El profesor (What Comes Next?) (Spanish Edition)

This novel from Edgar nominee Katzenbach will surely appeal to readers who crave suspense, action, an abundance of violence, and a well-developed plot based on intrigue, intimacy, and ambition. There's nothing unique in this formula, and the novel is on one level a fast, appealing read. It opens with aging academic Adrian Thomas discovering that he has degenerative dementia and does not have long to live. As he leaves the doctor's office, he witnesses the kidnapping of a teenager and begins sleuthing to discover what happened. Thomas's race against time-his own time-helps sustain and advance the plot. Unfortunately, the narrative spends too much time on the young victim's plight, which not only gets repetitive but can be distasteful. Readers are so drawn into the teenager's sexual exploitation scheme that they may feel exploited; the events are relentless and rendered with very little pity, so that reading the book becomes a real effort. In addition, Thomas's recourse of conversing with three deceased family members is not especially convincing. Recommended for secondary holdings or where suspense novels are popular.—Kathleen March, Univ. of Maine, Orono