During the 1976 London heatwave, Robert Riordan leaves to buy his paper and doesn’t come back - old hurts and secrets surface as his family comes together to deal with the crisis.

This was my first Maggie O’Farrell, and what a treat! The mystery of where Robert has gone is intriguing in itself and drew me in, but ultimately this is an fantastic character study and depiction of a family in all its glorious complexity. The writing was just such a joy to read, and I loved how all the family drama slowly unfolds and slots into place through the multiple POVs, all under the suffocating mugginess of the heatwave. I could say so much more, but it would quickly descend into gushiness - though it may be slightly premature after just one book, I suspect O’Farrell will become one of my favourite authors! A wonderfully-written, rich portrait of a family, which explores family dynamics and the long shadow of family secrets.