I found it very difficult to care about any of these characters. ( )

slow to start but FANTASTIC once the action gets going. I thought I saw the ending coming....then I didn't...then it was over and I was amazed. Great read, that makes you think. ( )

“We live in an age when we are no longer surprised that people let us down the only surprise is that we are so constantly willing to allow ourselves to be deceived.”
― Charles Dubow, Indiscretion

This is one of the best.

I so enjoyed "Indescretion". I am not going to go through what the book is about as there are so many who have done that, but will share, with spoilers, what I loved about it and why I only gave it 4 stars even though I think it is extraordinary and worthy of 5.

First off. the book takes a subject that has been done, done and done again..and turns it on itself. In most books about infidelity, there is some underlying cause, some reason why a person cheats. Here there is none. Harry and Mads have a great relationship. They share everything with each other. They are best friends. This book is brutal in showing why Harry cheats..there is no reason except for perhaps his own vanity.

And the book is narrated by Walter the forever friend of Madeline. He has been in love with her for most of his life. Walter was a sad soul. I liked him and felt he sold himself short in almost every way imaginable. Clearly he did not have a high opinion of himself. The format of this book has been compared to "The Great Gatsby" and I can understand those comparisons.

And then there is Claire. Claire is the seductress, the one who shatters the happy bubble of the Winslow's life together. I had much antipathy toward Claire. I had to fight with myself through the book because my reaction to her was so visceral.

SPOILERS:

Perhaps it would not have been if she had not tired of Harry so quickly. If she actually loved him or had any idea what love is I would have understood her way more. We see her gradually become tired of Harry, his jokes, even their tooth brushes.

At the end, when Walter and Claire meet one last time my feelings did not change even with her big reveal. I still could not stand her. Go figure..

OK..So I obviously adored this book. Why no 5? Well it is the twist..or the "bait and switch" ending. I loathed that. It brought the power of the book down so much for me. Why do great books..really great books..think they need a twist to be great? I just do not get it.

It is worth noting that I knew exactly where that ending was going as soon as Walter cursed the plane. And so I am sure, did other readers.

So..4.5 from me. I did so enjoy this. Grim, horrible ending but still a great book that makes you question. Outstanding. ( )

Indiscretion is certainly an appropriate title for this book. Walter, Maddy and Harry's friend, is the narrator who tells their story. Theirs is a story of friendships, family and love that goes all wrong when Claire comes into their lives. As their friend, Walter is the witness and mediator and is there to "pick up the pieces" when things go wrong. The characters were an interesting mix of personalities, and regular parties were a part of their lifestyle. It was inevitable that Claire would play in integral part in their story when she appears at one of the parties. The choice to have Walter become the narrator after the first 24 pages was interesting. I was not sure why the author seemed to randomly insert some rather uncommon words into the text. All things considered, the novel was an okay read but was rather predictable. ( )

This was a well-written book and the story, while timeless, was strangely addictive. I kept flipping the pages, certain the triangle was going to implode at any minute and it was going to be nasty. The ending, when it came, left me feeling sad and hopeless, a feeling that persists several days later.

Due to the quality of the writing, I do look forward to the author's future books. ( )