Box Hill

In 1970s England a young man encounters a slick motorcycle rider and quickly enters into prolonged but abusive relationship with him.

A swift sharp hit of discomfort and sexual violence. The protagonist here recounts us of the relationship as if he’s reading from his diary, there’s a matter-of-fact tone to it but also a slight hint of nostalgia both for the relationship itself but also of times gone by in general.

Mars-Jones gives his protagonist dignity and a sense of humour in the face of low self-esteem, and the tension between that and what actually happens in the relationship carries all the way to the end.

Not an easy read but an engrossing and vital one.