Snowdrops in Summer

Duggan’s wordy debut starts slowly and is additionally hampered by identity and genre confusion. Within the first two pages, a barista from Newton, South Wales, is alternately referred to as Angelica, Angel, and Angela. From there it’s anybody’s guess as to who she is and what other perplexities might be in store for her. Readers are left to wonder how three wrong-side-of-the-tracks gal pals—lesbian Angelica and straight single moms Claire and Lisa (aka Lise)—manage to get invited to a big social blast with Newton’s well-heeled society folk and known criminals. Then, on the slimmest of premises, the women embark upon an uninspired and ill-fated venture that’s purely derivative of Alexander McCall Smith’s No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency. The plot line holds promise but fails to fully engage. Even the lackluster groin-grinding between Lisa and local cop Niall falls woefully short of a bona fide romance. Despite efforts to make these two-dimensional women appealing, it’s difficult to care about them and their throwaway supporting cast. (July)