Mark Haddon — The Porpoise
Chatto & Windus 2019 Paperback, 317pp. 'I really am so very, very sorry about this,' he says, in an oddly formal voice. They strike the side of a grain silo. They are travelling at seventy miles per hour. A newborn baby is the sole survivor of a terrifying plane crash. She is raised in wealthy isolation by an overprotective father. She knows nothing of the rumours about a beautiful young woman, hidden from the world. When a suitor visits, he understands far more than he should. Forced to run for his life, he escapes aboard The Porpoise , an assassin on his tail. So begins a wild adventure of a novel, damp with salt spray, blood and tears. Uncorrected Proof. (ISBN: 9781784742836). Very Good.