Havoc
A New York Times' "Best Thriller of the Year"
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 eight-year-old son, and finally meets her wicked match.
The war between age and youth has never been so vicious.
Eighty-one-year-old 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 people's 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 "long-termers" who understand her still-vivid 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 check-in: a mournful-looking young mother named Tess and her impish eight-year-old, Otto. Eager to help, Maggie invites them into her world. But it isn't 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, addictively-readable 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.
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Christopher Bollen is the author of the critically acclaimed novels The Lost Americans, A Beautiful Crime, The Destroyers, Orient, and Lightning People. He is a frequent contributor to a number of publications, including Vanity Fair, the New York Times, and Interview. He lives in New York City.
Best of the Year: New York Times, CrimeReads, Book Riot, Sun-Sentinel, Air Mail --
"A lot of books claim to be Highsmithian, but this one actually is: A highly readable, twisty, and shrewd satire presenting as a thriller about entitlement, loneliness, jealousy, and the eternal friction between the young and old. Utterly enjoyable." -- Hanya Yanagihara, bestselling author of A Little Life and To Paradise (on Instagram)
"It's refreshing to read prose that is so well crafted. Bollen has style, and he's a natural storyteller." -- Lionel Shriver, recommending for "Best Book of 2024, Spectator UK
"A masterclass in menace -- this is atmospheric, diabolical fun with two utterly unforgettable antagonists. Not since Agatha Christie has anyone so convincingly put the case for the potential villainy of the very old and very young..." -- Lucy Foley, New York Times bestselling author of The Midnight Feast
"Havoc is delicious, wicked, and utterly brilliant - a novel about age and power, a battle between two ruthless and fascinating minds. It sank its teeth into me from the first page, and didn't let go."
-- Katie Kitamura, bestselling author of Intimacies
"Diabolically good. Gets you in its mad, twisted grip and doesn't relinquish until the jaw-dropping end. Bollen is a stunning writer and Havoc is a taut, wicked masterpiece." -- Mona Awad, bestselling author of Rouge
"...a deliciously nasty tale of resentment and revenge.... great, wicked fun....Bollen writes with wit and style about an increasingly unhinged battle of wills between two unlikely, and formidable, opponents." -- NY Times, from Sarah Lyall
"Bollen's latest is a slow burn about intergenerational warfare." -- New York Magazine
"This destination thriller is perfect for White Lotus fans." -- People
"(Havoc) marks Bollen as a thriller master" -- Los Angeles Times
"Bollen gleefully lays on the melodrama and teases out the unmasking of his very unreliable narrator, escalating to a cymbal-crashing finale of revelations violence." -- Boston Globe
"An octogenarian Wisconsin widow faces off against an eight-year-old troublemaker in this first-rate tale of psychological suspense.... each of whom is refreshingly drawn against type....the mayhem mounts and the plot careens toward a genuinely shocking climax....Enriching the narrative with an evocative sense of atmosphere and playful riffs on The Bad Seed and Agatha Christie, Bollen serves up a nasty treat. It's a bracing ode to bad behavior." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Bollen delivers a hilarious yet dark sendup reminiscent of The Bad Seed as Maggie and Otto go to war to see who will rule the Royal Karnak. Readers will enjoy Bollen's ringside seat to a war of the ages." -- Library Journal (starred review)
"...instantly absorbing....Fans of Helene Tursten's Elderly Lady reality-warping psychological thrillers will delight in this twisty original." -- Booklist (starred review)
"Bollen's latest is a wicked, winding thriller that's a must read for anyone who's ever been peeved by kids playing at the hotel pool." -- Town & Country, A "Must Read Book"
"Thelma meets The Bad Seed meets The White Lotus in this Covid-19-era tale of an elderly American woman's murderous obsession with a troubled young boy at an Egyptian hotel....Returning to the setting of his gripping novel The Lost Americans (2023), Bollen takes the art of the unreliable, self-deluded narrator to new heights....a wicked delight....A devious and deranged thriller." -- Kirkus Reviews
"...a fascinating plot set in an exotic locale." -- New York Journal of Books
"Christopher Bollen has been a growing figure in the literary suspense world for a while, but this book should cement his place as one of the very best." -- Literary Hub, "Most Anticipated"
"Bollen (The Lost Americans; A Beautiful Crime) writes a cat-and-mouse psychological thriller set in a sprawling hotel located on the banks of the Nile. The cat might be 81-year-old widow Maggie Burkhardt, a meddlesome fixer. The mouse might be eight-year-old Otto, son of the mournful Tessa. Or it might be the other way around." -- Library Journal
"...by turns creepy, snarky, humorous and every bit as atmospheric as you would expect from a story set somewhere like the Valley of the Kings." -- BookPage
"Havoc delivers a darkly humorous, psychological suspense set in a decaying luxury hotel along the Nile....With its blend of dark humor, spiraling obsession, and unexpected rivalry, Havoc keeps readers hooked to its lingering, unsettling resolution, capturing the spirit of Hitchcock's best stories.... "Havoc proves itself to be one of the most memorable mysteries in recent memory."" -- CrimeReads
"Christopher Bollen's penchant for creating unique characters, then placing them in vividly explored exotic locations, again shines in the commanding Havoc." -- The Sun Sentinel
"Bollen is a clever, propulsive writer who can really get the reader eating out of his hand." -- Air Mail
"You must excuse me if I sound a little dazed. Reading Havoc feels like Bollen has been inside my head, touching things -- such a testament to his beguiling prose that I don't mind at all." -- The I Paper Review (UK)
