Peter Trix is nearing 40, and his life is in a mess. His elderly boss has fallen for a sultry Russian temptress, and his best friend, Wigan, is keen to blow something up. As for Peter, his epitaph, he feels sure, will be, 'He left this life, having decided to take it no further.'

But Peter wants to take it further - before it's too late! Whether working for the overthrow of the state, searching for casual sex or a woman to beat him up for a fair price, he finally goes for broke. Or would, if he could manage to tie up his shoelaces without falling over.

Then there's Sally, his long-lost love, and Janet at work whose sex-life drives him crazy - if only because he's not part of it. Not to mention a woman he loathes who wants to seduce him, and Mr Tredley-Blackett - a private detective whose investigative skills are so poor he would struggle to find the shoes for the laces Peter can't tie up. As he lurches from one crisis to another, it's a year Peter will never forget!