"I asked you to write a story about love, not a story about crime!" he yelled, and I answered, "I'm sorry, but in my mind they've become inseparable."

In the middle of the night, a man makes a phone call to his best friend. He needs help, he says - and the loan of a heavy-duty shovel. The story of Christian Lang is one of obsession both physical and emotional. A famous novelist and television chat-show host, Lang wants to keep his affair with the enchanting Sarita a secret, but she has her own reasons for keeping it quiet too. Lang finds himself caught up in a sinister love triangle with Sarita and her violent ex-husband. He knows that his life is in danger but so great is Lang's passion for his lover that he is unable to stay away.

As Lang is drawn further into a spiral of lust, lies and violence his judgement becomes increasingly irrational. This is a compelling story about love, hatred and obsession and of how these can override the emotion of intense fear. Westö has produced a superbly crafted tale of the terrifying lengths to which a man will go to fuel his addiction to a woman.