Books

The Puma

Daniel Wiles

‘Daniel Wiles connects us viscerally to the past we have buried the history we choose to ignore’ Hilary Mantel

If his wife hadn’t changed, then maybe Bernardo wouldn’t have left, with his son in tow, to try and tame the wilderness of his childhood.

If the land hadn’t changed, turning grey and collapsing in their hands each time they grasped for survival, then maybe Bernardo and the boy could have built a life here.

If the Puma hadn’t changed everything, then maybe Bernardo wouldn’t have to stalk the beast, searching for some measure of revenge, wishing he’d pulled the trigger when he had the chance.

The Puma is a novel that asks what a father would do to ensure his family’s survival – and what he might become when that is no longer an option.

Hardback

ISBN: 9781800753686

Published: February 12, 2026

Ebook

ISBN: 9781800753693

Published: February 12, 2026

Category:
Fiction

Reviews for The Puma

Praise for Mercia’s Take:

‘Energy and passion fuels this harsh and beautiful first novel; Daniel Wiles connects us viscerally to the past we have buried the history we choose to ignore’ – Hilary Mantel

‘Read this novel and marvel at its language, dark and gleaming as obsidian. Daniel Wiles channels the Southern Gothic into the vernacular of the Black Country and unearths from the past a tale of desperation that speaks to our current damnation. A striking debut’ – Paul Lynch

‘Feverishly compulsive … Narrated with spectacular economy, in a thudding, rhythmic staccato studded with local vernacular, the book deftly folds themes of pride, masculinity and ecological ruin into its central story: the visceral vengeance quest that ensues after a fellow miner makes off with Michael’s life-changing haul of gold’ – The Observer, 10 best debut novelists of 2022

‘Unsettling and heart-wrenching, this debut marks Wiles as a formidable talent’ – Antonia Senior, The Times

Author

Daniel Wiles

Daniel Wiles is from Walsall in the West Midlands. He recently completed the Prose MA at UEA, where he was the recipient of the Booker Prize Foundation Scholarship. Mercia’s Take is his first novel.