Longlisted for the Orange Prize and the Portico Prize for Literature in 2010.

When his fiancée breaks off their engagement, Patrick Oxtoby leaves home and moves to a boarding house in a seaside town. But in spite of his hopes and determination to build a better life, nothing goes to plan and Patrick is soon driven to take a desperate and chilling course of action.

This is How is a mesmerizing and meticulously drawn portrait of a man whose unease in the world leads to his tragic undoing. Written with breathtaking wisdom and an astute insight into the human mind, the award-winning M.J. Hyland's third novel is a masterpiece that inspires horror and sympathy in equal measure.

'Unflinching, absorbing, morally complex...an eerie, commanding book...a novel about crime but not a crime novel...thrilling, moving and compassionate.' New York Times