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Why it matters
Kukafka deliberately decenters the killer to examine the cultural stories that turn violent men into protagonists.
2023 selection · Mystery & crime
Serial killer Ansel Packer waits on death row during the final hours before his execution. The lives of his mother, his wife's twin sister, and the detective who pursued him shift attention from his self-created mythology to the women affected by his violence.
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Kukafka deliberately decenters the killer to examine the cultural stories that turn violent men into protagonists.
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You prefer psychologically complex crime fiction focused on aftermath rather than spectacle.
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Edgar Award for Best Novel — official winner recordOfficial record↗ (opens in a new tab)