“In the year he fully expected to die, he spent the majority of his fifty-third birthday as he did most other days, listening to people complain about their mothers.”
That’s the interesting introduction to John Katzenbach’s novel The Analyst.
It’s a fast-paced thriller, hard to put down, tantalising, probing and full of twists. For a $12 buy from Big W it was great value.
It follows the story of a very boring and predictable man who has his life turned upside down by a curious letter. The letter’s opening paragraph gives a taste of the mystery to come:
“Happy fifty-third birthday, Doctor. Welcome to the first day of your death.”
Dr Ricky Starks is a psychoanalyst who listens to the troubles of wealthy New Yorkers. His life follows a routine that borders on ritual. He’s a widower whose one highlight in life is a summer holiday every year at Cape Cod. He’s about to embark on that holiday when the strange letter arrives.
It transpires that he once had a patient who committed suicide. The puzzle Ricky has to solve is who was the patient? And who were the patient’s children? If he can’t name the letter writer within 15 days he has to commit suicide, according to the rules of the “game”. If he doesn’t take his own life then one of his young relatives will be murdered.
The blackmailer proves skilful and serious. Ricky’s left in no doubt of the outcome. He eventually learns that the patient was a young woman he saw while working as a psychiatric intern at a busy public hospital. He discovers she had three children, but as they were adopted he fails to learn their names.
He does learn though, that other people who wronged the woman, had already been killed or had their lives destroyed. He decides that he has no choice but to commit suicide or see one of his innocent relatives murdered.
That’s where the first twist occurs. Ricky frames his suicide cleverly enough to escape scrutiny. He starts a new life in a small town as a janitor with a false identity. From this humble station he plots revenge against the man who has only ever described himself as Rumplestiltskin or Mr R.
He identifies Mr R’s brother and sister as two of his tormentors in the final 15 days of his real life. From there he closes in on the man, who he comes to know is a professional assassin. It’s a game of chance and both players know that only one will survive.
Adding tension is a revelation that Ricky’s former mentor in the world of psychoanalysis had adopted the three children who were now trying to kill him for the second time.
What happens? You’ll have to read the book to find out. I’m sufficiently impressed to hunt down some more of Katzenbach’s work.
