Ali Thurm is a novelist, poet and teacher. Her first novel, One Scheme of Happiness was published by Retreat West Books in February 2020. Set on the isolated Yorkshire coast, it is a dark tale of delusion, dressing-up and Jane Austen.
Ali is currently working on a new novel, The River Brings the Sea, a story of survival in a flooded Britain where religious extremists have taken over. In 2019 it was placed third in the First Novel Prize (Daniel Goldsmith Associates) and described by the judges as ‘haunting’.
Born in Tynemouth, Newcastle, Ali came to London for a short time thirty years ago and has been there ever since.
You can follow her on Twitter @alithurm.
One Scheme of Happiness
It’s funny what you remember about childhood games.
Helen was always the wallflower at school, while Vicky and Sam were the golden couple. But as time passes, and the teenage sweethearts’ relationship begins to falter, Helen faces a choice – will she help her friends rekindle their marriage, or will she help herself to the man she has always loved?
A compelling tale of lust and obsession, One Scheme of Happiness tells the story of a love triangle that goes very, very wrong.
You know what they say…it’s always the quiet ones you have to watch.
Published by Retreat West Books
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REVIEWS
“Compulsive and beguiling as the characters themselves, One Scheme of Happiness is a deliciously dark look at kindness, envy and desire. Unpredictable and deeply satisfying, I couldn’t stop reading once I’d started.”
– Hannah Persaud, author of The Codes of Love
“A dark and unsettling tale of uneasy friendships, of jealousy, deceit and desire, One Scheme of Happiness is a novel that draws you in from the start. What appears to be a straightforward love triangle turns out to be something much more complex and much less predictable. I loved it!”
– Amanda Huggins, author of Separated from the Sea and Scratched Enamel Heart
Ali Thurm 