A crop of remarkable novels recovers neglected female voices and experiences.

Throughout history, the personified character of Death has been imagined as male. But in Salena Godden’s debut, Mrs Death Misses Death (Canongate, £14.99; Tablet price £13.49), the character is an unregarded black woman. Death narrates her experiences through a male amanuensis, whom she has spared during a fire. The book may be thin on plot, but is rich in stylish wordplay, in striking vignettes and in delicate allusions to contemporary events.