In this darkly addictive, devious novel, love is pain.

Rin is flying back from her honeymoon. She's madly in love with her husband. The future looks rosy.

Then he disappears to the bathroom and Rin imagines that he has gone to seduce the flight attendant. As her thoughts spiral out of control, the phrase 'madly in love' takes on a more sinister meaning.

Prizewinning author Hitomi Kanehara follows Rin's life backwards from this moment, as a picture of the dark core and violent past of this disturbed young woman gradually comes into focus.

Translated by David James Karashima