Latest news with #Audrey
Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
I'm seven months pregnant and scared of the birth. This is what every mother should ask
In 1928, my great-grandmother, Bertha, died from puerperal fever after giving birth. She was 32. Her baby, Audrey, also died. My grandmother, then two years old, was subsequently raised by her aunt. That same year, penicillin was discovered – and in the ensuing decades we entered a golden age of maternity care where the maternal mortality rate dropped significantly. When I was born in 1984 and my mother contracted a post-partum infection, the consequences were very different. Childbirth remains though, a complex and necessary fact of life. Women are not ignorant that it will be painful, that the unexpected will happen, that things might rip and tear. However, today they face significant other anxieties, about the very nature of the care they might receive. Maternity care services in the UK are facing significant staffing shortages, and as a result there are very real concerns about the safety and quality of care provided. Indeed, last year a study found the number of women in the UK who have died during pregnancy or soon after has risen to its highest levels for 20 years. Meanwhile, last year 41 per cent of all compensation pay outs by the NHS related to maternity care, equating to a staggering £1.15 billion. And now, Health Secretary Wes Streeting has announced a national inquiry into maternity care in England, saying there is 'too much passing the buck'. It is in this unfavourable climate that I find myself seven months pregnant. 'Fear of birth' is the label applied by the NHS for those women who are anxious about childbirth. Mine might be more reasonably called, 'Fear of bad maternity care'. Most women don't need to read about the horror in the news, they have friends and loved ones who've been snapped at by midwives, denied pain relief and been made to feel like a failure when they struggle to breast-feed. When GP Clara Doran gave birth to her son 11 years ago, she found herself in a hospital ward at 5am, crying, her baby dehydrated and losing weight, feeling like a total failure. She realised that even with all her medical training, she still needed support and hadn't been told what to actually expect. Dr Doran has written a memoir, Doctor, Interrupted, which is both a powerful and, at times, funny account of the gap between what the NHS says it offers new mums – and what they really get. Of NHS maternity care, she says: 'We do have to have trust that today's health care is guided by the right things. That healthy baby, healthy mum is the driving force. But there are unfortunately, like in any work place, other factors that can influence how that translates to your experience.' So how can pregnant women like me get the best from the NHS in this unfavourable climate? On the basis that forewarned is forearmed, here are the questions to ask your midwife ahead of giving birth. What signs should prompt me to go to the hospital urgently? Blood spotting, baby not moving, waters broken; whatever the issue, this can be a hard question for expectant mums to ask. Darcey Croft is a specialist midwife who helps women advocate for themselves and navigate the maternity system. In her experience, women feel embarrassed because the NHS is so busy. 'They don't want to make a nuisance of themselves, and they definitely should,' she says. 'I would give triage a call to the maternity unit and if you're not getting the right response, insist. Say, 'I'm still feeling very concerned, and I would like to be reviewed'. 'We know that women asking questions have safer outcomes. Even if someone is tutting at them. They will be seen.' Should I request a C-section? Requests are increasing for planned caesareans. According to Croft: 'It is a sad reflection of the confidence women have in maternity systems at the moment.' Every women has the right to ask for a planned caesarean. The reason can be medical or psychological. I knew I wanted to request a caesarean almost immediately, for a variety of reasons. One is that big babies run in my family. I was 10lb 12oz at birth, my poor mother gave birth vaginally. The main reason though is my age. Women aged over 40 are significantly more likely to have an emergency C-section compared to younger mothers. A study showed a 22.4 per cent emergency caesarean rate for women over 40, compared to 6.7 per cent for those aged 20-24. Dr Lucy Lord MBE is an obstetrician and founder of private clinic, Central Health London. She says: 'You can be lucky and labour like a 25 year old, but the chances of that are one in 10. You can be moderately lucky and labour like a 35 year old, but still over half of births in this age group end in a C-section.' She adds: 'If you're under 25, and so is your BMI, and you've got a normally growing baby and no other complications, you can be pretty sure no matter how c--p the labour ward is, you'll be OK.' The subject can be an emotive issue, with a perception that a vaginal birth is more natural. In Dr Lord's opinion good obstetric care is about risk stratification. 'I say to women, don't think with your heart, think with your head.' Not all NHS hospitals are equipped to perform immediate emergency C-sections. So if you're high risk it's worth checking, so you can move to another hospital if necessary. Am I a good candidate for a home birth or would the hospital be safer? One in 50 births each year in England and Wales take place at home. There has been a small increase in recent years and Dr Doran wonders if this is part of a trend towards expecting mothers trying to avoid any intervention. If you are categorised as a low risk, home births are very safe, says Croft: 'The midwifery team and doctors should be assessing to say whether you are perfect for a home birth.' The advantage is that they are less timed than hospital births, where a cascade of interventions can ensue. During a home birth midwives can usually tell which way things are heading before there is ever an emergency, adds Croft. 'Occasionally things can escalate quickly and you would need to get an ambulance.' How will you make sure I'm informed and involved in decision-making during labour? Gathering as much knowledge before labour is imperative. 'I always maintain that women can go through any birth, and come out feeling positive, as long as they feel they are involved in their own care, making the decisions and that they felt listened to,' says Croft. Trauma happens when a woman doesn't feel safe and listened to. Don't be afraid to ask for a second opinion. 'Every shift will have a coordinator, who doesn't want poor feedback. If you're not getting the answer you want, ask to speak to the coordinator.' Ask how birth partners and advocates are included in labour. 'Women often make better decision when they're supported and feel emotionally safe,' says Croft. Will my birth plan be followed? While it's a good idea to have a birth plan stating your preferences, that doesn't mean your midwife is obliged to follow it. Or indeed will be able to. From medical complications, down to all the birthing pools being full, it's best to plan for the unexpected. Croft advises her clients against writing 'epic novels': 'I always guide women towards condensing it down to bullet points, including what's non-negotiable. That will get read.' However, it is important that you and your birthing partner have talked through all scenarios and you feel comfortable that they're going to emphasise your preferences. When speaking up, Dr Doran advises leading with your vulnerability. 'Such as: the pain you are experiencing. Then it is harder for it to be ignored,' she says. Will a consultant or senior doctor be available if complications arise during labour or before? Yes. Every unit will have a consultant present or on call, even in the middle of the night. 'If it's a birth centre and a midwifery-led unit, there might not be any doctors there,' explains Croft. 'That woman will be transferred into the consultant-led unit.' What if I change my mind about pain relief? Dr Doran says: 'Pain relief will always be available as long as it is safe and appropriate for you and baby at your stage of labour. No one knows how they will cope with labour pain until they experience it so go with the flow and listen to your body. No one is keeping score.' What are the signs of sepsis or infection I should watch for after birth? Early signs include fever and flu-like symptoms. 'As soon as someone starts to feel unwell they should speak up,' says Croft. 'If they feel dismissed, just reiterate, 'No, I feel very unwell.' Ask for a blood test for sepsis. It's fine to ask.' Escalation is important. 'Mums and dads can always ask for that second opinion. And if they don't feel listened to, ask for another one.' What should I expect on a postnatal ward? You're exhausted, you want to sleep and spend time with your new baby. And yet you are on a post-natal ward with five other women with a curtain around them. Home is the right place for a new mum. 'As soon as you're fit for discharge, get home,' says Croft. After a caesarean, try to mobilise as quickly as you can: 'Four to six hours after the operation try to move. You'll still have some of the pain relief onboard. If you lie there for 12 hours and then try to move, it will be a lot harder.' Whether you gave birth by caesarean or vaginally, one night's stay in hospital as a minimum is standard, in order to access breast-feeding support. 'Six hours is on offer but normally you'd have to request an early discharge.' Again, make a nuisance of yourself. 'Use your call bell. The women who are using it and asking for help go home feeling supported. There is an element where mums have to take responsibility or dads have to help advocate for support.' Who should I turn to if I feel anxious or depressed after the birth? It's not uncommon to feel depressed or anxious after giving birth. If you're blue it's important to seek help from your GP, midwife or health visitor. As Dr Doran says: 'We talk a lot about 'getting back to normal' or feel we should be able to master everything we did in our pre-baby life when we become parents. However other cultures see this differently and encourage new mums to stay in bed or at home for as long as possible in the days after birth to rest and adjust physically and mentally to what has happened.' At the core of the anxiety women can feel is feeding. Dr Doran speaks from experience: 'Having watched videos in antenatal class of the perfect attachment and breastfeeding experience occurring seamlessly, when it came to my turn, wondering why my baby wasn't doing this in the same way and being convinced it was my fault.' Take the help and support, but also nourishment of your baby is the most important thing. If this needs to be with formula or mixed feeding, that is absolutely fine and the right decision for you and your baby. 'Don't let anyone guilt you or make you feel less of a mum because of it,' she says. 'These days and weeks are the most exciting and special time, but they can be extremely hard too and fraught with tiredness, fear and self doubt. Take it easy on yourself, what is right for you is right for your baby and remember this is just the beginning of your lives together.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
a day ago
- Health
- Telegraph
I'm seven months pregnant and scared of the birth. This is what every mother should ask
In 1928, my great-grandmother, Bertha, died from puerperal fever after giving birth. She was 32. Her baby, Audrey, also died. My grandmother, then two years old, was subsequently raised by her aunt. That same year, penicillin was discovered – and in the ensuing decades we entered a golden age of maternity care where the maternal mortality rate dropped significantly. When I was born in 1984 and my mother contracted a post-partum infection, the consequences were very different. Childbirth remains though, a complex and necessary fact of life. Women are not ignorant that it will be painful, that the unexpected will happen, that things might rip and tear. However, today they face significant other anxieties, about the very nature of the care they might receive. Maternity care services in the UK are facing significant staffing shortages, and as a result there are very real concerns about the safety and quality of care provided. Indeed, last year a study found the number of women in the UK who have died during pregnancy or soon after has risen to its highest levels for 20 years. Meanwhile, last year 41 per cent of all compensation pay outs by the NHS related to maternity care, equating to a staggering £1.15 billion. And now, Health Secretary Wes Streeting has announced a national inquiry into maternity care in England, saying there is 'too much passing the buck'. It is in this unfavourable climate that I find myself seven months pregnant. 'Fear of birth' is the label applied by the NHS for those women who are anxious about childbirth. Mine might be more reasonably called, 'Fear of bad maternity care'. Most women don't need to read about the horror in the news, they have friends and loved ones who've been snapped at by midwives, denied pain relief and been made to feel like a failure when they struggle to breast-feed. When GP Clara Doran gave birth to her son 11 years ago, she found herself in a hospital ward at 5am, crying, her baby dehydrated and losing weight, feeling like a total failure. She realised that even with all her medical training, she still needed support and hadn't been told what to actually expect. Dr Doran has written a memoir, Doctor, Interrupted, which is both a powerful and, at times, funny account of the gap between what the NHS says it offers new mums – and what they really get. Of NHS maternity care, she says: 'We do have to have trust that today's health care is guided by the right things. That healthy baby, healthy mum is the driving force. But there are unfortunately, like in any work place, other factors that can influence how that translates to your experience.' So how can pregnant women like me get the best from the NHS in this unfavourable climate? On the basis that forewarned is forearmed, here are the questions to ask your midwife ahead of giving birth. What signs should prompt me to go to the hospital urgently? Blood spotting, baby not moving, waters broken; whatever the issue, this can be a hard question for expectant mums to ask. Darcey Croft is a specialist midwife who helps women advocate for themselves and navigate the maternity system. In her experience, women feel embarrassed because the NHS is so busy. 'They don't want to make a nuisance of themselves, and they definitely should,' she says. 'I would give triage a call to the maternity unit and if you're not getting the right response, insist. Say, 'I'm still feeling very concerned, and I would like to be reviewed'. 'We know that women asking questions have safer outcomes. Even if someone is tutting at them. They will be seen.' Should I request a C-section? Requests are increasing for planned caesareans. According to Croft: 'It is a sad reflection of the confidence women have in maternity systems at the moment.' Every women has the right to ask for a planned caesarean. The reason can be medical or psychological. I knew I wanted to request a caesarean almost immediately, for a variety of reasons. One is that big babies run in my family. I was 10lb 12oz at birth, my poor mother gave birth vaginally. The main reason though is my age. Women aged over 40 are significantly more likely to have an emergency C-section compared to younger mothers. A study showed a 22.4 per cent emergency caesarean rate for women over 40, compared to 6.7 per cent for those aged 20-24. Dr Lucy Lord MBE is an obstetrician and founder of private clinic, Central Health London. She says: 'You can be lucky and labour like a 25 year old, but the chances of that are one in 10. You can be moderately lucky and labour like a 35 year old, but still over half of births in this age group end in a C-section.' She adds: 'If you're under 25, and so is your BMI, and you've got a normally growing baby and no other complications, you can be pretty sure no matter how c--p the labour ward is, you'll be OK.' The subject can be an emotive issue, with a perception that a vaginal birth is more natural. In Dr Lord's opinion good obstetric care is about risk stratification. 'I say to women, don't think with your heart, think with your head.' Not all NHS hospitals are equipped to perform immediate emergency C-sections. So if you're high risk it's worth checking, so you can move to another hospital if necessary. Am I a good candidate for a home birth or would the hospital be safer? One in 50 births each year in England and Wales take place at home. There has been a small increase in recent years and Dr Doran wonders if this is part of a trend towards expecting mothers trying to avoid any intervention. If you are categorised as a low risk, home births are very safe, says Croft: 'The midwifery team and doctors should be assessing to say whether you are perfect for a home birth.' The advantage is that they are less timed than hospital births, where a cascade of interventions can ensue. During a home birth midwives can usually tell which way things are heading before there is ever an emergency, adds Croft. 'Occasionally things can escalate quickly and you would need to get an ambulance.' How will you make sure I'm informed and involved in decision-making during labour? Gathering as much knowledge before labour is imperative. 'I always maintain that women can go through any birth, and come out feeling positive, as long as they feel they are involved in their own care, making the decisions and that they felt listened to,' says Croft. Trauma happens when a woman doesn't feel safe and listened to. Don't be afraid to ask for a second opinion. 'Every shift will have a coordinator, who doesn't want poor feedback. If you're not getting the answer you want, ask to speak to the coordinator.' Ask how birth partners and advocates are included in labour. 'Women often make better decision when they're supported and feel emotionally safe,' says Croft. Will my birth plan be followed? While it's a good idea to have a birth plan stating your preferences, that doesn't mean your midwife is obliged to follow it. Or indeed will be able to. From medical complications, down to all the birthing pools being full, it's best to plan for the unexpected. Croft advises her clients against writing 'epic novels': 'I always guide women towards condensing it down to bullet points, including what's non-negotiable. That will get read.' However, it is important that you and your birthing partner have talked through all scenarios and you feel comfortable that they're going to emphasise your preferences. When speaking up, Dr Doran advises leading with your vulnerability. 'Such as: the pain you are experiencing. Then it is harder for it to be ignored,' she says. Will a consultant or senior doctor be available if complications arise during labour or before? Yes. Every unit will have a consultant present or on call, even in the middle of the night. 'If it's a birth centre and a midwifery-led unit, there might not be any doctors there,' explains Croft. 'That woman will be transferred into the consultant-led unit.' What if I change my mind about pain relief? Dr Doran says: ' Pain relief will always be available as long as it is safe and appropriate for you and baby at your stage of labour. No one knows how they will cope with labour pain until they experience it so go with the flow and listen to your body. No one is keeping score.' What are the signs of sepsis or infection I should watch for after birth? Early signs include fever and flu-like symptoms. 'As soon as someone starts to feel unwell they should speak up,' says Croft. 'If they feel dismissed, just reiterate, 'No, I feel very unwell.' Ask for a blood test for sepsis. It's fine to ask.' Escalation is important. 'Mums and dads can always ask for that second opinion. And if they don't feel listened to, ask for another one.' What should I expect on a postnatal ward? You're exhausted, you want to sleep and spend time with your new baby. And yet you are on a post-natal ward with five other women with a curtain around them. Home is the right place for a new mum. 'As soon as you're fit for discharge, get home,' says Croft. After a caesarean, try to mobilise as quickly as you can: 'Four to six hours after the operation try to move. You'll still have some of the pain relief onboard. If you lie there for 12 hours and then try to move, it will be a lot harder.' Whether you gave birth by caesarean or vaginally, one night's stay in hospital as a minimum is standard, in order to access breast-feeding support. 'Six hours is on offer but normally you'd have to request an early discharge.' Again, make a nuisance of yourself. 'Use your call bell. The women who are using it and asking for help go home feeling supported. There is an element where mums have to take responsibility or dads have to help advocate for support.' Who should I turn to if I feel anxious or depressed after the birth? It's not uncommon to feel depressed or anxious after giving birth. If you're blue it's important to seek help from your GP, midwife or health visitor. As Dr Doran says: 'We talk a lot about 'getting back to normal' or feel we should be able to master everything we did in our pre-baby life when we become parents. However other cultures see this differently and encourage new mums to stay in bed or at home for as long as possible in the days after birth to rest and adjust physically and mentally to what has happened.' At the core of the anxiety women can feel is feeding. Dr Doran speaks from experience: 'Having watched videos in antenatal class of the perfect attachment and breastfeeding experience occurring seamlessly, when it came to my turn, wondering why my baby wasn't doing this in the same way and being convinced it was my fault.' Take the help and support, but also nourishment of your baby is the most important thing. If this needs to be with formula or mixed feeding, that is absolutely fine and the right decision for you and your baby. 'Don't let anyone guilt you or make you feel less of a mum because of it,' she says. 'These days and weeks are the most exciting and special time, but they can be extremely hard too and fraught with tiredness, fear and self doubt. Take it easy on yourself, what is right for you is right for your baby and remember this is just the beginning of your lives together.'
Bloomberg
a day ago
- Bloomberg
Squeaky-Clean Singapore Steps Up Crackdown on Vapes
Hi, it's Audrey in Singapore, which has some of the world's strictest drug laws — and where vapes are coming under closer scrutiny. But first… Vapes are already banned in Singapore. But you can still walk around sometimes and see locals casually flouting the rules, puffing on their devices — also known as e-cigarettes — at restaurants or outside on their lunch hours in the central business district.
Borneo Post
3 days ago
- Borneo Post
Ex-Sabah rugby player gets 12 years for causing sister's death
KOTA KINABALU (July 21): A former Sabah rugby player was jailed for 12 years by a High Court here today for causing the death of his sister two years ago. Justice Datuk Duncan Sikodol imposed the sentence on Arden Mattson Maturin, 28, after the latter pleaded guilty to an alternative charge under Section 304 (a) of the Penal Code. The indictment provides for a jail term of up to 30 years and a fine, upon conviction. Arden was supposed to be tried on Monday for his previous charge of murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code. However, his representation to the deputy public prosecutor's office had been accepted. Arden was ordered to serve his jail term from the date of his arrest. He admitted to causing the death of his biological sister Audrey Maturin, 24, at their house in Taman Prestij, Off Jalan Signal Hill here on May 4, 2023. In imposing the sentence, the court, among others, held that the murder, though tragic, occurred in the heat of the moment, driven by rage rather than impatience. Judge Duncan further held Arden is still young and prior to the incident had shown promise with the potential to represent the state in rugby. He said Arden had no prior record, had expressed remorse and that incarceration would only deepen the suffering already borne by his family, especially his ageing parents, who have lost one child and may now be deprived of another. The judge also said that a custodial sentence is nonetheless warranted to reflect the sanctity of life and the public interest 'However, given the mitigating factors, I am of the view that a sentence of 12 years' imprisonment, from the date of arrest, strikes the necessary balance between punishment and compassion. It reflects the gravity of the act while acknowledging the tragic familial context in which it occurred,' he added. The court heard that during the incident, both their parents and youngest child went out and left only Arden and Audrey at home. Audrey was inside her room while Arden was smoking outside their home. After their parents and youngest child left home, Audrey had written a note on a paper which was meant for Arden and the paper was sticked on a store door of their home. Due to that, it had caused both Arden and Audrey to fight and Arden had repeatedly assaulted Audrey's face, neck, chest and hand. The neighbours heard shoutings from the house and also saw Arden leaving the house in hurry and anxious manner. When the parents and the youngest child reached home, they saw Audrey lying backward in a pool of blood on the floor at the living room of the house. Audrey was rushed to the emergency unit of a hospital. She was resuscitated but showed no signs of life and a doctor confirmed that her injuries as severe traumatic brain injury with hemorrhage shock and multiple facial bone fractures. When Arden was arrested on May 4, 2023, both his hands were swollen and the rings could not be taken off from his fingers. Firefighter was called to assist in taking off the rings from Arden's fingers. The facts further stated that Audrey was pronounced dead two days later on May 6 at 10.30pm. A post-mortem showed that she suffered 24 external injuries while the internal injuries were severe bleeding beneath her head skin, bleeding on her brain blood vessel, her brain was swelling, severe fractures on her face bone and skull. The victim also suffered severe bleeding on her neck muscle, thyroid gland, right chest and several of her ribs were broken. Swelling mark on Audrey's face matched with the shape of Arden's rings after they had been taken off from his fingers. The post-mortem report confirmed that Audrey's cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head, neck and chest. In mitigation, counsel Edward Paul and counsel Batholomew Jingulam requested for 10 years of custodial sentence be imposed on Arden and this was their client's first offence. Edward submitted that Arden regretted with what he had done and he had pleaded guilty to the alternative charge. The counsel further submitted that Arden's actions were a result of alleged provocation by signage put up by Audrey and he lost control of his actions. The incident was not premeditated and no weapon was used during the incident. 'Do not let the family lose another child, a lengthy sentence will impact the ageing parents,' said the counsel. The court allowed Arden's father to say something before the court passed the sentence. Arden's father said that 'This is my eldest son and I am already 63. We respectfully appeal to this court for leniency, as we believe what happened was never his intention'. He explained that his son changed significantly during the Covid-19 pandemic and explained that he had dreamt of representing Malaysia in rugby and was selected for centralised training in Sandakan, planned for a year but cut short to six months due to the pandemic. His father further explained that upon returning to Kota Kinabalu, Arden was placed under quarantine for almost a month, being among the first group isolated. 'After that, we could see his frustration, which he kept to himself, spent most of his time alone in his room and became very withdrawn. 'I spoke to him, he told me all he ever wanted was to continue his training and play for Malaysia,' Arden's father said, adding that, his son was deeply affected by the incident. In reply, the prosecution submitted that the sentence to be imposed in this case must send a clear message to the public. The prosecution acknowledged Arden's youth and clean record, but stressed that that could not outweigh public interest, the need for deterrence, and justice for the deceased. The prosecution urged the court to consider the nature and extent of injuries sustained by the deceased, as well as the manner of commission of the crime, which showed that the deceased was brutally injured and sustained a tremendous amount of pain before her passing. The prosecution emphasised that the deceased in this case was Arden's own sister.
Winnipeg Free Press
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Letters from the past deliver deadly message
In Dear Future Me, bestselling U.K. author Deborah O'Connor (My Husband's Son, The Dangerous Kind and The Captive) dredges up past secrets for a group of former classmates, with fatal consequences for one of them. In the small North Yorkshire village of Saltburn, Audrey Hawken and her cohort receive letters they wrote when they were teenagers to their future selves, thanks to the English teacher who assigned them in class and mails them 20 years later. Audrey discovers in hers a note from her friend Ben, who died on a school trip weeks after writing his letter. Mystified, she texts her picture-of-success friend Miranda what Ben wrote; but she never gets a response. Dear Future Me Miranda, upon reading her own letter to herself along with Audrey's message, walks out of her home without a word to her family. The next time we see her she is plummeting to her death from the heights at Huntcliff. The tragedy shocks the community, especially Audrey — Miranda was one of few friends she stayed close with. Audrey's life isn't what her teen self had imagined. After her parents' deaths she raised her younger brother, failed to get into Cambridge and now works cleaning homes — including that of her former peer, overachiever Kitty, a renowned professor. Audrey is driven by grief to uncover the truth about Miranda's death and its connection to Ben's 20 years earlier. O'Connor's prose is crisp and vivid. When Audrey's investigative dead ends pile up, she feels her 'inadequacies press down on her like gravity, pushing lower and lower, until she feels she might disappear into the ground itself.' Excerpts from the letters deepen the mystery, uncovering the characters' past connections. But although presented in fonts emulating handwriting, the narrative voice sounds the same, as if the characters as teens are really their adult selves describing them. They admit things that ring true psychologically (such as the headmaster's son acting out just so his distant father will pay attention to him) but often in analytical terms with the benefit of hindsight. Weekly A weekly look at what's happening in Winnipeg's arts and entertainment scene. Having a struggling-to-pay-the-bills cleaning woman as her sleuth means O'Connor could have thrown drudgery to the wind and let the mystery relentlessly drive events. Instead she builds tension in a more true-to-life and satisfying way. Audrey juggles her efforts to find her former friends and discover the truth of Ben's death — and Miranda's — with taking paid gigs wherever she can, sometimes putting her up close with people she's investigating. The discomfort of relying on her successful former classmates while learning their secrets leads to more shocks along the way, exposing the brittleness of social mobility and past dreams — for Audrey, and her friends. One dramatic revelation about Miranda makes it seem Audrey has cracked the mystery — and it shows O'Connor's storytelling skill that, while it's stunning enough to satisfy Audrey (and perhaps the reader, for a moment), it's still not the whole story. With its high-concept premise, intersecting lives and picturesque, semirural English setting — not to mention O'Connor's own experience as TV writer and producer — don't be surprised if this mystery makes for a captivating series to stream. David Jón Fuller is a Winnipeg writer and editor.
