Get ready for an exciting new release from author Jenny Twist (@JennyTwist1)

I'm always very excited when my favourite UK author Jenny Twist brings out a new novel, as I know I'm in for a great read, and her latest, released this week: The Cottage at the End of the World didn't let me down. I'll tell you what I thought about it in a moment, but first, let me hand you over to the author in person, to answer that all-important question we readers always want to know: "What inspired you to write this story?"

Over to Jenny:

"I was sitting with my two dearest friends, Caroline and Billy, and Caroline remarked on a recent news item about a bacterium scientists had developed in the battle to dispose of  waste. “What if it escaped?” she said.

That was the last time I saw Caroline and Billy in person, before Coronavirus, before lockdown. Before our world narrowed to a small screen.

An awful lot has happened since then, and I have spent much of the intervening time on the internet, like Laura in the story, campaigning for a better world. But in between I researched the implications of Caroline’s chance observation. And they horrified me.

So here goes. A possible answer to Caroline’s question. This might be what would happen if the new enzyme escaped.

When I started writing the story no-one had heard of Coronavirus, but the advent of the pandemic made me realise how much more devastating my imaginary plague would be if it happened at the same time. So I rooted the story firmly against a background of actual events right up to the point where the phones begin to melt.

The rest is entirely my own invention."

Thanks, Jenny.  Now here's what I thought of:

The Cottage at the End of the World - Review

How could anyone not be intrigued by this delightfully ambiguous title?  I certainly couldn’t wait to read my advance review copy and, once I started, I genuinely couldn’t stop.  I have a thing about houses and just can’t resist stories about them.

The story begins in London with the meeting of artist Laura and journalist Gary, who are, quite simply, meant for each other.  Keen to leave London, Gary is easily persuaded to give up his city life and move to Laura’s cottage in Cumbria.

I spent many childhood holidays in the exquisite Lake District so when I read about the cottage, I felt I’d come home.  The beautifully drawn characters, so typical of author Jenny Twist, (and who include two delightful dogs, but most especially the wonderful nonagenarian, Auntie Martha) tugged at my heartstrings.   All the same, a cottage with no electricity, no running water and no bathrooms was not exactly my idea of heaven, so in the story, when old schoolfriend, Malcolm arrived with his partner and began transforming the cottage into a modern but still cosy des res, I actually felt a real sense of relief and my ache to live there intensified.

And live there I did, or so it seemed, as this compelling story drew me in so completely.  When Covid-19 began to spread like, well the plague, I wanted for nothing, being cocooned in cosy domesticity with this colourful cast of characters during lockdown.  And when the outside world as we know it changed forever and the real fight for survival began, The Cottage at the End of the World was the only safe place left in which to live.  

A gripping and deeply thought-provoking story, told by a master story-teller.  Irresistible!

The Cottage at the End of the World - Blurb:

“This is the way the world ends
    Not with a bang but a whimper.”

T S Eliot

The end of civilization is fast approaching, and the family in the remote cottage in the woods is ready. They are prepared for anything that may happen -- except for the one thing that nobody predicted.

         Against the background of the Coronavirus pandemic another, more sinister threat is slowly gripping the world.  Will the people find out before it's too late?

About the Author

Jenny Twist was born in York and brought up in the West Yorkshire mill town of Heckmondwike, the
eldest grandchild of a huge extended family.

She left school at fifteen and went to work in an asbestos factory. After working in various jobs, including bacon-packer and escapologist’s assistant (she was The Lovely Tanya), she returned to full-time education and did a BA in history, at Manchester and post-graduate studies at Oxford.

She stayed in Oxford working as a recruitment consultant for many years and it was there that she met and married her husband, Vic.

In 2001 they retired and moved to Southern Spain where they live with their rather eccentric dogs and cat. Besides writing, she enjoys reading, knitting and attempting to do fiendishly difficult logic puzzles.

Since moving to Spain she has written four novels and numerous short stories.

In July 2018 she was awarded the coveted TOP FEMALE AUTHOR award in Fantasy/Horror/Paranormal/Science Fiction by The Authors Show
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The Cottage at the End of the World is available from Amazon UK  and Amazon.com 

Price 77p and 99ȼ respectively. 

 

Also available free on Kindle Unlimited