Cynthia Propper Seton's novels are full of thoughtful, well-educated characters living civilized but not entirely happy lives. She is witty, sometimes outright funny, without ever being less than serious. Her plots are shapely and often (always?) concerned with women whose lives have been only half-explored--till now.

I strongly suggest starting with the delightful "Fine Romance," which tells of a group of tourists being led on a holiday trip through southern Italy. It includes this telling passage, spoken by a novelist who is one of the travelers: "There's an inherent plotlessness one has to contend with in the lives of civilized people, you see. They don't commit murders, or shriek, or have scenes. Their marriages, divorces, are muted, cerebral. It puts a heavy burden on love affairs, do you see? They're the only credible climax left."