Red Mercury Blues, by Reggie Nadelson (Faber & Faber, £5.99 in UK)

The sheer quality of Reggie Nadelson's writing takes this tale of Russian mafiosi on the loose in New York out of the mystery category and into territory which is more interesting by far, with elements of spy fiction and flashes of baffling viciousness contributing to an awesome and relentlessly sustained sense of menace. Her dialogue is so hip and taut that you sometimes have to read it twice to make sure you know what's going on her recreation of the rundown Brighton Beach and its shadowy controllers makes you jump out of your skin as it jumps off the page and her "hero", Russian Jew turned New York cop Artie Cohen, is a seriously cool guy.