This innovative novel made it onto the long list for this year's Man Booker Prize: thoughtful, hugely entertaining and full of rich irony and delicious contradictions. When 15-year-old Christopher finds his neighbour's dog dead on the lawn, he sets in motion a series of events that will ultimately decide his future as well as those around him. Christopher has Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism, and his decision to investigate the dog's death unearths deep, dark secrets that illuminate the mysteries and intricacies of his family life. Like his fellow sufferers, Christopher has little time for people: they just don't think logically. But as he travels his self-made road, he is forced to confront the reality that life does not follow a cold, well-ordered pattern. He does not like noise or people touching him and this makes his journey even more traumatic and remarkable. His quest is helped by his typically excellent memory and ability to solve problems. Yet his problems go well beyond the limits of everyday life and his effect on those he encounters is seminal. Marc Haddon specialises in innovative storylines as an author, screenwriter and illustrator. This, allied to his ability to portray autism without sentimentality or exaggeration, marks him out as a real talent. An excellent touch is that Christopher hates novels (too little logic), apart from Hound of the Baskervilles, but he is writing one about his investigations: some people might call it faction. They might also call Haddon's intriguing book the same. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time By Marc Haddon