In Northern Ireland, from the late 70s to the early 90s, the IRA killed over 40 alleged informers.

But the man who often found, tortured and sometimes killed these people on behalf of the IRA

was himself an informer, a secret British army agent with the codename Stakeknife.

Who gets to play God? And why me? Why my family? When lies are still being told to this day,

who do you believe? I wouldn't even know where to start and I'm with the IRA.

Steakknife. Listen first on BBC Sounds.

BBC Sounds, music, Radio, podcasts.

I've waited for this opportunity for more than half a century to repeat to you once again my vow of eternal fidelity and everlasting love,

says Florentino to Firmina in Gabriel Garcia-Marquez's love in the time of cholera,

and such enduring passion on the page is our theme today,

as we explore love, sex and romance.

Let's start with an Irish author, who doubted she'd ever managed to finish a novel,

but to date has written 16, selling over 35 million copies in the process.

Marion Keyes is one of those rare bestsellers who manages to traverse the darkest of subject matters,

addiction, domestic abuse, the refugee experience and broken relationships,

with a wit and warmth, nay love, that garners her plaudits from critics and readers alike.

Her focus is family in all its dysfunctional glory, and her new novel is no exception.

Grownups introduces us to the three Casey brothers and their wives and children

at a gathering where secrets and lies are exposed.

As always, women are at the centre of the action,

as through a series of family events hosted by eldest sibling Johnny and his super successful wife, Jessie, we see the Casey family at their best and worst.

Here, Jessie ruminates on what kind of family they actually are.

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