Riveting tale of parental regret

We Need to Talk about Kevin, by Lionel Shriver, Serpent's Tail, €14.40.

When a Scottish teenager was convicted recently of the murder of his girlfriend, media focus quickly turned from asking why he had committed such a brutal crime, to questioning his mother's behaviour.

She had concocted an alibi for her son at the time of the murder. Police accused her of changing from parent to accomplice. Rumours also spread about her unusually ...