Rub-A-Dub-Dub

My first novel, Rub-A-Dub-Dub is available in print and digital formats from the living legends at P&H Books.

“An extraordinary first novel, comic and poignant” — John Robinson, Outside Left.

“True greatness. A murky, pungent, beautiful tale. I ❤️ Mister Bob.” — Fliss Kitson, The Nightingales.

WINNER of the Saltire Society Award for Best Book Cover at Scotland’s National Book Awards 2023!

Blurb:

Defeated. Balding. Pungent. Mister Bob is troubled and cuts a pitiable figure in his job on long-distance trains.

His road to salvation starts in a most unlikely place: a bathtub.

Ride the rails with Mister Bob in Rub-A-Dub-Dub, through an underworld of private squalor, public shame and sublime bodily landscapes.

🧼

The first bit of press for the novel comes from John Robinson at OutsideLeft.

Two Men in a Tub” is a lovely interview about the novel with my friend Reggie Chamberlain-King for PopMatters.

Here’s a bit about the book taken from a longer video interview with GingerBeardMark:

Here’s a bit of writerly fubbins I put together for Writing.ie and a bit more for New Escapologist.

And someone on Goodreads was no fan of my existential slapstick.

🛁

The cover art was commissioned from Thomas “Mac” MacGregor who also painted the famous cowboy image for The Stand comedy clubs. I used to marvel at his portraits on display in the Edinburgh club when I was 15 years old; at 40 I’m chuffed to have his work on my first novel. It gives me one of those “full circle” feelings. The title of the piece is “R. Forrester,” which is Mister Bob’s real name.