The Man Who Loved Islands

'A real new talent on the Scottish literary scene' Press & Journal

'By turn hilarious and heart-breaking, more than anything Ross creates beautifully rounded characters full of humanity and perhaps most of all, hope' Liam Rudden, Scotsman

'David Ross carved out an enduring place for himself among contemporary Scottish novelists' Alastair Mabb, Herald Scotland

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The Disco Boys and The Band are back...

In the early 80s, Bobby Cassidy and Joey Miller were inseparable; childhood friends and fledgling business associates. Now, both are depressed and lonely, and they haven't spoken to each other in more than ten years. A bizarre opportunity to honour the memory of someone close to both of them presents itself, if only they can forgive ... and forget.

With the help of the deluded Max Mojo and the faithful Hamish May, can they pull off the impossible, and reunite the legendary Ayrshire band, The Miraculous Vespas, for a one-off Music Festival – The Big Bang – on a remote, uninhabited Scottish island?

Absurdly funny, deeply moving and utterly human, The Man Who Loves Islands is an unforgettable finale to the Disco Days trilogy – a modern classic pumped full of music and middle-aged madness, written from the heart and pen of one of Scotland's finest new voices.

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Praise for David F. Ross

'A warm, funny consideration of reconciliation between middle-aged friends and a celebration of music's healing powers. Suggest to fans of Nick Hornby' Library Journal

'Warm, funny and evocative. If you grew up in the eighties, you're going to love this' Chris Brookmyre

'Dark, hilarious, funny and heart-breaking all at the same time, a book that sums up the spirit of an era and a country in a way that will make you wince and laugh at the same time' Muriel Gray

'An astonishing tour de force' John Niven

'This is a book that might just make you cry like nobody's watching' Iain MacLeod, Sunday Mail

'Crucially Ross's novel succeeds in balancing light and dark, in that it can leap smoothly from brutal social realism to laugh-out-loud humour within a few sentences' Press & Journal

'Full of comedy, pathos and great tunes' Hardeep Singh Kohli

'If I saw that in a store I would buy it without even looking at what was inside' Irvine Welsh

'Like the vinyl that crackles off every page ... as warm and authentic as Roddy Doyle at his very best' Nick Quantrill

'A solid-gold hit of a book! The closest you'll ever get to being on Top of the Pops' Colin McCredie