Slaughterhouse Prayer (London Books) by John King is a really important novel, one that could and should change prevailing attitudes about how human beings treat animals.

[[{"fid":"9204","view_mode":"inlineright","fields":{"format":"inlineright","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Dark place: a US slaughterhouse (Pic: US Department of Agriculture)","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false},"link_text":null,"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"inlineright","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Dark place: a US slaughterhouse (Pic: US Department of Agriculture)","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false}},"attributes":{"alt":"Dark place: a US slaughterhouse (Pic: US Department of Agriculture)","class":"media-element file-inlineright","data-delta":"1"}}]]Tense and all-consuming as it goes into dark places, it reminds us not only how badly and brutally we deal with our fellow creatures but also how we have the temerity to project our own worst vices on to innocent beings of other species.

Its main protagonist finds that peaceful campaigning has little effect on reducing the killing and abuse of animals and, instead, he moves towards direct action against those who are complicit in the everyday barbarities carried out in our name.