Dead Ernest

No one had expected Ernest to die, least of all Ernest… Ernest Bentley was a pillar of the community. But when he suddenly dies of a heart attack his wife Annie refuses to have the words ‘beloved husband’ added to his gravestone. Their son, Billy, is exasperated with his mother and worries about how she will cope on her own. Unwilling to take time out of his own busy schedule to take care of her, he enlists the services of the local vicar, Andrew, to keep an eye on her. Before she knows what is happening, Annie finds herself telling the vicar things she has kept hidden for years. Dark secrets that had plagued her sixty-year marriage to Ernest. When Annie’s estranged granddaughter, Ophelia, turns up for a visit, the two bond over their mutual contempt for Billy and his controlling behaviour. But when Ophelia meets Andrew, the unhappily married vicar, things start to get very complicated… What is the truth about Ernest? Why is Annie behaving so strangely now that he is dead? And how can Andrew reconcile his growing feelings for Ophelia with his respect for his marriage and his religion? Spanning from the Second World War to the present day, Dead Ernest is a poignant, moving and, at times, very funny look at what really goes on behind closed doors in the ordinary lives of ordinary people. "Beautifully written, deceptively simple, with convincingly drawn and endearing characters...a delightful read" Andrew Davies “Witty, original and engaging. A wonderful read from the classic opening line to the deeply moving conclusion” L C Tyler, author of the John Grey historical series and the Herring Mysteries. "shot through with a sense of human sympathy transcending its situations; and that in itself is a considerable achievement" Church Times "Garrood's debut is assured and thought provoking" Kelly Salter, Big Issue Cymru "Remarkably well written and well constructed" Michael Allen, Grumpy Old Bookman