Reading matters

'The Reunion' by Sue Walker

Fiction - paperback; Penguin; 320 pages; 2005

Fuelled by drink and drugs, what's the worst thing a group of dysfunctional teenagers on a camping trip can do? That is the secret which lies at the heart of Sue Walker's debut novel, the page-turning The Reunion.

The teenagers are members of The Unit, an experimental home for intelligent but disturbed adolescents, which is attached to an Edinburgh hospital.

Twenty-six years later, most of the "inmates" are leading highly successful and well-adjusted lives. But then Innes Haldene, a London lawyer, is reminded of the dark past she has so desperately tried to forget when she hears a desperate message left on her answerphone. Later on she discovers that at least two members of The Unit have recently died by their own hand.

Convinced that their deaths are linked, Innes risks everything to try and discover whether The Unit is to blame and, in doing so, discovers the dark secret that has laid buried since 1977.

'Personality' by Andrew O'Hagan

Fiction - paperback; Faber and Faber; 327 pages; 2003

Maria Tambini, the daughter of Italian immigrants on the tiny Scottish island of Bute, is destined to be a star. She has an amazing voice that captivates anyone who hears it. At the age of 13, she is discovered by a national TV show, and from there, there is no looking back. But the child star, who hungers for fame and glory, also starves herself and before too long, everything is not as it seems . . .

'The Cutting Room' by Louise Welsh

Fiction - paperback; Canongate; 294 pages; 2003

Every now and then I sometimes stumble across a book that grips me in such a way I can barely put it down and, when I do, I count down the hours until I can pick it up again.

Welsh's debut novel fits right into that category. Not only that, but the story, which is essentially a crime thriller, is so unique and so unlike anything I've ever read before, I cannot wait until Welsh puts pen to paper again to see what unusual fare she will create next.

Her characters are wonderfully realised and very different to the usual fodder dished up under the crime noir (the protagonist Rilke, for example, is a promiscuous gay auctioneer). Ditto for the setting (Glasgow's darkest underbelly). And the twist, towards the end, came as such an unexpected surprise I immediately wanted to reread the entire book to see if I'd missed any obvious clues.

In short, a powerful, gripping and refreshing read from a new, bright talent to watch.

'Quite Ugly One Morning' by Christopher Brookmyre

Fiction - paperback; Abacus; 214 pages; 1996

A book which opens with the lines "Jesus Fuck" has to stand out from the rest of the crowd. Brookmyre’s tale of a journalist investigating the murder of a leading doctor in Edinburgh is definitely that.

It is by turns appallingly violent and hilariously funny, but the writing is at all times confident, sharp and in-your-face. The dialogue is biting and witty, the plot clever and thought-provoking, the characters strong and well-defined.

I thoroughly enjoyed the romp which covers everything from hit men, dodgy bed and breakfast accommodation, corrupt hospital officials and dangerous medics. This would be perfect fodder for a made-for-television movie or mini-series.