Mercy Seat

Attempting to escape his childhood and youth in the South Wales valleys of the 1980s, Luke drifts to a seaside town and into a marriage and fatherhood for which he is unprepared. The arrival of a stranger - his wife's troubled sister, Christine - will change each of their lives forever. Drawn into the unspoken, destructive mystery at the heart of the two women's childhoods, Luke finds his own understanding of himself and others unravelling.

His confession is a compelling story of passion, loss, regret and the need to find redemption from the haunting power of the past. Mercy Seat is a stunning work of fiction, mapping a toxic, triangular love affair against the topography of South Wales during the 1984 miner's strike. 'Wayne Price is a fine poet and an accomplished short story writer, so it's no surprise that his first novel, Mercy Seat, is an impressive piece of work.

In his characteristic spare, pared-down prose - not one word is wasted - he tells a stark story of love and loss in harsh, troubled times. It's a bleak tale, elegantly crafted, beautifully told (the handling of time is masterly) and the telling itself becomes redemptive.'Alan Spence, author of The Night Boat, The Pure Land and Way to Go.