Past unlocked in gran's debut

Shirley Heaton arrived at romantic fiction via the rather unconventional route of Bradford Royal Infirmary’s haematology department.

Shirley, of Baildon, worked there as a medical secretary from the age of 16 and, although she may not have been aware of it at the time, the medical environment proved to be valuable inspiration for her future venture as a novelist.

After having children, Shirley trained to be a teacher and went on to teach English at Buttershaw and Beckfoot schools. She had long harboured aspirations to be a writer, and when she retired a decade ago, she decided to have a go at writing a book.

Now a 73-year-old grandmother-of-four, she has had her first novel, Relative Strangers, published.

It’s the story of French student Danielle, who leaves home to study at the University of Edinburgh. When she falls ill, tests reveal she has a rare blood type which no family member can match.

In desperation, her stepfather, Marcel, hires a private investigator to help with the urgent mission of finding a donor – and before long, the past has been unlocked and all manner of secrets are being unravelled. With the clock ticking against the fight to save Danielle, the intensive search spans France, England and Australia and goes back two decades in time.

This is a story of sexual desire, desertion and family intrigue. It’s a gripping, multi-layered read that stays with the reader long after they’ve closed the book.

Right from the atmospheric prologue, in which a baby is snatched from her hospital cot, you are drawn into a world of secrets where things are not as they appear.

Shirley writes in a lively style that flows well and hooks the reader early on. Different chapters and sections of the book are split into time zones spanning the past decade, and there’s a rising tension that gives the story its gripping edge.

She captures the balance of tension and romance, with just enough passion in the ‘love scenes’ to tantalise the reader. “The minute his deep, dark eyes met hers she knew what was going to happen,” she writes. “A surge of anticipation and desire made her feel alive in a way she’d never felt before. His face relaxed, his eyes softened and his lips came down on hers. A thrill snapped through her like a whip and she savoured the long, deep kiss.”

Shirley’s background is evident in the story’s medical aspect, carrying the weight of thorough research and credible situations. She creates characters who, although troubled and complex, you care about, particularly the beautifully-observed Danielle and Marcel.

Reading Relative Strangers reminded me a little of the family saga mini-series that I grew up watching 20 years ago. It would make a cracking TV drama.

Now, who would play Danielle?