THE BEST NEW FICTION

Snow Country Sebastian Faulks

Hutchinson £20

Fans of Faulks will find many of his trademark qualities in his new book: lucid prose, a keen interest in psychiatry, a sure touch in affairs of the heart. The novel is set in Austria and spans the tumultuous period between 1906 and 1933.

For Anton, an ambitious young journalist, horrors lurk around every corner; for Lena, born into poverty, a better life slowly beckons. Not absolutely vintage Faulks, but a well-crafted piece, full of shrewd insights.

Max Davidson

Magpie Elizabeth Day Fourth Estate £14.99

Fertility, motherhood and mental illness are all tackled in Day’s twisty literary thriller. Marisa, abandoned by her mother as a child, wants stability; steady, older Jake wants a child. They seem ideally suited, but then a lodger arrives. Deftly plotted and packed with wise observations about the devastating emotional impact of infertility, Magpie is sharp and sinister.

More Than I Love My Life David Grossman Jonathan Cape £18.99

As a young antiNazi partisan, 90-year-old Vera was imprisoned on the island of Goli

Otok. The episode has ramifications for both her daughter, Nina, and later her granddaughter, Gili, an aspiring film-maker in Israel. When the trio visit Goli Otok, their journey serves as a moving exploration of the power of love, secrets and forgiveness. A sweeping narrative rooted in a deep faith in humanity.

Hephzibah Anderson

Billy Summers Stephen King Hodder & Stoughton £20

Former army sniper Billy Summers now trades as a hitman for hire, persuading himself that he only kills bad guys. He wants to quit but takes one last, well-paying job. Inevitably, it’s not what it seems. Despite his careful preparation, Billy ends up fighting for his life, all the while trying to figure out whether he is ultimately a decent person. A wonderfully tense and surprisingly romantic thriller from a true master.

John Williams