The Department of Certainty - Paterson S. C.

The Department of Certainty sets up a 'what if' world where our brains are populated by competing departments. Jessica is in the 'real world.' She is a child protection social worker who decides that she will kill herself before the end of the day. Colin works in Jessica's soul. He and his friends are in a race against time to prevent Jessica from throwing herself into the Thames. Their task is to work out who or what is responsible for Jessica's suicidal thoughts and finally to steer her away from death on Vauxhall Bridge.

The Department of Certainty is set in a surreal world that's all too familiar to anyone who's wrestled with doing the right thing in the teeth of doing it the right way. Told in a wry, fresh style, this is a moving yet highly entertaining debut novel.

 Greg Michaelson, author of The Wave Singer (Argyll, 2008) and co-author of Equinox (Stairwell, 2023).

Infused with a balance of dry humour and sadness that keeps the other-worldliness rooted in the human condition. Well-paced and full of drama. It made me wonder what's going on in my own brain.

Hannah Corbett

Clever, funny, un-put-downable - the inner workings of Jessica's mind are laid bare in a highly original and humorous way, whilst her fate hangs in the balance. Will she find a way through? A must read!

Jane Cook