Alison Parmenter has the ability to read the world. A skill she calls "chipshopness" as it helps her to find the nearest chipshop in any town. Using this skill keeps her employed at a bookmakers where she can pick odds with incredible accuracy. But the odds on the end of the world are slowley growing shorter.

Squadron Leader Leyton is a british fighter pilot from the future where he fights against an alien race. Along with his disembodied head copilot Jocelyn he's been catapaulted back here to the past. But it's not the past of the worl he came from.

Cleves is a shadowy agent of a conspiracy in the British security services that seeks to protect the country by any means necessary. But is the threat actually the saviour?

The Golden men are a mysterious, alien collective who are manipulating everybody else.

This is Cornell's second novel (other than writing Dr. Who books I think) and it is a wonderful example of the British new wave of SF. The book initially comes across as a bit Robert Rankin in its chaotic mix of characters, locations and points in history. But it is not at all humerous and the eclectic mix is held together convincingly. The characters are well drawn and totally convincing. This skill as a writer is most proven in the sections dealing with Jesus and his disciples, especially the focal Judas. Anybody who can write people like that and have you empathise with them holds your attention with ease.

The plot is a bit of a time-twister but ultimatly is consistant and satisfying. Cornell sets most of the book in Bath but seeing as he worked for SFX magazine based there it's a city he knows well and it was a wise choice to set the book there.

I'm looking forward to getting his previous book, 'Something More'. This book was very enjoyable and quite different and I recommend it to lovers of the genres more quirky side."