Under Vixens Mere

by

Kit Fielding

The gripping tale of the intertwining lives of the members of a unique floating community.

Under Vixens Mere is a compelling, mystery-tinged novel by Kit Fielding about the lives of the residents of a unique community of wide-beam boat and barge-dwellers moored in the marina of Vixens Mere near the village of Broome. Portrayed over several years, the story reveals the surprising origins of the close interconnectedness between the permanent residents and those who come and go with the seasons. Once I started, I couldn’t put this book down. 

The storylines feature the permanent, temporary, and seasonal inhabitant who lives on their barges or boats in Vixens Mere marina: a free-spirited but aging hippie couple and their late-life son, a drug dealer who inherited his barge and berth from his father, a severely wounded ward veteran and his full-time carer-wife, a laborer at a local pig farm, a new arrival looking to start over after the breakup of her long-standing relationship, and a handsome Scotsman who arrives looking much the same as he did when he last came to stay fifteen years earlier. Each resident brings an intriguing backstory, all of which is interwoven with the others to create a captivating whole in the present. Tragic secrets bind the quirky community together, and they continue to come together to offer support and share their burdens. 

Each character is endearing in their own unique way, and I would be hard-pressed to select a single favorite, as I was quickly and intimately drawn into all of their lives. Big Ed and Milly the Mystic anchor the community, and though well up in age, remain an earthy, lusty, and loving couple. However, they mask their relationship behind a screen of constant bickering and clever banter. Newbie Lorrie Smith is disillusioned after her breakup with her long-time partner, Petra, but is determined to start afresh after getting back in healthy physical shape, and I rooted for her personal transformation from the start. Drug dealer Jed Rawlins shows a softer nature when he takes in Anna, who’s on the run from a really bad situation. Karen Jones, full-time caregiver to her husband Harry, is at the breaking point and plays a pivotal role in many of the others’ stories. Not only is Harry’s condition rapidly deteriorating, but she’s carrying a load of guilt and regret, which is compounded by the arrival of a figure from the past. 

The plot unfolds from multiple perspectives and an unusual shift in point of view as the individual storylines are established and converge. While most of the narrative is expressed in the third person, Brodie Stewart’s story is delivered in the second person. He enters the tale blissfully unaware of the permanent impact his actions fifteen years earlier have had on the current situation in the floating community. Similarly, Harry Jones has no idea of the collateral consequences of his final actions, believing the results will only be positive. Every resident on the mere has long-held secrets, and even the water itself hides a few. 

I recommend UNDER VIXENS MERE to readers of contemporary fiction, mystery, and drama. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from Reedsy Discovery.