Who Killed My Daughter?; Summer House with a Swimming Pool

I can't imagine anything more heartbreaking than having your child murdered. Poor Lois Duncan wrote about it in "Who Killed My Daughter?" back in 1989, the sad true story of how her 18 year old daughter was brutally shot to death one night while driving home from a friend's house. The Albuquerque police dismissed it as random and the case went south from there. Despite numerous clues to the contrary, nothing was ever properly investigated or followed up on, and the Arquettes (Duncan's husband's name) were really given the run around. Twenty-five years later, and the killer(s) has never been caught. She wrote a sequel last year, updating the progress (or lack thereof) that I'm going to have to buy as none of my libraries have it. Very, very sad.

Herman Koch is so cynical and dark, I really enjoy his twisted stories. "Summer House with a Swimming Pool" is about a general practitioner named Marc Schlosser. Marc is pretty cynical about his practice and his patients. He has become a doctor to minor celebrities, and fancies himself as better than them. He becomes chummy with Ralph, an actor, and while on summer holiday Marc's family ends up spending some time at Ralph's summer house. Something dreadful happens that ruins not only the trip but both families, and a year later Ralph is dead. I don't want to spoil anything by saying *how* he died, but it was twisted and disturbing.