A quest for love, and a comic jaunt across Europe thats sharp, funny and clever, and fresh as new paint (The Times)

When 19-year-old Susan takes a job with Finkelheim, the shady bookseller across the street from her flat in Londons grotty, bohemian Fitzrovia, she has no plan beyond making the rent and treading water till something better comes along. One day, however, leafing through the erotic books that are Finkelheims main stock in trade, she stumbles across a nude photograph of her old schoolgirl crush, Cynthia. At first shes shocked, but then memories from seven years ago come flooding back, reigniting her ardor. Nealeher elusive flatmate and not-quite-boyfriendis every bit as intrigued as Susan, so together they decide to track the angular beauty down. When they discover Cynthia is scheduled to make an appearance at an international film symposium in Venice, the broke twosome embark on a package tour to Italy as travel couriers in charge of a bus-load of American oddballs whove scared all the other couriers off. After various detours, breakdowns, and a raid on the buss emergency brandy supply, they finally arrive in Venice . . . and thats where things get really complicated.

More of a boost than any Omega 3 (Ali Smith), and every bit as unclassifiable as the sexuality of its characters (The Telegraph), thisBrophys most autobiographical novelis an incisive, off-kilter story about figuring out who to love, and how.