Trio is a 2020 novel by William Boyd, following three characters all linked to a film shoot taking place in Brighton in 1968. Talbot Kydd, the film’s producer, struggles with his sexuality and a treacherous business partner. Anny Viklund, a young American actress tries to cope with sudden stardom and the end of her marriage to a recently convicted terrorist. Novelist Elfrida Wing, wife of the film’s director, is in the throes of alcoholism and writer’s block.

The world of 1960s film making is excellently portrayed. The whole enterprise is beset by chaos and stress, the emotional volatility of new stars, the monstrous egotism of fading stars, cameramen stealing film stock for their own dubious side projects, talent agents who are little better than mobsters. And yet in contrast to all this, there’s a scene where Elfrida, following a drunken collapse, rings the production office and asks them to arrange a doctor for her. This is quickly done, because while the film is shooting, it will sort everything out for you. There are cars and drivers to take you places, lawyers to deal with legal hassles, accountants to provide money if you need it, and doctors on retainer to look after your health. Elfrida thinks how nice this is, and how once the film has wrapped, she will have to go back to organising her own GP appointments.

I was reading about people pushed to the edge in various ways, living in a situation where, as long as this chaos continues, they will be looked after. Picking up the book was like someone calling me a reliable unit car to take me on a trip. The book was so readable and compelling that whilst among its pages, everything would be sorted for me. Halfway through I realised that it would be sad to have to go back to organising my own time.