Blink - Andrea Badenoch

It is 1962. The Beatles have released 'Love Me Do' and John Glenn has orbited the Earth. But in a pit village in County Durham, everyone is looking back towards the traditions of the past . . .Everyone, apart from Gloria, the local hair stylist. With her narrow skirts, low block heels and her Mini Cooper, Gloria is a modern woman - until she's found dead, floating in the coal-polluted shallows of a nearby pond.Gloria's young niece, Kathleen, finds the body but refuses to accept the suicide explanation embraced by the village. Gloria was optimistic and strong - she had everything to live for. So she keeps her eyes open, takes photographs with her Box Brownie camera and tries to work out what has happened. And in doing so embarks on her own journey of discovery.'Compelling . . . a book I was reluctant to close. THE TIMES'A gripping, atmospheric story . . . Excellent.' MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS