Camilla Barnes
Camilla Barnes
Camilla Barnes was born and brought up in England but moved to France in her twenties. She lives in Paris and works in theatre, doing every job possible there except act. She writes for the stage in both English and French. The Usual Desire to Kill is her first novel.
The Usual Desire to Kill
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The Usual Desire to Kill

Published on Apr 2025
$12.99
The Usual Desire to Kill by Camilla Barnes is a dark comedy fiction story that explores aging, family tension, and enduring love. With quirky, vivid characters and a funny-yet-heartfelt narrative, this book is per

The Usual Desire to Kill by [Author] is a darkly funny and deeply moving novel about family, frustration, and love that never quite dies—even when you wish it would. Told through the sharply observant eyes of Miranda, a middle-aged daughter caught between generations, the story explores the strange rituals and rigid habits of her aging parents, who live in rural France surrounded by ducks, llamas, and long-held grudges.

Miranda’s father, a retired philosophy professor, argues with logic. Her mother rewrites every conversation to end with a story about the War—despite being born after it ended. Together, they’ve been married for fifty years and remain gloriously stubborn. As Miranda visits them, translating passive-aggressive commentary between the two and unloading her frustrations to her daughter and sister, one constant remains: “the usual desire to kill.”

A blend of humor, heartbreak, and brilliant dialogue, this debut novel is a must-read for fans of A Man Called Ove and The Royal Tenenbaums. It captures the messiness of family, the endurance of marriage, and the ways love survives in the strangest of homes.

fect for fans of A Man Called Ove and The Royal Tenenbaums.
Available in EPUB, PDF, and MOBI, it works smoothly on Kindle, iPad, or any eReader.
Get your book today and enjoy a wickedly honest story about the chaos of family and the beauty that somehow survives it.
The Usual Desire to Kill
Quick View

The Usual Desire to Kill

$12.99
The Usual Desire to Kill by Camilla Barnes is a dark comedy fiction story that explores aging, family tension, and enduring love. With quirky, vivid characters and a funny-yet-heartfelt narrative, this book is per

The Usual Desire to Kill by [Author] is a darkly funny and deeply moving novel about family, frustration, and love that never quite dies—even when you wish it would. Told through the sharply observant eyes of Miranda, a middle-aged daughter caught between generations, the story explores the strange rituals and rigid habits of her aging parents, who live in rural France surrounded by ducks, llamas, and long-held grudges.

Miranda’s father, a retired philosophy professor, argues with logic. Her mother rewrites every conversation to end with a story about the War—despite being born after it ended. Together, they’ve been married for fifty years and remain gloriously stubborn. As Miranda visits them, translating passive-aggressive commentary between the two and unloading her frustrations to her daughter and sister, one constant remains: “the usual desire to kill.”

A blend of humor, heartbreak, and brilliant dialogue, this debut novel is a must-read for fans of A Man Called Ove and The Royal Tenenbaums. It captures the messiness of family, the endurance of marriage, and the ways love survives in the strangest of homes.

fect for fans of A Man Called Ove and The Royal Tenenbaums.
Available in EPUB, PDF, and MOBI, it works smoothly on Kindle, iPad, or any eReader.
Get your book today and enjoy a wickedly honest story about the chaos of family and the beauty that somehow survives it.
Buy on AmazonView cart