Things Can Only Get Better [J0164]

2020 - PB Excellent condition. For elderly churchwarden Arthur Calderbank, there's no place like home. His home just so happens to be a graveyard. He keeps himself to himself, gets on with his job, and visits his wife everyday for a chat. When one day he finds someone else has been to see his wife - and has left flowers on her grave - he is determined to solve the mystery of who and why. He receives unlikely help from a group of teenage girls as he searches for answers, and soon learns that there is more to life than being surrounded by death. Set during the 90s, when we were all just common people believing things could only get better, this is an uplifting story about the power of a little kindness, friendship and community. For readers who enjoy Sue Townsend, Ruth Hogan and Joanna Cannon.

From recent-ish Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "Wow what a lovely hopeful read."; "This is one of my favorite books, and an ultimate comfort place for me. A well written storyline, uniquely diverse characters, honest portrayal of loss, matched with witty banter...makes quite the novel."; "A lively and interesting book, with well developed characters. Got a good sense of the place and times in the setting of an ex-coal mining area in the late 90's. I liked the way the people interacted with a realistic range of personalities."