Not Quite Nice

We are delighted that, on 24 March, Celia Imrie will be joing us for a live webchat. One of the things she will be talking about is her brand-new novel, Not Quite Nice. 

Theresa is desperate for a change. Forced into early retirement, fed up with babysitting her bossy daughter’s obnoxious children, she sells her Highgate house and moves to the picture-perfect town of Bellevue-sur-Mer, just outside Nice.

With its beautiful villas, its bustling cafes and shimmering cerulean sea, the village sparkles like a diamond on the French Mediterranean coast. Once the hideaway of artists and writers, it is now home to the odd rock icon and Hollywood movie star, and, as Theresa soon discovers, a close-knit set of expats.

There’s Carol, the infinitely glamorous American and her doting husband David; the erstwhile British TV star Sally; the ferocious Sian and her wayward Australian poet husband; the sharply witty Zoe with her strangely youthful face and penchant for white wine – and the suave Brian who catches Theresa’s eye…

As Theresa settles to the gentle rhythm of seaside life she embraces her new-found friendships and freedom. However, life is never quite as simple as it seems and as skeletons start to fall out of several closets, Theresa begins to wonder if life on the French Riviera is quite as nice as it first appeared…

‘A very witty novel by a very witty woman. Hugely entertaining’ – Julian Fellowes

‘A hugely enjoyable romp of a novel with eccentric characters, a delightful background and a savoury tang of crime’ – Katie Fforde

‘Utterly delicious in every way’ – Joanna Lumley

Celia Imrie is an Olivier award-winning actress best known for her parts in the films Calendar Girls and Nanny McPhee. This month she returns as Madge in The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Her roles on stage include Dotty in Noises Off and Mrs Tilehouse in The Sea, and, on television, Diana in After You’ve Gone, Vera in A Dark Adapted Eye and Miss Babs in Acorn Antiques.

Last year she brought her cabaret/revue show Laughing Matters to Crazy Coqs and then to the St James Theatre. Her autobiography, The Happy Hoofer, was published in 2011. You can follow Celia on Twitter: @CeliaImrie

All our free copies of Not Quite Nice have now gone but it's widely avalable online and from all good bookshops. Don't forget to add your questions to the thread if you received a copy - or even if you didn't!