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

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. As a second and third missive arrive from the same mysterious source, and 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.

With richly layered, masterful prose, DeSales Harrison has constructed a brilliantly choreographed and spellbinding tale of desperate fathers, stolen daughters, and the distance we travel for revenge and absolution.

"'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