The Billy Fish of the title is paroled after serving time for a vicious robbery. The enigmatic Rita offers him shelter in a halfway house. The methadone programme and social workers do their bit to support Billy on his path to redemption. Hopkins realistically depicts the addict’s world, filled with both violent and petty crimes, inevitable jail sentences and the heartrending effect of addiction on other people. It is no surprise to learn that the author is a solicitor and has worked in legal advocacy.

There is nothing immediately appealing about Billy Fish; it is to Hopkins’s credit that the reader is drawn into his journey. Hopkins humanely portrays Billy’s struggle to survive, even giving him a toothache. As he sits awaiting a parole board hearing, ‘it isn’t freedom from captivity he wishes for – he doesn’t allow himself that – only freedom from the pain in his mouth, from the cold, from this cell, this place’.

This sense of empathy is also created by the wretched legacy of Billy’s childhood and his relationship with his estranged sister, Rose. Though central to Billy’s reconnection with the world, Rose is an elusive and incomplete character, particularly when afflicted by grief. Despite some flaws, this is a compelling, well-crafted novel. It was highly commended in the inaugural ABC fiction awards.