Friends Of Dorothy by Sandi Toksvig: 

This is Toksvig’s sixth novel.  It’s an amiable read, but offers little in plot development.  Stevie (a policeman) and Amber (a paramedic) but their first home in a quiet part of London.  The only trouble is, the previous resident, an old woman called Dorothy is still there.  As Stevie and Amber cope with a new home, deciding to have children and demanding, often dangerous jobs Dorothy becomes a constant presence in their lives.  

Fan’s of her warm, yet cheeky humour will lap this up.  Dorothy (who likes pop music and Minecraft) is a fabulous creation.  And it is nice to see such a queer friendly, acceptant novel.  The real problems lie structurally.  There is no real sort of plot, it sort of ambles from situation to situation.  That episodic nature will work on TV.  And although the novel ends on a sweet note, a shocking situation in the final third is resolved far too easily.  

Some may enjoy this, but I found its lack of focus problematic.  It’s published by Little Brown on September 26th and I thank them for a preview copy.  #friendsofdorothy.