Shortlisted for: 2011 Costa Novel Award

Tony Webster and his clique first met Adrian Finn at school. Sex-hungry and bookhungry, they would navigate the girl-less sixth form together, trading in affectations, injokes, rumour and wit.

Maybe Adrian was a little more serious than the others, certainly more intelligent, but they all swore to stay friends for life.

Now Tony is in middle age. HeÂ’s had a career and a single marriage, a calm divorce. HeÂ’s certainly never tried to hurt anybody. Memory, though, is imperfect. It can always throw up surprises, as a lawyerÂ’s letter is about to prove.