A Matter of Life and Beth by Scott Bisset
Accomplished/Intuitive/Emotive
A Matter of Life and Beth by Scott Bissett - Author 
In the ensuing aftermath of Eric’s unceremonious departure, it had to be said that Beth was more put out by what remained, than what had buggered off. Left alone with an ever increasing pile of demands for payment that she hadn’t previously been privy to and no income, along with a vastly growing sense of inadequacy, not to mention, an over entitled fussy feline who, unlike his errant master, was making it abundantly clear that his lifestyle must continue in the manner to which he had become accustomed (thank you very much!), she is faced with rebuilding her life. Together with the support of her bestie Connie, and her son Jason, she surprises herself with her boldness, selecting some interesting life choices, leading to an unexpected liberation.
This being the third and latest of Scott Bissett’s novels, I was aware that I liked his writing, but was in no way prepared for the degree of elevation he has managed to take his writing to, with this book, compared to the previous two novels. The main character is Beth, a woman of a certain age, my age in fact and although I don’t have a husband who left me to pursue ‘a younger bit of fluff’, or an obstreperous, conniving cat, I could identify with everything she was feeling about herself, and had I not had a clue as to the identity of the author of this book, I would have sworn on my life it was a female. Beth’s narrative, told in the first person, is accurate, quick witted and hilarious. If you are a woman of a certain age, a pantie pad of some kind might be in order. It is also achingly frustrating and sad in places when Beth acts on impulse and her immediate feelings in some situations, but is hesitant in others. Worrying too much about what others will think and the right thing to do, consumes Beth at first, but as she gradually learns to love herself and take chances, it is good to see her open herself up to a wider playing field of opportunities and chances. Maybe the saying about being open to positivity and receiving it in abundance is true? When it came to Eric, I was surprised at the depth of my anger and was willing Beth to do the right thing for herself. Scott cleverly leaves the reader guessing as to how her life will envelop and which path she eventually chooses, for much of the book. I had my suspicions but was never certain.
As with his second novel ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’, the reintroduction of two characters from his other two books, is just a joy and pleased me no end. I tried to create Scottish voices within my head on a variation for all the characters, which was fun to do. The best was definitely Jason. I love the dynamic he has with Beth. He, like his mother is written with a quick wit and a touch of suggestiveness and smut, which I so enjoyed. He is so warmly supportive of Beth in the aftermath of his parents’ marriage collapsing and is written beautifully in line with his gentile persuasions. Coupled with his flat mate Heather (also taken from both previous novels), they are a fabulous comedic couple. Although the couple part isn’t even conceivable, they are extremely in tune with one another. When Beth, Jason and Heather go to the bingo, the innuendo and sauciness was so authentic of what I might have expected from these characters. Thankfully, during the course of reading ‘You, Me & Your Girlfriend’ I had discovered the definition of quite a bit of Scottish slang. However, even without this knowledge, this particular scene wouldn’t be lost on anyone.
Con, Beth’s bestie is quite possibly the best bestie that I’ve ever encountered, I need her in my life. She is Beth’s partner in crime regardless of the situation and is always there to pick up the pieces. At first I imagined her as a fur coat and no knickers kind of a gal with a raspy ‘smokes 40 a day’ Scottish rasp. This perception changed. Her carnal exploits and her current arrangement with ‘Big Kink’ are the talk of the wine cave into the early hours of the morning. Her re-telling of her accidental meeting with the window cleaner and the chapter that followed her insistence that Beth should book herself in for some very intimate ultimately eye watering self care, had me in hysterics! 
Then we have the character of Gerald, written so superbly for his role of mentor vs muse. He is delightfully flamboyant, expressive and wonderfully eccentric. I couldn’t decide whether to imagine him as having a posh British drawl or a slightly Scottish ‘campness’. Either way, the creation of Gerald and his gastrointestinally challenged blood hound Reginald is a bloomin’ triumph! 
Scott has created such an impressive combination of memorable, well constructed characters that work immaculately together, and incorporated them into a very compelling story with engaging dialogue. I am a big fan of ‘Bridget Jones’ both the films and the books, but I would go so far as to say that I actually think that Helen Fielding has some serious competition here. I am excited to see what Scott produces next. He is most definitely a master of his art. 
I quite literally read ‘A Matter of Life and Beth’ from cover to cover and shed a tear when I came to the acknowledgements. Thank you Scott.x
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