Reminiscent of Andre Dubus's critically acclaimed In the Bedroom and Joyce Carol Oates's We Were the Mulvaneys, Renate Dorrestein's new novel explores the undercurrents of married life and the world of today's teenagers.

"Perfect" was the word both for Phinus and Franka Vermeer's marriage and their teenage son, Jem, but in the wake of his senseless murder, grief drives a wedge between them. Determined to resurrect the joy they once knew, the couple embarks on a weekend in the country to mend their fraying relationship. Their marital troubles, however, run deeper than they realize. Suspenseful, tragic, and strangely touching, Without Mercy portrays the preciousness of everyday happiness.