Swimming Pool Sunday by Madeline Wickham

"Swimming Day" is an annual tradition with the Delaneys for many year. The whole village would come and enjoy themselves at the Delaney's swimming pool. It's for Charity.

This year is no exception. Louise and her estranged husband, Barnaby were there with their daughters. The kids were playing at the pool while she was sun basking  dreaming of her new boyfriend, Cassian, a lawyer. It was prefect till an accident happened. Recrimination started to fly  and the village is divided in opinion of whose fault is it.

This is the first book which Madeline Wickham(Madeline Townley) that I have read. I have read some of her other books which she wrote under the pen name "Sophie Kinsella".  I was expecting something similar in the likes of the Shopaholic series. It's not. This is something more serious in comparison.

I can't help feeling de javu when reading this. Jodi Picoult's "House Rules" plot is pretty similar to this book. I find that I enjoyed Jodi's book more and the characters are more believable.

I find that the character, Louise, was pretty shallow and cold. She had a husband who loves her and who is responsible and yet she went hankering after Cassian. Her reason? Cassian offers a more glamorous life. She was warned by Ursula Delaney about the children at the pool and she choose to ignore it. When accident happen, did she fell guilty? Instead, she felt only anxiety about the daughter till she neglected the other daughter. It's like there is not enough "spices" in the character. Throughout these "episodes", I don't feel anything for her. I just can't connect with the character.

There weren't much connection of the supporting characters to the main story too. Meredith is Hugh and Ursula's daughter in-law who live with them after the death of her husband and have feelings towards Alexis, the family friend. Nothing much elaborate after that.

Alexis having an affair with Daisy who is 18 years old and young enough to be his daughter. Hmm...so?

It would be better if the characters have more depth in them and more involved in the story instead of just the surface. Can't say I sympathised with any characters in this book.

This is a nice book. If I haven't read Jodi's "House Rules", I would say this book is pretty good.