The Two Mrs Grenvilles by Dominic Dunne

This book is the literary equivalent of ordering a dirty martini from an old school Manhattan bar (yes Amber, I’m thinking of The Algonquin and that chilli martini and the old men in their ties with the napkins. Take me back NOW).

Dunne is totally old school, a writer who wrote for Vanity Fair for decades when there was no demarcation between the stars and the writers, and paparazzi was not a dirty word. Set in 1940s New York, showgirl Ann Arden mets Billy Grenville, a young rich and directionless heir who falls in love with her mystique and wild ways. They marry, much to the disdain of Billy’s family who can spot Ann’s social climbing ways a mile off, and simultaneously bring her into the family while keeping her at arm’s length. Ann is a willing student of the school of snobbery, and turns into the very person Billy thought she was not. Throw in some fabulous parties and the mother-in-law from hell and you have a very absorbing read.

It’s full of bitchy comments and snarky observations on the elite, and those who compromise themselves irrevocably to join them. Like a good martini, this has a delicious kick to it.