“A story about motherhood that is desperate to the extreme,
“I don’t have the confidence to write a novel like this again!”

A new tectonic shift in Korean mystery thrillers
《The Seat of the Red Crane》 Jeong Hae-yeon's new work!

Jeong Hae-yeon, a classic detective and mystery thriller writer who has thoroughly explored 'how far twisted desires can lead a person' in each of her works, has returned with her new full-length work, 'The End of the Knot'.


"The End of a Knot" is a mystery that unfolds as the stories of two mothers and sons intersect: Detective Lee In-woo, who has long suspected his mother of being the suspect in his father's unexplained death after his father's sudden suicide during his happy childhood; and Park Hee-sook, a self-made businesswoman who cannot turn her son into a murderer and whose only goal in life is the success of her company and son.


In each of her works, Jeong Hae-yeon, who shows the base nature and malice of humans hidden behind a neatly packaged appearance with a sharp depiction and without reservation at an incredible speed, also elaborately builds her own world in “The End of a Knot,” and revealed her attachment and thoughts on the work, saying, “This time it’s a little different,” as follows.


“I wanted to tell a story about motherhood that is as desperate as it is brutal.
“I don’t think I can ever write a novel like this again.”

[I killed a person.]
I sat down without realizing it.
I don't think I would feel this much shock even if I was hit by a train.
The son's voice made it clear that this was real.
I couldn't breathe well.
Hee-sook closed her eyes and gasped for breath with her mouth open.
I felt like I would fall backwards if I didn't, so I stretched out my arms and held onto the side of the desk.
My legs were shaking so much that I felt like I couldn't stand up.

“Who?”
I heard crying.
I am terrified.
It seemed difficult for me to even say with my own mouth what I had done.
Heesuk shouted.

“Who!”
--- p.21

“I was the detective in charge of your father’s case.”
Inwoo looked at Park Deok-hun with surprised eyes.
“Your father was a man who had no reason to commit suicide.
I was financially stable and had a home.
There were no loans and the reputation was good.
“He was a man who was faithful to his family and also competent in social life.”
Inwoo knew that too.
Even though I was young, I clearly knew that my father was a good person.
Although my father often worked overtime, he was always with his family on weekends.
It was also my father's suggestion that we started going camping as a family.
At that time, camping was not that popular.
My dad would take charge of everything, including preparing the food, without even being bothered.
That day was no different from any other day.

“Would a man who was about to commit suicide do something like that while camping with his family?”
The moment he heard those words, Inwoo realized that deep inside he too had the same question.
--- p.70

As I walked past the supermarket, I came across stairs leading up to the second floor.
Went upstairs.
There were two houses facing each other.
Kim Young-taek's house was number 201.
I rang the doorbell.
For a long time, music could be heard from inside, but there was no response or sound.
Pressing it again was the same.

“Is he not at home?”
"well."
After thinking about it for a while, I dialed Kim Young-taek's number while still standing.
Of course, I expected that I wouldn't receive it.
But something unexpected happened.
The cell phone rang right inside the house.
“Something feels strange.”
--- pp.166-167

“They both burned each other, but Hyunjae-kyung only strangled him.
There are clear signs of a planned crime.
But this crime was not like that, it was strangulation instead of stabbing the victim in the neck with a knife.”
Not a bad point.
But Inwoo's conclusion was different from Seogiyoung's thoughts.
(……)
“There is a possibility that the culprit is a woman, or a man who is weaker than Kim Young-taek, or who he judges to be too strong to subdue.
And there is one thing they have in common.”
“What is it?”
Inwoo stared blankly at the corpse.
Dr. Kim was still checking the body.
Inwoo spoke without looking away.
“Cruel affection.”

--- pp.177-178