Casper is an Australian high school English teacher, his wife of seven years or so, Jane, makes more money than he does but that's not an issue. At issue is the fact that Casper's doubting his wife's fidelity, rendering him unable to focus at work or create beautiful, meaningful artwork; also his beautiful best friend and co-worker Beth is going through a violent breakup, and muscle-headed Vic who lives next door is threatening harm to Casper's beloved little dog Wallace. Although Casper's background is generously outlined, it's never explained what he possesses that makes him so very attractive to the opposite sex (his lovely wife Jane, the prettiest teacher at his school, the sexy nurse living next door) and likewise such an object of attention for the men around him (micromanaged by supervisor Stuart, constant harassment from neighbor Vic, suspicion and a punch in the nose from Beth's ex, surveillance from the unidentified Jean Jacket, etc.).

There are other mysteries as well: why is an English teacher so hard on himself about not creating substantive works of art? how did best friend Luke manage to see Casper's father shaking uncontrollably on a toilet in the cubicle at his wedding? how do Casper and Jane maintain such an upscale lifestyle while saving for IVF, for example rather than return a pricey gift of jewelry instead opting to flush it down a toilet? I loved the high-brow, Mad Men-esque cover art of this novel, but found it didn't really apply to the subject matter within, which might be encapsulated by the phrase "sexually explicit improbable plot".

Against a backdrop of a mundane and dull suburban life, the perfect marriage unravels.

It's a quick, light, fun read. I enjoyed the perspective being from the husband rather than the wife which made for a more interesting take than the usual chick-lit setting.

That said, I did get frustrated by the drippy naivety of the husband, and his unprofessionalism in the school where he taught was frankly unthinkable.

It never quite reaches a state of tension, but does pace along nicely.