First published 2015
Daniel's ordinary morning shatters when his phone rings twice. First, his father Chris calls to report that Daniel's mother has been committed to a psychiatric facility, consumed by delusions. Minutes later, his mother Tilde calls with a trembling voice, insisting Chris is lying, that she escaped the facility on her own, and that she fears for her life as she travels to London to see Daniel. Two versions of the same crisis leave Daniel reeling. What seemed like his parents' peaceful retirement masks unbearable tension and paranoia. Family secrets emerge from the past, possibly including crimes, forcing Daniel to confront a terrifying portrait of the people he loves most. He must decipher the truth and choose which parent to believe. The questions multiply: Who is telling the truth? How can he avoid making the wrong judgment? Has his entire life been built on lies? Daniel has no choice but to fly to Sweden and investigate himself, even though discovering the truth might destroy his own sense of identity.
Genres: mystery, contemporary, psychological-thriller, family-drama
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: family-drama, unreliable-narrator
Setting: London, Sweden
Period: Contemporary
384 pages · Paperback · Simon & Schuster Ltd
Content warnings: mental-illness