Off the back of Solar Bones, a book containing one (albeit very long) sentence, there is high expectation from Mike McCormack’s sixth literary outing. Much like the aforementioned Goldsmith award-winning novel, This Plague Of Souls deals with a lot of similar themes such as loss, belonging, judgement and the nature of the mind.

Protagonist Nealon returns to his family home back in Ireland after a few years’ absence, only to find absolutely no trace of his family, friends, belongings or anybody who even knows him – aside from an anonymous caller who seems to know everything there is to know about Nealon’s life. As the story progresses, Nealon finds himself embroiled in a fight to find out the truth about his family whilst trying to not get involved with the same trouble that caused him to leave in the first place.

In a further step to cement his place at the top table of contemporary Irish novelists, McCormack has crafted another perfectly plotted opus: with its roots in noir fiction, This Plague Of Souls offers you just enough insight into the unfolding mystery to keep you guessing right until the end, whilst prompting you to question your own understanding of the mind. Perfect reading for cold autumn nights.