THE STORY
Life is finally looking good for actress Amy Forrester. After years of struggling to make ends meet and playing ‘woman at station’ and ‘second prostitute’ roles, etc in between temping at call centres, she finally lands a decent part in a primetime US TV series. The job takes her away from the London flat she shares with her fiancé Jack, but their future together seems secure. Then Amy makes a surprise visit home for the 40th birthday party of her best friend Melissa. On returning to the flat, she discovers that another woman has been staying there.
Rather than confront Jack, Amy engineers things so he can cover up his infidelity while she secretly sets out to discover the identity of her rival – and at the party she realises that it’s none other than willowy, flame-haired Melissa. Still saying nothing, Amy is determined to make them both pay. What follows is a deftly plotted, witty tale of revenge that doesn’t quite go according to plan. It’s a romcom with attitude – a perfect wicked pleasure to begin a new year of reading.
Her characters are fabulous, believable women who take no nonsense – MARIAN KEYES
THE TASTER
‘In the bedroom, the bed was made. I don’t think I’ve ever known Jack to make the bed in the five years we’ve been together… There was an unfamiliar suitcase on my side. I flung it open, riffled through the clothes inside. She was a size eight, whoever she was. In the wardrobe, a row of dresses, blouses and skirts edged my own stuff to the far corner. Some of them looked familiar, but I couldn’t work out why.’
THE AUTHOR
Jane Fallon, an award-winning television producer who worked on drama series such as This Life and Teachers, always dreamed of writing a novel. She delivered a bestseller at her first attempt, Getting Rid of Matthew, which was published in 2007, and has followed it with six other successful titles. Jane, the long-term partner of comedian Ricky Gervais, writes exclusively about the novel at youreadinggroup.co.uk, where you will also find suggested topics for your own book club discussion.
Faking Friends is published by Penguin, price £7.99. To order a copy for £6.39 until 11 February, go to you-bookshop.co.uk or call 0844 571 0640; free p&p on orders over £15.