An exhilarating and unpredictable novel…[it] opens before us like a set of nesting dolls, each narrative turn revealing another… We see the territory ‘Dear Mr. M’ occupies, the middle ground between literature and life, intent and open-endedness, making the book a darkly comic meditation on creativity and the limits of creativity, on the art of fiction and its discontents.”—David Ulin, The Washington Post
“Perfect for fans of Koch’s previous best sellers, The Dinner and Summer House with Swimming Pool, and of the sociopathic story line in fiction.”—Library Journal (starred review)
“A book-within-a-book about strange neighbors, missing persons, young lovers, and the brilliant writer who brings them all together — yeah, sometimes you can barely trust the words you’re reading! But that’s what makes Dear Mr. M so gripping, slippery, and smart.”—Buzzfeed, “37 Books With Plot Twists That Will Blow Your Mind”
“…a psychologically sophisticated thriller…”—The Charlotte Observer
“[a] totally engrossing blend of thriller and literary fiction will take you into that Twilight Zone ‘middle ground between light and shadow’ and hold you there for awhile afterward… It requires your complete attention, but when you give it, you will be absorbed by the clever prose…Dear Mr. M is bound to find a strong audience, especially among fans of Lionel Shriver and Megan Abbott.”—Booklist
“Koch cleverly lays out the pieces of his puzzle, letting first one pattern and then another emerge, and leaving the final piece in reserve until the last few pages. His sardonic sense of humor and dark perspective on human failings give the novel a greater, more satisfying depth than the usual thriller.”—Publishers Weekly
“With a classic whodunit as its spine, the novel is elevated by Koch’s elegant handling of structure, willingness to cross-examine the Dutch liberal sensibility, and skewering of the writer’s life. This is a page turner with a smart head on its shoulders and a mouth that’s willing to ask uncomfortable questions.”—The Millions
September comes as a shocking reminder that you haven’t done half the things you intended to do this year. New Year’s Day, bright and crisp with possibility, is an old yellowed memory, and your resolutions and to-do lists are still full—including your resolution to read more books. Whether your goal was one, ten, or fifty books […]