The Chase took a long time to write - but it was an expression of many of the themes that have always fascinated me, as well as an expression of love, in a way. I was in love with France, in love with a special time in my life. For several years, my husband and I were part-owners of a house in the Dordogne. Le Perier sat on a hillside overlooking a vineyard. We had no mobile phone - no phone of any sort - no computer, no TV - no distractions, except long lunches with friends, French acquaintances who would drag us away for 'aperos', and for me, too much gazing out at the vineyard and the hills when I should have been writing. Wild creatures stirred in the garden outside and at night gave us the heebie jeebies by scuttering about in the roof-space. To wander away of an evening from the pool of light cast by the open French windows, was to wander into a world of darkness where the stars had true liberty to shine - and unnerve.

The Chase celebrates the pleasures of the ex-pat lifestyle but it also confronts the darkest of secrets, the pain of injustice, the impossibility of separating the past from the present. It describes a marriage in crisis, as Netty and Gerald try to come to terms in a foreign land with a burden of grief and guilt which is tearing them apart.

Bloomsbury's production values were, as ever, superb. I love both the hardback and the paperback covers, shown at the top of the page. See which one you prefer.

If you are interested in reading The Chase and have trouble getting hold of a copy, you can now buy it through Paypal, price £10.00 inc. UK postage and packing - just go to my online shop. (If you are ordering from abroad, please contact me at info@fictionfire.co.uk to check postage costs). 

See also About Me.

Here are the reviews of The Chase:

It has the power to catch the reader up in the rush of narrative. ... Lorna Fergusson has a natural gift for telling a story - think of Daphne du Maurier. (The Scotsman)

It is as carefully structured as a painting of a Dutch interior. The switches between past and present are assured and, although every incident drips with significance, the narrative moves swiftly. A remarkable achievement, both intellectually and artistically. (Times Literary Supplement)

Lorna Fergusson manages a large cast of believable characters with great skill. This is an accomplished and original first novel. (The Sunday Telegraph)

Lorna Fergusson has produced a first novel that is academic, unusual, unexpected and, best of all, extremely hard to put down. (The Oxford Times)

The whole work is steeped in the atmosphere, history and excitement of France. ... Lorna Fergusson now teaches English in Oxford and her mastery of our language and the effective structure of her book confirm the thoroughness of her literary training. Her skill in writing and organising her tale enables her to manage a large collection of entirely believable characters in an often fantastical world. It is very definitely the sort of book that is difficult to put down; the characters clearly drawn and the whole excitingly moving in its effect on the reader. The Chase is full of references to French life told with great skill and understanding. (Living France)

The author owned an old country house in the Dordogne for seven years which explains why her detail and observations are so authentic. (French Property News)

Some novels are great page-turners, combining lively characters, action and entertainment but are easily forgotten once finished. Others offer an intelligent appraisal of the human condition, which, whilst offering pertinent observations and insights, can be heavy-going. The best novels are those which magically combine the two. The Chase is such a novel. ... This is a rich, carefully plotted novel. Partly a wry look at England's love-hate relationship with its closest neighbour and partly a thriller with Gothic overtones, it is also a novel about the impossibility of escape from one's past. ... Richly peopled with a variety of recognisable characters, this novel is a treat from start to finish. But don't read it alone and after dark. Your dreams may disturb you. (Sally Zigmond for QWF magazine)