The Woman Who Died a Lot

The events described here occurred during a busier-than-usual week in the late summer of 2004. A week that began with a trip into Swindon in order to find a job, and ended with a pillar of cleansing fire descending from the heavens, a rethink on the Wessex Library Services operating budget and my son shooting Gavin Watkins dead. The last one was a serious downer - especially for Gavin.

The BookWorld's leading enforcement officer Thursday Next is at a low point in her life: she is four months into an enforced semi-retirement following a near fatal assassination attempt. She is yet to walk without a stick, has double vision more often than she doesn't, and limited mobility in her left arm.

A time, then, for relaxation, recuperation, and rest. A time to spend with her beloved family, avoid stress, take it easy, meet old friends and do very little. If only life were that simple...