This title by English author Morag Joss is unlike anything I've ever read, and certainly not a title I'd ever have picked up had it not been a book club choice.

Jean has had a long career as a house-sitter, enjoying someone else's roof over her head. Now, however, her agency must let her go, since she is well past retirement age. Her final assignment is to watch over, for eight months, a lovely estate hidden away from a tiny village. Soon after moving into this home she feels it reaching out to envelop her in its comforts. Then to make her life complete, Jean decides to add another resident...

Although it moves at a leisurely pace, paying attention early on pays off. The story builds on the many small details dropped by the author. Encourage your members to stick with it to the end. They won't be sorry!

Certainly there are issues to discuss, such as what do we really mean by "family". The writing is lovely; and the sense of place clearly drawn. The suspense is of a different kind than we are used to, but I read practically the entire book with a sense of dread--surely they will be found out, and what then??

The dark humor may not resonate with readers until they think back on the story and characters, and discuss it with friends. Our group got rather rowdy talking about Half Broken Things!