With this first novel byArgentinian short story writer Samanta Schweblin (one of Granta’s best writers in Spanish under 35) (translated by Megan McDowell, considered at the top of her game), you know you’re in safe hands – but secure is the last thing you’ll feel as you navigate this chilling eco-horror. In rural Argentina, a holidaying mother and daughter find themselves trapped in a living nightmare, as their neighbour, a frightened mother, tells them the strange fate of her son. The slow creeping menace of her fear, soaked in superstition and local folklore – transforms into the all too real danger posed by the toxic pesticides leaching into the water and the soil from the surrounding soy fields. Masterfully, McDowell captures every nauseating drop of Schweblin’s increasingly frantic text. Truly terrifying.
• Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin is published by Oneworld (£12.99). To order a copy for £11.04 go to bookshop.theguardian.com or call 0330 333 6846. Free UK p&p over £10, online orders only. Phone orders min p&p of £1.99
