As She Left It: A Novel
4/5
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About this ebook
A 2014 Anthony Award Winner
When she was twelve years old, Opal Jones escaped her mother's endless drinking. Now, returning to their small Leeds cottage after her mum's death, Opal feels like she's gone back in time. Nosey Mrs. Pickess is still polishing her windows to a sparkle. Fishbo, Opal's ancient music teacher, still plays trumpet with his band. And much to Opal's delight, her favorite neighbor, Margaret Reid, still keeps an eye on things from the walk in front of her house.
But a tragedy has struck Mote Street. Margaret's grandson, Craig, disappeared some ten years ago, and every day he's not found, shame and sorrow settle deeper into the neighborhood's forgotten corners. As the door she closed on her own dark past begins to open, Opal uncovers more secrets than she can bear about the people who were once her friends.
Praise:
Winner of the 2014 Anthony Award for Best Paperback Original
Winner of the 2013 Gold ForeWord IndieFab Award for Mystery
Named one of Kirkus Reviews'"Best Books of 2013"
"The creator of Dandy Gilver...has produced a stand-alone that is worlds apart, a fascinating, mysterious ramble you can't put down."—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Dark, absorbing, contemporary stand-alone."—Publishers Weekly
"[A] captivating stand-alone from the author of the Dandy Gilver mystery series."—Booklist
"McPherson has crafted a tale that is both suspenseful and poignant. I wanted to cheer for Opal one second and hug her the next."—Eileen Rendahl, author of The Messenger Novels
Catriona McPherson
Born and raised in Edinburgh, Catriona McPherson left Edinburgh University with a PhD in Linguistics and worked in academia, as well as banking and public libraries, before taking up full-time writing in 2001. For the last ten years she has lived in Northern California with a black cat and a scientist. In 2020 she has been shortlisted for a third Mary Higgins Clark Award, for Strangers at the Gate, and won a Left Coast Crime 2020 Lefty Award for the Best Humorous Mystery for Scot and Soda.
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Reviews for As She Left It
24 ratings4 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5By: Catriona McPhersonPublished By: Midnight InkAge Recommended: AdultReviewed By: Arlena DeanRating: 4Book Blog For: GMTAReview:"As She Left It" by Catriona McPherson was a drama with good mystery thriller read, that once you got into the story it was hard to put down. We find that Opal Jones has come back to claim her childhood home that is located on 'Mote Street after the death of her mother from alcoholism. A part of this mystery was that "On Mote Street, a heavy sorrow hangs over every house, threatening to choke whatever threads of humanity are left" due to the fact that a young boy disappeared and was never found around the same time that Opal left town. The irony of it all is that many of the people still lived on 'Mote street.' Opal will come involved with trying to find out what had happened to this child. This is where I say you must pick up this read "As She Left It" to see what all is going on 'Mote Street. There will be many twist and turns along with some deep secrets that will be revealed. I found of the characters were somewhat developed, pathetic, charming, deceitful and even guilty in the search of the truth of it all. I did like out this author was able to show a neighborhood where even though was affected by this child's disappearance and everyone knew every one's business for the most part they kept quite. What will Opal turn up from her search of the truth...who is guilty of what? Maybe this has something to do with my Opal ran away in the first place. What a neighborhood! If you are interested in a good mystery thriller read then I would recommend "As She Left It" to you as a good read.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Opal left her home and alcoholic mother when she was twelve years old. There was much about that time that she did not remember. After her mother dies, Opal now nineteen returns to Mote street and discovers a mystery, a little boy had disappeared, around the same time she left. In this stand alone novel, there are three different, well maybe four different threads in which Opal finds herself involved. Many of the same people live on Mote street as where there when Opal first left and all the characters in this novel are fascinating and well rounded. By involving herself in these different mysteries, Opal tries to keep her memories from resurfacing. Of course that never works and it makes for a suspenseful, quick moving story-line. The ending wasn't quite as dramatic as I was expecting but it was one that I did not guess. I did like her portrayal of a neighborhood where everyone was affected by the disappearance of this little boy and how these neighbors knew everything about each other and at times tried to protect and take care of each other. I once lived in a neighborhood like that when I was growing up and I miss it.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Many twists and turns as Opal Jones returns to her childhood home and neighbors. She has changed and so has the neighborhood, but mysteries abound. Secret messages in her second hand bed, a missing child in the neighborhood, a dying friend separated from his family. She assigns herself the solutions to these mysteries, but misunderstandings pile up.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Opal escaped from her drinking Mother and went to live with her father when she was twelve, but ten years later, after her Mother died, she returned to the house on Mote Street in Leeds. She was surprised to find most of the same people still living there, and that nothing much had changed. But she was mistaken in that, some things had changed and some very important things had happened. First among them, was the disappearance of her favourite neighbour’s grandson. Opal remembered him as a baby, but at three years of age, he wandered off from his grandmother’s house and was never seen again.In furnishing her new place, she buys a second-hand bed. Inside one of the bed knobs she finds a message. A message from a lost girl that Opal feels she must follow up on. Then there is her old music teacher and neighbour, who goes by the nickname of Fishbo. He is failing in health and says he can never go home again, Opal resolves to help him find some family to ease his last years. Opal hopes that these three quests, plus her new job at the local Tesco grocery store will keep her so busy that she doesn’t have time to dwell on her own clouded past. But as she discovers, secrets have a way of coming to the surface.I really enjoyed As She Left It. This a different, unpredictable story that has been excellently plotted. The author delivers a compelling story that is full of unique and engaging characters and the working class setting helps to shape and give substance to the story, As She Left It was both a mystery and a compelling personal journey and I will be looking for more by this author.