Uprooting her young family to London so that her husband can find work, Emma Hamilton is determined to hide her resentment and make the most of their new life. That is, until rugby coach James starts getting raunchy texts from an unknown number, followed by threats to Emma to evacuate the homestead. With a self-obsessed younger sister and a career-driven best friend busy with their own problems, Emma feels increasingly marginalised. Fans of Moriarty will recognise Emma and James from previous books, but although her ninth novel has some interesting and current themes – emigration, abortion and working mothers, to name but a few – plot momentum is minimal, with the identity of the would-be homewrecker obvious as soon as the storyline is introduced. Characters are well drawn but dialogue is clunky, often existing only to explain the plot, and the characters’ reactions to situations lean heavily on stereotype. The exception is Emma’s no-nonsense mother, who stands out as an original and convincing modern-day sage.
