Annie McDowall

Nikki Elliot would do anything for a quiet life.  Events were so traumatic in her last job that she’d spent the best part of a year living on the dole and developing a taste for daytime television.  But the government is cracking down on the unemployed, and Nikki’s personal adviser at the Jobcentre has given her an ultimatum: go for the job at Action in Caring, a small charity, or lose your benefits.  Things start to go badly wrong from Nikki’s first day.  Death, local government corruption, dodgy dealings with European Community money, and a manager rumoured to be overly fond of young boys are just some of the challenges Nikki has to tackle. It doesn’t help that her love life is getting complicated: her just about ex-lover, an overseas aid worker, has some shattering news, and then along comes Sergeant Baggott to complicate matters further.

Amongst the people helping Nikki as she struggles to avoid being killed whilst finding some answers are best friend Carla; neighbour Benjamin, whose search for Mr Right competes with Nikki’s crises for his attention; and college buddy Suresh, now a reporter for the South London Press. 

Set in South London, the climax takes place on Streatham Common.  Nikki emerges stronger, more confident, and ready to make her mark.  She has solved the complex mysteries that resulted in four deaths, resolved her relationship with Ruth, and embarked on a new love affair.  But can small, grassroots community projects like Action in Caring survive in these days of enterprise, bean counting, and European social engineering?