Jean-Charles Provost Orden de los libros (cronológico)

Twenty years after the closure of Western State Hospital, Francis Petrel, committed there as a teenager due to his erratic behavior, now leads a solitary life in a cheap apartment, medicated to silence the voices in his head. A reunion at the abandoned institution triggers buried memories of the grim events surrounding its demise. In 1979, Francis enters the overcrowded Massachusetts mental hospital, where he befriends a diverse group of fellow patients, including a would-be Napoleon and a wise ex-firefighter. Amidst the chaos, a young nurse is found sexually assaulted and murdered, prompting police suspicion of an inmate. Whispers among patients speak of a white-shrouded “angel,” while a striking prosecuting attorney arrives with her own chilling theory linking the murder to a series of unsolved sex killings. As the past resurfaces, Francis feels compelled to recount his nightmarish experiences, but the unresolved crime looms over him. The narrative unfolds through Francis’s perspective, revealing the unpredictable nature of his mind and the haunting memories of a killer who may return. This suspenseful journey keeps readers on edge with its tantalizing twists and turns.

«Feliz cumpleaños, doctor. Bienvenido al primer día de su muerte.» Así comienza el anónimo que recibe Frederick Starks, psicoanalista con una larga experiencia y una vida tranquila. Starks tendrá que emplear toda su astucia y rapidez para, en quince días, averiguar quién es el autor de esa amenazadora masiva que promete hacerle la existencia imposible. De no conseguir su objetivo, deberá elegir entre suicidarse o ser testigo de cómo, uno tras otro, sus familiares y conocidos mueren por obra de un asesino, un psicópata decidido a llevar hasta el fin su sed de venganza. Dado un inesperado giro a la relación entre médico y paciente, John Katzenbach nos ofrece una novela en la tradición del mejor suspense psicológico.