When Nate McClusky refuses to work for Aryan Steel he doesn’t put just his own life in danger but those of his family too. Jordan Harper’s debut novel, equal parts chase thriller and family parable, makes the most of its Southern California location as the action moves from the violent city streets to the poor white trash counties and then the searing desert. But the star of this novel is Nate’s pre-teen daughter, Polly, a socially awkward girl whose life is turned upside down by her estranged father’s release from prison and a new life of heists, gunfire and narrow escapes. For Polly, it is adapt or die.

Read our full review here, or take a look at our interview with the author.

UK title: A Lesson in Violence.