What an accomplished debut novel this is. It is set across the space of a year and features the Maguire family, mum Linda, dad Gerry and their grown up children Nicole and Jamie. Every scene is set around a meal or drinks of some kind and in the opening, the family gather to celebrate Linda's birthday only to be told the news that Linda and Gerry have separated. Their children are appalled - their parents are not supposed to have emotional crises, not when both Nicole and Jamie are having their own crises. Each character is really well drawn, with their many flaws still not completely obliterating the fact that they are not total monsters, they are just normal people with issues. In many cases these issues are caused by alcohol - by the end my liver felt pickled and I'm not drinking at the moment. I know nothing about Claire Powell's background but she is able to articulate insight and emotional depth into all her characters, and the book is driven by these characters coming a cropper and having to work themselves out. As a reader, you do realise an emotional car crash is coming way ahead of the characters themselves which I found very entertaining. An astute well written book. Thanks to Netgalley for my copy.