Fresh
- 4 Jun 2009
- 9781847676238
- £7.99
- 282 pp
Menacing, witty, with snappy no-nonsense dialogue and an unambiguously shocking ending . . . Every bit as fresh as its title.
Manages to be tough-hearted and tender-minded, but also drop-dead funny.
More about
the book
Today, Sean’s brother Archie gets out of jail on early release. Which would be great if Archie weren’t a little loose in the head. And if Sean didn’t still owe him a grand.
Testing the boundaries of brotherly love, Fresh is white-knuckle ride that brings to life one unforgettable day.
Funny, moving, gripping, magical and tragic. Fresh moves with all the terrifying inexorability of a factory conveyor belt. Brilliant.
Niall Griffiths
Surprising and inventive and new. As a writer he seems quite unafraid, discovering truths and telling stories where he finds them without the need to lecture you. His language is precise and funny and alive.
Andrew O'hagan
This riveting novel [is] highly believable thanks to McNay's no-frills description and ear for the deadpan rhythm of everyday dialogue. McNay never loses his humour, but he makes you see - with tenderness and perception, though without sentiment - how far the brothers have been damaged.
If James Kelman ever wrote a thriller-ish novel, it might read like Fresh. McNay's debut is a gripping read.
Colin Waters
Sunday Herald
