An East Devon author has published a new feel-good novel with a seasonal angle.

Ruth Foster's book, A Perfect Year?, is a bittersweet and darkly funny story about a group of feuding neighbours.

The novel is set in the 1990s and 2000s in the fictional town of Upley Rising.

The neighbours write absorbing letters to their families and friends every December, but not all are truthful.

As the novel unfolds, readers discover the chaos, ambition, and secrets hidden behind the polite façades of the street.

Ruth Foster, who was born and grew up in London, studied law and qualified as a barrister before branching into publishing and communications.

She has spent her working life creating successful books and published works across non-fiction markets.

Ms Foster said: "Letters like these have come my way every December for years, and I always marvel at their glorious mix of content: everything from celebrated music exam results to a heart-wrenching family tragedy; from holiday disaster anecdotes to a graphic description of Uncle Clarence’s medical condition.

"Nowhere else do you find life-changing events and humdrum detail so completely intertwined on a single sheet of A4.

"I found myself wondering if I could construct a novel out of them – and A Perfect Year? was born."

She added: "I loved writing the diverse characters and their stories, and readers will instantly identify people they know - maybe even their own neighbours."

A Perfect Year? is available in bookstores and online retailers nationwide now, and also as an e-book from major platforms.

Ms Foster said: "This story is the product of many stories.

"They have come my way every December for years; folded neatly into greetings cards, bringing a unique mix of comedy and tragedy into the heart of the festive season, though they are not Christmas stories at all."