughts were on the unfairness of reproduction. For this dear child, his wife’s blond niece, delivered in her teens she’d inherited the chromosomal abnormality causing infertility. Was that the reason his girl had developed a preference for her own gender? Or did it reflect on his fathering – that he was no model for his daughter to seek a partner?...’
The story is complex, in a good way, and as this is Part One of the series it is wise to present the plot: ‘28 yr old Terry, named "Yesterday's Man" by his mate, Leon, nurses fantasies of a life more exciting than marriage or job provide, but then an amazing encounter changes his life forever. His double outshines everything that’s gone before. He charges home to tell his shadowy wife, Gudrun, who is too preoccupied with her sculpture and her social work to listen. What is she mysteriously hiding, and why? In frustration, Terry secretly starts his search for identity but this opens a Pandora’s box of information he cannot handle. Now it's so difficult to reverse the bizarre situations he's created. Misguidedly, he discloses past secrets to Leon, a moonlighting illusionist. Leon conjures up revelations that Gudrun cannot face, while confused Terry is trapped into disastrous acts. Will he ever discover what he needs to know? Is Gudrun a heroine, a victim or a packet of trouble?’
Stunning writing this, with a hint of the mystique that lies in the following pages. The difficulty? Waiting for the next volume to consume! Highly Recommended – as are all of Rosalind’s books!
British author Rosalind Minett began her career in the arts as a dancer - in RADA (for those outside the UK, The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art) - but switched directions when she studied psychology at Birmingham, Sussex and Exeter universities and became a Psychologist. This combination of experience offers her the ability to crawl inside the psyches of her characters while creating a proscenium arch setting in intricate details for her chosen subject - whether writing comedy, historically influenced novels or crime tales - before enjoying a career as a chartered psychologist. She is successfully able to wear the twin masks of comedy/tragedy and still maintain a rather phenomenal sense of finding the humor in the worst of situations and the compensatory dark side of the best of incidents. She is a hell of a fine writer!
Making use of her experience as a psychologist coupled with her obvious gifts as a writer, Rosalind has created a novel she terms ‘contemporary psychological fiction’ and the story is indeed mesmerizing and penetrating as well as insightful and marvelously entertaining to read. Her Prelude suggests a dark tone to come. ‘…Here they were at the start of a story, and he, the man of the house, was not the main character nor even one who would figure in the action. He was tangential to other people’s stories. This wasn’t a bitter thought, just the kind of resigned bystanding a man adopts when all the family is on his wife’s side. He was without parents or siblings, even his country a distant memory, and had no children himself. His lovely wife had proved infertile. They’d taken on the child of her inconsequential sister who’d produced too many children, and here she was, his delightful daughter, bouncing a little baby, hers, but not by birth…His thoughts were on the unfairness of reproduction. For this dear child, his wife’s blond niece, delivered in her teens she’d inherited the chromosomal abnormality causing infertility. Was that the reason his girl had developed a preference for her own gender? Or did it reflect on his fathering – that he was no model for his daughter to seek a partner?...’
The story is complex, in a good way, and as this is Part One of the series it is wise to present the plot: ‘28 yr old Terry, named "Yesterday's Man" by his mate, Leon, nurses fantasies of a life more exciting than marriage or job provide, but then an amazing encounter changes his life forever. His double outshines everything that’s gone before. He charges home to tell his shadowy wife, Gudrun, who is too preoccupied with her sculpture and her social work to listen. What is she mysteriously hiding, and why? In frustration, Terry secretly starts his search for identity but this opens a Pandora’s box of information he cannot handle. Now it's so difficult to reverse the bizarre situations he's created. Misguidedly, he discloses past secrets to Leon, a moonlighting illusionist. Leon conjures up revelations that Gudrun cannot face, while confused Terry is trapped into disastrous acts. Will he ever discover what he needs to know? Is Gudrun a heroine, a victim or a packet of trouble?’
Stunning writing this, with a hint of the mystique that lies in the following pages. The difficulty? Waiting for the next volume to consume! Highly Recommended – as are all of Rosalind’s books!
February 16, 2020
Terry is living a very humdrum life, in his view until a chance encounter with his double reveals he has an identical twin brother. Looking into his past he discovers the two were split up in infancy however in trying to learn about his family history he opens up an ‘Pandora’s box’. Things are not helped by the fact that Terry’s twin, Gerry seems to outshine him in all areas of their lives, and his wife Gudrun is not only not interested but seems to harbour dark secrets herself.
This is a psychological drama, which is suspenseful and full of dark secrets, confessions and revelations, mistaken and hidden identities and a lot of guilt. A domestic drama with twists and turns which makes this an unpredictable and addictive read. I was hooked from page one and am looking forward to reading part two.
This is a psychological drama, which is suspenseful and full of dark secrets, confessions and revelations, mistaken and hidden identities and a lot of guilt. A domestic drama with twists and turns which makes this an unpredictable and addictive read. I was hooked from page one and am looking forward to reading part two.
February 9, 2020
A uniquely written love story that is unlike any other.
More of a psychological mystery this story offers intrigue with a well written and powerful storyline that makes you take a step back and look at yourself.
Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.
More of a psychological mystery this story offers intrigue with a well written and powerful storyline that makes you take a step back and look at yourself.
Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.
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