Back from the Dead – Chris Petit

The story centers on McMahon, an aging and decadent rock star who begins receiving mysterious, obsessive letters signed with the name “Leah”. The problem is that Leah, his former nanny, died 15-20 years earlier in France under circumstances that McMahon witnessed.

Unable to find a logical explanation, McMahon hires Youselli, a disillusioned and hard-bitten city cop, to investigate the source of the letters. As Youselli delves into the case, he is drawn into McMahon’s world of drugs and parties, and soon becomes obsessed with the mystery of Leah’s death and the letters’ authenticity. The novel explores themes of self-destruction, obsession, and the past returning to haunt the present, leading Youselli toward his own undoing.