A FORMER teacher at Oakbank School who now lives in France has published her third novel.

Celia Micklefield says the latest work The Sandman And Mrs Carter is a slight departure from the usual idea of women’s fiction.

Celia, who used to live in Keighley, described her novel as a psychological drama with more than a touch of mystery.

It is narrated by five named characters who know Mrs Wendy Carter, and the reader learns her story through their viewpoints.

But who is the mystery narrator who seems to know everything about everybody?

Celia, a former English teacher who writes under her maiden name rather than her married name of Smith, has published three novels and two collections of short stories.

She said her latest offering would leave readers guessing right up to the end.

She said: “I’ve always loved reading a good yarn, now I’m writing them. I love reading stories with many layers so I suppose it’s only natural that those are the kind I love writing.”

Celia wrote her first novel Patterns Of Our Lives after writing many short stories for magazines such as Women’s Weekly.

She worked hard for several months on the final editing of the novel while recovering from a car accident.

Patterns Of Our Lives was set in Kingsley, a fictitious town inspired by both her birthplace of Keighley, and Bingley.

Celia said: “The events of World War Two and how they affect the people of Kingsley feature prominently in Patterns Of Our Lives, but it is essentially a story about love and the sacrifices people make in its name.”

The “heart-warming and heartbreaking” tale asked how generations of one family could keep so many secrets for such a long time.

Visit celiamicklefield.com for further information. Celia’s books can be bought from Amazon, and she has a Facebook page listing all her books.