Only Sylvia has a secret: she's been in love with her boss, Professor Lomax, for over a decade now, and she's sure he's just waiting for the right time to leave his wife. Meanwhile she stores every crumb of his affection and covertly makes trouble for anyone she feels gets in his way.

Needlemouse is an eccentrically heartwarming tale of stepping out of your comfort zone. In the same vein as The Cactus, protagonist Sylvia begins her story as an unconventional antagonist. It took me ages to warm to her but by the end of the novel I was gripped to the pages and rooting for her to get the happy ending she so deserves. Needlemouse is a triumph and much like a hedgehog, Jane O'Connor has such a created a beautifully soft, warm message at the heart of her story.