Where Everything Seems Double

Fantastic! Nothing to complain about here - good story, characters, dialogue and pace. So tempted to flick to the back page as I was so desperate to get to the resolution to the mystery but the dialogue helped me keep my discipline! Great relationships between characters, not all of whom are very likeable, and a sharp, descriptive style.

Where Everything Seems Double was a very enjoyable read. From the start I liked the character Gina -- probably because I'm of a similar age and it's rare to find books about 60+ women that does not portray them as old ladies. Gina's relationships with her children and grandchild Freda are convincingly portrayed, in particular that walking-on-eggshells feel of dealing with the ups and downs of a moody teenager who every now and then reverts back to being gran's favourite girl.. There is a strong sense of place: you easily imagine the scenes around the hotel and lake where the story is set, as well as the ferry and town. The characters are equally distinctive. It all helps to pull you into and get invested in the story. 'Where Everything Seems Double' is a clever title: just about everything in this novel allows for a 'double' interpretation. You're left guessing about who is really what they seem and who is hiding what. Is what apparently happened what actually happened? It's intriguing and keeps you hooked. I like that the story is not deeply twisted and strange: it's just obscure and odd, and hard to figure out (like moody teenagers, I suppose!). It's more cozy mystery, but with a modern twist. There's nothing terribly complex about this novel, but what it sets out to do it does very well. A perfectly good scone. It's well written, well observed and nicely plotted. And charming. Gina can definitely be accused of recklessness in bringing her 13 year-old granddaughter along with her on a sleuthing mission, but it makes for an engaging and entertaining novel. I look forward to reading more by Penny Freedman.

Penny Freedman introduced us to her amateur sleuth, Gina Gray, over a decade ago. Now, six novels later, she's back, in the company of her thirteen-year-old granddaughter Freda. Gina and Freda are in the lake district to help an old friend of Gina's. It is no longer the innocent idyll of Arthur Ransome's Swallows And Amazons. A teenage girl is missing. This is a beautifully written mystery, with well-drawn characters, deserving of one's empathy. I love all the literary references in the text. An absolute pleasure to read.

This is my first book but definitely not my last with this author. I truly enjoyed this book and had a hard time putting it down.. This book is full of twists and turns, there are multi-layers to be peeled back to get at the truth. I now need to buy the other books in the series to get caught up. Great quick read

Gina Gray receives a message from an old friend asking for her help in unraveling the mystery of a thirteen year old girl's disappearance during a performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream in the Lake District. She brings along her granddaughter, Freda, who goes undercover amongst the town's teenagers. Freda struggles with secrets and lies amongst the teenagers, and Gina's investigation quickly turns perilous. Gina is out of her element and away from home, in a place where everyone seems to be hiding something, and finds herself in a situation which puts both her and Freda in the path of extreme danger. My review: This story is complex and multi-layered. Not only do you have the mystery of what happened to Ruby (and who took her), but you're observing family dynamics as well. It was definitely an interesting, very extremely suspenseful, suprising read and I was hooked from the beginning. It's quite a fast-paced novel, very thrilling, and definitely not for the faint of heart.