ACTS OF INFIDELITY

(Picador £14.99) When playwright ester meets Olof — an actor in her play about an unhappily married man who meets another woman, but won’t leave his wife — they begin a relationship and ester falls madly in love. Life imitates art, as Olof insists that he won’t get divorced, but his behaviour (meeting her for sex and organising dates) suggests otherwise. ester pores over his communications, analysing the words, tone and length of time to reply as if she is conducting academic research. Years of far more lows than highs pass and ester belatedly realises she has become a mistress. Olof’s behaviour is insidious and calculating and this intellectual giant of a woman is so blind to the reality of her situation that I wanted to reach into the pages and shake her. Wise and elegant — I can’t stop thinking about it.