Second Chapter: A Box-set of 3 Novels

A collection of three thought-provoking novels from an award winning author

'Jane Davis crafts imaginative ideas into beautiful prose. Each book is a jewel so this box set is a trove of treasures.' J J Marsh, Founder of Triskele Books and Author of the Beatrice Stubbs Series

Like Margaret Atwood, Davis conjours a fresh, new voice and style for every story, be it a man's rediscovery of his mother through her photographs, the taboo of pupil/teacher relationships outside the classroom or a haunting tale of a young girl and her visions. But what do the featured novels have in common? Says Davis: 'It took me some time to work out that the common theme running through my novels is the influence of missing persons in our lives. In my experience, that influence can actually be greater than that of those who are present. In I Stopped Time, it was an estranged mother. I addressed the theme head-on in A Funeral for an Owl which considers teenage runaways. And in These Fragile Things mother Elaine is obsessed by the child she lost, almost to the exclusion of the child she has. Fiction is never going to provide a complete answer, but it does force both writer and reader to walk in another person's shoes. And, in many ways, it is the exploration and not the answer that is important.'

Each book in this superb collection has been awarded an average 5-star rating by readers as of March 2015. Read what some of them had to say below.

I Stopped Time

Wouldn't you feel cheated if the woman you'd imagined was the villain of your childhood turned out to be someone rather extraordinary?

A Funeral for an Owl

A powerful exploration of the ache of loss, set in a landscape where broken people can find each other.

These Fragile Things

Life can change in a split second. And there will be nothing you can do to stop it.

Praise for the author

'When a story pulls you into it so you care about the characters and believe in every moment you're with them, and in addition the quality of writing enriches your experience, you've found something special. That's how I feel about Jane Davis' work.' Jean Gill, Author and Photographer

'You'll love this if you enjoy books with great characters such as those by Maggie O'Farrell, Ann Patchett and Anne Tyler.' Bookmuse

'Intellectually and emotionally engaging.' James Metcalf, book blogger and reviewer