I came across this book a couple of years ago on offer in WHSmith and thought it might be a quick cheap read. I am so glad I bought it as I was hooked as soon as I started reading. Set in the northern seaside town of Whitby, famous for it's link with the supernatural, we follow the antics and adventures of two old ladies - the lovely Brenda - B&B proprietor after the quiet life, and her friend Effie, junk shop owner. But Brenda has a secret, something no-one should ever hope to discover, and Effie herself comes from a long line of witches. From dealing with a deadly kind of beauty therapy to the misdeeds at a hotel where it is Christmas every day, we ...  Read the complete review

Never the Bride is the first of a series of Fantastical Gothic Novels starring the wonderfully eccentric Brenda and Effie by Paul Magrs. The stories are set in Whitby famous as the destination of Dracula but it seems he was not the only monster to find themselves drawn to the foggy seaside town. Brenda is a lady of a certain age running a B&B, she has had a very colourful past and wants nothing more than to settle down and be left alone. Her best fried is the eccentric Effie and they spend their days going for tea and scones and poking their noses into other peoples business. However their quiet lives are disturbed by the many odd characters who turn up in ...  Read the complete review