BOOK REVIEW

Honeycote - A Tale of Romp and Circumstance by Veronica Henry published by Penguin Books - £5.99

ADULTERY, ambition, greed and good old-fashioned revenge are all key elements in a Bromsgrove author's debut novel, Honeycote,writes Liz Richards.

Fockbury resident, Veronica Henry, a scriptwriter who most recently wrote for TV series Doctors and previously for The Archers, Boon and Heartbeat, has released her first full-length novel.

The plot is based around the Liddiard family headed by the eldest brother, Mickey, who also runs the family business, a small local brewery that is rapidly running into financial difficulty.

The plot follows Mickey and his various misdemeanours in the seemingly peaceful, fictional village of Honeycote, however being a Worcestershire resident, the author uses many towns, cities and landmarks in the story that will be familiar to local readers.

As the plot progresses, Ms Henry develops each character in depth to the point that the reader does actually care about their various outcomes - including the less attractive and more ruthless individuals.

The book moves at a brisk pace and the many sub-plots inter-weave skilfully with the main story line. At just over 500 pages, this is a good-sized book that gives the reader time to 'get their teeth' into the story line and characters.

There is the occasional reference to both drug use and sex as one would expect from a modern novel, however taken in its intended context, this certainly does not detract from the plot - in fact it is an essential element!