THE NO-SHOW: a twisting plot that will stay with you long after you finish

Beth O’Leary has done it again with The No-Show, an endearing clash of people in a twisting plot which stays in your thoughts long after you finish. The use of a third narrative is a compelling way to explore its three female protagonists Siobhan, Miranda and Jane, and if in some ways this is still a predictable romantic tale of being jilted on Valentine’s Day, the exploration of pivotal male Joseph through the eyes of three different women makes for a neat device.

Joseph Carter is what you might call a rapscallion, a rogue, a cad, and other words more favourable than ones used for women who treat men in similar ways. The No-Show’s multiple perspectives are sometimes difficult to read as a woman: one feels uncomfortable at the realisation we’re inwardly making excuses for relationship tangles politely described as complicated. Joseph, naturally, has his own vulnerabilities and stories of heartbreak.

I found myself incredibly conflicted between Siobhan, Miranda and Jane, and individually drawn to them enough to envisage reading a prequel that explored their own backstories, were O’Leary to write one. As someone who devoured this author’s previous titles, the rich believability of her characters hasn’t dimmed in The No-Show.