The Legacy of Anger - Hardcover

Hylton is the author of 17 previous novels.

This low-key novel set in 1950s England tells of Margaret Gates, an outstanding secretary selected to be the personal assistant to Richard Lorival, a successful banker. Margaret is totally enamored of her boss, who is obsessed with his wife, a self-centered artist. When his wife is killed in an accident, Margaret, who has moved out of her disapproving mother’s home and purchased a flat from which she can observe Richard’s home, thinks her dreams are coming true when they enter into a clandestine affair. But he soon leaves for a new banking position in China. When Richard returns from China with a new wife, Margaret must make some tough decisions. Even though it has the requisite happily-ever-after romance ending, the story focuses more on one woman coming to grips with who she is and what she wants in life rather than on the relationship between a man and a woman. Readers who enjoy Hylton’s new novel will also like works by Linda Sole and Catherine Cookson. --Diana Tixier Herald