The True Deceiver

From the beloved author of "The Summer Book" comes Tove Jansson’s most unnerving and quietly haunting novel—a masterful exploration of trust and deception. All winter long, Katri Kling, blunt and yellow-eyed, lives with her vulnerable brother and a nameless dog, on the edge of the small community. Across the street, Anna Aemelin, a respected but reclusive children’s book illustrator, ventures from her vast empty house only in spring, when she paints intricate forest scenes. But as deep winter snows envelop the small coastal village, Katri fakes a break-in to Anna’s house to persuade her that she needs companionship. What does Katri hope to gain by doing this? And who ultimately is deceiving whom? Masterfully read by Tracy Ifeachor (The Pitt, Showtrial, Doctor Who), "The True Deceiver" is a chilling psychological drama, a tale of two women encircling each other in a clash of ideals, where nothing can be taken for granted, and the equilibrium of the whole village hangs in the balance. “A delightfully dark winter’s tale … the novel tracks an intense relationship between two strong-minded women.” Emma Hagestadt, Independent “The True Deceiver glitters with the kind of sharpness that might just cut you … It is one of Jansson’s most deceptively quiet, most astonishing compositions.” Ali Smith Finnish-Swedish writer and artist Tove Jansson (1914-2001) is globally cherished for creating the Moomin universe. Born in Helsinki, her tales of the Moomins captivated readers worldwide. Beyond Moominvalley, she penned profound adult novels, most notably "The Summer Book". “The most beautiful and satisfying novel I have read this year.” Ursula K Le Guin, Guardian (Books of the Year) "Tove Jansson was a genius." Phillip Pullman “I loved this book. It’s cool in both senses of the word, understated yet exciting ... the characters still haunt me.” Ruth Rendell “Jansson’s tale deserves as wide a readership as her beloved children’s books featuring the Moomins.” Kamila Shamsie, Guardian (Books of the Year) “A delightfully dark winter’s tale … the novel tracks an intense relationship between two strong-minded women.” Emma Hagestadt, Independent The True Deceiver is a quiet masterpiece...the novel is haunting, complex and mysterious - The Age, Melbourne “Jansson wrote “The True Deceiver,” one of her greatest novels, when she was in her late sixties. Riveting, original, and strange, it concerns Anna Aemelin, a writer and illustrator of children’s books, who lives alone and whose life is infiltrated—for better and worse—by Katri, a mysterious loner, who behaves at once like an assistant and a grifter. Anna has been endowed with Jansson’s preoccupation with maintaining an image—that performance as a gentle, cultivated, enraptured child of nature.” The New Yorker Author - Tove Jansson. Narrator - Tracy Ifeachor. Published Date - Thursday, 08 January 2026.