"Care of Wooden Floors" and "The Way Inn" were two of my favourite novels from a new author in the last few years; the latter in particular was so original and utterly hilarious. So on the announcement of "Plume", I was really looking forward to another book from Will Wiles."Plume" is very well-written, expertly told and well thought out with excellent character writing. But despite this, I just didn't enjoy it. In Wiles' previous works, the Kafka-esque journey bordered on slapstick hilarity, whereas "Plume" is a much more serious read and a darker, often gloomy tale with a greater sense of unease. In fact, I probably smiled once throughout the book – don't be mislead by the cover reviews exclaiming the book's hilarity. I didn't find it funny at all.This is mostly down to the fact our protagonist Jack Bick, is an alcoholic. We are thrown into the world of addiction and how that need takes priority over everything else. It's a sensitive, often uncomfortable topic, but I found I had no empathy for the character whatsoever and felt nothing but revulsion and frustration at Bick's pathetic and continual desperation.There is a slightly surreal edge to "Plume" in parts, but in general it is very much down-to-earth, taking a bitter and cynical look at trendy London life in the clichéd unreality of Shoreditch combined with the rise of a new social media platform, Tamesis.My biggest frustration was yet to come, with the eventual conclusion which somehow felt like it belonged in another story. The end of the book felt hurried and not particularly satisfying.