A Tidy Ending - by Joanna Cannon (Paperback)

About the Book

"A NICE, NORMAL HOUSE ... Linda has lived in a quiet neighborhood ever since fleeing the dark events of her childhood in Wales. Now she sits in her kitchen, wondering if this is all there is--pushing the vacuum around and cooking fish sticks for supper is a far cry from the glamorous lifestyle she sees in the glossy catalogues coming through the mail slot addressed to the previous occupant, Rebecca. A NICE, NORMAL HUSBAND? Terry isn't perfect--he picks his teeth, tracks dirt through the house, and spends most of his time in front of the TV. But that seems fairly standard--until he starts keeping odd hours at work, at around the same time young women in the town start to go missing ... A NICE, NORMAL LIFE... If Linda could track down and befriend Rebecca, maybe some of that enviable lifestyle would rub off on her. But the grass isn't always greener: you can't change who you really are, and criminals can hide behind closed doors"--

Book Synopsis

"A darkly funny tale with a gloriously sinister twist." --The Observer (London)

The bestselling author of The Trouble with Goats and Sheep delivers a "compellingly creepy" (The Guardian, UK) novel filled with unexpected twists about mysterious murders in a quiet neighborhood.

Linda has lived in a quiet neighborhood since fleeing the dark events of her childhood in Wales. Now she sits in her kitchen, wondering if this is all there is: pushing the vacuum around and cooking fish sticks for dinner, a far cry from the glamorous lifestyle she sees in the glossy magazines coming through the mail slot addressed to the previous occupant, Rebecca Finch.

Linda's husband Terry isn't perfect--he picks his teeth, tracks dirt through the house, and spends most of his time in front of the TV. But that seems fairly normal--until he starts keeping odd hours at work, at around the same time young women start to go missing.

If only Linda could track down and befriend Rebecca, maybe some of that enviable lifestyle would rub off on her and she wouldn't have to worry about what Terry is up to. But in this "sublimely structured and darkly witty" (Publishers Weekly, starred review) tale, the grass isn't always greener and you can't change who you really are. And some secrets can't stay buried forever...

Review Quotes

"A genuinely funny, and moving, novel about a serial killer . . . a curtain-twitching, darkly funny tale with a gloriously sinister twist." --Observer (UK)

"Compellingly creepy, with precisely observed characterisation . . . combines pathos with lovely flashes of humour and a wholly unexpected ending" --The Guardian (UK)

"Cannon's shrewd characterisation, sparky observations and subtly menacing plot makes this a darkly funny and delightfully sinister read." --Daily Mail (UK)

"Sublimely structured and darkly witty . . . the multilayered plot offers genuine surprises up to the final revelation. Cannon has raised her game with this one." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Cannon's story is chock-a-block with punch-in-the-gut twists, wry humor, tragedy, and heartbreak. . . . The ending, which will leave readers gasping, is more stunning than 'tidy.'" --Booklist (starred review)

"At once a case study and an exercise in literary sleight of hand. Ms. Cannon eludes expectations and defies traditions on her way toward a mind-bending double-whammy finale." -- The Wall Street Journal

"Delicious . . . thoroughly engrossing. . . . This book didn't just stay with me. It stayed and stayed and stayed." --Laurie Hertzel, Minneapolis Star Tribune

"A slow-burn thriller that follows a suburban wife's fascination with a former tenant might lead to frightening revelations about the person she thought she knew best." --PopSugar, "Best Books of 2022 So Far"

"I absolutely loved it. A serial killer, a traumatized woman, the quirkiest of characters, such perfect observational writing-- Joanna Cannon is a superstar." --Sarah Pinborough, author of Behind Her Eyes

"Devastating, deceptive, and darkly funny." --Sarah Winman, author of Still Life

"A compellingly crafted and compulsive read, full of twists--and twists on twists--that keeps you guessing until the last page. It's a book that is always at least two steps ahead--though not in the direction you suspect--and deliciously mixes, as only Joanna Cannon can, suburbia and the sinister. A joy and a triumph." --Rachel Joyce, author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

"Ridiculously good--gripping and creepy and clever and insightful. An absolute masterclass in characterization--Linda is going to stay with me for a very long time. Just as she did with The Trouble with Goats and Sheep, Cannon perfectly captures the claustrophobia of suburban life while reminding us how little we really know the people who live behind those lace curtains and neat hedges." --Marianne Cronin, author of The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot

"Deliciously sinister and irresistibly tense. The creepiest, cleverest, most haunting mystery you will read all year. Absolutely brilliant." --Rachel Clarke, author of Dear Life

"Original, macabre and the reveal of the twist made me laugh with shock and delight. Never less than intriguing, A Tidy Ending had me holding my breath!" --Marian Keyes, author of Grown Ups

"A highly entertaining thriller with a huge, warm, beating human heart and a central character that stays with you long, long after reading. I loved it." --Kate Hamer, author of The Girl in the Red Coat

"A Tidy Ending is thoroughly absorbing... Cannon carefully unspools this character-driven mystery using the superb storytelling we've come to expect from her." --Olivia Kiernan, author of Too Close to Breathe

About the Author

Joanna Cannon is a psychiatrist with a degree from Leicester Medical School. She lives in England's Peak District with her family and her dog. She is the author of Three Things About Elsie and The Trouble with Goats and Sheep, a top ten bestseller in the UK.