Dear Mr. M by Herman Koch

Kerry Hammond is here to tell us about the latest book by Dutch author Herman Koch.

Dear Mr. M by Herman Koch was published on September 16, 2016, by Hogarth publishers. I read and loved The Dinner, Koch’s 2013 novel, which was translated into 21 languages. Koch’s books are standalones and are always full of interesting characters and strange events. The writer is a master at the unusual and his books are always full of surprises.

In Dear Mr. M, we learn about events initially through letters written to Mr. M, who is a famous author. Mr. M’s most celebrated book follows the true story of the disappearance of a high school teacher and the two students who are suspected of foul play.

The letters begin a couple of years after the novel’s success, when Mr. M’s career is fast approaching non-existence. The letter writer is a neighbor of the author, and the subject matter is bizarre and creepy. The neighbor is watching Mr. M. Watching his movements and that of his wife and child. He even approaches him at a book signing.

The story is told from many different perspectives and jumps back to the events that led up to the fateful night the teacher disappeared. The tale is both an average story of high schoolers and a twisted tale of love, greed, possession, ego and a disturbed mind…….or two. I had a hard time putting it down because I had no idea where it was going. The characters were so interesting that I was mesmerized.

I won’t say much more for fear of spoilers, but Koch’s writing is very unique and he is an author that I will continue to follow.

This book was provided to Mystery Playground by Blogging for Books. The review is fair and independent.