What a find! I unexpectedly discovered this novel. My greatest joy as a reader is uncovering a great piece of writing before anyone else! The prose is clear, precise, and lyrical. I cared about the three intriguing and strongly developed characters -- elusive Eva, haunted Stephen, and passionate Brea -- and how their lives surprisingly intersect. I could not put it down because of the palpable sense of suspense throughout. By writing short chapters interspersed with journal entries, the author kept me so engaged I read it during a cross-country flight. It is so fascinating that I plan to read it again. As evocative as Marguerite Duras' THE LOVER, as complex as Hilary Mantel's AN EXPERIMENT IN LOVE, and as suspenseful as Julian Barnes' THE SENSE OF AN ENDING, I venture to say that it will be the literary surprise of the year. ( )