All families are complicated, but some are more complicated than others. And Christmas can only make matters worse.

After Ciara's estranged father is nearly killed by his second wife in a car accident - or was it an accident? - Ciara begins, gingerly, to re-enter his life. As her troubled family gather for the holidays, is it too much to hope that they begin to find peace at last? Of course it is.

With twins, new loves and an unpredictably monstrous matriarch, Christmas was never going to be easy. But it proves both more disastrous and happier than any of the family could have guessed.

''Her writing is a joy: dialogue snaps with life while Johnston's distinctive prose is at once supremely comfortable and delightfully brisk'' Daily Mail

What readers say about FOOLISH MORTALS:

''A very pleasurable and intelligent read; not a word wasted, and characters that feel real. Highly recommended''

''One of my favourite authors''