15) Dead Air, by Iain Banks

A gratifyingly easy read compared to some I’ve tried recently, this is the story of Ken Nott, a Scot who hosts a popular London radio show. The political disasters of late 2001 are mirrored in his personal life, as his dangerous affair with a gangster’s wife drags him into the underworld. Nott’s obsession with truth at a professional level (there is a rather peculiar show-down with a Holocaust denier) is contrasted with his difficulties with honesty in his sex life. Banks has a great ear for dialogue and for the different demotics of London. And the climactic chapters, where Nott tries and fails to avoid the wrath of his lover’s husband, are vividly related. Very enjoyable.

Top UnSuggestion for this book: The sisterhood of the travelling pants, by Ann Brashares.