Scarlet Feather by Maeve Binchy

Cathy Sccarlet and Tom Feather have decided to create the best catering company in Dublin. They've found the perfect premises, they've got heaps of talent, and they even have a few contacts - but not everyone seems as pleased by the idea of 'Scarlet Feather' as they are.

Tom's parents are disappointed that he has turned his back on the family building business. Cathy's mother-in-law, Hannah, already disapproving of her son Neil's choice of wife, thinks that 'Scarlet Feather' is just a hobby and Cathy should stay at home to look after her husband. Neil himself, a high-flying civil rights lawyer, becomes ever more distant, buying himself in his work. And Tom's relationship with his beautiful, ambitious girlfriend Marcella becomes fraught as she struggles to realize her dream of becoming a model.

As Cathy and Tom strive to maintain their emotional ties amidst catering triumph and disasters, they are supported - and undermined - by an enchanting cast of classic Binchy characters: the comically dreadful but endearing twins, Simon and Maud; Cathy's homely parents, Muttie and Lizzie; glamorous, rich aunt Geraldine; and accountant James Byrne, who harbours a lonely secret.

Maeve Binchy's new novel is a magical tale of love, heartbreak and laughter set in the warm Irish atmosphere that has made her famous.