by Irvine Welsh
First published 1999
Environmental Health Officer Danny Skinner is on a mission to uncover the hidden lives of master chefs. But as his quest spirals into an unhealthy obsession, he finds himself locked in a bitter feud with a rival, the model-railway enthusiast Brian Kibby. When Kibby contracts a mysterious virus, Skinner must confront his own dark impulses and the consequences of his actions. At the heart of this gothic parable lies a searing exploration of identity, male rivalry, and the insatiable human desire for belonging.
Genres: literary-fiction, mystery, contemporary
Vibes: dark, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Edinburgh (Scotland), San Francisco (Calif.)
400 pages · Hardcover · W. W. Norton
Content warnings: mental-illness