Vicki Jarrett Book order

A girl on a paper round gets more than she bargained for. A couple feels the strain when the money runs out. Life plays out in the call centre, the bingo hall and at the bus stop.Vicki Jarrett’s debut collection – reissued here with the bonus story ‘Up Dog Down Dog’ – is a deftly observed insight into the lives of people just trying to get by.Jarrett, whose first novel, Nothing is Heavy, was shortlisted for Scottish First Book of the Year, is drawn to the absurdity of everyday life. The characters in The Way Out dream of escape from jobs, relationships and disappointments, yet these darker tones are finely balanced by a natural lightness of touch. These stories are at once heart-breaking, tender, devastatingly honest and brimming with black comedy.

Set against the backdrop of the rapidly melting Arctic, a software engineer named Isobel embarks on a mission with her advanced mapping software, Proteus, aboard a powerful icebreaker. As the days stretch longer, the dangers intensify, with hungry polar bears posing a growing threat. This intelligent science fiction tale explores themes of environmental change and the intersection of technology and nature, appealing to fans of thought-provoking narratives like Adam Robert's The Thing Itself.

Set against the backdrop of Junction Street, the lives of two women, Beth and Amber, unfold in contrasting environments: a chip shop and a bar. Their routines are disrupted by a shocking death, prompting them to confront the stark choices between comfort and danger. This story explores themes of risk, the mundane nature of their jobs, and the unexpected twists that can alter the course of life.