Sand Casket / Austin Macauley Publishers (ePub)

'Every good wife deserves an adventurous divorce.' Gina Tantridge after years of the Silent Treatment... finds a note casually left by her husband Ray stating, 'This is just not me anymore.' after cleaning out their Joint Bank Account. He was in the wrong life apparently, and the new one takes him into the arms of the delivery boy. Gina swings into action by calling her clever daughter, Greta, who is studying Japanese Culture, good looking men, and designer labels at University. Joining forces with a Maine Coon cat (officially named Delilah) and various others depending upon status and moods with the personality of a box of mad frogs and Diva attributes. These three align themselves within a new set of rules. Gina decides to clear out everything in the house and loads up her poor old Honda Civic with the dreadful ornaments her husband collected, plus his excellently exec suits, and with Greta grumbling in tow they set off to the local Boot-it-all-out fair. Which leads to the best outcome imaginable. Greta advises her mother to get a lodger. Not suspecting in the least that a charming, helpful Egyptian lawyer who is 'wonderful from every angle' would answer the ad. Trying to stay sane, clean the house and hold down a very demanding job, Gina keeps them all afloat. Gina's grandmother constantly telephones or shows up on her broom making unhelpful statements to secure Gina's irritation. Evil and spiteful are useful descriptions for this grandmother, who never has a kind word for Gina. Gina, with the 'help' of Delilah, clears the attic and delving into an old chest from France makes a startling discovery amongst some old correspondence. Travelling to Nice to attend a meeting with a very soft spoken Notaire, brings further shocks exploding into her already crammed life. Visiting her French grandparent's, the Mouriers, old apartment above their newspaper office in an old part of Nice, Gina becomes nostalgic for the wonderful school holidays spent with them before they died. Going into an unusual shop she buys a very unusual souvenir, a sand casket. Everything changes. Exquisite old chateaus beautiful, young, tearful French maids and the lovely Gabriel and Raphael enter the scene. A vibrant dancer and her generosity opens the door to a hidden villa.