Hanno's Doll

By Evelyn Piper

Hanno Dietrich awakes in a hospital bed, certain the crisis has passed. His hulking body is as weak as a beached whale, but the greatest actor of his generation feels his strength returning. So why won't they let him leave? A man comes to see him and, rather embarrassedly, tells the star that a body has been found in his bomb shelter – a young boy with a broken neck. Dietrich chuckles, good-natured as always, and begins to tell his story.   The boy showed up at Dietrich's house a few nights before, drunk and angry. He insulted the actor, disparaged his wife, and then lunged to attack him. Dietrich did what anyone else would do: He shoved the boy, who fell and broke his neck. As far as Dietrich's concerned, it was self-defense – hardly worth discussing. But he will soon find the real story is just starting to unfold.    

• Language: English
• Publisher: Head of Zeus
• Release date: Jun 1, 2016
• ISBN: 9781786690180

Evelyn Piper

Merriam Modell, pen name Evelyn Piper, was born in Manhattan, New York, in 1908. She is known for writing mystery thrillers of intricate, suspenseful plotting that depict the domestic conflicts of American families. Her short stories have appeared in the The New Yorker and two of her novels, Bunny Lake Is Missing and The Nanny, were adapted into major Hollywood films.