Patrick Gale

Don’t miss this corker of a novel in which tree surgeon Lawrence Frost wakes after a night in his van to find himself arrested for murdering his wife. It’s hilarious and sad, packed with crazy coincidences and brilliant set pieces, such as the Caribbean cruise from hell where Lawrence is seduced by Lala, a chanteuse with a suspiciously deep voice and rather large feet. The message is that families, like trees, grow most strongly when they’re pruned. Terrific.