Snake in the Grass by Dominic Luke

Lydia Taylor's dog is dead. A gift from her ex-boyfriend, Prize has been her companion for more years than she cares to think about. Now, nearing forty, in mourning and haunted by the ghost of her mother, Lydia finds herself acting in ways she never expected - not least when she seduces eighteen-year-old Dean Morley by the side of a country lane. In trying to extricate herself from this moment of madness, Lydia unwittingly gets involved in organizing an exhibition of village artwork. The exhibition takes on a life of its own, but to Lydia it is an imposition; to Imelda Darkley - lady of the manor and doyenne of the parish council - the exhibition is anathema; but to Dean's mother Gwen it proves to be unexpectedly liberating.... With a cast of superbly drawn characters this witty and insightful story delves deep into village life and captures finely depicted personalities with all their strengths, desires and foibles.