The True Deceiver

From the beloved author of "The Summer Book" comes Tove Jansson's most unnerving and quietly haunting novel—a masterful exploration of trust and deception.
All winter long, Katri Kling, blunt and yellow-eyed, lives with her vulnerable brother and a nameless dog, on the edge of the small community. Across the street, Anna Aemelin, a respected but reclusive children's book illustrator, ventures from her vast empty house only in spring, when she paints intricate forest scenes.
But as deep winter snows envelop the small coastal village, Katri fakes a break-in to Anna's house to persuade her that she needs companionship.
What does Katri hope to gain by doing this? And who ultimately is deceiving whom?
Masterfully read by Tracy Ifeachor (The Pitt, Showtrial, Doctor Who), "The True Deceiver" is a chilling psychological drama, a tale of two women encircling each other in a clash of ideals, where nothing can be taken for granted, and the equilibrium of the whole village hangs in the balance.
"A delightfully dark winter's tale … the novel tracks an intense relationship between two strong-minded women." Emma Hagestadt, Independent
"The True Deceiver glitters with the kind of sharpness that might just cut you … It is one of Jansson's most deceptively quiet, most astonishing compositions." Ali Smith