La Jueza Muerta

In this first novel, Argentine poet and lawyer D'Anna tells the story of a married lawyer who is unexpectedly caught in a terrifying situation when he wakes up in a judge's apartment and finds her dead. The lawyer becomes obsessed with the fear that he will be blamed for her death, that his wife will find out about their love affair, and that he will never again be able to perform sexually. D'Anna skillfully lays out a complicated puzzle for readers, leaving clues about the identity of the murder and how the crime was committed. He uses a variety of writing styles, imitating and then ruling out different literary genres in chapters with titles like ""It's Not a Police Novel,"" ""Not Dostoyevsky Either,"" and ""Not a Romance Novel."" A few chapters are told in the judge's voice to fill in gaps about her life. Although the psychological suspense draws readers into the story, the unexpected ending fails to resolve the main questions about the murder. Some readers may be offended by graphic descriptions of sex and violence. This literary and experimental mystery is recommended for academic libraries interested in Latin American mysteries and for public collections with daring readers. Lisa M. Reynolds, Indianapolis-Marion Cty. P.L., IN