Accomplice of love (by Titia Sutherland)

(Amazon UK link)

I do like Titia Sutherland's books. She's one of those writers who seems to have enjoyed a brief popularity, and then faded into obscurity. She doesn't even seem to have biographical details on the Internet, and most of her novels are now out of print. I've only been able to buy them second-hand.

'Accomplice of love' opens when Leo and his 18-year-old daughter Sophie go to visit Josh. Josh is an old friend whose wife Claudia died six months previously - and she had a passionate affair with Leo!

The book then goes into a lengthy flashback, punctuated with reminders of Leo in the present, so we see his distress at his wife's death, and also his growing friendship with Claudia.

Eventually the flashback catches up with the present, and a somewhat explosive episode with Josh.

In the meantime, we also watch Sophie grow up, we get to know Leo (an art dealer), and deal with Josh, who is a temperamental artist.

Very well-written with charming people, and realistic conversations. It was difficult to put down. Recommended to anyone who likes light character-driven fiction with a lot of sub-plots.