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Kill the Next One by Federico Axat

This book has been making the rounds in the literary circles so I decided to pick it up and see what all the hype was about. Before I get going, I want to let you know that I read a translated version, and the translator was David Frye.

Ted McKay has the perfect life: a beautiful wife, 2 loving daughters, and a great job. But after being diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor, he finds himself holding a gun to his temple, ready to pull the trigger. And that’s when the doorbell rings. A stranger offers him a deal: why not kill 2 deserving men before dying? The first target is a criminal who has escaped the justice system, and the second is a man who also has terminal cancer and wants to die. After executing these kills, someone will come along and kill Ted. There is a logic to this that Ted appreciates: it would be easier for his family to deal with his murder than his suicide. However, after killing his targets, Ted realizes that something is not right with this plan. And thus, his reality begins to unravel.

This book is a whirlwind story. From page one, it had me. And I got caught up in trying to make sense of every twist and confusing turn that this novel takes. Believe me, there are a lot. At first, I was wondering what was going on. Every page I turned made me question if what I was reading was true or not. But eventually, the pieces started to come together to create this unbelievable story and journey. This is a book that makes you work. Every time you think you’ve figured it out, the author throws something else at you that makes you rethink the entire story. While I’m still unable to put all my thoughts together when it comes to this book, I will say that I really enjoyed this novel and all of its twists and turns. It’s complicated, and confusing, but so worth all the effort. Definitely one of my favorite psychological thrillers!

Happy reading ~