The Milkman in the Night
by Andrey Kurkov
Harvill and Secker (e-book)

Like many others, I fell in love with Andrey Kurkov thanks to his odd crime novel, Death and the Penguin - funny, endearing and politically astute, it tells the story of an obituary writer who has a pet penguin. Misha (the penguin) has more vim than many human characters in fiction. If you are also a fan of Kurkov's smart brand of whimsy, you ought to enjoy The Milkman in the Night. Set in Kiev, it centres on three married couples. There is Semyon, a bodyguard to a high ranking parliamentary official. At night, he sleepwalks. Not content with padding the corridors of the apartment he shares with Veronika, he wanders the streets where he meets an attractive blonde. The local pharmacist has been murdered - and the killer is still at large. The two remaining couples (Egor and Irina, Dima and Valya) may seem normal, but before long all sorts of odd things are happening to them: a drug-fuelled cat turned superhero fights injustice in Kiev's animal kingdom; a strange secret society called The Embassy of the Moon involves everyone. If you like your reality a little surreal, your taste buds will be tickled.