This is one of the best first novels I can ever remember reading. It is clever and witty in both the writing and the plot. Young attorney Philip Randall is on his way to having it all - the perfect job, the perfect life, the perfect friends and a perfectly rich wife oh and he's sleeping with his best friend's wife. He's also one of the most likeable people I've ever met in a book. This is really a delightful read. ( )

Philip Randall and his wife Tracy along with their friends Connor and Jessica are having dinner one evening when Connor raises an interesting subject for discussion. He opines that the four friends are at a time in their lives when all they can rely on to succeed is their instincts and intellect. Connor suggests that in their younger days not much was expected of them, and when they're older they'll have acquired experience to help them make reliable decisions. But between the ages of 28-34, they're on their own, "without a net." Philip Randall is about to discover just how true that is.

Philip has the perfect life, the trophy wife, the money he needs to live as he wants, the career that offers him the security he needs, and in addition to all that, he has a mistress: his friend Connor's wife, Jessica. It is because of this affair that Philip is about to feel all he has accumulated become at risk. It is up to Philip to figure out how he can avoid losing everything he has because of the whim of a past acquaintance who has discovered Philip's secret liaison. All he has to depend upon to get him out of the trouble he's in are his wits, and up to now they've gone pretty much untested.

The Up and Comer is a good beach read and page turner. There aren't many surprises, but Roughan's writing style is good and keeps the pace of the novel moving along nicely. I'd be interested in seeing more of Roughan's work based on my enjoyment of this novel. ( )