by Linda Grant published by Virago, 2016 It’s four years since the end of the Second World War. Against a background of grey, post-war austerity and an embryonic NHS, the streets are ‘full of foreigners … Eyeteye boys…full of resentment and elegant curses, Maltesers with black eyes and strings of girls on the game, refugees … More The Dark Circle

Adrian Harvey’s latest novel (from Urbane Publications) is a modern day quest. Fergus Buchanan lives with his family on the unspoilt Scottish island of Hinba, where he is engaged to marry Shona, his beautiful childhood sweetheart. When his dying grandfather asks him to find the ‘cursing stone’* that has been stolen from the island, the … More The Cursing Stone

by Naomi Alderman published by Viking If women suddenly had the ability to electrocute at will, how would they use their power? Allie, abused ‘bi-racial’ orphan reinvents herself as Mother Eve, a cult religious leader. Margot initially tries not to use hers to become a senator, but resorts to it at the last minute. Roxy, … More The Power

by Gary Younge published by Guardian Faber ‘Every day, on average, 7 children and teens are killed by guns.’ After car accidents it’s the second leading cause of death for all children in America. Award-winning British journalist, Gary Younge spent 18 months meticulously researching, googling, reading transcripts of 911 emergency calls, and interviewing friends and … More Another day in the death of America

Fish have no feet is a novel by Jon Kalman Stefansson, translated from Icelandic by Philip Roughton. Published by Maclehose press (an imprint of Quercus Editions) and subtitled a family history, it is a profound meditation on on life, love and loss. Ari, who has left his wife and family for two years, is flying back … More Fish have no feet

I’m very pleased to say that my poem was shortlisted for the Bridport prize 2016! Post-op Day One They’re laying me out this morning.   The one with thick arms despises me for my helplessness, forces home a suppository to ease the pain, uses the flannel roughly – did I think I’d paid for kindness too? lifts … More Post-op Day One

As a woman in a patriarchal society Medea is powerless. In Euripides’ tragedy of the same name, she is the wronged wife who exacts a chilling revenge on her husband by killing their own children. The play horrified audiences two thousand years ago and is regularly performed today as one of the great tragedies. A … More Medea’s curse

  She is hunting for the truth … but who is hunting  her? I received this as a review copy (uncorrected proof) from Urbane publications. This debut novel by Anne Coates is a conventional crime thriller set in 1990’s London, where a series of sex-workers in the red light district of King’s Cross have been … More Dancers in the Wind

Waves by Jared A Carnie published by Urbane 2016 A great cover by Julia Martin which hinted at something dangerous happening by the sea– it really made me want to read this debut novel by Jared Carnie. And a wonderful setting – the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides with miles of unspoilt countryside, … More Waves

Thomas Hocknell  [Twitter @TomAngel1] already writes a funny and entertaining blog so I was very curious to read his debut novel, The Life Assistance Agency from Urbane publications (through NetGalley in return for an honest review). And I wasn’t disappointed. Combining the mystery and intrigue of The Da Vinci Code with a wacky, off beat … More The Life Assistance Agency