Dr. Sweet and his daughter

the long version

"Dr. Sweet's life is largely run-of-the-mill for the twenty-first century. A recent divorce and ongoing custody battle; a tame affair that's gradually grinding to a halt; a job that seems to have stopped halfway up the professional escalator; friends who are too preoccupied with their own lives to spare much of a thought for anyone else... In fact, the only bright spark in Dr. Sweet's life is his terrifically talented and terribly precocious daughter, Cordie." "With Christmas family hell just around the corner, however, in the shape of his parents and ex-wife, Dr. Sweet's life is about to take a turn for the worse. Sent to the local shop for some last-minute supplies, this is the day he manages to lose first his mistress, then his job, and finally, his freedom, as the police arrest him for murder."--BOOK JACKET.