A Kirkus Reviews 'Best Fiction of 2016' selection A Bookpage 'Best Books of 2016' selection A Barnes and Noble 'Best Books of 2016' selection A Seattle Times 'Best Books of 2016' selection 'Mercury is as luminous, unforgettable, and perfectly rendered as only Margot Livesey can accomplish.' Dennis Lehane An optometrist in suburban Boston, Donald is sure that he and his wife, Viv, are both devoted to their two children and each other. Then Mercury - a gorgeous young thoroughbred with a murky past - arrives at Viv's stables, and as she begins to ride him, dreams she had harboured and relinquished for the sake of her family are rekindled; dreams that soon morph into consuming desire. As her infatuation with the thoroughbred escalates to obsession, it seems there is nothing - and no one - she will allow to stop her this time around. Though Donald may have 20/20 vision, he is slow to notice how profoundly Viv has changed, and how much these changes threaten their quiet, secure world. But by the time he does, it is too late to stop the catastrophic collision of Viv's determined ambitions ... 'Margot Livesey is a searingly intelligent writer at the height of her powers.' Jennifer Egan