The Names, by Florence Knapp

Cora is married to a violent and controlling man, Gordon, who presents to the world as a charming and lovable GP. They have a 9-year-old daughter, Maia, who is already showing signs of damage from this toxic relationship. Gordon has instructed Cora to register the birth of their new son with his name and that of his father before him. But Cora wants to break that tradition and call her son Julian, while Maia would like him to be called Bear. What follows is three versions of the same story with quite different outcomes that hinge on the naming decision. They trace the fate of the family every seven years – Sliding Doors meets 7-Up. The children take very different paths in each story, but suffer consequences of domestic violence in all of them. The dark subject matter is written with sensitivity and intelligence, capturing the voices of Cora, Maia and the three boys and examining the impact on their family and those around them with clarity and empathy. A film version would be interesting.

Clown Town, by Mick Herron

Slow Horse River Cartwright is still waiting for medical clearance to return to MI5’s Slough House repository for failed spies, following his Novichok poisoning. Meanwhile Louisa is considering an opportunity to go private. All plans are disrupted by First Desk Diana Taverner’s need to address a threat from the past and at the same time rid herself of her bête noir, Johnsonesque ex Tory Minister and constant troublemaker Peter Judd. As usual her machinations put the Slow Horses in the line of fire and it is up to their boss, the execrable Jackson Lamb, to sort it out. The action jumps around multiple points of view within chapters, which can get confusing. Herron has never been afraid to kill off his horses, but the long drawn out teaser as to which has been put down this time is an unnecessary and annoying cliffhanger. His withering and succinct analysis of the current state of UK politics and the intelligence service is chilling confirmation of the book title.

Beautiful Lies, by Lisa Unger

Freelance writer Ridley Jones has lived a charmed life in New York, with loving parents and a promising career. That starts to change after a heroic act puts her in the spotlight and she receives a message that makes her question her whole identity. A sexy new neighbour helps her out, but what are his true motives and who can she trust? The opening preamble, set in 1972, is suspenseful and ominously sets up the story. The opening chapter jumps forward 30 years, reverting to first person in an expository mess. This improves as the action heats up and the tale of corruption and violent exploitation unfolds, but the characters are just not credible and the epilogue is as dully expository as chapter one.