Wild Animal

A Novel

Joël Dicker, Robert Bononno

• Publisher: HarperVia
• Year: 2025
• Topic: Literature
• eBook ISBN:
  9780063426047
• Subtopic: Crime & Mystery Literature
• Index: Literature

"Wild Animal ticks with the precision of a well-crafted wristwatch."—Wall Street Journal

From the devious mind of New York Times bestselling author Joël Dicker —master of the plot twist—comes this gripping domestic thriller that transforms into an ambitious heist mystery involving a famed Geneva jewelry boutique.

On July 2, 2022, two criminals set out to rob a jewelry shop in Geneva. But even with a foolproof plan, their “perfect” heist will prove far from uneventful. . . .

Twenty days earlier, on a luxurious estate along the shores of Lake Geneva, Sophie Braun prepares to celebrate her fortieth birthday. Her life seems perfect: she has a fairytale marriage, two perfect children, and lives in a stylish modern mansion surrounded by lush forest. But her idyllic world is about to crumble. Her husband is becoming embroiled in petty schemes. Her neighbor, a policeman with a spotless reputation, is obsessed with her and spies on the most intimate moments of her life. Then, on her birthday, she receives a gift from a mysterious prowler that endangers her life.

It will take many journeys into the past, far from Geneva, to unravel the origins of this diabolical plot from which no one will emerge unscathed, including readers. Told at a breathtaking pace, filled with nerve-jangling suspense, Wild Animal demonstrates once again why Joël Dicker—since the publication of The Truth About the Harry Quebert Case—reigns supreme as one of the most beloved contemporary mystery writers in the world today.

Translated from the French by Robert Bononno

Table of contents

• Contents
• The Facts
• Prologue: The Day of the Robbery
• Part One: The Days Before Her Birthday
• 1: Twenty Days Before the Robbery
• The Day of the Robbery
• 2: Nineteen Days Before the Robbery
• The Day of the Robbery
• 3: Eighteen Days Before the Robbery
• 4: Seventeen Days Before the Robbery
• The Day of the Robbery
• 5: Sixteen Days Before the Robbery
• 6: Fifteen Days Before the Robbery
• The Day of the Robbery
• 7: Two Weeks Before the Robbery
• The Day of the Robbery
• 8: Thirteen Days Before the Robbery
• 9: Twelve Days Before the Robbery
• Part Two: The Days Before Greg’s Discovery
• 10: Eleven Days Before the Robbery
• The Day of the Robbery
• 11: Ten Days Before the Robbery
• The Day of the Robbery
• 12: Nine Days Before the Robbery
• 13: Eight Days Before the Robbery
• The Day of the Robbery
• 14: Seven Days Before the Robbery
• The Day of the Robbery
• 15: Six Days Before the Robbery
• The Day of the Robbery
• Part Three: The Days Before the Robbery
• 16: Five Days Before the Robbery
• The Day of the Robbery
• 17: Four Days Before the Robbery
• 18: Three Days Before the Robbery
• 19: Two Days Before the Robbery
• 20: The Day Before the Robbery
• 21: The Day of the Robbery
• Epilogue: A Year and a Half After the Robbery
• A Note from the Translator
• About the Author
• Copyright
• About the Publisher