Disclaimer: I received an eARC for review consideration through NetGalley, on behalf of the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a little different from Steven Rowley’s style in his previous books. It is still filled with humor surrounding tragedy, but feels a little darker than either Lily and the Octopus or The Guncle duology.

Jesse is the central character, and we experience his anger, dejection, and sense of abandonment after his husband disappears after stepping voluntarily into what appears to be an alien tractor beam.

After spending 30 years with Norman, Jesse has to figure out who he is on his own, come to terms with the reality of the state of his marriage, and figure out what to tell people about where Norman is. In doing so, Jesse finds new people to fill his life, even some who were only peripherally involved when Norman was there.

The humor is there, from interactions with his boss and students, to conversations with his sister-in-law and reclusive neighbor. And then there’s his sister-in-law’s relationship with the PI she hired to find Norman.

Jesse goes through a lot of growth and changes, so that when Norman ultimately returns (this is a chapter title, so I don’t think it counts as a spoiler) nothing is the same as it was and a whole new set of challenges appears.

The ending of the story does not disappoint, and I continue to be a fan of the author. I can’t wait to see what comes next.