The Women Who Ran Away: Two friends. A stolen car. A suitcase full of secrets . . .

Move over Thelma and Louise! Deira and her partner Gavin planned a driving holiday on the continent, then he left her. Deira hasn’t been herself since, and badly needs the break so decides to head off on the holiday on her own – with his car. Grace is also driving towards the ferry which will take her to France; while she is on her own her late husband has organised every moment of her trip and she is just a tad resentful. He has controlled too much of her life – how much more interference is to come? Sheila O’Flanagan is another Irish author whose writing I absolutely adore. She never fails to get inside my head and completely immerse me in the story, nor does she shy away from flawed characters. Deira and Grace are beautifully developed characters, each of them strong women in their own way. This is a delight to read; everything about the story flows easily and it is flawless. Again, I find myself thinking I must get the couple of novels I’ve missed over the years and get caught up with this author’s work as I enjoy her books so much. Enthralling, delightful and definitely worth 4.5 sparkling stars!