As with many comedians turned writers, Alexei Sayle's new novel cracks a few jokes in darker waters, yet while it's lightweight enough to keep you reading, it's far from involving enough to stay in the mind. Potentially a dark study of grief, revenge and repentance in the aftermath of a motorway accident, the scattergun narrative seems forever in a rush to advance the story, skimming over opportunities to tackle big themes. It's not predictable, and comes dotted with some acutely observed moments and subtle running jokes, but rarely do you feel that the somewhat anonymous prose delves as deep as it could. Ben Sloan
