The beast must die

How it reads

The beast must die is mystery (revenge mystery, specifically), and its dominant mood is dark. It goes to difficult places and doesn't look away. It moves fast: plot-driven and hard to put down, the kind of book that carries you along even when you're tired.

It's set in several locations, in the recent past, told in the first person by several narrators. Its central concerns are justice and loss and grief. In weight it sits in the middle: substantial without being heavy going.

It stands alone, so there's nothing else you need to read first or after. The ending is dark — no rescue, no neat bow. It's moderately known: read by plenty of people, but not a household name.