"First published in Great Britain in 2010 by Chatto & Windus."--T.p. verso.

"Ian, the deceptively causal narrator of this story, receives a surprise call from his old university friend, inviting Ian and his wife Em, for a few days by the sea. Their hosts are Ollie and Daisy. During the hot summer days that follow, troubling revelations from Ian's past slowly intrude. And his rivalry with Ollie intensifies as they resurrect a seemingly forgotten bet made twenty years before. Each day becomes a series of challenges, setting in motion actions that will have irreversible consequences. A dark, haunting tale of friendship, sexual passion and jealousy - from a well-known British talent."--Publisher.