Margaret Penny is at the end of her emotion tether and heads home to the scratchy solace of her elderly mum’s flat.

Things take a turn for the mysterious when she resolves to discover the identity of a dead woman, so that her burial can go ahead.

The compelling, beautifully written story from Mary Paulson-Ellis criss-crosses time, heading back to 1921 and up to 2011 and reveals the secrets and sorrows of a group of women, whose pasts are strangely connected by a collection of curious, resonant objects.

The Other Mrs Walker by Mary Paulson-Ellis (Mantle, £12.99) is out now