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A Desirable Residence (Paperback)

by Madeleine Wickham (Author)
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
RRP: £7.99
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Product details

  • Paperback: 288 pages
  • Publisher: Black Swan; New edition edition (1 Nov 2004)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0552772240
  • ISBN-13: 978-0552772242
  • Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 12.6 x 2.4 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 10,216 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #2 in  Books > Fiction > Authors, A-Z > W > Wickham, Madeleine

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Product Description

Product Description

Liz and Jonathan Chambers were in trouble. Mortgage trouble. They'd stretched themselves to busting with their new exciting project - well, Liz thought it exciting - buying and managing the Silchester Tutorial College, and now couldn't sell their old house. Here they were, stuck with two mortgages, mounting debts and a miserable adolescent daughter who hadn't wanted to move anyway.Then Marcus Witherstone came into their lives - and at first it seemed he would solve all their problems. Marcus, senior partner in Silchester's leading estate agency, was large, assured, and wore an expensive overcoat. He knew the perfect tenants from London who would rent their old house - glamorous PR girl Ginny and almost-famous Piers. Everything was going to be OK.But soon Marcus found himself involved with Liz in a way he'd never intended. Keeping his adulterous trysts secret from Anthea was uncomfortably easy - most of the time her head was firmly buried in Improve your Child's IQ. Meanwhile, as Liz was lost in blissful dreams of Marcus, Jonathan was left to run the tutorial college. Neither of them had time to notice that teenage Alice was developing a desperate passion for the tenants, Piers and Ginny. Everyone seemed to be entangled with everyone else, in the most awkward possible way. And as events closed in on him, Marcus began to realise that some deceptions are just a bit too close to home.

From the Back Cover

Liz and Jonathan Chambers are in trouble. They can't sell their old house. Here they are, stuck with two mortgages, mounting debts and a miserable adolescent daughter who hadn't wanted to move anyway. Then it seems Marcus Witherstone will solve all their problems. He knows the perfect tenants from London who will rent their old house - glamorous PR girl Ginny and almost-famous Piers. Everything is going to be OK.

But soon Marcus finds himself involved with Liz in a way he'd never intended. With Liz lost in blissful dreams of Marcus, Jonathan is left to run the Silchester Tutorial College alone. Neither of them have time to notice that teenage Alice is developing a desperate passion for the tenants, Piers and Ginny.

Everyone seems to be entangled with everyone else, in the most awkward possible way. And as events close in on him, Marcus begins to realise that some deceptions are just a bit too close to home.

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Customer Reviews

4 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.2 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent., 1 July 2004
By S. Hapgood "www.sjhstrangetales.com" - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)      
This review is from: A Desirable Residence (Paperback)
I've recently enjoyed reading Madeleine Wickham's first book "The Tennis Party", but felt it lacked bite, but I was optimistic that this would change as she went on, and this, her second book, proved it. It largely concerns Jonathan and Liz Chambers who have decided to set up their own tutorial college, and have got themselves into an alarming state of debt in the process. Estate agent Marcus Witherstone, a middle-aged smoothie with some dubious business deals on the side, steps in to help them. Liz finds herself becoming smitten by his charms and the two embark on an affaire. Meanwhile her daughter, Alice, is having a bad case of teenage blues, and starts to spend more and more of her time with Piers and Ginny, the trendy London couple who move in to her parents old house. Piers is a good-looking but failed actor, and Alice inevitably gets a crush on him. Also in the mix is Marcus's wife, Anthea, an ambitious woman who has set frighteningly high standards for their two sons (Wickham writes very engagingly about the two little lads, and has a real understanding of children). This is one of those very rare books these days that I actually wished was longer. Liz's affair is very real and very sad, as we see this woman deluding herself that she's about to embark on a new and glamorous life. Wickham is branded as a light author (i.e presumably not serious and heavyweight like Anita Brookner for instance), and yet she writes about human relationships with a lot more insight and credibility than many so-called quality authors. A good read all round.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining, 31 May 2009
By Rebecca Roberts (North and Mid Wales) - See all my reviews
As an avid fan of Sophie Kinsella, I hoped that the books written as Madeleine Wickham would prove to be,if not as good, then at least a good read.
I read 'A Desirable Residence' and was not disappointed...so went on to buy the rest of the books by this author.
Madeleine had proved, time and time again that she understands how people 'tick' and can write a great story about the simplest of events.
All her books are well written, she has an enviable talent, and if they do not prove to be 'classics' they certainly do what they set out to do,they entertain the reader...every time!
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6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars slightly disappointing when her other books are brilliant, 9 Nov 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: A Desirable Residence (Paperback)
I was totally gripped by Swimming Pool Sunday and the Tennis Party so I embarked on Desirable Residence with great enthusiasm. I found the plot a bit strange and not entirely believable. The characters however were great, particularly the youngsters who were good fun. I enjoyed it but not as much as the other two.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous!
Another excellent story from Madeleine Wickham! Definitely worth a read...or two...or three!
Published on 30 Aug 2003 by Ms. J. S. Spencer

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