NOT QUITE NICE is a coming of age adventure, but not the
growing-up kind, the growing older kind. It's the story of
Theresa Simmons, a lady of a certain age no longer content
in her daily routine in the London suburbs. She's ready
for
a change, so she moves across the Channel to a small
seaside
village in France. The transition is not always easy;
that's
the adventure. Author Celia Imrie may give Theresa a tough
time, but she also provides her with friends and
supporters,
along with challengers and thieves.
It's hard to categorize NOT QUITE NICE. It's not truly a
comedy, although it has some good laughs. It has a mystery
at its core, and although it's not a thriller, one scene
made me gasp out loud in shock. It's not a travelogue,
but
it will give you a lovely taste of the French Riviera, and
I
mean that quite literally. The text is sprinkled with
recipes relevant to the story, and they will leave your
mouth watering.
If Celia Imrie's sounds familiar, it's because you've seen
her in dozens of movies and TV shows, from "Doctor Who"
and
"Star Wars" to "Calendar Girls" and "Nanny McPhee." I'm
sure
I'm not the only one who would like to see Ms. Imrie play
the title role of her first novel.
If you liked Imrie's film "The Best Exotic Marigold
Hotel,"
her book will definitely appeal to you. I also recommend
NOT QUITE NICE (that's "neece" like the city) for readers
who may be reaching a certain level of maturity and want
to
read about those of a similar age. It is a delightful and
entertaining read.
Theresa is desperate for a change. Forced into early
retirement, fed up with babysitting her bossy daughter's
obnoxious children, she sells her Highgate house and moves
to the picture-perfect town of Bellevue-sur-Mer, just
outside Nice.
With its beautiful villas, its
bustling cafes and shimmering cerulean sea, the village
sparkles like a diamond on the French Mediterranean coast.
Once the hideaway of artists and writers, it is now home to
the odd rock icon and Hollywood movie star, and, as Theresa
soon discovers, a close-knit set of expats. There's Carol,
the infinitely glamorous American and her doting husband
David; the erstwhile British TV star Sally; the ferocious
Sian and her wayward Australian poet husband; the sharply
witty Zoe with her strangely youthful face and penchant for
white wine †“ and the suave Brian who catches Theresa's
eye.
As Theresa settles to the gentle rhythm of
seaside life she embraces her new-found friendships and
freedom. However, life is never quite as simple as it seems
and as skeletons start to fall out of several closets,
Theresa begins to wonder if life on the French Riviera is
quite as nice as it first appeared.
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