Four top reads this week

Matthew Oxenhay leads a 2.5 kids kind of life. He has a nice house in north London, a devoted wife and two children, but when he loses his job in the City he starts devoting more time to his favourite pastime – drinking. Indeed, Matthew is feeling pretty lost, until he bumps into a childhood sweetheart and the hopes and dreams of his younger self come flooding back. Matthew is a selfish and often unlikeable character, but by the end of the book, you feel a great affection for this angry and confused man. That’s testament to author Jim Powell and his talent for dark humour. It’s a short read, but entertaining, thoughtful and very witty.

Fool Me Once by Harlan Coben. Century, £18.99 (ebook £9.99). Review by Julie Cheng

The bestselling author of Tell No One returns with a new thriller. Former Special Ops pilot Maya has just buried her husband. Only a few months ago, her sister was murdered. With her loved ones gone, Maya tries to hold it together for the sake of her young daughter Lily. As the police investigate the murder of her husband, Maya is told that both her sister and husband were killed with the same gun. As she begins to piece it together, the fall-out of her last mission continues to plague her; she learns her sister frequented a strip club and her dead husband is caught on camera playing with Lily. Will Maya discover the truth or is she losing her mind? Gripping.

Lover by Anna Raverat. Picador, £12.99 (ebook £6.49). Review by Caroline Davison

What do you do when you know your partner has cheated on you, but continues to lie about it when confronted? Lover is an uncomfortable read for anyone in a relationship. Yet central character Kate is strong, honest and endearing. How she holds herself together while parenting her two young children, working as an executive and trying to get her head around the betrayal is an inspiring but pain-filled read. Kate’s ultimate decision doesn’t come until the close, but her journey to get to that point is compelling stuff. What she chooses for her and Adam’s future doesn’t really matter in the end, all that’s important is her heart is whole again.

Into The Black by Rowland White. Bantam Press, £18.99 (ebook £9.99). Review by Phil Robinson

With interest in space travel enjoying a boost thanks to our own astronaut, Tim Peake, working on board the International Space Station, Rowland White’s book Into The Black is perfectly timed. It focuses on the world’s ‘first real spaceship’, Space Shuttle Columbia, whose maiden flight was in April 1981 - the same shuttle that tragically broke apart on re-entry after 27 missions in 2003. This is a fascinating story and there is also a great respect given to those who paid the ultimate price to test these new, unexplored frontiers. This is truly a story of hope and breathtaking adventure.