Her aunt’s will requires Lucy to live at River View for one year to inherit the house. Her love for her aunt, who helped raise her after her mother’s death, is part of the reason for her increasing love for River View. “In fact when I arrived at the farmhouse and I opened the kitchen door, call me daft, but it felt like the house was wrapping arms around me and welcoming me to where I belonged….I felt a deep sense of contentment and somewhere in the depths of my soul I knew that this was where I belonged, I had come home.”

 

Jeanette Ford felt the same way when she lived in a house that became the inspiration for River View, which I told Jeanette I viewed as a character in the novel. Jeanette said to me, “I sometimes visit Hereford, and a few years ago, I took my courage in both hands and went to the farmhouse. There I met the lovely elderly couple who have owned the house for well over thirty years. They’d actually heard of me. ‘Oh, you’re Jeanette!’ and they willingly showed me around the house. The moment I stepped inside, I felt as if the house recognised me and embraced me to welcome me back. For me, that house will always have a soul; it is indeed a character in its own right. I’m happy you picked up on that. And that’s why the series is called ‘The River View Series.’ ”

 

The peace of the house and village is broken by the sounds and cries of ghostly visitors. Lucy is determined to stay, although she begins to be afraid that there is something more sinister than the seemingly other worldly guests. Jeanette dangles the paranormal tantalizingly in front of the reader. What these turn out to be, I won’t share—no spoilers! Aunt Bea’s appearances are left to be believed. Jeanette has an open mind about these experiences, having had a few “experiences” with family members who have passed on, which were positive for her.

 

The mystery and paranormal elements are balanced by the warm and caring village community. Jeanette is not a city person. Her character Lucy discovers this about herself as well. While loving her London’s visits, Lucy is drawn to her beloved farmhouse and to those residents she has come to love. “Lucy has dinner at Ken and Sheila’s home, “This is where I want to be,” I thought to myself, ‘I want to be part of a family like this, where I am only expected to be me and loved for who I am….’ ”

 

A beautiful and natural part of this novel is the caring relationships between the younger and older generations. We see caregivers in Sutton Court with their sincere compassion for the seniors in their care. We see parents being supported and respected by their children, too often missing from today’s society. As a caregiver myself, I find that very comforting.

 

Jeanette observes, “Life is becoming very shallow and self-gratifying. With that, caring about the older generation goes out the window…and so the rift between the generations gets wider.”

 

Jeanette is a talented mystery writer. Fans will be happy to know that her stories taking place in Sutton-on-Wye have continued because of reader interest. And there is no doubt her skill at presenting romance in young and old. Her ideal love? “It would be someone who loves me as I am and supports me rather than being critical. Someone to whom I’ll always be beautiful, no matter how fat I get. (Writing involves a lot of sitting down and a lot of chocolate.)”  Who could disagree either with the romance or the chocolate.

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Lucy is a talented baker, delivering her cakes, jams and breads and other baked goods to businesses in the area. We thought she might like to add our Raisin Whole Wheat Bread to her bread baking. So delicious—add it to your family table too!