Publishers Weekly
The unnamed narrator of this fine novel of psychological suspense from Argentinean author Martínez (The Oxford Murders) struggles as a young novelist to compete in a world dominated by international superstar Kloster. A literary giant with the attitude of Norman Mailer and the commercial success of Stephen King, Kloster has become the obsession of Luciana B, who once took dictation for both Kloster and the narrator. Reappearing after a decade, Luciana tells the narrator an outrageous tale of horror, claiming that Kloster is slowly murdering her family. Is she a bitter fanatic, or could Kloster be Latin America's cleverest serial killer? Believing she's marked for death, Luciana persuades the narrator to figure out whether the recent events in her life are part of a deadly game of cat-and-mouse or a series of tragic coincidences. This riveting tale will appeal to readers of literary fiction and thriller fans alike. (Sept.)
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Kirkus Reviews
A writer becomes the reluctant arbiter in a real-life game of mortal combat. When the unnamed narrator gets a distress call from Luciana, whom he hasn't heard from in a decade, he rushes to her side. Ten years ago, after a wrist accident had left him temporarily unable to write, his editor Campari had hired typist Luciana to help him complete a book. He'd become enamored of Luciana-although he never acted on his attraction-and intrigued by the fact that she worked for an intimidating literary lion named Kloster. The beauty who captivated him back then is barely recognizable in the bland and lumpy Luciana of today, who tells a compelling if slightly outrageous story, beginning with her accusations of sexual harassment against Kloster. After his unwilling divorce, the Machiavellian Kloster was determined to destroy her life, murdering everyone around her. He began with her boyfriend Ramiro, who unaccountably fell ill at a seaside resort, then moved on to other family members. No evidence implicates Kloster, but Luciana, certain of his guilt, convinces the writer to visit Kloster and get the truth. He anticipates hearing a different story from Kloster, but he's surprised at how different and how convincing the great man's account is, and utterly blindsided by Kloster's next move. Mart'nez (The Oxford Murders, 2005, etc.) crafts a page-turner in which eminently believable obsession and paranoia drive dangerous behavior.
From the Publisher
"Martinez's novel is full of explanations and parried literary thrusts, culminating in a growing sense of understanding that order and chaos aren't yin and yang but mirror images of each other."
-Los Angeles Times
" This is a clever, chilling novel that takes crime writing to a new level."
-The Sunday Times (London)
" As clever and as erudite as Borges, this is also a gripping thriller written in lucid and compelling prose."
-The Independent (London)
" This riveting tale will appeal to readers of literary fiction and thriller fans alike."
-Publishers Weekly
