From the legendary American master Paul Theroux comes a brilliant new novel of chilling
psychological depth the tale of a younger brother whose lifelong rivalry with his older
brother?a powerful lawyer with a pattern of gleefully vicious betrayals?culminates in the
ultimate plan: murder. Cal has always lived in the shadow of his manipulative and domineering
brother Frank who was doted upon by their mother and beloved by the girls in their small New
England hometown?including Cal's own girlfriends. In an attempt to escape Frank's intrusive
presence Cal pursues a different kind of freedom in the world's wild spaces prospecting for
gold and precious minerals everywhere from the heat of the desert at the Mexican border to the
Alaskan chill to central Africa and Colombian mines where he will meet the love of his life
Vida. Soon he is dripping in wealth his pockets full of gold nuggets and emeralds but the
money means far less to him than his independence. To Frank however ?Cash is king.? As Cal's
success grows so too does Frank's power and his influence in Cal's affairs the devastating
threat he creates at the center of his little brother's life. And ultimately when Frank
decides to commit the ultimate betrayal...Cal is left with only one final solution. Few
writers have as keen an eye for human nature as the inimitable Paul Theroux and this riveting
tale of adventure betrayal and the true cost of family bonds is an unmissable new work from
one of America's most distinguished and beloved novelists.
