John Bowen

Two women. One baby. And a man in the sceptic tank. In their lovely Cotswolds village, Janet and Susan are known simply as 'the girls'. Partners in love and work, proprietors of a picturesque shop, they lead an enviably peaceful life. But after one moment of surprising passion, the girls' lives take a deeply unsettling turn. Part-dark comedy, part-crime thriller, part-cosy love story, The Girls will ensure you never look on Middle England quite so quaintly again.'Startlingly offbeat' Gore Vidal'Absolutely wicked' Armistead Maupin'[For] those who feel Barbara Pym-ish on some days and Stephen King-ish on others .