Like A British Anne Tyler Sabrina Broadbent brings wit Sharp eyed observation and real feeling to bear on the foibles and fault lines of everyday life in this ... » 

Like A British Anne Tyler Sabrina Broadbent brings wit Sharp eyed observation and real feeling to bear on the foibles and fault lines of everyday life in this story of what happens when a childless apparently invisible middle aged woman disappears creating unexpected ripples in the world around her. Bea is in her late forties has a dead end job with the Council in Cambridge and is married to Frank a feckless would be writer with extramural distractions. Beas successful sister Katherine the one who always worked hard is a consultant paediatrician with two children nerdy nice twelve year old Adrian an difficult funny teenage Laura whom Bea has minded off and on since there were small. One morning Bea simply disappears. Her workmates are concerned when the normally reliable Bea doesnt turn up her husband is suspected of foul play her uptight sister becomes increasingly emotional and starts to unravel. Only the kids seem quietly genuinely upset. The police dig up Franks patio Katherine finds she cant really function without her sister shes taken for granted the children more practically check websites. As times goes by though the Bureau of Misper. doesnt hold out much hope. Bea it emerges has history which her nearest and dearest know little about and things dont turn out quite as they might have liked or expected. «