Going Gently

Kate Copson has no intention of 'going gentle into that good night' - at least, not until she's discovered which of three sons murdered her fifth husband. Kate is within days of her 100th birthday, lying in a hospital ward following a stroke; unable to see, speak or move. But she can still hear, and her mind is as sharp as ever. Mentally she's switched on a video of her long and colourful life, determined to enjoy every minute over again, and prove to herself, if to no-one else, whether Nigel, Timothy or Maurice so shockingly shot Graham. Even more importantly - why? In the meantime the life of Ward 3C swirls around her and she has mental pictures of the other patients who come and go, all more or less convinced that they're living in a Buxton hotel or on board a cruise liner. The family come to see her, talk to her soothingly (and more openly between themselves in the belief that she cannot hear them) and they wait, as the hours tick by towards her 100th birthday. Kate doesn't want a party, or a card from the Queen. All she wants is the final solution to the one big question that torments her. Written by the author of the unforgettable Reggie Perrin saga and Second To Last In The Sack Race (published in 1983, and never forgotten). Despite its subject, this is a comic novel about old age - and reminscently about youth - and the richness of a very long life lived to the full. It is uplifting, witty, and has sober moments and flashes of shrewd sagacity. (Kirkus UK)