The Night Guest (Fiona McFarlane, Hamish Hamilton)

This impressive debut from Fiona McFarlane tells the story of elderly widow Ruth, who lives by the sea with a fabulous view of the ocean and the passing whales. Ruth is dealing in her own way with the vagaries of growing older when a government carer named Frida arrives on her doorstep. Despite her outward appearance of orderliness, the larger-than-life Frida accompanies an escalation of turmoil in Ruth’s world. Yet Ruth seems to find a sense of security, or perhaps companionship, she was missing. Ruth’s memory flits back and forth in time, from the steamy heat of her missionary childhood in 1950s Fiji, to suburban life with her husband and sons, and to the exhilaration of encounters with her first love, with whom she reconnects. As the novel progresses, Ruth descends into a mental fog, dragging the reader along with her, as the past collides with the present and she questions her perceptions and the nature of reality. Meanwhile, she remains haunted by the mysterious tiger who stalks her hallway at night. The character of Ruth in particular (and to a lesser extent, Frida) is superbly drawn and this book brims with fine detail. It also encourages reflection on ageing, a topic commonly overlooked, and should have broad appeal to literary readers and bookclubs.

Joanne Shiells is an editor and former retail book buyer