Excellent. Gripping characters in a heightened state of realism, grappling with extreme emotions in a difficult situation. Understated language beautifully points up the banality of this bizarre relationship. I would love to keep reading to fine out more about these characters and how they found themselves in this position where the surreally inappropriate nature of their relationship has become boring to themselves.

The story begins with a newspaper account of the D.B.Cooper plane hijacking, with all the unanswered questions of that event: an unremarkable man takes control of a plane and subsequently disappears in flight, never to be found. The story switches to a policeman, pondering where the love has gone in his cold and brutal marriage. It is clear he is near the end of dealing with it; doesn't understand why his wife has turned into a masochist; and he daydreams of a normal, happy life with her. He is close to doing something as dramatic as D.B.Cooper, but runs to the only thing keeping him sane; his job. I was saddened by the appalling lack of connection between these two, and the author does a good job of presenting the bleakness of their existence. Everything is sharp and glaring; the silences between them, the suddenness of Neena's (the wife's) attack on him, the destruction of household items. It is clearly not a happy book, and I dread to see what will happen next. Something quite final is about to happen, but I don't know if I want to read it.