First published 2004
Seventeen-year-old Pinkie Brown isn't just another street punk—he's a cold-blooded killer with a ruthless plan. After murdering a journalist who threatens his criminal gang's reputation, Pinkie must silence a potential witness: Rose, a naive waitress who accidentally holds critical evidence. As he manipulates Rose into a hasty marriage that will keep her silent, Pinkie becomes trapped in an escalating game of psychological warfare with Ida Arnold, a working-class woman determined to uncover the truth about the murder. With the police closing in and rival criminals circling, Pinkie's desperate attempts to control the situation push him toward an inevitable and violent confrontation. A razor-sharp exploration of innocence, corruption, and moral desperation.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, mystery, crime
Vibes: dark, emotional, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, psychological-manipulation, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Vienna
Period: Post-War
269 pages · Paperback · Penguin Classics
Content warnings: murder, violence