Tench

Description: Jonathan has returned from prison to his largely deserted, run-down neighborhood. He has returned to his mother, to his dog, to filling the hot days with walks on the dunes and caring for the fish he keeps in an aquarium in his bedroom - struggling, like him, to survive the oppressive summer heat. But there is a young girl with a chipped front tooth living next door, and feelings he thought forgotten are coming back to Jonathan. His growing obsession with Elke threatens to overwhelm his whole life, as well as hers, but he is determined to make the most of this second chance he has been given. He is determined not to let it happen again... Tench is criminal psychologist Inge Schilperoord's daring first novel: unnerving, morally complicated and utterly gripping, it moves brilliantly through true darkness.

Review: Stunningly accomplished... claustrophobic and compelling... deeply unsettling, strangely beautiful... an extraordinary debut Daily Telegraph A dark and powerful read, underpinned by a growing sense of terrible tension Daily Mail Tench is a mesmerizing read. I cannot recommend it highly enough Asymptote Journal This book will but you. That's a recommendation, I promise Elle Thinks (blog) A brilliant, necessary novel De Morgen (five stars) You only come across a debut novel of this quality once in every five to ten years... Tench takes us to a place we'd rather stay well away from but fighting against it doesn't help. A dark and impressive feat De Volkskrant (five stars) Takes your breath away Antwerp Gazette (five stars) A book your eyes stick to like magnets NRC Handelsblad A flawless novel De Telegraaf An insanely good book Kunststof Beautiful and horrifying at the same time NCRV Guide You turn the pages breathlessly until the dramatic climax Hebban A portrait of a good person with dangerous tendencies - more terrifying and infinitely sadder than a portrait of a monster HP / De Tijd It's a long time since I have read such a gripping story. It reminds me of Dostoyevsky and Celine' Frans Stuger Holy shit, what a fantastic book. I can describe it in a single word: unmissable.' -- Renate Dorrestein

Author Biography: Inge Schilperoord (born 1973) is a Dutch criminal psychologist. She also works as an editor and reviewer for a number of newspapers and magazines. Tench, her first novel, won the Bronze Owl Prize for best debut, was shortlisted for four other major prizes in the Netherlands and Belgium, and was a five-time book of the year in the Dutch press.