Jump!
by Jilly Cooper (Bantam Press, R215)
After finding out she has been left nothing in her late husband’s will, Etta Bancroft is forced to move from Bluebell Hill estate into a cheaply built bungalow in the countryside.
Finding it hard, at first, to adapt to her new lifestyle, Etta is soon making new friends in the village of Willowwood.
The story really gets going when she stumbles upon a horribly mutilated mare, tied to a tree and left for dead.
With her kindness and love for all animals she is able to nurse the horse back to health. Slowly the villagers become enchanted by Mrs Wilkinson (the horse) and opt to form a racing syndicate.
In true Jilly Cooper style, this book plays host to a large number of characters, with whom the readers need to quickly familiarise themselves, should they not wish to become lost, or confused.
Alternatively, a character sheet (along with a map of Willowwood) can be found on the first few pages of the book. The characters are placed in such realistic situations that you cannot help but get sucked into the fictional world that has been so magnificently created.
But there are times when you will feel as if the story is becoming a bit long in the tooth.
With all the sex and scandals, or scandalous sex, it becomes clear this book is aimed at a more mature demographic, but is enjoyable nonetheless. – Lloyd Mackenzie