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While we’re on the topic of affair novels, here’s another one that turns the sub-genre on its head. In Getting Rid of Matthew, Helen finally convinces her lover to ditch his wife, but as soon as he moves out – whoops! She doesn’t want him anymore. So rather than chronicle falling in love and winning the guy, this clever novel recounts the all-too-real ways we lose interest in people – did he really leave his socks on the couch again? Has his hair always looked that bad? – and how we kick them out. But what if you happen to develop an unexpected friendship with the wife, the woman you made a cuckold of? Well, then you’ve got a tasty set of ingredients for a quick, smart, dramatic and unexpected read.

By their nature affairs are designed to be dissatisfying. They scratch an itch that can’t fully be scratched. That’s why they’re a tricky proposition in fiction too. How do you write a satisfying ending in an affair novel? Which relationship do you break up and at what cost? Most affair novels opt for an easy way out – no one gets caught or someone gets caught but then she’s pregnant by her husband so all is forgiven. Lauren Fox’s Still Life with Husband doesn’t take the easy way out. Fox uncovers a fresh ending and a new twist to the affair story, one that is uniquely rewarding for the reader, especially because of the fine writing in which it’s wrapped.