Janina is a middle-aged recluse who consults the stars to see the future, spends her time translating William Blake into Polish, and suffers from intermittent ailments that affect her physically and psychologically. When her neighbor is found dead in his home, it seems to trigger a series of subsequent deaths that Janina insists--to the consternation of the local police who field her odd protestations--are at the hands (hooves?) of local animals exacting revenge on those who hunt them in the area. While she is a deeply troubled and flawed character, experiencing the world through Janina's unusual thought patterns, obsessions, and observations makes this a darkly enjoyable read.