Kate and Gail – two middle-aged sisters. Sisters who are insane – and looking for another sister…    Kate is 54 and very skilled in all matters IT. She uses these skills to lure vulnerable and somewhat naive women to her house in West Lothian – A Gingerbread House.

Tash Dodd – the daughter of a man who has made a living in transport. Lately this business has become very lucrative indeed. When she discovers just what her family business has been doing to rake in the big money, she is devastated. In her own, rather unique way, she seeks to atone.

If you want to imagine a truly dire and creepy scenario, it would be to be held captive by two deranged middle-aged women in a dank and damp cellar. That is what three women find themselves facing in this stand-alone thriller by Catriona McPherson.

Three women who are lonely, with a scanty support system, who have little in the way of friends or family. This type of women are the perfect victims for any number of crimes. They are not likely to be missed any time soon…  In fact I’d say that this novel could act like a fable, to get just this type of woman to foster more daily contacts and create a support system for themselves.

“When you live a small life, turned in, you can get a long way down a road without ever knowing.”

My favourite parts of the book were when Tash was working as a driver. When she was ferrying cancer patients and disabled children about. She was just so darned good at it. I also liked how the three very different woman became fast friends during their ordeal.

The plot was a tad confusing at first, then when the characters all asserted themselves it moved faster and became clearer.

I have long been a fan of this author. Though I’ve never read any of her series fiction, I have read most of her stand-alone novels. This is not my favorite of hers, but it is memorable. Recommended for those who have acquired a taste for ‘tartan noir’.

This review was written voluntarily and my rating was in no way influenced by the fact that I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel from Canongate Books/Severn House  via NetGalley.    

ISBN: 9780727850010 –  ASIN: ‎ B094PXH83W   288 pages

Catriona McPherson was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and is the author of the Dandy Gilver historical mystery series, which was nominated for a Macavity Award in 2012.   She moved to California in 2010 but she returns to Scotland every year for a wee visit to quell her homesickness.

She is now a full time writer.  When not writing, she is reading, gardening, cooking, baking, cycling , and running.

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