Matt Giles, the thirtysomething protagonist of The Long Shoe, is having a run of bad luck. Shortly after losing his job as a bathroom salesman, he learns that he and his girlfriend Harriet are being evicted from their flat. Can life get any worse? Apparently, it can. Matt finds a note from Harriet saying she has left him and that he shouldn’t contact her. But then he receives a call from a stranger offering him a job that comes with a luxury apartment, leading him to wonder if his fortunes are turning.
Perhaps Harriet will come back if she knows they have a fancy new home. The third mystery novel from comedian Bob Mortimer comes with his trademark quirky touches including a talking animal in the form of Matt’s cat, Goodmonson, and whimsical metaphors; for Matt, trying to place a familiar face is akin to “trying to find a mouse’s handbag in a builder’s skip”.
The narrative is built around the alternating viewpoints of Matt, Harriet and their neighbour Carol, a sharp-tongued divorcee. While Mortimer reads Matt’s chapters, Arabella Weir gives voice to Carol, whose liking for a younger man frequently lands her in trouble. Harriet, who we soon discover hasn’t left Matt at all but has been the victim of a crime, is read by Diane Morgan, whose delivery is as drily funny as you’d expect from the star of Philomena Cunk. If the plot strains under the weight of numerous contrivances, the surreal humour and sharp performances will be enough to keep you listening.
• Available via Simon & Schuster, 7hr 25min
Further listening
Every Kind of People: A Journey into the Heart of Care Work
Kathryn Faulke, Penguin Audio, 9hr 48min
By turns poignant, funny and uplifting, this memoir by Faulke, a home care-worker, lifts the lid on the lives of the old and infirm and the people who tirelessly tend to them. Narrated by Ayesha Antoine.
The Mighty Red
Louise Erdrich, Little, Brown Audio, 11hr 27min
Marin Ireland reads this sweeping story of secrets and regret from the author of The Plague of Doves. In the Red River valley in North Dakota, a bride and groom with very different expectations for the future are set to marry.
