First published 2017
Kif Kehlmann answers his phone at midnight. The caller is Siegfried Heidl, a corporate criminal who defrauded banks of $700 million. Heidl faces trial soon and wants Kehlmann to ghostwrite his memoir. The offer is $10,000 for six weeks of work. Kehlmann needs the money and accepts. The young writer begins working with his notorious subject, but something feels wrong. Heidl seems to be changing him. Kehlmann starts questioning whether he is writing Heidl's story or whether Heidl is rewriting his life. The deadline approaches and uncertainty grows. Kehlmann loses his grip on who Siegfried Heidl really is. He also begins to doubt his own identity. The memoir project becomes a battle for his soul. Richard Flanagan delivers a story about corruption, identity, and the dangerous power of lies.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, mystery, crime, contemporary, psychological-thriller
Vibes: dark, emotional, intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: unreliable-narrator
362 pages · Kindle Edition · Vintage Digital