I wanted to like this book – I’ve read a few others with similar premises which I have liked, even loved, but this one not so much.
A sad old lady, Maria, meets a sad old man, Alfie, once a week for tea and cake in a local café until one day he doesn’t show up. Turns out he died and left her his flat and quite a lot of money as well as a list of nice things he was trying to do to help the people he loved or just wanted to help before he died. Since he wasn’t able to finish the list, Maria takes on the mantle and in helping others she helps herself to get through her grief etc. All good, except ….
I found the style of writing really repetitive and dull. Lots of explaining, and overexplaining and then explaining again like it was written for people with single digit IQs. Things were so signposted before they were ‘revealed’ that you’re thinking, finally rather than ‘oh I didn’t see that coming.’
It wasn’t completely awful, but it was quite bad.
Sarah Wray Writer 