Mrs Outhwaite is a powerful piece of writing. I found it absorbing and it certainly kept me turning the pages. I can see why your work has been highly rated by readers on the site.

I was impressed by the way you have built rounded, intriguing characters with a light, economical touch. Many authors fall into the trap of weighing down their work with hugely detailed pen portraits, which can be off-putting. I had only read a few pages before I felt involved with Mae and you also make a good start at fleshing out Ross very early on. Our first impression of him is negative but this is instantly balanced by a display of caring on his part, which is subtly done and adds depth to your novel. Because of the part he plays later on you'll need to make sure that he is as three-dimensional as Mae. Perhaps seeing him through someone else's eyes would help here.

You are also very successful at dropping hints and hooks into the story at exactly the right moment. The reader has a shock immediately, when you reveal that Mae is the mother of a son who committed suicide, and that is the hook that pulls the reader in. In fact, the entire section I read is perfectly paced. The challenge will be to keep that pace – I did wonder from my reading of the synopsis if it might all become a bit rushed at the end and this is something you should be very aware of as you complete the novel.

Mrs Outhwaite has a very oppressive, intense feel. I was reminded of the atmosphere (although this is an entirely different kind of story with a very different style) of SLEEP WITH ME by Joanna Briscoe. That kind of intensity can be hard to maintain, even for the most experienced of authors, and can be exhausting, and ultimately off-putting for readers. Adding more texture and background would deal with this. You could also think about including a different point of view from Mae. This would give your novel a 'bigger' feel and take away some of that oppressive feeling. You've captured perfectly the childish, defensive voice of an alcoholic and that ring of authenticity lends your writing its power. But because Mae's voice is the only voice we hear, that slightly addled, ranting speech might grate after a while. If you don't fancy using another POV, I wonder if Daniel's diaries might play more of a part? At the moment, you seem to intend for Mae to find and read them at the end of the novel. If Mae finds them early on and reads them slowly over the course of the novel (she might be savouring hearing Daniel's voice again and therefore rationing herself) you will provide yourself with a change of voice.

Using Daniel's diaries throughout will also allow the suspense to build gradually. At the moment the synopsis implies Ross is unveiled as Daniel's killer in a slightly 'ta-dah!' kind of way. The reader needs to understand Ross in order to be satisfied that he might kill Daniel just to avoid humiliation. Getting to know him (and his bullying behaviour) through Daniel's diaries might be a good device. I think you are skilled enough that you can develop Ross's character through Daniel without giving the game away.

The wit you display, particularly your use of black humour (SCRAP/CRAP) provides light relief and allows the reader to warm to Mae. That very British self-deprecating humour that she has is appealing and has enabled you to make a challenging character someone that your reader will relate to despite her bad behaviour. I would encourage you to use humour throughout.

My feeling is that you have all the ingredients here for a very commercial novel. However, I am concerned that you aren't quite clear (at least, this is the feeling I get from your synopsis) what genre MRS OUTHWAITE is. I do think this is something you should think about before you submit to agents. I know lots of authors are reluctant to bracket themselves while they're writing but if you want to make a living from writing you really should consider who your audience is at this stage. Imagine your editor is presenting MRS OUTHWAITE to the sales team. Which bookshops might it be promoted in? What age/sex would the publisher be aiming at? I know these are terribly commercial concerns but unfortunately, that is the reality of publishing, particularly at the moment, and any agent you submit to will be thinking along those lines.

The sample text I read was commercial, yet fairly literary. It reads like a suspenseful human drama and I think I'd categorise it along with books like NOTES ON A SCANDAL. However, the synopsis (particularly the second half) reads more like straightforward thriller. I would hate to see your story lose its quirky character. For that reason, I was concerned that the ending is very pat. The sample text is dark and suspenseful – does such a neat and tidy ending (Mrs O and River 'happily reunited') sit well with what you've written so far? It's just a thought but I wonder whether a more ambiguous or sophisticated conclusion might be a more satisfying.

Overall, then I believe you need to focus on three main areas. 1/ Lessening the intensity of the novel and broadening the scope. 2/ Adding depth to the other characters. 3/ Making sure the synopsis and sample chapters work together as a coherent whole so anyone reading the synopsis can see how the novel might progress from the sample chapters. Those points aside, I think you have the makings of a really good novel here. It's already fairly polished and my suggestions are tweaks and adjustments. This is exciting work and I think you have a very good chance of getting published. Good luck!

What a great review, with some really constructive feedback, market savvy and useful tips for the future.
You must be delighted Wendy.
Well done!