by Pete McTighe

BBC Books, out now

What is the dark secret at heart of Kerblam – the biggest retailer in the galaxy? 

Pete McTighe adapts his 2019 Series 11 episode Kerblam! for the Target range, and what a fun rush it is.

Boasting 20 chapters, some only a page in length, McTighe is playing by his own rules, even including a cheeky little coda. One chapter – Dispatched to Danger – is clearly an affectionate variation on Target’s most prolific author’s (Terrance Dicks) oft-used chapter title Escape to Danger.

Ultimately, it’s a straightforward story, parodying the working conditions endured within the warehouse of large retailer, and McTighe doesn’t try to complicate things by adding any unnecessary asides. But what he does include, to great effect, are flashbacks to Judy Maddox at different times in her life.

Verdict: Frothy and fun, the author’s joy is contagious. 8/10

Nick Joy

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