The Exquisite — Laird Hunt

A “strange, original, and utterly brilliant” tale of longing, madness, death, and psychological gamesmanship in the wake of 9/11 (Paul Auster). Henry, a New Yorker left destitute by circumstance and obsession, is plucked from vagrancy by a shadowy outfit with a decidedly niche business. They arrange staged murders of anxiety-ridden clients unhinged by the “events downtown” and seeking to experience -- and live through -- their own carefully executed assassinations. When Henry joins this nefarious crew, which includes a beautiful blonde tattoo artist named Tulip, contortionist twins, and a woman referred to only as “the knockout,” he becomes inextricably linked to its enigmatic ringleader. The mysterious herring connoisseur Mr. Kindt's identity can be traced through twists and turns all the way back to the corpse depicted in Rembrandt's The Anatomy Lesson. Substantive, stylish, and darkly comic, The Exquisite is a skillful dissection of reality, human connection, and the very nature of existence. “Laird Hunt is one of the most talented young writers on the American scene today.” -- Paul Auster, author of the New York Trilogy “This noir labyrinth captures the post-9/11 gestalt of anxiety and hopelessness.” -- Publishers Weekly “Hunt's novels shimmer and shift like reflections on wind-stirred water.” -- Booklist “Hunt is an intellect and a great spinner of claustrophobic noir plots, and his erudite gumshoe yarn owes as much to Georges Perec and Gertrude Stein as it does to Paul Auster.” -- The Believer