Fred convinces his partner Nel to celebrate her fortieth birthday on an Arctic cruise, and it’s only natural to invite along some friends, despite promising to keep it quiet.

But nobody had counted on the presence of Fred's Scrabble-crazy aunts and their frenzied power walking up and down the top deck, or on Marvin, a climate change-denying American oilman with a few card tricks up his sleeve, or an eco-protest for that matter. And certainly no one had expected to spot a ravenous polar bear…

With old flames and familiar faces aboard, and an imposter in their midst, will they all make it through the ice and back? And as the temperature rises, will they keep their cool? 

'A delightful, fun and inclusive read with a laugh on every page' Ian Moore, author of Death and Croissants

'A beautifully observed and highly entertaining tale. Tom Shakespeare is a fine comic writer' Alexander McCall Smith

'A blissful social comedy, stuffed with cherishable lines' Lissa Evans

Tom Shakespeare CBE is a sociologist and ethicist who works at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, where he leads teams researching disability and mental health in Africa and Asia. Tom has presented programmes and documentaries on BBC Radio and has written for publications including the Guardian and The Lancet. He has been a stand-up comedian, an actor, a dancer, and an artist.