The Waves Behind the Boat - Francis King

Set in a remote seaside village in Japan, The Waves Behind the Boat begins with the mysterious drowning of an Englishwoman, drawing university lecturer Bill and his wife Mary into the unsettling world of the wealthy Akulov family. As they become entangled with the enigmatic Bibi Akulov and her brother Sasha, what starts as a routine identification of the body evolves into a psychologically charged exploration of desire, manipulation and hidden identities, exposing dark family secrets while forcing Mary to confront increasingly disturbing aspects of her own nature.