From the legendary American master Paul Theroux comes a brilliant new novel of chilling psychological depth, the tale of a younger brother whose lifelong rivalry with his older brotherâa powerful lawyer with a pattern of gleefully vicious betrayalsâculminates in the ultimate plan: murder.
Cal has always lived in the shadow of his manipulative and domineering brother, Frank, who was doted upon by their mother and beloved by the girls in their small New England hometownâincluding Calâs own girlfriends. In an attempt to escape Frankâs intrusive presence, Cal pursues a different kind of freedom in the worldâs wild spaces, prospecting for gold and precious minerals everywhere from the heat of the desert at the Mexican border to the Alaskan chill, to central Africa, and Colombian mines where he will meet the love of his life, Vida. Soon he is dripping in wealth, his pockets full of gold nuggets and emeralds, but the money means far less to him than his independence. To Frank, however, âCash is king.â As Calâs success grows, so too does Frankâs power and his influence in Calâs affairs, the devastating threat he creates at the center of his little brotherâs life. And, ultimately, when Frank decides to commit the ultimate betrayalâŚCal is left with only one, final solution.
Few writers have as keen an eye for human nature as the inimitable Paul Theroux, and this riveting tale of adventure, betrayal, and the true cost of family bonds is an unmissable new work from one of Americaâs most distinguished and beloved novelists.