Matthew Baxter was almost there. Almost a writer, almost a lover, almost a traveller. He wrote for the Tread Lightly range of travel guides, he loved his boss and he was about to catch a plane to the south. His job was to give an out-of-season slant to the Italian guide, and he was ready. Almost. For everything wasn’t exactly as it should have been. In fact, nothing was exactly as it should have been. Especially Matthew Baxter.

Peter Benson’s new novel is a story of (almost) unrequited love and a meditation on the possibility of redemption. It’s also a tour of southern Italy, and aims to prove that although some people say “Never go back”, some people don’t know what they’re talking about.