This is Rachel's 14th novel and it's set on the Norfolk Broads in 2010, but also London in the 1940s and 50s. 

The story is told through Stef Lansdowne, a journalist up from London helping her mother move house. Stef's currently working on an article and book proposal about the experiences of women working in science and is hoping to continue her research while getting her mum settled.

She immediately has a confrontation with a young, attractive man also up from London, as they compete for parking on the narrow village street. Clearly this is going to be a key relationship going forward! 

Stef's mother soon introduces her daughter to another resident of the village, who might prove useful to her work. Nancy Foster is a retired scientist, living alone in a house by the water. Nancy is initially reluctant to talk about her early working life and career, but as she comes to rely on Stef more and more when faced with personal challenges, she reveals a fascinating but disturbing story. And it seems someone is trying to stop her from telling it.  

The book continues in a dual narrative revealing that Nancy worked in the 50s as a scientist, researching the effects of pesticides. But she struggled to have her findings accepted, or acknowledged, because she was a woman. She was repeatedly overlooked and her male colleagues were favoured. The big chemical companies also found it far more convenient that Nancy's findings were never addressed.

It's a great read. Loved it. While the present day storyline was reassuringly predictable, the account of Nancy's life is moving and challenging. It's even more affecting by the author's note at the end of the book. Rachel reveals that her mother and aunt, identical twins, both studied zoology in the 1940s and worked as scientists before becoming teachers. They told her about their experience of working in science at that time and this inspired Nancy's story.

It's such a good book! I highly recommend it as being both an enjoyable, cosy, escapist page-turner while also being a thought-provoking and challenging introduction to some big issues regarding aspects of the chemical industry, environmental crisis and sexism in the workplace.