LATEST TITLES

PUSSY by Howard Jacobson, Jonathan Cape, £12.99 (ebook £9.49)

WORD has it that Howard Jacobson was so infuriated by the rise of Donald Trump that he abandoned his current book project and rose at dawn every day for weeks to rush out this short, angry book.

In common with many a classic satire, Pussy is written as a fable. It tells the story of one Prince Fracassus, heir presumptive to the Duchy of Origen, a land of casinos and gilded skyscrapers. Fracassus is a spoilt lonely child, who spends his time watching reality TV and fantasising about prostitutes.

He has no knowledge of the world, no compassion, no ideas, yet somehow, groomed by his cynical father and a bevvy of opportunistic advisers, he emerges as a populist force on a promise to make his country great again.

It’s all great fun – especially spotting the many thinly disguised real-life figures who feature, from Farage to Putin.

Even if his book is unlikely to topple any governments, it may at least – as its author hopes – spread comfort in some quarters, and vexation in others.

THE LEGACY by Yrsa Sigurdadotir, Hodder and Stoughton, £14.99 (ebook £9.99)

NEWLY promoted, out-of-his-depth detective Huldar is struggling to solve the murder of Elisa.

The only witness is her seven-year-old daughter Margret, who was hiding under the bed when the killer struck. But she’s traumatised and won’t say anything. Freyja, a psychologist from the Children’s House, is called in to help.

The killer is leaving clues in the form of cryptic text messages and strings of random numbers. Can they keep Margret safe and crack the code before he strikes again?

Sigurdardottir’s writing is evocative and fraught as she skilfully ratchets up the tension and fear. This tour de force is sure to cement her reputation as the queen of Nordic noir.