The long long afternoon got me gripped from the start, the writing is amazing from a first time writer. The story goes around the help called ruby and detective Blanke, ruby is basically a really very poorly paid slave in the late 1950’s trying to pay her way to make something of her life (she really wants to go to teaching school) she works for Mrs ingram how is not very nice and Mrs Haney (Joyce) who she really likes working for and loves her children. Until the day she goes to work and finds blood all over the kitchen and then her world is turned upside down, first by getting arrested for harming/killing Joyce then her been sacked and retaken on repeatedly, detective blanke sees past this and gets her released and they sort of form a partnership of sorts with ruby telling him what’s going on in these homes but she holds a lot back so the truth doesn’t come out until the very end, a great book and can’t wait for more from this writer