Reptile Memoirs

A brilliantly twisty and unusual literary thriller for fans of Gillian Flynn, Jo Nesbø, Kate Atkinson and Tana French.

Liv has a lot of secrets. Late one night, in the aftermath of a party in the apartment she shares with two friends in Ålesund, she sees a python on a TV nature show and becomes obsessed with the idea of buying a snake as a pet. Soon Nero, a baby Burmese python, becomes the apartment's fourth roommate. As Liv bonds with Nero, she is struck by a desire that surprises her with its intensity. Finally she is safe.

Thirteen years later, in the nearby town of Kristiansund, Mariam Lind goes on a shopping trip with her eleven-year-old daughter, Iben. Following an argument Mariam storms off, expecting her young daughter to make her own way home . . . but she never does. Detective Roe Olsvik, new to the Kristiansund police department, is assigned to the case of Iben's disappearance. As he interrogates Mariam, he instantly suspects her - but there is much more to this case and these characters than their outer appearances would suggest.

A biting and constantly shifting tale of family secrets, rebirth and the legacy of trauma, Reptile Memoirs is a brilliant exploration of the cold-bloodedness of humanity.

"Original, sharp and chilling." CHRIS WHITAKER

“A thriller that really stands out.” AFTENPOSTEN

“The best and creepiest Norwegian crime debut in years” ADRESSEAVISEN

‘A beautifully dark and twisty story with jaw-dropping twists and pin-point plotting' Joanna Cannon, author of The Trouble with Goats and Sheep

‘This book is a shapeshifting marvel. . . . uncanny, unsettling and totally immersive' Emily Fridlund, Booker Prize–shortlisted author of History of Wolves

‘A masterfully shocking and at times wonderfully uncomfortable exploration of obsession, desire and rejection, sexuality and taboo, Ulstein leaves us breathless in her quest to examine which version of the self is capable of love and violence' Sarah Schmidt, author of See What I Have Done

‘Extraordinary and terrifying, Reptile Memoirs sinks its teeth into you. Through relentless and, at times, almost unbearable tension, Ulstein delivers a menacingly layered thriller' P. J. Vernon, author of Bath Haus