The Birdcatcher has a deceptively simple and darkly humorous premise: A woman tries again and again to kill her husband; each time he has her committed to a mental hospital, and each time he eventually checks her out of said hospital just to start the cycle over again. It's narrated by a third party, the couple's friend Amanda Wordlaw, a novelist and travel writer who is staying with them in Ibiza on some sort of extended holiday. But what begins as a "Get a load of these people" sort of narrative evolves into a deep, complex meditation on art, relationships and the connection between creativity and instability.

You might assume the focus to be on the relationship between Ernest and his murderous wife, Catherine. Why do they stay together if she wants to kill him? Initially, this is where Gayl Jones draws the reader's attention. Catherine is a fascinating character, and her ...