I've been looking forward to Charlotte Levin's second book since…well…since finishing her first one, and it was worth waiting for. In fact, I think it's now my favourite of the two.

Janet Brown is a cleaner. She lives with her husband, Colin, who controls her in pretty much every way possible and continues to pile on the guilt for something that happened eleven years ago. Basically, her life is mundane and miserable and she's simply surviving from day to day. But then she's involved in a train crash which gives her a chance at redemption for the tragedy that she believes is her fault. Unfortunately for Janet, nothing is quite as it seems and she gets deeper and deeper into a deceitful situation.

I loved Janet who seems to be carrying so much on her shoulders. She's a brilliant creation, torn between doing the right thing and not caring because she doesn't really have anything to live for. Although this is a heartbreaking book in many ways, there is dry humour too and Levin does a really great job at conveying Janet's inner feelings, especially about Colin, whilst simultaneously giving the reader the fuller picture of Janet's rather cheerless life.

I found this a very easy book to get into and stay with. It kept me interested and the pace never flagged at all. I was engrossed in Janet's story and longing for her to get rid of Colin and get on with her life. It's beautifully written, sad yet hopeful, and I absolutely LOVED the ending. I really enjoyed this thought-provoking story with its fabulous cast of characters and Janet's moral dilemma at its heart. I shall now start looking forward to book three! ( )