Helen Merrifield decides to start afresh and put her old life behind her in the picture-postcard Cornish village of Pendruggan. Throwing herself into the local scene, Helen finds herself at the mercy of the rather desperate Vicar, but she is secretly drawn to the brooding local historian, Piran.
Meanwhile, Helen’s best friend, Penny, decides that the village is the perfect setting for her new TV series. When the cast and crew descend, the village is thrown into a tizzy, but Helen has her hands full fending off her philandering ex-husband, who seems determined to charm his way back into her bed.
Should Helen hold on to the past? Or will Cornwall give her something new to treasure?
Pendruggan: A Cornish village with secrets at its heart
Review: Having read some of her more recent material, I thought I'd catch up with Fern Britton's earlier work. I found this one in audiobook format in my local library and decided to have a listen.
The story is set in what sounds like a really quaint village in Cornwall. The main character, Helen, has decided to leave her cheating husband and London life behind and start afresh somewhere new. She buys an idyllic little cottage in a Cornish village and sets about making a new life for herself. The village is full to the brim with interesting and sometimes strange characters. Amongst these is Simon, the vicar, and Piran, local historian, both of whom take a particular interest in Helen. Life in the village is suddenly changed when Helen's great friend and TV producer, Penny, decides it is the perfect setting for her new detective drama and we are plunged into the world of actors and filming. Another, quite different, excitement is caused by the discovery in Helen's garden of an old tin box obviously buried long ago; its contents and their story pose quite a mystery.
This was an easy and most enjoyable read. I found Helen a likeable character and enjoyed her determination and boldness in leaving a life she didn't like and starting out anew. She was very lucky to find such a nice cottage in Cornwall and to be accepted so readily by the local people. The goings on in the village and the antics of Helen's husband added a fair amount of humour to the story. The unfolding of the story of the box found in the garden and the treasures therein was very cleverly written. Definitely a book I would recommend.
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