Here Goes Nothing by Steve Toltz

SCEPTRE, £18.99 (EBOOK £8.99).

For anyone who has gone through the last few years and thought things couldn’t possibly get any worse, Steve Toltz’s latest novel Here Goes Nothing is here to prove you wrong. Angus Mooney is trying to come to terms with his own death, as his murderer makes moves on his pregnant widow. Meanwhile a new, even more deadly, pandemic is sweeping the globe. This vision of the afterlife is far from utopian, with the dead taking all the worst aspects of human nature with them as they depart the mortal plane. Toltz offers wit and plenty of food for thought with this dystopian novel, but if you’re looking for a feel-good read, you should steer clear.