SPOILERS** A Tidy Ending - Joanna Cannon - questions

[Randobelia]

I read this recently.

I don't like books where the characters have "obvious" eg dementia/autism etc. It drives me nuts (autistic myself). Was Linda supposed to have autism? Or was she just a bit odd?! Ugh. Why was Terry writing notes to her all the time?

Did her Dad actually sexually assault the girls? How did she know Rebecca was her mum's daughter? I thought she randomly got a catalogue?

She murdered them all then set up her husband, yes?

Also why would the police come into the charity shop and tell them to keep a lookout for handbags etc? Is that normal? Didn't seem accurate that a murderer would donate the victims' bags.

Bump

I've just finished it (literally about 5 mins ago!).

Rebecca was one of the girls from Wales. Suspect she found her and deliberately bought her house. Am sure there's something about letting Terry think he wanted it but it was her idea.

Not sure I'd her dad did actually assault them. Also not sure she didn't murder her dad.

Yes, she's the serial killer.

Don't think she had autism, or was even a bit odd (other than being a murderer). Her simple act was a ruse to fool Rebecca and Jolyon (and the reader).

Re notes, not sure. Wonder if it's@ part of her act, that she needs to be left notes to get her through the day, but keeping them for her plan re Rebecca.

What did you think? I did wonder about halfway through if it was her, but didn't see the 'Now' twist coming at all. Really enjoyed it.

I'll resurrect this thread rather than starting my own.
My big question is, why was the first murdered girl in Rebecca's garden? What did she have to do with Rebecca? Linda saw the photo of the first murdered girl with a dog and recognised the 'heart monitor' crack in her own front door. Whaaa? Why? When was the photo taken then?

And was Karen one of the piano girls? Yes, she was because she had the daffodil painting. But how did Linda know that before going to Rebecca and Jolyon's flat?

I really enjoyed it btw, just a bit confused by some of the details.

Linda orchestrated events and convinced Terry to buy the house by making him think it was his idea. I think she planned her revenge for a very long time.

When Linda's mum asked where she wanted to move to, she manipulated her mum. She says that lots of people moved from her area after her dad died and hints that she overheard conversations about where the other girls were moving to. I think she heard whets Karen was going and got her mum to move to the same area. I do wonder if she killed Karen too.

Then she found Rebecca's house and got Terry to buy it. The book says that on the day after they moved in a girl with a dog called round. She was one of Rebecca's friends. If she'd been to the house before, it would make sense that she'd had her photo taken in the garden of Rebecca's house.

I also think she's connected to Rebecca and Jolyon because her mum said something about being in a lot of debt and not knowing she had a credit card. Perhaps Rebecca and Jolyon took out a credit card in her name.

Anyway, I think this girl with the dog is Lily and when she calls at Linda's looking for Rebecca, Linda decides to kill her. She has blonde hair and when Linda is giving Vahri a lift home she talks about seeing sometime with blonde hair or a certain type of make up and getting angry enough to murder them

"I do wonder if she killed Karen too."

I thought Rebecca was Karen?

Thank you, by the way. That's a comprehensive answer.

So, Linda orchestrated a move into Rebecca's house, and when an old friend of Rebecca's called around with a dog, Linda murdered her?

You're quite right, Rebecca was Karen. I meant to say I wonder if Linda killed Karen's mum, but that's just pure speculation.

Yeah I think Rebecca's friend with the dog, who called after Linda moved in was Lily the first victim. That explains why she had her photo taken in the front garden - it was taken when Rebecca lived there. I think the next time Linda sad her, she murdered her

Was anyone else totally confused by this book? Just finished, and I’m going to have to re-read to make sense of it!

It did get a bit complicated at the end, didn't it. I think it would make a good mini-series.

Do you know, I was just thinking the same.

I did really enjoy the book, particularly the second half (first half was a bit slow to get going) but just really confused by it all, especially the Rebecca and Jolyon bit.

What were they up to, and why did she change her name from Karen?

Also, where did Linda find time to commit these murders in between everything else!!!! Were we meant to believe that the murder victims had all been former piano pupils of her Dad's?

Sorry for the daft questions - I got interrupted annoyingly while reading the last three chapters so really need to reread them slowly and more carefully!

Yeah I'm confused with the whole name change thing from Karen to Rebecca. I also don't understand how Jolyon fits in. At the end it seemed as if he was in kahoots with Linda.

I think the murder victims just reminded Linda of those girls, whether she's taking to Vahri she says about getting angry when she sees someone with blonde hair (the first girl) or cat eye mascara (Ingrid)

Yes, Jolyon was a mystery too - just what was his game?

I think I just found it unfathomable that Linda had done these murders - she was painted as such an innocent, sweet character throughout the book, with no real hint of anger. The twist seemed really unbelievable to me! I must have missed something! Definitely off to reread!

Jolyon is a chancer and when he realised what Linda had done (when she let slip about the painting), he just hitched his wagon to hers as the better bet, seeing how Rebecca was of no further use. He’s a con man. He wants Linda to sell her story for $$.

Rebecca (Karen), was the daughter of one of the girls who accused her father. Still cannot be certain if the father was guilty of anything, I think he was OR could it be that Linda was jealous of the time he spent with those other girls and she chose what she said to the police purposely?

I loved this book.

I did wonder if Linda had set her father up because she was jealous of him spending time with the other girls. However, surely they'd say nothing happened if the Police asked them.

I'm also still not sure why Karen changed her name to Rebecca. I think you might be right about Jolyon.

I've just finished reading this & enjoyed it just like '3 things about Elsie' & 'The trouble with goats & sheep'. Is she thinking of killing Vahri at the end?