I picked up this short novel almost by accident, attracted by its evocative cover – the monochrome picture of an upturned book on the grass beside an empty deckchair. I was of course familiar with William Trevor through his rather excellent short stories (I’ve read several of his collections). How glad I am that I gave in to my impulse and tried something of his work at longer length.

On the back of the book William Trevor promises us “three deaths that summer” (at least on the version I read). We’re told who the identity of the first death is – Letitia Davenant, wealthy wife of older Thaddeus Davenant, who both live at Quincunx House in rural Essex, together with their baby Georgina, their dog Rosie, and their house-keeping couple Maidment and Zenobia. Through the superbly-crafted prose of the opening chapter we learn that on the day of Letitia’s death she and her husband quarrelled over something extremely trivial – a letter received by Thaddeus from an old flame who was down on her luck, with a request for him to visit her. This is a request that Thaddeus fully intendeds to ignore, but his wife is of a rather more benevolent nature and she urges him to comply with the request.

In the wake of his wife’s sudden death Thaddeus reconsiders his decision and takes it upon himself to make contact with his lady friend from the past, the formidable Mrs Ferry. In the meantime his mother-in-law, Mrs Iveson, suggests that he should employ a nanny to help him take care of the baby, and in an effort to head off the suggestion that Mrs Iveson herself should move into Quincunx House to take the role, he reluctantly agrees. This action sets off a chain of events that eventually results in at least one of the other deaths, with the third occurring in a more inevitable manner.

One of the nannies that is interviewed – and subsequently rejected – is young Pettie, a damaged waif from a children’s home, who updates her simple-minded friend Albert on what has happened, and how the promise of a better life propels her into foolish action. The story is told from the viewpoint of several characters, offering further insight into the events and clarifying elements of the tale from opposing perspectives. To say more about the plot would be to spoil it. It’s a thrilling, yet tragic tale. But Trevor’s style is unhurried and subtle. Each line is to be savoured, the stunning prose possessing an old-fashioned, dreamlike quality, even though the setting is contemporary. The characters are so vividly drawn with such an economy of words, it’s not difficult to understand why William Trevor is so highly regarded in literary circles. This is a superb novel – one that has me yearning to read more from this celebrated author – and comes highly recommended.