The Wild Beast

In the decade since the publication of the bestseller “The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair,” young Swiss author Joël Dicker, winner of the Grand Prix of the French Academy and the Prix Goncourt des Lycéens, has become a globally recognized master of psychological thrillers. The total circulation of his books, translated into forty languages, exceeds 15 million. His seventh novel, “The Wild Beast,” barely appeared on the shelves and sold 87,000 copies in its first week. The story unfolds in a prestigious neighborhood of Geneva, where Sophie and Arpad Braun live, a happy couple with two children, evoking admiration and envy from their neighbors. Nearby lives another couple, less fortunate: Greg, a police officer, and Karin, a saleswoman in a trendy store. The acquaintance between the two families quickly evolves into a friendship, but far from trouble-free. Greg fell in love with Sophie at first sight, and upon accidentally noticing her tattoo of a panther, he completely lost his mind. Forgetting caution, he secretly spies on her with binoculars — the Braun house, with its glass walls, can be seen through. But it turns out that he is not the only one watching Sophie. Meanwhile, a monumental robbery is being prepared in the city center…