Peter is a middle-aged political cartoonist, and, inevitably, a cynic. For a number of reasons, not the least of which is desperation, he goes to a meditation center in rural Wales to try and get a new perspective on his life. Initially, the perspective that obsesses him is that of Amanda, an attractive young woman who hasn't yet realized that middle-aged men are explosive hormonal containers just waiting to detonate. He then uncovers the covert mission of the meditators, which is to act as a recruiting agency for an extra-terrestrial civilization, at which point his cynicism proves fatal.

Phillip is a boringly normal man, a computer geek, more functional with logic than with people and their illogical problems. When a sequence of murders takes place in his east London neighborhood he feels linked to them. Unsettling visions possess him, hurling him into a mental breakdown, his decline encouraged by his son, a repellant and menacing presence lurking at the margins of Phillip's life. Simultaneously, the crime detective, the careworn Spencer, yields to a bizarre relationship with his superior officer. Her attitude towards both the case and Spencer verges on the merciless and feeds off the gruesome crimes they are trying to solve. Fathering Sin turns the usual ideas of life and death on their heads.

This is a collection of short stories about life. It's rather tongue-in-cheek, a bit raw, clearly cynical and, above all, humorous. The open-minded among you will love it. If you are easily offended, then be prepared to be so. All of us need to get through this dysfunctional life somehow. This book is a witty guide to charting your course - you could look upon it as an alternative life-coach. It is a collection of short stories, which look at life from three angles: the person and their personality, how it can shift and change; the social animal that has to deal with family, friends, co-workers and strangers; and the odd situations that just come out of nowhere and leave us scratching our heads in bewilderment. It is a witty and entertaining look at contemporary life and experiences, and you will either guffaw, groan or cringe as you read.