In the jinxy spirit of Portrait of a Thief, a compelling, one-sitting literary thriller of imposters and malevolent morals, in which a man pulls another man from the rough surf...and then wishes he'd just let him drown
'Carries distinct shades of Patricia Highsmith and Donna Tartt... Supremely gripping' - Vogue, Best Books of 2022
A struggling author is stuck at the airport, his flight endlessly delayed. As he kills time, he bumps into a former classmate of his, Jeff, who is waiting for the same flight. Jeff invites the author to drinks in the First Class lounge, and there, swearing him to secrecy, begins confiding in him the disturbing story of his gilded life, starting with a pivotal incident from his youth...
Alone on the beach one morning, Jeff notices a swimmer drowning in the rough surf - and so he rescues and resuscitates the man, before leaving him to the emergency services. But Jeff can't let go of the events of that traumatic day, and he begins to feel compelled to get closer to the man whose life he has saved. Upon discovering that the man is the renowned art dealer Francis Arsenault, Jeff begins to surreptitiously visit his gallery, eventually applying there for a job. Although Francis doesn't seem to recognize him, he takes him under his wing, exposing him to a world of unimaginable power and wealth. Seduced by the lifestyle, Jeff pursues an ever deeper connection with Francis, until morals become corrupted, people get hurt and their relationship becomes darker, leaving him to wonder... should he have just let Francis drown?
