Birdcage Walk
Helen Dunmore, Hutchinson, £18.99
This novel takes an oblique look at the French Revolution through the eyes of Lizzie, the wife of a sinister, speculative builder.
It shows how distant political events can both impact and have echoes in very personal circumstances.
A gripping read, it has a contemporary message about the consequences of political turmoil.
OUR VERDICT 8/10