Havoc: A Novel

In the vein of The Bad Seed comes a twisty, atmospheric psychological suspense about a meddlesome elderly guest at a decadent luxury hotel who believes she has left her problematic past behind, until she decides to interfere in the lives of a young mother and her eightyearold son, and finally meets her wicked match.The war between age and youth has never been so vicious.Eightyoneyearold widow Maggie Burkhardt came to the Royal Karnak to escape. But not in quite the same way as most other guests who are relaxing at this threadbare luxury hotel on the banks of the Nile. Maggie, a compulsive fixer of other peoples lives, may have found herself in hot water at her last hotel in Switzerland and just might have needed to get out of there fast... But here at the Royal Karnak, under the hot Saharan sun, she has a comfortable suite, a loyal confidante in the hotel manager, Ahmed, and a handful of sympathetic friends, similar longtermers who understand her stillvivid grief for her late husband, Peter. Here, she is merely the sweet old lady in Room 309.One morning, however, Maggie notices a new arrival at checkin: a mournfullooking young mother named Tess and her impish eightyearold, Otto. Eager to help, Maggie invites them into her world. But it isnt long before Maggie realizes that in her longing to be a part of their family, she has let in an enemy much stronger than she bargained for. In scrawny, homely Otto, Maggie Burkhardt has finally met her match.A propulsive, addictivelyreadable breakout from the critically acclaimed author of A Beautiful Crime and The Lost Americans, Havoc is brilliant, twisty psychological suspense that will get under your skin like the most unforgettable Hitchcock classics.