What emptiness can drive a young mind to the brink of murder?

In A Perfect Crime, leading contemporary Chinese writer A Yi explores the deep inner turmoil of a nineteen-year-old drifting through an existential void. Drifting through a landscape of moral ambiguity, the protagonist seeks to break the monotony of his existence through a shocking and senseless act.

The narrative follows his harrowing journey from meticulous planning to the violence itself, and the subsequent flight that leads to an unexpected confession. As he confronts interrogators and reporters, the story exposes the fragile boundary between pure nihilism and human accountability.

Chilling and taut, the novella offers a thought-provoking reflection on the isolation of modern life. It delves into the depths of loneliness and guilt, questioning the devastating consequences of a search for meaning where none seems to exist.