Darling Jim - by Christian Moerk (Paperback)

About the Book

"Originally published by Politikens Forlag, Denmark in 2007. Published by arrangement with Nordin Agency"--T.p. verso.

Book Synopsis

The widely acclaimed debut novel--about three sisters, three tales, and a very dark secret--that's a "chilling bedtime story for adults."--People (three stars)

Fiona Walsh thought her family's secrets would follow her to her grave, but when her diary is found by a young postman, Niall, the truth about her untimely demise--and that of her sister and aunt--begins to see the light of day. It's the most tragic love story he's ever heard.

Niall soon becomes enveloped by the mystery surrounding Jim--an itinerant storyteller who traveled through Ireland enrapturing audiences and wooing women with his macabre mythic sagas--though a trail of murder followed him wherever he went. The Walsh sisters, fiercely loyal to each other, were not immune to "darling" Jim's powers of seduction, but found themselves in harm's way when they began to uncover his treacherous past. Niall must now continue his dangerous hunt for the truth--and for the vanished third sister--while there's still time.

And in the woods, the wolves from Jim's stories begin to gather.

Review Quotes

"Spellbinding. . . Aglow with fairy-tale inflections, this hypnotic, neo-Gothic suspense story unfolds like a hothouse bloom, lush and pungent; it's a sprig of nightshade, all petals and poison. And it heralds the arrival of an astonishingly gifted storyteller. . . Sly, wry and utterly original." --Daniel Mallory, The Washington Post

"Gripping." --John Searles on NBC's Weekend Today, "Ten must-read books for spring" segment

"Moerk, a former film executive, would do very well carrying on the seanchaí tradition in any dark, cozy Irish pub. He weaves a creepy, entertaining, sometimes outlandish tale about the perils of loving the wrong guy. A chilling bedtime story for adults." --People (three stars)

"Christian Moerk . . . writes the best novel I've read in more than a year. . . I recommend this exotic book to all readers - not as 'just a mystery' but as a superb and inventive literary tour-de-force." --Cleveland Plain Dealer (Grade: A)

"Enthralling. . . . Moerk shows how the various forms of storytelling--myths, fairy tales, horror and crime fiction--each have the strength to entertain, to reflect society's concerns and to show people at their best and worst." --Oline H. Cogdill, Florida Sun Sentinel

"Moerk tightly meshes each separate plot strand--the murders, the diaries and Quick's tales--into an enthralling story that never falters." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Darling Jim is wickedly good. From its shocking beginning to the unwinding stories of three sisters, the tale spirals like a Celtic knot, wending back into authentic Irish folklore and forward into the modern world where storytellers have a dangerous charm. A page-turner of the highest sort." --Keith Donohue, author of The Stolen Child

"A dark, seductive fairy tale of a book. Christian Moerk is a thrilling storyteller." --Gillian Flynn, author of Sharp Objects

"Darling Jim is a delicious, dangerous and very original story within a story, exactly what I love to read." --Pam Lewis, author of Speak Softly, She Can Hear and Perfect Family

About the Author

Born and raised in Copenhagen, Denmark, Christian Moerk moved to Vermont in his early twenties. After getting his MS in journalism at Columbia University, he was a movie executive for Warner Bros. Pictures and later wrote about film for The New York Times. Darling Jim is his first novel published in America. He lives in Brooklyn.