If you love books by Patricia Highsmith and thrillers and twist the knife AND the moral compass, this is the perfect read for you and your reading group.
Picked as a Book of the Year by Time, Esquire and Vogue, Mouth to Mouth was also selected for Barack Obama’s summer reading list 2022.
Alone on the beach one morning, Jeff notices a swimmer drowning in the rough surf. He rescues and resuscitates the unconscious man, then quietly leaves when the emergency services take over. But Jeff can’t let go of the events of that traumatic day and he begins to feel compelled to learn more about the man whose life he has saved.
Upon discovering that it was the renowned millionaire art-dealer Francis Arsenault, Jeff begins to visit his gallery, eventually applying there for a job. Although Francis doesn’t seem to recognize Jeff, he soon takes him under his wing, initiating him into a world of unimaginable power and wealth.
As Jeff finds himself seduced by the lifestyle, he pursues a deeper connection with Francis, until morals become expendable and their relationship becomes ever darker, leaving Jeff finally to wonder… should he have just let Francis drown?
