The death of Jessica Burke was easy to explain: a history of depression, a heroin habit, a girl alone in her bathtub. But when her psychoanalyst, Daniel Abend, receives an ominous, handwritten poem, he quickly realizes that this was not just an overdose. After his daughter abruptly disappears, Daniel finds himself the subject of an elaborate and calculated torment, one that reaches back decades, crosses oceans, and begins with a chance encounter with a beguiling girl in a Paris stairwell.

A bewitching literary suspense debut, rich in atmosphere and Gothic overtones

About the Author

DeSales Harrison earned his BA at Yale University, MA at Johns Hopkins University, and PhD at Harvard University, where he was a Briggs-Copeland Lecturer of English. Harrison is a professor of Lyric Poetry at Oberlin College, where he lives with his wife and daughter.

Reviews

'An intriguing psychological thriller with a strong emotional punch.'

* Daily Mail *

'A wonderfully atmospheric debut.'

* Mail on Sunday *

'A complex and multi-layered psychological thriller, imbued with humanity, with some lush writing, this is a slow burn tale that provides much in the way of rewards if you stick to its studied pace.'

* Crimetime *

'Serious, atmospheric, a writer of considerable power.'

* Patricia Duncker, author of Hallucinating Foucault *

'Beautifully written and achingly romantic, this dazzling gothic-tinged thriller takes us deep into a labyrinth of secrets, lies, and deceptions. It's a stunning debut!'

* Dan Chaon, New York Times bestselling author of Ill Will *

'Elegant, elegiac, enigmatic.'

* Matthew Pearl, author of The Last Bookaneer *

'A cryptic, beguiling puzzle-box of a book...a mesmeric exploration of guilt in the vein of Vertigo or The Secret History, with the frantic nightmare-logic of a thriller.'

* David Gilbert, author of & Sons *

'A creepy, propulsive novel about guilt and shame, partly set in Paris and with plenty of God Stuff. Unlike any other thriller you'll read this year.'

* Eleanor Franzen, Heywood Hill Books *



Book Information
ISBN 9781780749112
Author DeSales Harrison
Format Hardback
Page Count 320
Imprint Point Blank
Publisher Oneworld Publications
Dimensions(mm) 216mm * 135mm * 28mm