A Nice Cup of Tea - Tapa dura

A fun read ... There's a deranged energy that sweeps you along

The witty and enchanting third novel from the well-loved actress and Sunday Times­-bestselling author of Not Quite Nice and Nice Work (If You Can Get It) follows the hilarious antics of a group of retired expats in the South of France

The beautiful town of Bellevue-sur-Mer, tucked between glitzy Monte Carlo and the plush red carpets of Cannes, is home to Theresa, Carol, William, Benjamin and Sally: five retired expats who have pooled their resources to set up La Mosaïque, a divine little restaurant.

But there is trouble in paradise: the friends are desperately struggling to make ends meet, and when the much hoped for sale of their Picasso mosaic falls through they realise it will take every bit of their talent and gumption to save La Mosaïque. But with fussy customers, obnoxious cruise parties and a failing delivery van, it's certainly not going to be easy.

On top of this, Theresa and Sally have their own distractions. Theresa's teenage granddaughter has gone missing, and the chap she's run off with sounds distinctly unsavoury; plus she's getting mysterious phone calls, and the strong sense that someone's watching her. Meanwhile, Sally's run into the Markhams: a grisly husband and wife pair of luvvies from her acting days, whose jibes are enough to send her on an ill-advised search for the limelight.