A crime mystery about intellectuals, The Oxford Murders by Guillermo Martinez (Abacus, 2005, London, 197 pages) relies heavily on its academic setting.
The Argentinian author holds a PhD in mathematical science. The book’s narrator and protagonist is a young postgraduate math student from the same country who arrives in England to study at Oxford. There, he meets Arthur Seldom, one of the university’s leading thinkers. Together, they discover the murdered body of Mrs Eagleton, the narrator’s elderly landlady.
Puzzling clues and more corpses lead detectives and the curious intellectuals in pursuit of a serial killer. But are they completely off-track?
Complicating matters, a young girl waits in a hospital bed, facing certain death unless she soon receives a suitable organ transplant. As the child’s prospects dim, her doting father turns increasingly desperate.
Despite ample promise, the plot lacks some essentials, like pulse-pounding excitement and edge-of-your-seat suspense. Too many learned theories and abstract mazes divert attention.
The plot lags and drags, advancing mainly by academic reasoning and math logic as Seldom and his protégé, the narrator, debate the crimes and how to interpret clues. Applying their potent grey matter should greatly assist the police. But do the academics give the investigation their best efforts?
Several surprise twists near the end fail to astonish, leaving a just-as-you-thought taste. Readers who enjoy intellectual challenges and pausing to ponder may appreciate parts of The Oxford Murders. Those preferring fast-paced action should look elsewhere.
Approval rating: 59 per cent.
For more information: www.twbg.co.uk
(October 23, 2006)
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