Weak willed Jane is caught between the possessive Jessica and kindhearted George Playfair. Sophisticated playwright Sylvester watches the tale unfold, first at his chic London party, and then at his penniless cousins' house in Ireland.

So we move from G and Ts to Horse and Hound. Every paragraph has something interesting to say, whether it's a well-wrought description, a devastating character assassination or an intelligent and sharp explanation of each character's petty motivations. Although they are satirically drawn, the characters are capable of drawing out our sympathy. e.g. Sylvester's dreadful cousin Piggy, unloveable and unloved.

Devoted Ladies kept me happy and absorbed, (which doesn't happen very often - four years of studying literature have left me jaded!). I would recommend it to those who enjoy black comedy written between the wars, e.g. fans of Evelyn Waugh and/or Nancy Mitford. Although the late Molly Keane is well respected (I haven't read Good Behaviour yet), she doesn't seem to be that a big name. On the strength of this, however, she really deserves to be!