Herman Koch (Author) | Akateeminen Kirjakauppa

I felt the same cold that I had felt earlier that evening in my son's room, the cold that came from inside. Beside the homeless person's head, Rick's face appeared. My nephew grinned at the camera. 'Take one,' he said. 'Action!'

An evening in Amsterdam and two couples meet for dinner to discuss their teenage sons. The boys have committed a horrifying crime, caught on CCTV, but so far they remain unidentified - except by their parents. Over the polite hum of restaurant conversation and the squeal of cutlery on plates, the couples have a question to answer: how far will they go to protect their children?

Translated by: Sam Garrett