The Möbius Book is a neither straightforwardly Lacey’s fifth novel, nor entirely not. It is a work in two parts, one ostensibly fiction and the other memoir, in its printed form designed to be read in whichever order the reader chooses, with neither presented as the ‘correct’ choice. In the the digital ARC I read, the first part is the fictional narrative, which concerns two friends - Marie and Edie - who meet at the former’s flat in the wake of their respective painful breakups (Marie with her ex-wife K, with whom she co-parented two children; Edie from an abusive partner), both choosing to ignore the blood seeping through Marie’s neighbour’s door.

Nobody’s Empire is openly autobiographical, with its central character Stephen acting as almost entirely un-veiled substitute for Murdoch himself. Following a teenhood filled with relative popularity (as a DJ and promoter on the vibrant Glasgow music scene of the 1980s) and activity, we find Stephen in the early 90s, having recently split from a girlfriend and given up on a degree, both having proved incompatible with his recent diagnosis with ME / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. He spends his days alternating between rest and limited social interactions, largely with his housemate Richard and friend Carrie, both of whom also suffer from the same condition.