SCHIZOID

In this thriller, a British author realizes that some recent homicides are comparable to the ones in his latest novel. 

Kenneth Sorin is a former medicinal chemistry research scientist who’s successfully transitioned to a writing career. He consequently has no time to work as an “amateur detective” and assist his Uncle Ash, an inspector. But Ash’s newest case has all the makings of a fictional murder mystery. A serial killer is murdering local female university students with a modus operandi that includes removing the left eye and replacing it with an emerald. In fact, these homicides share similarities with Kenneth’s manuscript, tentatively titled Mr. Maniac, including that the fictional victims’ initials in the book are the same as those of the dead students. A doctor diagnosed Kenneth with schizoid personality disorder at the age of 17. Unlike schizophrenia, people with this disorder don’t lose touch with reality. Still, after Kenneth receives a phone call from a woman who, it turns out, died a decade ago, he suspects that he actually may be the killer. He searches for patterns among the homicides and victims to unmask the true murderer and soon believes someone is watching him or possibly breaking into his house. Fundin’s (Disorder, 2019) entertaining tale offers several intriguing subplots. One features store owner Philip Worthington, a suspect in at least two of the murders, whose wife, Amy, has caught on to his philandering. These storylines help maintain a persistent momentum as well as bolster the mystery, especially when a subplot’s relevance to the main tale isn’t immediately apparent. Nice touches along the way enliven the story: Kenneth’s romantic interest, Jeanne Russell, is harboring a secret, and he has dealings with SCDX, an enigmatic police branch that’s so covert no one knows the acronym’s meaning. As the narrative advances, the protagonist puts together a theory on the killer’s method that’s surprisingly complicated. This fuels a final act that’s primarily Kenneth’s elucidations, and though it runs too long, it’s comprehensible and ultimately satisfying.

A complex but diverting whodunit.