Louise Powell's debut novel, Underdogs, is reviewed as a powerful and authentic portrait of Easington and Easington Colliery, former mining villages in east Durham left to decline after the pit closures of the 1980s and 90s. Set in 1998, the story follows a bereaved 10-year-old, George Wheatley, and his grieving father Reg, who are drawn into the illicit world of unlicensed greyhound racing, or "flapping", by a charismatic ex-miner, Bertie. The review praises the book for bringing overlooked, still-existing working-class England to life, rarely depicted in contemporary fiction.

The novel centres on Bertie's scheme to outwit illegal bookmakers by racing dogs, including a prized greyhound named Goldie, drawing in others struggling financially, with tension supplied by a rival bookmaker, Baz, who threatens the family. The reviewer highlights Powell's skill in depicting track life and the exploitation of the dogs themselves, alongside the poverty and grief experienced by George and Reg. The book's 1998 setting is noted as significant, arriving just as regeneration promises from the Blair government went largely unfulfilled; the review adds that Easington today remains one of England's whitest areas and was hit hardest by 2025 disability allowance cuts, underlining the community's continued hardship.