Light Lifting, By Alexander Macleod

Short stories aren't usually known for boosting adrenalin levels, but Canadian author Alexander Macleod's debut collection isn't one for the bedside table.

The hair-raising opening story "Miracle Mile" traces the friendship between two professional athletes who spend their boyhood outrunning freight trains in a tunnel.

Other stories include a tale of night-swimming in the Detroit River, a father's public battle with his sick child's diaper and a newspaper boy's unpleasant attempt at CPR.

Firmly rooted in work and family, Macleod's relaxed story-telling will make you feel anything but.