The Beaulieu Lane Allotments Historical Society

What happens in sheds, stays in sheds

On the day her daughter leaves for university, Stevie's husband deserts her for a younger woman. Heartbroken and alone, she feels well past her use-by date. So when a local allotment becomes available, Stevie decides she may as well embrace old age (she's 43) and go grow potatoes.

To her surprise, she rediscovers her sense of self in this suburban oasis. Fellow plot-holders seem friendly, and she's drawn to the not-unattractive rewilding enthusiast Cal, a teacher. Discovering a shared love of the Tudors (and badgers), they form a shed-based local history society.

But simmering beneath the gentle squeak of wheelbarrow wheels are power struggles and prejudice. One gardener's biodiversity is another's mollusc problem. And then there's Weird Andy, who digs a lot, but only at night.

As Stevie's feelings for Cal deepen, her daughter arrives home after a mental health crisis. Cal steps in to help, but Stevie begins to suspect his motives. She's just getting her life back. Is it all about to fall apart again?

THE BEAULIEU LANE ALLOTMENTS HISTORICAL SOCIETY is a blend of cosy mystery and mid-life romance with a historical twist, from the best-selling author of Wife After Wife. This gentle, uplifting and humorous tale will delight fans of the TV series The Detectorists (and The Tudors).