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.

384 pages, EPUB Edition

First published April 8, 2025