Trouble and Temptation in Little Woodford: Enjoy the feel-good drama, love and gossip of village life

Catherine Jones

Apr 2019 · Head of Zeus Ltd

About this ebook

'Delicious... A cracking story. I absolutely loved it' Emma Lee-Potter.

The market town of Little Woodford seems peaceful and beautiful, with its thriving high street, ancient church and immaculate allotments. But behind this facade, troubles are brewing.

Olivia Laithwaite has come down in the world, thanks to her gambling husband. She hates the modern shoebox they've moved into and knows she must now humble herself to apply for a local job.

Miranda Osborne has arrived with a flourish in Little Woodford and bought Olivia's beloved Grange. Now she starts to throw her weight around – objecting to everything, from the church bells to the local market stalls. It isn't long before the town is in turmoil.

The second in Catherine Jones's wonderful series about the goings-on behind the facade of the market town of Little Woodford. Previously published as The Bells of Little Woodford.

Ratings and reviews

What a lovely warm and easy read! It's like settling down into a big fluffy cushion and totally relaxing. Little Woodford is your quintessential English village; picturesque and peaceful. Like a swan gliding along the surface of the water, there is some mad paddling going on underneath by the movers and shakers. Olivia Lewthwaite has been one of the more influential residents, but with the sale of her house due to unfortunate circumstances, she loses her place in the hierarchy. I had only read a few pages before I realised that this is the sequel to the first in series which I read and enjoyed last year. Whilst this is an entirely new story, it's wonderful to catch up with the lives of all the familiar characters along with making the acquaintance of a few new ones. This village consists of an array of residents which most small communities can boast: the nosy-parker, the gossip, the business owners and families of all ages and sizes. Living in a village myself (Scottish, not English) I really identified with the tale of the incomer who wanted to change everything - so true to life as we have someone like that near us!  Beautifully written, this is a true-to-life and extremely satisfying novel which I have really enjoyed reading. I have been able to sink into it whilst laughing and revelling in the antics of the characters. A fabulous book - with a gorgeous cover - and one which I'm very happy to award five shining stars!

About the author

Catherine Jones lives in Thame, where she is an independent Councillor. She is the author of eighteen novels, including the Soldiers' Wives series, which she wrote under the pseudonym Fiona Field.