Newly divorced Laura urgently needs somewhere to live after the house she was buying falls through. The annex to a mansion on an exclusive close seems to offer the perfect temporary solution she needs, until one of the female neighbours suspects Laura is after her partner. Appalled, Laura is determined to clear her name.
I was quite surprised when I looked at author Jane Fallon's back catalogue that I haven't actually read any of her books. Queen Bee offered me something light, as a relief from what I was actually reading. I am pleased to say that the story didn't quite live up to expectations. I anticipated light and frothy, but was pleasantly surprised by the slight mystery element and then the idea of a wronged woman getting her own back.
When Laura moves into the studio apartment on an exclusive estate she is very apprehensive. The people around her, and their lifestyles, are out of her league. Fortunately, her landlady is very approachable and makes every effort to integrate Laura with the other women. Things seem to be going well until Stella, the eponymous Queen Bee, suspects Laura is chasing her fiance, Al. Laura is taken aback. She knows Al as her cleaning company cleans his offices, but other than that she has no contact with him. Following the accusation the other women begin to shun Laura, making her very uncomfortable.
Determined to clear her name, Laura uses her access to Al's office to spy on him. When she uncovers his secret she decides to break the news to Stella. Being the bearer of bad news is not an easy thing, many people would shy away from this, deciding not to get involved. It is completely understandable that Laura rises to the challenge; not only has her name been tainted but she's also still trying to come to terms with her own divorce.
I enjoyed the turn of events when Stella believed Laura, particularly when she learnt the shocking news that she was about to be left penniless. Stella has lived a privileged lifestyle, she has a nanny to look after her children and a housekeeper to cook and clean, and she doesn't even know how to make a cup of coffee. Stella is on a steep learning curve as, aided by Laura, she learns basic household skills and, more importantly, begins to squirrel money away. Some of the expenses mentioned in the story are eye-watering, showing that I really don't know how the other half lives.
The secretive nature of trying to keep Al in the dark while Stella built up her nest egg stopped this story from becoming too trivial. There were unexpected twists for both Stella and Laura to deal with. Strong supporting characters enhanced the story as they helped Laura in her quest.
Author Details
Jane Fallon is the multi-award-winning television producer behind shows such as This Life, Teachers and 20 Things to Do before You're 30. Her debut novel "Getting Rid of Matthew' was published in 2007 and became a Sunday Times Top Ten Bestseller as have her subsequent books 'Got You Back', 'Foursome', 'The Ugly Sister', 'Skeletons', 'Strictly Between Us','My Sweet Revenge', 'Faking Friends' and 'Tell Me a Secret'
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