Small Country by Gaël Faye review – a childhood shattered by genocide
This French-Rwandan author’s bestselling debut is set in Burundi during the 1990s and evokes the terrible nostalgia for a world lost to war
A History of the World in Seven Cheap Things review – how capitalism works
Raj Patel and Jason W Moore illustrate a ruinous economic system that benefits a minority class
The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives review – a swaggering spectacular
Femi Elufowoju Jr directs an arresting version of Lola Shoneyin’s novel about marital power-play and sexual envy
Missing by Alison Moore review – loss, loneliness and hope
Tension grows as a literary translator is haunted by her losses in an expert mingling of the tragic and the mundane
Conan Doyle for the Defence by Margalit Fox review – a case worthy of Sherlock Holmes
Oscar Slater was imprisoned for the murder of an elderly woman in 1908. Arthur Conan Doyle turned detective to prove he didn’t do it
The Paper Lovers by Gerard Woodward review – lust and faith in suburbia
A man finds religion after embarking on an adulterous affair in this closely observed allegory of obsession and redemption
Punch and Judy Politics review – the unique ordeal of Prime Minister’s Questions
An invaluable study by Ayesha Hazarika and Tom Hamilton of the Wednesday PM quizzing tells of arrogance, fear and astonishing preparation
A Shout in the Ruins by Kevin Powers – review
The American civil war and its legacy propels a brutal but lyrical novel that spans a century
The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer – review
The dynamics of a female mentoring relationship are at the heart of Meg Wolitzer’s witty and perceptive novel
The Crossway by Guy Stagg review – a long walk towards wellness
Golden prose illuminates this moving account of a pilgrimage taken for the good of the author’s mental health
Now We Can Talk Openly About Men by Martina Evans review – war, women and wardrobes
A pair of contrasting monologues set in 1920s Ireland are witty and humane to an outstanding degree
History of Violence by Édouard Louis – review
The French author follows his acclaimed debut novel with another unflinching dramatisation of personal experience
Battle hymn of the Democrats: why it’s time for liberals to fight dirty
One new book bemoans political schism. Another, far more effective, calls for a counter-revolution to turn America blue
The President Is Missing by Bill Clinton and James Patterson – review
A terrorist and a president vie for supremacy in Bill Clinton’s daft fiction debut
In brief: Water Ways, The City Always Wins, A Shot in the Dark – reviews
Jasper Winn on the mood and meaning of Britain’s canals, Omar Robert Hamilton crafts a vivid story about Egypt’s revolution, and Lynne Truss exhibits her mastery of mystery