Short & Sweet: Indiscretion by Charles Dubow

I read so many books that I don't have time to post a full review for each one. To that, I will post shorter reviews on books titled "Short & Sweet". This is my first post.

Book: Indiscretion by Charles Dubow
Publisher: William Morrow, ISBN 978-0-062201065
Trade Paperback, $14.99, 400 pages

Genre: Literary Fiction

Plot: Harry and Maddy are a happily married middle-aged couple with a young son who has health issues. Harry is a famous author, Maddy the party hostess and friend everyone adores. They have a social circle that includes Walter, a lonely man who is our narrator. A beautiful young woman named Claire enters their lives and they take her under their wing, and all is well until their happy little world is shattered by an indiscretion.

The Short & Sweet: Most of these type of  novels are about the woman wronged, but I found this look at adultery from the male perspective intriguing. Walter, the friend, is the narrator and given that this takes place mostly on a summer place in the Hamptons and is about an obsessive love affair, it echoes The Great Gatsby. 
The characters are interesting, especially Maddy, and the plot keeps the reader invested in the story. The last few chapters are incredibly sad  and devastating, and I found myself impressed with Dubrow's ability to move the reader so deeply in his debut novel. There are some explicit (and well written) sex scenes, so if that offends you, this book may not be for you.

rating 4 of 5