‘Hm,’ says Jasper Fforde, ‘I’ve set my world up, I’ve introduced my main characters, I’ve got my themes… I know, let’s have some fun.’

And my goodness me, fun he has – as do we, the readers. This is quite, quite wonderful – reaching a crescendo of comic invention allied to an excellent crime fiction plot: it’s no use going all metafiction if you ignore the basics (Stephen King, I’m looking at you and the end of the Dark Tower series).

Jack Spratt, Mary Mary, Ashley the Alien are all back and facing the psychopathic Gingerbreadman (‘Is he a biscuit or a cake?’ On this question rides all). It’s wonderful seeing an author at the height of his powers really letting rip – my only question is when is the third volume going to come out?