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Book Review: We All Begin As Strangers by Harriet Cummings

By Catherine Small
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It’s the summer of 1984 and a mysterious figure known as the Fox is breaking into homes in a Bedfordshire village, either leaving curious objects behind or taking things of no monetary value.

When church-going shrinking violet Anna disappears, suspicion falls on the Fox. The villagers, who all have something to hide, rally round to find her before the Fox strikes again and exposes their secrets.

Harriet Cummings’ debut novel was inspired by real-life Fox Malcolm Fairley, who was breaking into people’s homes in the summer of 1984.

Her Fox is more benign (Fairley sexually assaulted some of his victims and shot one) and is used to explore the notions of loneliness and belonging.

Like local PC Brian, the story is a little plodding in places and it borrows heavily from Elizabeth Is Missing and The Trouble With Goats And Sheep, but there’s a surprising twist at the end.