There are no new insights here into male-female relationships. That’s OK, though – this could still have been just be a fun buddy story. However, the two male protagonists aren’t likeable enough, and they’re not even strongly drawn enough to be thoroughly unlikeable – which might have been more interesting, in a perverse way. They are just walking cliches in the hands of an inept, indifferent puppetmaster. The only spark of life in this book is that some of the cliches do actually rise to the level of being actively offensive.

The author seems much more intent on getting that screenplay deal than on actually crafting a decent book, as the dialogue has that “you can film me straight from the page” rhythm to it. (At least the movie version redeemed this pedestrian book.) I just wanted the Miles and Jack of the book to guzzle their pinot noir (Miles is a wine afficionado …?) and leave, please.