"The most startlingly original crime novel to emerge this decade."-GQ

"The reading equivalent of a boxer's sharp jab to the solar plexus. It's fast-paced, tough and pretty sexy."-Pulp

In south London, an unlikely gang of kidnappers-Nick, an ex-bouncer; Dex, a charismatic sociopath; and Lisa, a motormouth junkie femme fatale-hatches a plot. Their prey is a powerful local businessman with an obsession for the poet Rilke. The thing is, each kidnapper has a very different agenda, which means it's only a matter of time before the joking stops and the violence takes over.

Ken Bruen's dark contemporary thriller matches a razor-sharp vernacular with a country music soundtrack to create a truly intoxicating and original mix.