WRITING - novels, articles, blog, short stories .. |
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If Only You Knew Published by Simon and Schuster in November 2006.
What the Eye Doesn't See Published by Simon and Schuster in May 2002.
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BlogAlice has been writing a blog since 2007. She writes to chart the progress of her new novel and to interact with other writers. BLOG - The Kitchen Table Writer Short Stories
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Adrift in the surreal world of perestroika Moscow, Eva Raven is haunted by confused memories of her father. When her boyfriend Rob discovers that her godmother, Maya, is also in Moscow, Eva is keen to meet her to find some answers. But when Eva meets Maya, she also encounters Jack Flame, an ageing American living on borrowed time; a doctor, an astronomer - and possibly a spy. Immediately fascinated, Eva is convinced that Jack understands her and can help her. But what begins as a friendship of the mind soon turns into a relationship of frightening intensity. Torn between the loyalty she feels for Rob and her obsession with Jack Flame, Eva begins to uncover disturbing information about her past. But whose version of events should she trust? And does she really want to know the truth? As Moscow slides towards political and economic collapse, memories of the past rise to the surface, threatening Eva's sanity, and finally her life. 
A beautifully-written and acutely-observed novel of relationships, of ordinary lives under extraordinary pressures. Disgraced Tory politician, Max, is unable to shake off the whiff of scandal following the suspicious death of his best friend's wife. His daughter, Maggie, believes she witnessed something which confirms Max's guilt - but she has told no one what she saw that terrible night. Max's mother, Nanda, living an unconventional life in a ramshackle cottage in Gloucestershire, observes it all with the detachment of one who is nearing her death. As these three characters move through a crucial few months, events unfold in their alternating voices, and so the truth behind the headlines gradually emerges. In this assured and acute observation of ordinary lives under extraordinary pressure, the author explores the complex nature of the bond between mother and son, father and daughter, and examines what happens when that bond is stretched to breaking point and the most basic loyalties are called into question. It makes for an absorbing, unsettling and moving read.