By Tom Rachman

More a collection of short stories than a novel, this book is set in the Rome office of a failing international newspaper. Each chapter is a story from the life of one of the employees. They are very loosely tied together but mostly they exist as separate stories. I don't usually like short stories because I always find I want more when they end and although that was true with each chapter here, overall I did enjoy the book and so enjoyed the setting. The opening chapter is actually written from the Paris correspondent for the Rome office so you get to roam around Paris a bit.