Three Wild Dogs (and the Truth) by Markus Zusak: When the family pets are ‘complete b*stards’ but also ‘beautiful darlings’
A frequently hilarious and also heartbreaking memoir about dogs you would cross the street to avoid
The Whale Tattoo and The Gallopers by Jon Ransom: A pair of intriguing, imperfect novels
It will be interesting to see whether the author is willing to move out of his comfort zone
Season by George Harrison & Greatest of All Time by Alex Allison: A brace of novels that hit the back of the net
One book concerns itself with long-suffering fans, while other focuses on love affair between players
The Party by Tessa Hadley review: Immersive novella set in postwar Bristol
Tessa Hadley’s storytelling and linguistic dexterity mines the imbalance between the sexes
The Mighty Red by Louise Erdrich: Echoes of Steinbeck in a timeless novel full of strong women
Louise Erdrich takes affectionate look at turbulent teenage trio and landscape that shapes them
The Unfinished Harauld Hughes: In Richard Ayoade’s debut novel, the joke is on the reader
Ayoade’s trademark wit is intact, but the cleverness of the writing only serves to point out the enterprise’s central weakness
The Revenge of Rita Marsh by Nilesha Chauvet: A timely and provocative novel
A book that forces the reader to question the ethics of a character’s actions, offering no simplistic answers
Gabriel’s Moon by William Boyd: Compelling thriller set in the murky underworld of the cold war
This is a complex, credible and compulsive novel from an author who deserves more critical appreciation than he has received
The Watermark by Sam Mills: Bizarre and dizzying novel-within-a-novel
Audacious narrative is filled with engaging characters and entertaining dialogue
The Echoes by Evie Wyld review: Lives in limbo
A ghost is one of the narrators in this engaging novel set between England and Australia
Anyone’s Ghost: Powerful debut about lifelong love for an unattainable boy
August Thompson’s novel revolving around unrequited love is full of loneliness as it sensitively tracks a friendship across a decade
Plaything by Bea Setton review: It’s not just the mice who suffer in this Covid-era novel
A cold novel, then, but one that will remain with John Boyne
Silverback by Phil Harrison: Dark and unnerving tale of heartless fathers and damaged sons in Belfast
Harrison conjures a malignant universe of betrayals, fights and even sado-masochism
Only Here, Only Now by Tom Newlands: From pishpuddles to pee-the-beds
Humourless narrator is difficult to root for in this novel set in Fife, Scotland
The In-Between by Christos Tsiolkas: A love story par excellence
A novel about two damaged men who understand that when a decent guy shows up, he needs to be held close