A Spot of Bother

At 57, George Hall faces retirement while navigating family chaos as his daughter Katie plans to remarry. Amidst the turmoil, he grapples with personal issues in this humorous, poignant novel, A Spot of Bother.

In A Spot of Bother, George Hall, at the age of fifty-seven, is on the verge of enjoying a peaceful retirement. He immerses himself in building a shed, reading historical novels, and listening to light jazz. However, his tranquility is disrupted when his daughter, Katie, announces her plans to remarry Ray, a man whose unsettling demeanor raises concerns among the family. George's son, Jamie, is particularly wary, noting that Ray has strangler's hands, which sets the tone for the family's growing unease.

As the wedding preparations unfold, tensions rise within the family. Katie grapples with her feelings for Ray, torn between her affection for him and her appreciation for how he cares for her son, Jacob. Meanwhile, Jean, Katie's mother, finds herself frustrated as the wedding planning interferes with her own secret affair. Jamie's carefully constructed life begins to unravel when he neglects to invite his partner, Tony, to the wedding, leading to further complications and emotional fallout.

Amidst this chaos, George faces his own struggles as he discovers a troubling lesion on his hip. As he navigates the challenges of his family dynamics and his own mental health, the novel paints a poignant portrait of a man trying to maintain his dignity while grappling with the absurdities of life. With humor and empathy, A Spot of Bother explores the complexities of family relationships and the chaos that often accompanies love and commitment.