Summer House with Swimming Pool - Herman Koch

Title: Summer House with Swimming Pool
Author: Herman Koch
Pages: 387
Published: 2014 (first published 2011)
Challenges: Blogger Summer Reading, I Love Libraries
Genre: Fiction, Suspense, Mystery, Thriller
Edition: Hardcover
Source: Library

Description: When a medical mistake goes horribly wrong and Ralph Meier, a famous actor, winds up dead, Dr. Marc Schlosser is forced to conceal the error from his patients and family. After all, reputation is everything in this business. But the weight of carrying such a secret lies heavily on his mind, and he can't keep hiding from the truth…or the Board of Medical Examiners.

The problem is that the real truth is a bit worse than a simple slipup. Marc played a role in Ralph's death, and he's not exactly upset that the man is gone. Still haunted by his eldest daughter's rape during their stay at Ralph's extravagant Mediterranean summerhouse-one they shared with Ralph and his enticing wife, Judith, film director Stanley Forbes and his far younger girlfriend, Emmanuelle, and Judith's mother-Marc has had it on his mind that the perpetrator of the rape could be either Ralph or Stanley. Stanley's guilt seems obvious, bearing in mind his uncomfortable fixation on the prospect of Marc's daughter's fashion career, but Marc's reasons for wanting Ralph dead become increasingly compelling as events unravel. There is damning evidence against Marc, but he isn't alone in his loathing of the star-studded director. (from Goodreads)

Thoughts: After reading The Dinner last summer, I was hesitant to read this book, but strangely enough, I was able to enjoy this book for the most part.  I liked how the author built up to the main event of the book and how the characters were well fleshed out, even though Marc seemed to be a little too narcissistic at times for my liking.

I think what I liked is that the book seemed to be a little more linear than The Dinner and the author wrote in a way that one could easily get into the story without much effort.

Bottom line: If you enjoyed The Dinner, you will probably enjoy this one.  Also if you are a fan of other suspense/thriller novels, you may also enjoy this one as well.  Recommended.

Rating: 3.75/5

Pages for 2014: 14, 077