Sian Hughes, The Missing

Towards the end of last week I read Sian Hughes's The Missing, shortlisted for this year's Forward Prize for Best First Collection. I haven't read the other books on the shortlist so I can't comment on who should win, but I can say that this one's really good – a brief, affecting, plain and magnificent book. Read it if you get the chance.

(There's a rather longer review of it at Matthew Stewart's blog here.)