During the Celtic Tiger era, Moss Mortimer takes a year off from the rat race when he quits his job in a Dublin bank after twenty years there. He also moves out of the family home into a vacant flat in his house in Sandymount leaving his envious sister Louise and their reclusive, divorced mother Clare to contend with his absence and with each other. As the months go by, the story reveals entertaining insights into the intricacies of relationships including the culture of envy or 'begrudgery', the obsession with owning property, and the consequences of resisting change and commitment.

"He set off along Westmoreland Street towards College Green, pausing to admire Trinity College and the pale golden hands of the blue-faced clock while he waited for the traffic lights to change. Continuing his journey along Grafton Street and passing by Bewley's Café, he then made a right turn into Chatham Street and entered Neary's. Easing himself onto a seat in the ground floor snug, he ordered a celebratory Scotch and soda... He was ready at last, poised to plunge cautiously into the exhilarating pool of risk."

'A finely-honed, beautifully-paced novel with most interesting characters. There's elegance and clarity drawn with a very perceptive eye.'

Inez Heron, author of When Trees Were Green