One Step Too Far

British author Seskis expertly depicts the new life of a runaway wife, Emily Coleman, in her exciting if not groundbreaking first novel. Leaving all that she knows in Manchester, England, for an uncertain future in present-day London, Emily reclaims her maiden name and becomes Cat Brown. With the help of her new housemate, the uninhibited but motherly Angel, Cat finds not only a new job but also a new persona, and the two party and drink to extremes that Cat would never have dared to try before. Yet at every turn Cat must push away thoughts of the often alluded to but unspecified event that drove her to restart her life. Individual readers will have to decide whether the secret that drives the plot, once it's revealed, is sufficiently shocking. Regardless, as Cat teeters from being nearly indigent to becoming a confident if reckless Londoner, her experiences on her own make for a diverting read.