Kirjahaku

Paul Tempest is a blameless country solicitor. But - he is married to the enigmatic, beautiful Judith, who has a past of which she speaks little. One night, past and present collide: Paul returns home to find Judith gone, and, on that night when Paul's life is turned upside down, Inspector Barrett from the CID is only the first unwelcome caller. Joyce Muriel has woven a rich narrative tapestry, shot through with action, romance and adventure. Surprise follows surprise: was Judith involved with the IRA? Why has she gone to Ground? Will Paul find her, and, if he does, will she want him? All these questions and more are answered in a page-turner of a novel that is impossible to put down.

What will the future bring for teenage Ellie? Struggling in working-class wartime England, she is determined to have an education and a career, and if possible happiness and romance. Fortunately the love of her life is willing to join her fight against the middle-class hypocrisy of the age - and his own type - and together they look forward to building a new life and a new world after the war. At times though any sort of life seems precious, any plans futile, and any future an eternity away.

Cleo Lafay seeks purpose and significance in her life. Her search takes her from London to a remote part of north-west England. Here, she finds herself in close contact with many disparate people, all seeking, like Cleo, meaning and purpose, or in some cases escape from despair. The central narrative concerns Cleo's friendship with two very different men. There develops a struggle between reason and intuition. For Cleo, this is a struggle for survival. Joyce Muriel's roots are in Ireland. She was the first person from her family background to attend university, attending Oxford. She has taught English and Drama, supporting six children and a sick husband. Now, in later life, she has turned to fiction. RIPENESS IS ALL tackles directly the problems of men and women in the final decade of the century.

The lives of Patrick and Srella are intertwined; childhood sweethearts, young marrieds; and then, as they grow together into maturity, they have children; in spite of some problems that affect everyone, they seem content and settled. But the past is always with Patrick and Stella, and always a part of their present. Throughout their lives, the bright but menacing shadow of the glittering, rich, artificial Eloise seems to fall accross their path. What is the secret of their son Dominic's parentage? Should Stella accept an unexpected legacy, that brings with it riches but pehaps, also guilt? And what will Stella's relationship be with the enigmatic, handsome Lucas? Joyce Muriel has woven here a tapestry of human feeling and of the deep emotions that are the common inheritance of humanity.