I usually really enjoy William Boyds novels but struggled with this one. Centred in Brighton in the 1960s it was interesting to see the slow unfurling of a more enlightened attitude and Boyd cleverly used characters to show the civil unrest of the time. However, I could not warm to the main characters or muster any great interest in them. It just never really engaged me.

It’s 1968, the peak of “swinging Sixties” and a terrible sounding movie is being shot in Brighton. The trio who give this book its name are the three main characters. Talbot is the world weary producer and a closet homosexual. Elvira is the directors wife, an alcoholic author who has suffered ten years of writers block. Anny is a glamorous American movie star, whose ex-husband is wanted by the FBI for terrorism and who turns to every man in her life for rescue.

All three characters have secrets in their lives and the book’s three sections – Duplicity, Surrender and Escape – map the way they either succumb to or overcome them.

William Boyd is very good at bringing a time and place to life and he does that here. While the events of 1968 – riots, assassinations, civil unrest – have minimal impact on the characters’ lives, they still intrude from time to time.

I wasn’t drawn into the first half of this book. I didn’t warm to any of the characters and it felt meandering and pointless. However in the second half, the plots take shape and it becomes much more interesting and fast moving. It’s not my favourite of William Boyd’s books, but it has redeeming qualities.

Apart from being in the same place (Brighton) at the same time (1968) and having an identifiable connection to an event (making a film), on the face of it there is little that links the three people who comprise the title's Trio. They rarely directly interact with each other - I think two of them never meet. However, each one of three has an overwhelming obstacle or two which seriously complicates their life, stopping them from being themself and living life to the full.
Although I didn't always find it easy to track each individual's story, I especially liked the way that the author returns to the significant opening pages several times later in the novel.
I have now read a number of this author's books and am amazed at his ability to write convincingly about such a wide range of different topics, and always with vivid characters. Thinking about it, I suppose what attracts me to his books is this empathetic characterisation - including the paranoia described in "Restless", the egocentric religious mania in "Love is Blind", and the self-destructive addiction to drink, drugs or keeping up appearances in "Trio".

I really enjoyed this book. The first book I’ve read by William Boyd and would definitely read some of his others.

Trio, set in the 60s, follows the personal lives of 3 main characters that are all connected to a movie in production. I thought it was well written and had some solid characters.

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publishers for the free copy in exchange for an honest review. #Trio #WilliamBoyd

Trio follows the story of three loosely interlinked protagonists, through their connections to a 1960s film production.

William Boyd’s writing is simple and light in tone, with realism and believability. The novel is focussed on the mundanity of ageing joints, headaches, and human regret. It comes with trigger warnings of alcohol abuse, mental health, drug abuse and suicidal thoughts and actions.

The novel begins slowly, building the three separate character arcs, but I didn’t find they were written with an emotional openness for me to feel invested, and didn’t feel their stories moved with enough momentum for me to feel captivated. It felt like it was dragging its heels through the puddles rather than splashing in them.

Boyd does increase the pace significantly for the second and third parts of the novel, which did become much more interesting and engaging, as did the characters.

I think the three arcs would’ve worked better as separate short stories, focussing more greatly on the thoughts and feelings of each character. The novel makes several attempts to bring the three characters together but there was insufficient interlinkage or twists to achieve this successfully and as a result, the novel didn’t make the impact that three stories could have achieved separately.

I love William Boyd's writing and Trio is another excellent book. The Trio of the title are an interesting set of characters with plenty of back story and lots going on. Set mainly in Brighton in 1968 during the shooting of a movie the story certainly sets the scene with historic and social references. It was an interesting year and this is an interesting and very enertaining read. With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review and e-ARC of this title.

Brighton in 1968 is bustling with a film crew making what Clayton (the Director) and Rggie (the Producer, who prefers to be known as Rodrigo) hope will be blockbuster. The female lead, Anna, is a well known American film star and her male co-star, Troy is a British singer, actor and songwriter.

The three principals, Clayton Reggie (Rogdrigo) and Anna all have skeletons in the cupboard that, as we learn throughout the book, can result in big problems with a capital P. Reggie’s wife, Elfrida, is an author, sadly suffering from writers block, but also has a much bigger problem besides that. Reggie has difficulty in keeping his trousers on and Clayton has been leading a very secret life besides his day to day persona. Anna is falling for Troy whose career is somewhat in the doldrums, but she also has a bigger problem than any of the others. Who knows where it will lead her.

William Boyd has once again created a great page-turner.

The trio in the title are involved in the making of a film in Brighton in 1968.
Anny Viklund is the American star of the film, who has a complicated emotional life.
Talbot Kydd is the producer who supposedly has financial control over the film, and has his own secrets.
Elfrida Wing is a blocked author “the new Virginia Wolf”, who likes vodka rather too much, and is married to the film’s director, Reginald (call me Rodrigo) Tipton.
As the filming lurches from problem to problem, each of the trio has to address their demons, and fins a way to escape them and move on, some more successfully than others.
This is a compelling read with a wonderful cast of characters, set at a time when it felt that the whole world was in flux and anything was possible.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin General UK for the opportunity to read this book.

I’m a big William Boyd fan and although I still have other favourites of his novels, Trio did not disappoint. I loved the setting, a film set in Brighton in 1968, and all the creative and free spirited characters you could have met at that time. The narrative focuses on three main characters; a producer, a writer and an actress. I think just over half way through I realised that these characters weren’t going to meet or come together in a deeper way- for that reason it was a bit like reading three separate stories that were only lightly interwoven. This did not distract from the overall brilliance of Boyd’s writing and I was absorbed and gripped to keep reading. My favourite character was Anny and I could have read more about her and her story. I also found peripheral characters interesting, such as Elfrida’s husband, and could have read more about them too. Some of the themes of the novel; life, death, love, sexuality and creativity. Great read, highly recommended.

It took me a while to get into this book and I am so glad I kept reading. It is a very cleverly woven plot with interesting characters that turned into a compelling read.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I’m so pleased to have read this book! It was by far the best book I have read for a while. Having only read one novel by Boyd, some years ago, I’m not sure what convinced me to try this one, but I’m glad I did.

We follow the lives of three individuals, each involved in some way with the shooting of a film in Brighton in 1968. I won’t go into any more detail about what happens because this isn’t the type of book where there Is a fast paced plot but rather it’s about the characters and how events occurring alongside the film shoot affect them.

From the opening pages I was struck by the quality of Boyd’s writing, it’s wonderful. He has crafted some truly interesting characters in this book, each of whom was beautifully developed and we get to know each of them as the story progresses. I’m not sure who I’d say were my favourites; each had something to enjoy, though Elfrida perhaps wins by a nose.

A measure for me of how well I’ve thought of a book is whether I’ll recommend it and I will definitely do so here. Perhaps I won’t wait as long to read another William Boyd novel in future.

It's no secret that William Boyd is one of my favourite authors, constantly pressing Any Human Heart into people's hands. I absolutely loved Trio, although it is very different from a lot of his other work but its still full of rich detail, complex characters and classic Boyd dry wit. I loved the existential themes and questions in this, instantly intrigued (and excited) when I saw the Albert Camus quote at the start. I adore this idea and it was welcomed straight away.

The novel is set primarily in Brighton and we follow each character - Elfrida, Talbot and Anny. All experience their own inner demons, who question their existence and identity. Elfrida, a struggling writer and alcoholic, is constantly compared to Virginia Woolf (straight away we have this idea of existentialism/death). We explore how this comparison makes her feel and what this means for her own identity. Talbot is secretly gay without ever really admitting it to himself. Then we have Anny, an actress who pops pills at every moment and is heavily reliant on older men to tell her what to do, and to ultimately make her feel 'alive.' All three of them connect sparingly on the set of a film and cross paths. We follow the events that transpire over one summer and how this challenges their inner turmoil of who they are and their response to this.

I loved it!! If you're a Boyd fan, just go on and read this. He delivers yet another brilliant and creative story. If you've never read Boyd - just pick this up and be amazed at the intense detail, as with all his work.

It's the characters that he creates that hold centre stage in every single piece of his writing.

Thanks Penguin for the ARC!

I've read a few of William Boyd's novels - Restless is my favourite. Trio was a fantastic read - I loved the interconnecting characters, the setting in Brighton and really enjoyed exploring these complex characters.

It gripped me - I read about half the book in one sitting and then finished the rest within a few days. Highly recommend.

It is 1968 and our cast of characters are in Brighton, for the filming of, “Emily Bracegirdle’s Extremely Useful Ladder to the Moon.” A wonderfully Sixties title; although this novel felt oddly timeless to me.

Our three main characters – the ‘Trio,’ of the title, are Talbot Kydd, Elfrida Wing and Anny Vikland. Talbot, the film’s producer, is a married father of two, who is homosexual and is coming to terms with the recent law, which means that his sexuality is no longer a crime. An ex-army man; Talbot visits a friend from the war years, now living openly with a man, but is not quite comfortable in the changing world His life is still very much secretive, with an alternative flat, and identity, in London.

Anny is a young American actress, who spends rather too much time taking drugs. She has very difficult relationships with older men and her ex-husband is currently on the run from the FBI and is rumoured to be in the UK. Meanwhile, she becomes embroiled in a relationship with her co-star, Troy Blaze (named by his management, obviously still following the traditions of Larry Parnes, rather than the more modern, Sixties promoters).

Lastly, there is Elfrida Wing, wife of Reggie (who wishes to be known as ‘Rodrigo’ Tipton, the film’s director. Elfrida was once a lauded author, but she last published a novel in 1958, and is now suffering from writer’s block. Her marriage to Reggie/Rodrigo is falling apart, due largely to his infidelity and disinterest. Stumbling from pub to pub, Elfrida has excellent titles for books, and even ideas for books, but she is unable to put these ideas onto paper…

Boyd is an assured and interesting writer and I enjoyed this trip through the film industry and the lives of his characters Somehow, I never quite became invested enough for this to be a five star read for me, but it is a solid four. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.

Set around the decadent environ of a Swinging Sixties film set in 1968 Brighton, the eponymous 'Trio' comprises: closeted film producer, Talbot Kidd, glamourous American film starlet, Anny Viklund and Elfrida Wing who having been dubbed 'The new Virginia Woolf' is battling writer's block and chronic alcohol addiction. Each of the characters is hiding a secret which will cause the unravelling of their respective lives and the veneers they have created for themselves. I'm a huge fan of William Boyd's writing, I am always engrossed by the fictional milieus he creates and admire the fact that he always tries to create something different with each novel as opposed to playing it safe.

This novel really captures the zeitgeist of the time as it is set against the backdrop of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy's assassination, through this emotionally complex troubled triumvirate, William Boyd compellingly explores themes of sexuality, love, mental health and deception.

Thank you for Netgalley and Penguin General UK for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My first William Boyd novel, and although it took a while to pull me in, I enjoyed it.

Set in Brighton, England, in the 1960's, this book is about three very complex and troubled characters, who are linked by the making of a film, which is set in Brighton.

Elfrida - the wife of the film director. A lonely and troubled novelist with writer's block, who finds her escape in vodka.

Anny - the American actress and star of the film, who married and divorced a terrorist who is wanted by the FBI.

And Talbot, the producer, war veteran, married with kids, and living a secret life that he is unable to come to terms with.

The three are linked through the making of a movie, and we see them battling their demons and how they finally deal them.

A decent read, with a unique plot. The themes are deep and diverse, and I enjoyed delving into the minds of these extremely troubled characters, and how they dealt with them, given that they were from the 1960's and attitudes were very different them.

This is the first William Boyd book I have read and it won't be the last. I really enjoyed it. It took a little while to pull all the interrelationships together but I was captivated virtually from the start. Set in the 1960s in Brighton, London and Paris it dealt with some difficult topics, in fact this is probably my only criticism, it dealt with too many : gay culture of the time, drugs, adultery and alcoholism. I cannot say I 'liked' the characters but I enjoyed them, they were interesting, perhaps a mite stereotypical but as a reader I was drawn in and looked forward to learning more about them.

Set in the world of film during the 1960s, this book is about the relationships of the cast and crew. The affairs, the drugs and angst. I found it difficult to warm to any if the key protagonists, who are all somewhat damaged by the lives they lead. An interesting story, which delves into the more challenging aspects of peoples lives.

I look forward to each new William Boyd novel and this doesn't disappoint. Set in Brighton in the 60s this follows the stories of three characters, all involved in the production of a film.

Each character is interesting and engaging and the narrative is witty and compelling. Overall the theme is about life, and to a certain extent death, what makes life worth living. Definitely a good read.

It would be wrong to say I loved this book - the characters took a while to warm to - too many self destruct buttons being pushed - too much deceit, deniability and desperate decisions made in haste for my liking. But, learning more about the characters, i became absorbed in their journeys; in their search for acceptance and quest for a better way of living.
The novel is set in Brighton in 1968 during the filming of a romantic comedy. The characters are secretive, diverse and mostly unpleasant and unfulfilled, but interesting and not always deserving of their fates.
An excellent book for discussion.