HILARIOUS and heartbreaking in equal measure, Terms & Conditions tells the story of Frank Shaw, a lawyer who specialises in small print.

He’s the master of mitigating risk and worst-case scenarios, though he isn’t quite prepared for what occurs when one happens to him. Following a serious car accident, he suffers amnesia, but as his memories return and chaos ensues, he realises there’s more to life than meticulously written terms and conditions.

The novel itself is filled with footnotes, which is a quirky, if sometimes slightly difficult-to-read concept, but it really brings to life the world that Frank inhabits.

There are also frequent comical emails from his globetrotting brother Malcolm. While it might seem that the book is full of gimmicks, they never feel forced or unnatural within the text.

Terms & Conditions is Robert Glancy’s literary debut, but it’s an assured first novel; engaging, absorbing and incredibly life-affirming. Hopefully, it will find the wide audience it deserves.

Alison Potter