Indiscretion: A Novel
Harry and Madeleine Winslow seem to have it all. Harry has recently won the National Book Award, and Madeleine, who comes from money, does everything, from playing tennis to cooking dinner, with sophisticated ease. Then, during one of their weekends at their Hamptons house, they meet beautiful 26-year-old Claire, an unabashed admirer of their lifestyle, who soon comes to be a fixture at their summer parties. When the Winslows decamp to Rome, where Harry struggles to complete his new novel, Claire is bereft. Then Harry returns to the States for a meeting with his publisher, and his chance encounter with Claire leads them to embark upon a passionate affair. All of the drama unleashed by their betrayal of Maddy is conveyed by Walter, a childhood friend of Maddy’s who has long been in love with her. In his first novel, Dubow proves himself to be an elegant writer with a shrewd sense of how to shape his material for the broadest appeal. Glamorous settings, old money, and steamy sex all combine to make this one a totally addictive read. --Joanne Wilkinson