Gentlemen, by Klas Ostergren
translated by Tiina Nunnally
Canongate, £16.99
£15.29 (free p&p)

The narrator of this exuberant, complicated thriller and literary tour de force has the same name as the author. How much, therefore, is truth, and how much are we to take as invention? Gentlemen was first published in Sweden in 1981 and is well worth another look. Klas is cowering in his flat, in fear of his life. His flatmates, the charismatic Morgan brothers, have come across a terrible secret that is somehow linked to their own past. The unravelling of the mystery is extremely compelling, and highly imaginative. This one can stay.

Lords of the Bow, by Conn Iggulden
HarperCollins, £14.99
£13.49 (free p&p)

This is a hairy book with a deep voice. It has a bloody weapon on the cover, and describes the violent career of Genghis Khan. It begins with a bloodbath, and welters in gore for the next 400 pages. My teenage son wants to read it. That just about covers everything. Iggulden (co-author of The Dangerous Book for Boys) tells an absolutely cracking story - despite the vivid descriptions of sex and slaughter, this novel harks back to the great days of the Manly Edwardian Yarn. The characters are well-flavoured, the pace is nail-biting, and the set-dressing magnificent.

The Delegates' Choice, by Ian Sansom
Harper Perennial, £7.99
£7.59 (free p&p)

Israel Armstrong, the world's most offbeat amateur detective, wants to leave his job. He is tired of running his mobile library around rural Northern Ireland, and thrilled when he is sent to England for the National Mobilemeet. This is the (real) annual convention of mobile libraries, and it is probably safe to say that this is the first time it has been used as the background to a mystery tale. Israel and his sidekick, Ted Carson, are supposed to be choosing a new van. Why would anyone want to steal the old one? This is Israel's third outing, and it is a pleasure to welcome him back - these are blissful British comedies for the thinking escapist.

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