RESERVOIR 13

by Jon McGregor (4th Estate £14.99)

A Teenage girl goes missing on the edge of the Peak district, but reservoir 13 isn’t a thriller and the riddle of her disappearance isn’t one that McGregor cares to solve. instead, this is a novel of aftermath, as normality — and all that comes in its wake — slowly returns to the small community. Years pass, joys and sorrows ebb and flow, and if the tone and mood are muted then it only heightens the effect of the brief, unexpected flares of humour. Yes, you’ll need patience, but that’s the point. You’ll find yourself amply rewarded.