A Friend of the Family

Lisa Jewell's fourth novel, following on from her bestsellers Ralph's Party, Thirtynothing and One-Hit Wonder, is again set in London. It charts the loves and emotional growth of three brothers, Tony, Sean and Ned. The brothers' stories are nicely interwoven. Tony, the eldest, is divorced, overweight and has a secret crush. He's stuck with the adoring Ness, who's appreciated by just about everyone except him. The middle brother, Sean, is a novelist with writer's block. He's just met Millie, his dream woman... so why did she have to go and spoil everything with an almighty bombshell? Ned, the youngest, is just back from Oz. Persecuted by the unstable girlfriend he abandoned in Sydney, he's also frustrated at how his friends have all left him behind. How will he ever catch up? All of this is well done but so far, so predictable. Happily, Jewell has added an intriguing 'outsider' in the person of the parents' lodger. Gervase is the 'Friend' of the title and a 40-something rockabilly with mysterious powers. Suspicious at how he has insinuated himself into their parents' lives, each brother nevertheless ends up confiding in him. It seems Gervase has the ability to read - and soothe - people's minds. Thanks to his spot-on advice, the brothers face their problems and become far better people in the process. Gervase is an inspired character, lifting the whole novel by adding a delicious element of dark surprise. This is not just a novel about boys becoming men. It does romance in bucketloads and there are some fabulous, well-drawn characters, both male and female. Like Jewell's previous novels, it is pacy and feelgood, with the odd tearjerking moment. Perfect summer reading. (Kirkus UK)