Dazzling Debuts to kickstart 2026: Theo of Golden by Allen Levi, Family Drama by Rebecca
Theo of Golden is available now
Theo of Golden by Allen Levi (Fontana £12.99, 386pp)
When businessman Theo arrives in the small town of Golden, Georgia, he drops into a cafe-cum-art gallery and is transfixed by the 92 portraits painted by a local artist within.
Theo can’t stop wondering about the stories behind the faces so decides to purchase each portrait, one by one, and reunite them with the people depicted.
In the process of meeting the subjects he learns about the various events that have impacted their lives and who they really are.
These stories form a patchwork of humanity. Theo is a wonderful protagonist – curious, humble and loving – who reminds us of the beauty of being truly seen.
It’s brilliant on acts of kindness and the power of ripple effects. Thought-provoking.
Family Drama by Rebecca Fallon (The Borough Press £16.99, 320pp)
The novel opens at a Viking funeral near Boston in 1997. It’s snowing and seven-year-old twins Sebastian and Viola watch as their larger-than-life mother Susan Bliss’s body is thrown overboard.
Susan was a stunning soap opera star, passionate about her art and determined not to let motherhood get in the way of her career.
She achieved this by dividing her life in two – an exhausting arrangement that saw her alternating between New England housewife and appearing on the billboards of LA.
When Susan dies, her history professor husband and the twins’ father, Al, decides to destroy all memorabilia relating to her jet-set life and never tell their children of her fame.
Al thinks this will allow him to reclaim his wife as his own but such a big secret is only going to stay hidden for so long. Beautifully written.
The Fox of Kensal Green is available now
The Fox of Kensal Green by Richard Tyrrell (Salt £10.99, 240pp)
Wilf Kelly, an eccentric outsider, has lived alone in London’s Kensal Green since his mother died years before. Wilf really has only one friend, Felicia, who tells him that if he wants to be normal he should get a pet.
When Wilf sees a big dog fox in the cemetery one day he is determined that this is the pet for him, hoping that it will transform him in the eyes of his community.
People who know Wilf are kind but teenagers taunt him. Kensal Green is normally a quiet area – that is, until a violent assault takes place and suspicion takes over. Original and compelling.