The London Train by Tessa Hadley (Vintage Books)
HAVE you ever been on a train and wondered what was the purpose of your fellow travellers' journey? Tessa Hadley's intricate tale The London Train delves into the lives of two people, Paul and Cora, who travel between London and Cardiff.
Paul's eldest daughter Pia has gone missing in London, Cora is moving back to Cardiff to the house she inherited from her parents to escape a failing marriage. Matters are complicated by the fact that she then receives a message that her husband has disappeared.
On the face of it, two dramatic story lines but the narrative does not take you in that direction. Instead the author concentrates on everyday life, domesticity, family and what lies behind the mundane.
Characterisation not plot is what holds this book together and indeed the train connection is purely that; a device to show us what links Paul and Cora.
Both have recently lost their mothers, both put their partners and themselves under the emotional microscope.
The book is clearly divided into two sections, the first dealing with Paul's story, the second with Cora's. At some stage you may begin to wonder if their paths will eventually cross.
You'll have to read The London Train to find out...