A Nice Change

Amy thought The Hotel Parthenon in Greece would be a nice change for her husband, Labour MP Tom Jones, grumpily recovering from an operation for piles.

But first they meet Portia, Tom's redheaded ex-mistress and then they receive a surprise visit from Tom's rakish father, Vic.

Also at the hotel are Philip, an American publisher recovering from his wife's suicide; a young doctor, Prudence, nursing a broken heart and waiting for her Granny; and Mr and Mrs Boot who have decided it's best to be out of the way of the London police for a little while.

The cast is completed by grey-haired, elegant twins: the enigmatic Jane and Trish.

Reminiscent of A Midsummer's Night Dream, where the most unlikely people fall in and out of love, this is classic Nina Bawden territory.