Bill Clarkson is in the final stages of Alzheimer’s. He is trying to make sense of the world; his wife’s death, and his various moves from home, to care home, nursing home and finally to hospital.

Michael, his son, is a selfish and idle drunkard. Bill regards him as ‘the apple of his eye’, and never changes that view up to the moment of his death, but Michael is forced by his father’s circumstances to become a devoted, helpful and loving son.

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(Extract from the book)

It’s Columbo.

You know, the little man in the scruffy raincoat. Mary and I used to watch him a lot. Evenings, when he was on. And mostly weekends; they put him on a lot at the weekends. Good detective stories. I always loved the way he would finish talking to someone, walk away and then turn round, full of apologies, put his hand to his head – usually still holding a cigar – and say ‘Oh just one more thing’ and often as not he would then accuse them of murder, prove it and wrap the whole thing up there and then. The murderer was always surprised and couldn’t believe how he’d been beaten by the innocent, quiet little man.

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