Charles Elton, Mr Toppit

Mr Toppit reminds me of A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley. Some of the plot turns (I'm loath to call them twists, they're more like bends) are familiar and the story, although with different characters and in different settings, runs along similar lines. Maybe: it's the same pattern cut with different cloth. I don't know enough about sewing to know if that analogy works.

This is one of those books that might be worth reading if people around you are reading it or you have a book club of the drinking while discussing type - it's easy to read, engaging enough and has some bits that would make for decent conversation.