My rating: 5 of 5 stars


What does it say about a book that creeps you from inside out? A dark and unsettling tale about Oliver Ryan, this book makes you wonder about the circumstances that shape a person. Oliver’s growth from a young child craving for love and compassion and seeking admiration from his uncaring father to a very cold and emotionless and detached individual made me think… a lot.. The fact that this disturbing story lingers in your mind makes it deserve all the 5🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟.

Liz Nugent makes us understand Oliver thru a lot of voices. Each and every voice is distinct and gives a different picture of the flat and detached person he is. I do not want to classify this as a psychological thriller but more of a character study that causes Oliver to lose it completely and beat his wife Alice so brutally that puts her in coma.

An addictive read!



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I expected more of a reaction the first time I hit her.

Oliver Ryan, handsome, charismatic, and successful, has long been married to his devoted wife, Alice. Together they write and illustrate award-winning children’s books; their life together one of enviable privilege and ease—until, one evening after a delightful dinner, Oliver delivers a blow to Alice that renders her unconscious, and subsequently beats her into a coma.

In the aftermath of such an unthinkable event, as Alice hovers between life and death, the couple’s friends, neighbours, and acquaintances try to understand what could have driven Oliver to commit such a horrific act. As his story unfolds, layers are peeled away to reveal a life of shame, envy, deception, and masterful manipulation.