'A riveting but disturbing [novel] from the richly talented Dutch author who sprang to prominence with his gripping The Dinner . . . There are echoes of Stephen King's Misery , but this is even more subtle, with a denouement to send shivers down the spine.' Daily Mail 'Herman Koch is rapidly becoming one of my favourite writers. His three novels, taken together, are like a killer EP where every track kicks ass.' Stephen King Mr. M's fame is not what it once was, but his career is not over yet. One reader remains devoted, his attention unwavering. A reader with a vested interest in M's most famous story: A teacher, a student, an affair - and a brutal murder. A body that was never found. But while Mr. M knows how to write about murder, His reader's experience is of an altogether more practical kind . . . 'The strands come blackly and brilliantly together . . . The climax is unexpected and very pleasing.' Sunday Times '[A novel] of exceptional ingenuity, with two equally compelling threads . . . An absolute page-turner.' Mail on Sunday 'Gripped from page one . . . I was on the edge of my sofa.' Grazia