I invite you to explore deviant morality, betrayed innocence and twisted love. From a safe distance, of course, contamination is purely voluntary.

Set in a parallel dystopia, the man at the pitiless heart of Swell inhabits the world but has never been a part of it. Unseen and unheard, day in and day out, like a wraith, he trudges through his meticulous routines, leading a predictable existence down to the last detail. And yet, inexplicably, he is adored by a beautiful girl who desires nothing more than to be alone with him.

Unexpectedly, he dies.

It will come as no surprise to you that his death exposes the often fatal collaboration between cause and effect, action and consequence, the predictable and the unpredictable. Then again, with Swell, the absurd can so easily become normality. I shall leave you to decide for yourself, however, in the end, a burning question will remain that demands your consideration.

Can someone who is dead still commit murder?

Swell has been described as thought-provoking, confrontational, sensitive, penetrating, brave and challenging. McRiven's prose is evocative of a vintage movie, a romance noir, with stark imagery and poignant drama drenched with connotation.

"From the mind of an extraordinary writer." Suzie Grogan