小姨子的秘密慰藉

　　出于自卫，理查德射杀了侵入自己家中的陌生人。但是他不得不面对死者父亲的残忍报复。然而不久，敌对双方就发现事实并不像表面展现的那么简单，他们不得不联合起来面对黑暗的真相。

　　1978年的某个寒冷秋夜，迷路的希罗顿走进了一个偏僻的农场。农场主夫妇热情地招待了这位不速之客，宾主一起喝酒聊天，谈得十分投机。不料人心的贪欲引发了血的悲剧……　　四年后的冬天，姆尔兹警官负责调查这起凶杀案，他和重要证人希罗顿一起前往现场检证。敷衍了事的调查、嫌疑人的回想……在一片混沌之中，惊人的真相渐渐浮现而出……

　　The main character is Dr. Max Holst, a successful neurosurgeon. One day an intense little man named Steinmetz shows up, who has the real ability to create objects out of thin air, using only his mind. As no one believes him at first, he is held at a ward for mental patients, but manifests the key to his door and escapes. As he has a special interest in Dr. Holst, Steinmetz subsequently invites Holst to his large mansion, which is full of expensive paintings and sculptures, and proves to him that he can in fact materialise objects. Steinmetz’s abilities are evolving by leaps and bounds, and is progressing from being able to create objects only to being able to create living things. His ultimate ambition is to be able to create a human being. He tells Dr. Holst that if he will only perform a certain brain operation on him, Steinmetz will become able to attain his goal. He’s got all the necessary equipment set up in his basement. Dr. Holst, however, is too spooked by the whole thing to agree to this mad scheme, and refuses. Steinmetz then sets about manipulating Holst’s life, to pressure him into performing the operation. By then Steinmetz has become able to create a temporary human being, and in the hope that he can perhaps make his own creation perform the operation, he manifests a doppelganger of Dr. Holst. This double proceeds to take over Dr. Holst’s life, creating chaos for him professionally and personally. And then Dr. Holst starts fighting back. The ending has the dual virtue of being both unexpected and satisfying.

国球荣耀，为热爱而战