Fifteen-year-old Katya Spivak is out for a walk on the streets of Bayhead Harbor, New Jersey, when she is approached by silver-haired, elegant Marcus Kidder. At first his interest in her seems harmless. The world he inhabits acts as a tonic to her drab existence. And as a children's book writer, he seems to be a man she can trust. His home is beautiful and he lavishes gifts on her. Everything about him is enticing - perhaps too enticing?

Like a moth to the light Katya agrees to pose for a painting. But by degrees something changes. Being Mr Kidder's muse is not the easy endeavour it once was. What does he really want from her? And how far will he go to get it?

This spare, chilling novel shows Joyce Carol Oates at the height of her powers as a literary storyteller.

About the Author
Joyce Carol Oates is a bestselling author. Among her many books are BLONDE, BROKE HEART BLUES, BLACK WATER, THEM and FAITHLESS. She has won a National Book Award as well as the PEN/Malamud Award for Excellence in Short Fiction and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letter. She has also had stories selected for both BEST AMERICAN SHORT STORIES OF THE CENTURY and BEST AMERICAN MYSTERY STORIES OF THE CENTURY. She lives in Princeton, New Jersey. The prolific Oates is known for her short stories and attracts attention with each new offering. Her first book was published over 45 years ago and she is a recipient of the National Book Award and is one of America's best-loved authors. She is the author of many novels, including We Were the Mulvaneys, which was an Oprah Book Club Choice, and Blonde, which was nominated for the National Book Award.

Reviews
'A delightfully chilling and playful novella from a literary genius' Daily Mail. * Daily Mail *
'The prose is taut, the insight shrewd and the violence vivid, but what lingers in the mind is the painful ambiguity of contemporary human interaction' New Statesman. * New Statesman *
'Pure fairytale, a modern day Little Red Riding Hood in which Katya exacts her own revenge against the wolf... Oates has an indisputable ability to sustain ambient darkness and ominous unease' Guardian. * Guardian *
'Exceptional talent for the Gothic/thriller genre... the narrative tension becomes almost unbearable' TLS. * TLS *



Book Information
ISBN 9781849162609
Author Joyce Carol Oates
Format Paperback
Page Count 240
Imprint Quercus Publishing
Publisher Quercus Publishing
Weight(grams) 164g
Dimensions(mm) 199mm * 131mm * 15mm