Tench

Dark and shocking psychological suspense about a man at war with himself. This is a skillful and assured debut about a deeply unsettling subject

Jonathan has returned from prison to his almost deserted, run-down neighbourhood. He has returned to his mother, to his dog, to filling the days with walks on the dunes and caring for the fish he keeps in an aquarium in his bedroom - struggling, like him, to survive the oppressive summer heat. But there is a young girl with a chipped front tooth living next door, and feelings he thought forgotten are coming back to Jonathan. His growing obsession with her threatens to overwhelm his whole life, as well as hers, but he is determined to make the most of this second chance he has been given. He is determined not to let it happen again.

Tench is criminal psychologist Inge Schilperoord's daring first novel: unnerving, morally complicated and utterly gripping, it moves brilliantly through true darkness.

Inge Schilperoord (born 1973) is a Dutch criminal psychologist. She also works as an editor and reviewer for a number of newspapers and magazines. Tench, her first novel, won the Bronze Owl Prize for best debut, was shortlisted for four other major prizes in the Netherlands and Belgium, and was a five-time book of the year in the Dutch press.