A Jarful of Angels
A Jarful of Angels by Babs Horton
The remote town in the Welsh valleys was a wonderful, magical – but sometimes dangerous – place in which to grow up. It was there that Iffy, Bessie, Fatty and Billy experienced a plague of frogs one summer, stumbled upon a garden full of dancing statues, found a skull with its front teeth missing – and discovered just what it was that mad Carty Annie was collecting so secretly in those jars of hers.
But at the end of that long, hot summer of 1963, one of the four children disappeared.
Over thirty years later, retired detective Will Sloane, never able to forget the unsolved case, returns to Wales to resume his search for the truth. His investigation will draw him into a number of interlocking mysteries, each one more puzzling than the last.
Reviews
"Very enjoyable read. Good mixture of suspense and humour. Gripping from beginning to end."
"This is the story of the adventures of four children during a school summer holiday, but, it is interwoven with the tale of a dying detective trying to resolve a mysterious case which was left unsolved when he retired. I didn’t particularly enjoy the novel. To me the story was far fetched and the ending too improbable, however I did finish the book to discover the conclusion."
"Most enjoyable – brought some memories of my life in the Valleys as an English Bride of 19 years, and, working with mentally and physically ill patients."
"A strange book at the beginning and intriguing at the end. I’m not sure of its appeal outside Wales because of the manner of Speed’s ‘dialect’."
"Not an enjoyable book."
"A very evocative book which reminded of the style of Dylan Thomas with its character nicknames (‘Dai Full Pelt’, ‘Jack Look Up’ and ‘Carty Annie’) and its descriptive passages.
I was surprised to realise that the book is set in the 1960s: It seemed to be further back in time than that. It took me a while to get into the book but I was glad I persevered because it was a good read and a good mystery story. I enjoyed the linking of past and present throughout the text.
The book describes the harsh realities of small town life in the Welsh valleys 40 years ago, and also the characters and humour which give the story its heart and soul.
The ending was full of twists and turns. A thoroughly enjoyable read which I would highly recommend."