'His masterpiece' Jay Rayner

'One of the best opening lines of any novel... a warm, witty and ultimately very poignant book' Guardian

An outstanding contemporary novel, about which readers say:

'Banks' masterpiece'

'Iain Banks at his best'

'Read this immediately'

'A story full of wonderful characters'

'It was the day my grandmother exploded. I sat in the crematorium, listening to my Uncle Hamish quietly snoring in harmony to Bach's Mass in B Minor, and I reflected that it always seemed to be death that drew me back to Gallanach.'

Prentice McHoan has returned to the bosom of his complex but enduring Scottish family. Full of questions about the McHoan past, present and future, he is also deeply preoccupied: mainly with death, sex, drink, God and illegal substances...