Here we have three main characters, loosely linked by a film that is being shot in the south of England in the late 1960s. They each have personal problems and they each come to see that they need to take matters into their own hands to resolve them - drastic, life-changing action is required. The novel is mainly concerned with what will they decide to do and whether they are going to be able to go through with it. The characters are well written, though I didn’t feel the time and place came across as strongly as I might have liked. A good, straightforward holiday read, I’d say.

Based in Brighton in 1968, this story revolves around a filmset. "Trio" refers to the three main characters. As usual Boyd is easy to read with interesting observations. I did however find the book to be very disappointing. The plot meandered too widely. Furthermore, the three main characters were implausible.

It’s been a while since I last read William Boyd, round about the late 90s. He seems to have changed paperback publishers since then. It always seemed Boyd and Penguin went together like rum and coke.

You always know where you stand with him. Boyd’s style never draws attention to itself and treats even his oddest characters with dignity, refusing to condescend or judge.

Trio looks at a disparate group of characters in 60s London but the background is at best incidental to the plot. The more interesting parts are all about Efrid, the blocked lady novelist with a penchant for stashing vodka in a bottle of Sarson’s white vinegar. Not the equal of his 1987 masterpiece The New Confessions but never less than enjoyable.