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Alice McGinty's Goat

by Mary Frances

320 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #07-2636; ISBN 1-4251-5843-9; US$22.27, C$22.27, EUR15.22, £11.50

Alice McGinty's new life as village correspondent for her local newspaper is turned hilariously askew by the sudden, unwelcome arrival of an old schoolmate.

About the Book

Despite a looming bus pass, almost-divorced Alice McGinty is still fit, feisty and attractive. Living in a borrowed cottage in a small commuter village in North Somerset, she is a very new correspondent and feature writer for her local newspaper. Unfortunately, the sudden, unwelcome eruption into her life of an old schoolmate who is remembered chiefly for her outrageous lies, complicates things alarmingly. With the help of her friend Claudia, Alice does however manage to survive the involvement of the local police, the fire brigade, a mysterious peeping tom, torn clothes and the problems of a newly pregnant daughter. But things begin to get out of hand when temptation rears its irresistible head in the form of the attractive younger man, the old school chum reveals herself in her true colours and Alice chases the peeping tom and breaks her elbow. The final crescendo is reached with the simultaneous descent on Alice's tiny cottage of estranged husbands, ex husbands, potential lovers, lesbian lovers, betraying friends and a dog-chasing cat - plus, of course, that essential ingredient in village life - the local policeman.

About the Author

Mary Frances was brought up in Nottingham, the youngest of seven children. She came to Bristol in 1961 with her husband, was divorced in 1990 and, after nine house moves in nine years, finally settled in North Somerset. Their two sons both live in Bristol. With a wide and colourful career including libraries, running an art and design company, working for estate agents, insurance companies and solicitors and as a portrait artist, she represented her local ward on Bristol City Council and finally, at the age of 70 took herself back to college to qualify as a journalist, winning the Senior Learner of the Year award for 2002. Until recently a local correspondent and feature writer with the Clevedon Mercury, she now devotes herself entirely to writing books.