Who Is Maud Dixon? King of Rabbits

By Alexandra Andrews Tinder Press, 336pp, £18.99

An absolutely storming debut by Alexandra Andrews, Who Is Maud Dixon? is razor-sharp and supremely unputdownable. Exploring the duality of female relationships, this psychological thriller shows a different side to the cutthroat world of publishing. Neurotic and self-destructive Florence becomes assistant to mysterious and anonymous bestselling novelist Maud Dixon, but behind the veiled secrecy lies a much darker truth. Florence is as desperate to escape the shroud of anonymity as Maud is to exploit it – and this leads to violent clashes. The storyline lurches between the two, depending on who has the upper hand, with Andrews’ cleverly warped psychology leaving you guessing until the end.

Rebecca Wilcock

By Karla Neblett William Heinemann, 336pp, £14.99

King Of Rabbits is told through the eyes of Kai, a mixed-race kid who grows up on a rural council estate in Somerset where he and his three older sisters have three different dads, and where he searches for solace in the countryside and the wild rabbits he finds there. But with his on and off again parents falling deeper into crack addiction, it seems his optimism and energy for life might not be enough to escape the limitations of poverty. This a powerful and tragic read, making a profound statement about how important access to opportunities can be, and how much of an impact your childhood and background can have on your future. As the novel flips between the protagonist as a young boy and as a teenager, you’re able to map the significant moments that fundamentally alter his course. King of Rabbits is a brilliantly crafted story about class and race, and the failure of society to catch children who fall through the cracks.

Georgie Grouse