(Published by Poolbeg)
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Jude is going through a difficult time. Her mother died last year and since then she feels uncertain as to who she is. Her life seems to be in free-fall and she’s tumbling from one event to the next. She has a feeling of detachment from her family – husband Geoffrey and children Flora and Oscar – and seems to think tracking down her father, who walked out on her and her mother when she was a little girl, will help to sort out her life.
Jude locates her father’s last known address amongst her mother’s belongings. Discovering that it is on the Greek island of Ios, she decides to pack her bags and head off in search of Liam Maybury, a man she doesn’t remember – but she does have an old photograph recovered from her mother’s posessions. Amidst much discontented sniffing from her live-in mother-in-law and the bemusement of her family, Jude buys herself a ticket and starts her journey.
All does not turn out the way she expects. Liam is not able to answer all the questions and fill in all the blanks, nor does he want to. However, Marguerite – the Nigerian artist who lives with him for half the year – is there to help Jude and explain how Liam’s mind operates and therefore the trip isn’t a total waste of time. On her return to Ireland, Jude must try and come to terms with all she’s learnt and the various issues that have arisen with her family in her absence.
Tumbling Jude is not a real page-turner and a couple of characters are introduced who don’t really have a purpose. The plot to is strong, but I think more could have been done with it. 
