When I dove back into the world of Tom Holt with When It's a Jar, I didn't realize that it was part of a series, to be preceded by Doughnut. Having finished the book, which stood neatly on its own, I went back to fill in the gaps.

Doughnut, too, is very funny. But the two books aren't as linked as I'd expected.

Where Jar focused on the not-hero Maurice Katz, who moved boxes for a living and discovered the multiverse quite by accident, Doughnut focuses on Theo Goldstein, the out-of-favor scientist who may have caused a very large explosion indeed and is happy enough carting entrails for a living until he's summoned back into the world of science through a not-hotel, where he, too, discovers the multiverse. And maybe, in retrospect, helps to create it.

The end of Doughnut leaves Theo Goldstein in a very specific place. When we meet him again in Jar, his circumstances have changed dramatically. And inexplicably. At least, if it can be explained, it never is. Not in these books, anyway. (There are more in the series, so I guess we'll see.)

But, for the moment, it seems best to approach these two books as separate entities, both of which share a common character and a multiverse theory. On its own, Doughnut is quite good.

Bernstein is a typical Holt protagonist, brilliant but befuddled, and very, very funny. His adventures as he strives to solve the puzzle of multiverse travel will keep readers turning pages as he deals with a not-dead brother, a crazy (but very rich) sister, an eccentric mentor, a slew of empty wine bottles, a lot of doughnuts (hence the title) and, of course, a girl.

The plot of a Tom Holt book can sometimes be hard to explain. It should be experienced, rather, without benefit of too much foreshadowing. Therefore, I'm going to recommend you just take my word for it and read the damn thing.

It's funny. You'll laugh. And you'll enjoy the journey.