Protagonist Daniel's life is collapsed by an unexpected phone call from his father, who informs him that his mother is suffering from intense paranoid delusions.

Smith was surprised by his mother's lucidity when describing her paranoid delusions; he told "You wouldn't think someone with psychosis could be […] meta-rhetorical.

[3] The Independent also praised the book, commenting that Smith's writing is "so unsettling and oppressive that it blurs the distinctions between sanity and madness, reality and fantasy, leaving the reader guessing until the bitter end.

"[4] A complimentary review from The Guardian deemed it "a neatly plotted book full of stories within stories, which gradually unravel to confound our expectations [...] Smith's twisting, turning novel shows that Scandi crime also retains the ability to surprise and thrill.

"[5] The Farm sold well in its first month, reaching number 2 in The Sunday Times' hardback fiction chart.