Indiscretion

October 8, 2012
Dubow tracks the fallout of an affair in his elegant debut centering on a golden couple, Harry and Maddy Winslow. He’s an award-winning writer, she’s a beautiful heiress; Walter Gervais, Maddy’s childhood friend and secret admirer, narrates the story. One weekend in the Hamptons, the Winslows meet Claire, a needy ingenue who develops a crush on the couple, especially Harry. Her role as hanger-on is severed when the Winslows leave for a year abroad, but Harry finds himself struggling with his next novel, and a chance encounter with Claire while on a business trip back to the U.S. launches him into a heady affair. Dubow draws the relationship perfectly—Claire is a giddy romantic, and Harry delights in playing the wealthy cosmopolitan. When Maddy discovers her husband’s betrayal, the four players form a miserable face-off, where Walter’s unrequited love bubbles to the surface in the face of Maddy’s grief, and Harry and Claire negotiate the affair’s relationship potential. Despite a disappointing and drawn-out ending, smart and observant writing makes the story well worth the ride. Agents: Britton Schey and Eric Simonoff, William Morris Endeavor.

May 15, 2013

American novelist Dubow debuts with this indulgent novel of lust, love, and loss. Harry and Madeline Winslow are the definition of a happily married couple, with talent, money, charm, and adoring friends. Everything seems to be going well until Claire, a sweet woman in her early 20s, enters their life one summer. Madeline's best friend Walter chronicles the ensuing events of that fateful time. The steamy nature of the story is enhanced by Robert Petkoff's low-toned, smooth, and well-paced narration. VERDICT Recommended for fans of passionate adult fiction. ["Dubow's first novel is a deliciously absorbing page-turner. His captivating characters jump off the page," read the review of the Morrow hc, LJ 1/13.--Ed.]--Saori Wendy Herman, M.B. Ketchum Memorial Lib., Fullerton, CA

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