The Nanny by Gilly Macmillan

Hello everyone.  I hope you're enjoying the day.

I was fortunate to grow up in a very nice neighborhood. It was nick named "peanut butter hill" because once you paid for your house all you could afford to eat was peanut butter. I have to laugh as my house payment is more than ten times my parent's. Although it was a nice area, it wasn't nanny nice, it was babysitter nice.

My mother had an older lady stay with me when my parents went out. One night she had the nerve to tell me that there was no such thing as Santa. My parents were furious as I was still very young and they loved everything Christmas. Now to be honest, as an adult, I totally believe in Santa...who doesn't? Anyway, my sisters, the triplets, came along and a few years later I was the babysitter, it was no fun. Funny thing, one of my sisters is married to the nephew of the Scrooge like sitter. By the way, he loves Christmas.

I recently read The Nanny by Gilly Macmillan. I love stories full of atmosphere and this book has plenty. The bulk of the novel takes place at an English manor house, owned by a Lord and Lady.  Their daughter, Jo, is just seven when her beloved nanny disappears.  Years later, after losing her husband, Jo and her daughter are in financial trouble and forced to move back to the manor.  Now only the Jo's mother Virginia survives. While Lady Virginia is grateful for her family being there, something is off. She holds secrets that could change everything. This becomes very apparent when a body is discovered on the property, a body that could be the missing nanny.

I have started to purchase this book several times.  What finally made me click "buy" was hearing someone say that the first hundred pages were slow but then it took off and barreled to the end.  I didn't find this to be true. I thought the pacing was pretty consistent throughout. While perhaps not keeping you on they edge of your seat, it was far from boring. Pages kept flipping and soon it was over. In addition, it holds some pretty major twists and a considerable amount of action for a book about an elderly lady, her daughter and granddaughter living in an old English manor house.  I enjoyed it equally, start to finish.

If you're good, maybe Santa will bring you The Nanny for Christmas.