Books of 2022: Classic characters at the heart of the year’s best books

Kevin O’Sullivan rounds up his favourite novels of 2022 including black comedy, ripping yarns, gritty crime and Donal Ryan’s finest to date

Kevin O’Sullivan's novel of the year is Ania Bas’ Odd Hours

My novel of the year by some distance has to be Ania Bas’ Odd Hours (Welbeck).

This enigmatic and idiosyncratic gem is eccentric, quirky and utterly original. The protagonist Gosia is one of the most memorable and most beautifully realised characters I can remember. She is bizarre but believable, hugely flawed but still somehow memorable and even inspiring.