Publisher's Weekly Review
In this clever cat-and-mouse thriller from bestseller Katzenbach (Red 1-2-3), the mysterious Student #5 has spent decades murdering people he believes got him banned from his chosen studies in abnormal psychology. His latest victim-staged as a suicide-is the uncle of Ph.D. student Timothy "Moth" Warner. An alcoholic, Moth just knows his uncle wouldn't kill himself. Enlisting the support of his ex-girlfriend Andy Candy and DA Susan Terry-and with his AA group that meets in the church known as Redeemer One acting as casual advisers as the investigation progresses-he begins his quest, which ranges from Massachusetts to Miami and Key West, to learn the truth and catch the mastermind. Slow at first, the book finally picks up momentum when paths cross and Student #5 suddenly realizes he now has a few more names to scratch off his death list. But the super-criminal won't find the easy marks as easy as they look. Agent: Moses Cardona, John Hawkins & Associates. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
Convinced that the shooting death of his psychiatrist uncle was murdernot a suicide, as ruleda Miami Ph.D. student with a binge-drinking problem turns to his high school girlfriend to help him uncover the truth. Timothy Warner, known as Moth, has long depended upon his Uncle Ed, who had drinking issues of his own, in times of crisis. He knew Ed well enough to know that he would never have shot himself, no matter how convinced the police are that he did. Not knowing whom else to call for help, he contacts his old flame Andrea Martine. Known as Andy Candy, she's in a fragile state herself, still recovering from an unprosecuted case of date rape and from having her heart broken by Moth. But though she's reluctant to see him again, her devotion slowly returns. With all their quirks and foibles, they make an unusually appealing team. When the narrative is taken over by the smugly self-admiring Student #5, a former student of Ed's who is stalking old professors he has grudges against, the book becomes more predictable. As devious as Student #5 is, he meets his match in Moth and Andy. "You're not a cop. You don't know anything about killing," Andy says to Moth early on. "I'm a fast learner," he replies. Boasting one of the freshest and most unlikely duos to appear in crime fiction in some time, the latest thriller by Katzenbach (Red 1-2-3, 2013) is one of his most enjoyable. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Moth owes his sobriety (and probably his life) to his Uncle Ed, a respected Miami psychotherapist and fellow alcoholic. So, when he finds his uncle's body, the nearby gun and note reading, My fault, aren't enough to persuade him that his unburdened uncle committed suicide. Instead, Moth becomes determined to punish the killer. Moth has burned plenty of bridges, and his ex-girlfriend, Andy, is the only person he can trust to help him. Andy herself is crumbling under the weight of guilt, sorrow, and rage after a date rape demolishes her illusion of safety. She agrees to help Moth and quickly moves from chauffeur and sounding board to adept investigator, guiding Moth through Ed's murky past and coaxing information out of an army of strangers. Moth and Andy uncover a cunning killer patiently eliminating those who played a role in ruining his life decades ago. Katzenbach binds Moth and the killer within a cycle of revenge, shrewdly muddying good and evil as they both plot murder and desperately grapple for control of their respective mental illnesses from opposing sides of the barely discernible moral line. The amateur investigation/manhunt, made tense through its misdirection, is a strong lure. But Andy is the real catch here, as she channels her hopelessness and rage into a heroine's role. A crafty, well-constructed psychological thriller.--Tran, Christine Copyright 2015 Booklist
Library Journal Review
Three decades ago a psychiatry student enrolled in medical school felt that he was wronged by four classmates and a faculty member. This pupil, known as Student #5, waged a deadly vendetta against those who negatively impacted his life over the years, employing cunning psychological strategies to exact his revenge. Student #5 escapes undetected for decades-until he targets psychiatrist Ed Warner. But Ed's nephew Timothy, a young doctoral student and recovering alcoholic, doesn't believe his uncle's death is a suicide and decides to uncover the truth. Joined by two unlikely allies with more than their share of baggage (an ex-girlfriend and a state prosecutor), Timothy launches a dangerous hunt for a madman. VERDICT This edgy psychological suspense novel from Katzenbach (Red-1-2-3) gives readers a bird's-eye view into the mind of a killer and takes them along for a nail-biting ride as the potential prey for an assassin turns the tables and becomes his predator. Thriller enthusiasts will not be disappointed. [See Prepub Alert, 4/20/15.]-Mary Todd Chesnut, Northern -Kentucky Univ. Lib., Highland Heights © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
