This novel is a direct result of my fascination with European fiction of the 20th century. When I wrote this, I was deep in the pages of books like "The Golem," "The Trial," and "A Perfect Vacuum." As a matter of fact, I have Russian author Stanislaw Lem to thank the most. His writing inspired an exercise where I wrote a review for a non-existent book. I did the piece in about an hour, but I was so compelled by the fake plot summary, that I just had to write it.

Set in late 1930's Germany, the story begins as Alexsander Dyle collides with another person on the street. This stranger turns out to be Jonathan Wachs, a friend from back at university. Jonathan looks pale and angry, and he says he's come to take revenge on Alex for what he did "all those years ago back at school." He then disappears into the crowded street.

Thinking back, Alex is positive that he didn't do anything wrong. Alex mentions the encounter to his best friend, Oskar, who remembers a rumor about Jonathan being killed in a motorcrash.

Soon, Alex starts to see Jonathan in every corner of the city. Disturbed, he leaves by train to stay at the country estate of his grandmother. Which is where things get really, really strange…

Anyway, it's a totally different book from the others. There's very little action-people move from this room, to that room, to another room, to the garden, to the field, to the lake. All the time, they get tiny, unreliable bits of information. The book leaves quite a lot, in fact, unsettled, and I think that's the main source of frustration for the reader. Is it a ghost story? Is it the story of a family? Is it about how horrible one can be to a friend? Is it a manifesto for hypochondriacs?

Some people really love this book and have given me a lot of feedback and insight into its corners. For example, fellow writer Matt Hart had some cool thoughts. However, for the casual reader, someone with no patience, they might miss a lot of the details and get angry with me. "Unsettled" is very demanding, and Alex, as a narrator, is really formal in the way he speaks. It's meant to be stiff and constricted and claustrophobic, but I know that's not enjoyable for everyone.

I, however, adore the book, and it really helped me to improve as a writer. I found a way to slow down the pace and see every detail of character. The language is at last mature and tight, even if the story is a little thin to support it. Not every moment is perfect, but it is leaps and bounds better than "Deep Freeze." I hope some people out there will take a chance on it. The book is short enough to be read in one sitting, but it's packed like a diamond and is supposed to be re-read, at least once. That was the plan anyway…