As if their 20-year age gap wasn't trouble enough, Matilda's fighting for space with Gabe's long-time bedfellows: misery, booze and writerly angst. She's not even convinced he's over his ex-girlfriend and publisher Angela, who was hooked on picking up his pieces.

If Gabe wants to get sober, he'll have to abandon his image as tragic writer betrothed to the bottle. And if Angela's really trying to let Gabe go, like her partner Tony needs her to, she should probably say goodbye to Gabe's wretched cat-which she's somehow still looking after.

Mary Rachel Brown (The Dapto Chaser) wields her razor-sharp wit to ask painfully familiar questions around romance and addiction: how do we find the strength to be loved? Why do we cling to people intent on pushing us away? And how do we shake off the past, when the bastard won't stop tailing us?

Dead Cat Bounce finds humour in the everyday muck, with characters that hit rock bottom...and keep digging.