When Gwennie's husband dies, her own life seems to be ended. When an unknown woman in red comes to the funeral, Gwennie is too wrapped up in grief to pay much attention. It is only afterwards that she wonders about this woman and what relationship she had with her husband.

Clare Dalton dresses in red, a colour she knows her eldery neighbour would have loved. She rushes to his funeral, but at the big crematorium she inadvertently goes through the wrong door. It takes a while for her to realise she is at the wrong funeral. When she does she leaves, embarrassed. She forgets that she has signed the condolence book and doesn't realise the impact her presence has had.

For Gwennie, the questions which arise in the aftermath of her husband's death seem to be connected with the mysterious Clare Dalton. For Clare, the time after the two funerals is also tumultuous. What she doesn't know is that Gwennie is following her. And neither Gwennie nor Clare could guess at the connection that really exists between them.

The Wrong Door is an absorbing read. From a chance encounter caused by a simple mistake springs a series of events which will change both of their lives dramatically. Whilst Clare is not even aware of Gwennie's existence for much of the book, the reader is given hints at a possible connection between the pair that neither could predict.

High on intrigue and danger, The Wrong Door is also an interesting psychological study of the way that the actions of one set of people can have far-reaching impact on another.

A satisfying read.

The Wrong Door, by Bunty Avieson
Pan, 2004, first published by Macmillan, 2003

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