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THREE-FIFTHS

by John Vercher (Pushkin Vertigo £12.99, 248 pp)

This powerful story of a friendship between two young men comes garlanded with justified plaudits from the U.S.

Bobby Saraceno is bi-racial but living as a white man, keeping the truth of his identity from everyone, even his best friend Aaron.

Recently freed from jail, Aaron’s beefed-up beyond recognition and has been indoctrinated as a white supremacist. Within hours of his release, he commits a savage assault on a black man which Bobby witnesses.

Fearing for his own safety, Bobby’s life is further complicated when past and present collide as his alcoholic mother effects an introduction to his father who, until now, he believed was dead. Gritty, dark and thrilling, this novel looks at race, identity and secrets while hurtling along to its tragic conclusion.

THE ILLUSTRATED CHILD

by Polly Crosby (HQ £12.99, 400 pp)

Nine-year-old Romilly Kemp lives with her eccentric artist father in an ancient farmhouse, Braër, in the depths of the Suffolk countryside.

In this isolated childhood, Romilly is home-schooled and allowed to run wild while becoming increasingly curious about their past, which is kept a mystery.

To support them, her father writes and illustrates a series of bestselling books featuring the adventures of Romilly and her kitten, Monty. Fans of the books believe that, embedded in the pages, are clues to treasure hidden at Braër and they descend in their hordes to find it.

But life takes a darker turn as Romilly’s father develops dementia and she begins to unravel the puzzle he has set out for her that will answer her questions.

A captivating coming-of-age story with memorable characters beautifully brought to life in a setting dripping with atmosphere.

HELEN AND THE GRANDBEES

by Alex Morrall (Legend Press £8.99, 308 pp)

A traumatic childhood led teenage Helen to have her baby adopted.

Twenty years later, Lily, her daughter, turns up on the doorstep wanting to know her natural mother and her family.

But Helen has secrets in her past that she will not share.

Nonetheless, the two women grow closer and Helen comes to love her grandchildren, the ‘grandbees’ of the title.

However, she begins to fear for their safety when Lily leaves her husband and moves from one new relationship to another. To protect them, Helen has to confront her own demons.

Narrated largely by Helen, the story moves back and forth in time, slowly unpicking the truth of her story.

With well-delineated characters and difficult themes that the author does not flinch from addressing, this is an engaging and uplifting novel.