You can also read my review here: [...]
Never have I won a free ticket in the lottery, let alone the whole shebang! It was a breath of fresh air to see what happens to 'real' people, who live 'real' lives, and work 'real' jobs, when they win the lottery. For Doreen Wilkinson, it was like diving into the deep end of a pool and never really coming up for a full-breath.
From the get-go, I enjoyed the eclectic mix of characters. Even though they all lived different lives outside the Villa, once inside, they became like a dysfunctional family. There were characters that you would expect to see at any resort (Bob, Carmen, Frau Heck), some that you would cross the street to avoid (Sheila, Jack), and some that you would pull up a stool beside at the bar (Doreen, Pat, Antonio).
The one character that grated on my nerves from her first word was Doreen. While I completely understand that she was from a 'poor' upbringing, her accent - or the way her accent was written - made it really hard to read. It may have been a cross-border translation (me being in Canada, the author from the UK) but having to stop on every single word made the flow of conversation very hard to follow. I also couldn't understand why her daughter, who came from the same up-bringing, didn't have the same dialect?!?
Overall, the story was very well written. I enjoyed each of the storylines and how, at the end, everything was brought together into one, neat, little package. It has made me wish that, after a little speech therapy, Doreen will be back in a second novel.
Pauline Barclay is definitely one to keep an eye on!
