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The Vanishing of Margaret Small

An uplifting and page-turning mystery

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The Vanishing of Margaret Small

By: Neil Alexander
Narrated by: Annie Aldington, Rachel Atkins
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Meet Margaret Small: 75, plain spoken, Whitstable native and a Cilla Black super fan. Shortly after the death of her idol, Margaret begins receiving sums of money in the post, signed simply 'C'.

She is convinced it must be Cilla, but how can it be? To solve the mystery of her benefactor Margaret must go back in her memories almost 70 years, to the time when she was 'vanished' to a long-stay institution for children with learning disabilities.

An absorbing and page-turning mystery with a dual timeline, The Vanishing of Margaret Small takes readers into a fascinating past, and introduces an unforgettable literary heroine.
Cosy Detective Family Life Fiction Friendship Genre Fiction Mystery Women Sleuths Women's Fiction Heartfelt Exciting Feel-Good Suspense
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Critic reviews

'Compelling and authentic...Margaret's story is quiet but her voice is mighty.'
'Margaret is the most original and memorable character I have come across in years - she's completely unforgettable...one of those stories that sits heavy in your heart long after you've finished reading it. An absolute joy.'
'A beautiful story of human spirit and its power to thrive against the odds. I'm so glad that I read it and got to meet Margaret.'
'A fantastic, feel-good story...rich in nostalgia and a joy to read. A book that will keep you smiling long after you finish.'
'Beautifully observed and poignant. An outstanding debut.'
'A captivating and charming story. Margaret will warm the cockles of your heart.'
'Calling all fans of uplit! A tender, thought-provoking and totally gripping novel from a wonderful storyteller deserves to be a huge hit!'
'This an evocative, endearing, entertaining and thoroughly delicious character portrait and a terrific first novel.'
All stars
Most relevant
Loved this book from begining to end, thought i would struggle with the sad parts in terms of the difficult childhood however, the overiding theme of this book is strength and resilience so hear warming and profound. Thank you 🥰

What an absolute pleasure

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I listened to the whole book in one go. the main caracter is such a beautiful ordinary soul. both fragile and strong. I couldn't help falling in love with Margrer Small and thinking about all other people who experienced anything like this being done to them in the name of civilized society. Amazing story, wonderful language and bot narrators are splendid :)

delightful, poignant, beuatiful

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Absolutely wonderful writing . Couldn’t stop listening to find out what happened too .,A joyful heroine at the fore .

Wonderful !

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A great book with likeable characters and fantastic narration. I thoroughly recommend listening to this book.

Enthralling

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Although this is a work of fiction, the thread of truth and injustice that holds it all together is undeniable.
Heart warming, and heart sore. Lovely and awful. A lovely twist at the end.

A story with a truthful heart

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