In his funniest novel to date, John Haylock shifts his lovale to '60s Tangier. The settin gis the Hotel Ritz, a run-down establishment peopled by a menagerie of eccentric ex-patriots. Micheal has fled England after a minor sex scandal. Rhoda, the resident grande dame, has taken a platonic interest in Abdelsalam, a young hotel waiter. All is fine until Janet, a wealthy young heiress, arrives for a visit...and falls madly in love with Abdelsalam. Haylock captures with unerring accuracy the petty jealousies endemic in expatriate communities, and with great humour.