Matt McAvoy Book Review

A particularly endearing and light-hearted read, reminiscent of those quintessential early Sunday evening TV shows set in a British village (though, of course, events in this book take place in the States).  It does have a small element of mystery, though I have to honestly say this feels like little more than a tenuous strand running through the narrative.  Instead, it is rather more a book about friends and budding relationships.  Gillian has cleverly drawn very subtle parallels between the tragic mystery our gardening sleuths are trying to solv, and Tess’s growing friendship with employer Elliot, but other than that it doesn’t really delve too deeply into plot development; rather, it all feels like a cosy blanket rather than a cosy mystery – which is good, by the way; this is a book you’ll enjoy reading, I’m sure.

I wonder if it could have been a tad more serious at times – though there is part of me that is glad it didn’t; it is something a little bit different in that respect.  The two narrative timelines present nothing to offend or upset readers, and there never really feels to be any particular adversity or drama.  I have to admit, the relentless wit and snappy comebacks from all characters did become a little irritating on occasion, and sometimes felt out of place.  Though it has to be said that Gillian is an extremely eloquent wordsmith, and right from the outset there ius some beautiful, visually-enticing phrasing used, such as “Fog clung to the shoreline like a secret,” and my personal favourite, “He had one hand… wrapped around a ceramic coffee mug with the kind of casual precision that made me wonder if there was a wrong way to hold coffee and I’d been doing it.”  The author weaves words like art throughout the book, and some of it is wonderful.

Not In The Job Description is definitely worth a read if you like your books cosy, without any real drama or investment needed.  It’s all about the pleasant and enjoyable writing style, with just as much depth given to the gardening as the mystery.  It could even be considered a sort of romantic literary fiction, in a way – though thankfully it doesn’t really immerse us in that direction either.  I had one or two issues, but other than that, I think if you want a nice, easy-going read, this might be right up your street.