The book chosen was ‘Caught out in Cornwall by Janie Bolitho’. Janie was a local author born in Falmouth in 1950 and died 2002. She delved into her knowledge of the local area, especially around the Newlyn, Marazion, Penzance district. She had many jobs before becoming a full time author; a psychiatric nurse, debt collector, working for a tour company, bookmaker’s clerk just some of jobs she tried before becoming a successful author.
Caught out in Cornwall was set in the Penwith area of Cornwall and it’s a cold November afternoon on the beach at Marazion overlooking St. Michael’s Mount with a particularly choppy sea. A distress flare goes up from a yacht in the bay, artist Rose Trevelyan alerts the coastguard and soon a small group has gathered to watch the rescue in progress. With the raining coming down in sheets, Rose is concerned to see a small girl wandering around on her own. Her fears are soon allayed as she is picked up and taken to the safety of the car park. The little girl did put her hands up to the main who picked her up. Her relief is short lived as a young mother cannot find her daughter and she fits the description of the child Rose saw. Little Beth Jones is only 4 years old. Her Mum is adamant that the man taking the little girl away must be a stranger as her father hasn’t seen her since she was a baby.
Rose was mystified as the little girl seemed to trust and know her abductor. As an artist she is trained to observe and she is sure of what she saw but now fears she made the wrong decision. Racked with guilt for not intervening feels she has to help in any way she can think of but as time passes the prospects of getting Beth back unharmed begin to look very bleak.
Many of the Book Club members felt there were far too many characters in this story – it is a light, quick read and does have a twist at the end.
Crowlas & Ludgvan WI 