40 Love

Starred review from September 26, 2011
In this bitingly funny novel from Wickham (aka Sophie Kinsella), four social-climbing British couples gather for a “friendly” weekend of tennis, but find their friendships tested by competitive­ness, scandals, secrets, and betrayals. Narrator Katherine Kellgren gives a mas­terful performance, creating distinctive character voices and alternating effort­lessly among oily salesman Patrick, smugly pom­pous Charles, sarcastic Caroline, fluttery Valerie, a German nanny, two very different little girls, and the rest of Wick­ham’s colorful cast. Kellgren’s narration is marvelous, inhabiting various characters’ states of mind, shifting among anxiety, fury, and guilt as the book’s POV changes. A delightful performance not to be missed. A Thomas Dunne hardcover.