Synopses & Reviews
A novel about love, greed, and the lengths to which one man will go to protect his reputation Only a few weeks after it happened, Luciano Valdez was almost unable to believe that he had ever been a murderer.
Caterina is beautiful, sensuous, gifted—a woman alive with possibility. When she walks into a room, no one can look away. Luciano Valdez, a celebrated writer and respected university lecturer whose life is teetering on the edge of despair, believes Caterina to be the most astonishing woman he has ever met. Convinced she will reignite his life and work, Luciano finds himself falling in love with her, with devastating consequences.
Review
"Elegant, wise, ironic—a gripping and impressive piece of work." —Times Literary Supplement
Review
"Told with fantastical detail, delightful insights and a touch of humor, this fairy taleish romance is a genuine treat." —Publishers Weekly on The Good Mayor
Synopsis
Luciano Hernando Valdez is his Latin American nation's most celebrated novelist and he's suffering from writer's block. So far his latest great work comprises the words 'The scrawny yellow cat crossed the road'. He's tried all his usual tricks to get back on track - he's had a few debates with his trusty colleagues at the university, he's had an affair with the banker's wife, nothing will work.
Until he meets Caterina. Beautiful, young and one of his biggest fans, she has idolised him since she was a child and he has inspired her to write. Convinced that falling in love with her, spending every minute he can alongside her, moulding her to his world, will unlock something and enable him to write, he pursues her and soon enough, he falls headlong into her arms.
But it's only a matter of time before he murders her.
About the Author
Andrew Nicoll is a journalist. His first novel, The Good Mayor, won the Saltire First Book Award and has been translated into 20 languages.