The Interpretation of Murder opens on a hot summer night in 1909 as Sigmund Freud arrives in New York. Among those waiting to greet him is Dr. Stratham Younger, a gifted physician who is one of Freudβs most ardent American supporters. And so begins the visit that will be the great geniusβs firstβand onlyβjourney to America.
The morning after Freudβs arrival, in an opulent penthouse across the city, a woman is discovered murderedβwhipped, mutilated, and strangled with a white silk tie. The next day, a rebellious heiress named Nora Acton barely escapes becoming the killerβs second victim. Yet, suffering from hysteria, Miss Acton cannot remember the terrifying incident or her attacker. Asked to consult on the case, Dr. Younger calls on the visiting Freud to guide him through the girlβs analysis.
The Interpretation of Murder is an intricately plotted, elegantly wrought entertainment filled with delicious surprises, subtle sleights of hand, and fascinating ideas. Drawing on Freudβs case histories, Shakespeareβs Hamlet, and the rich history of New York, this remarkable novel marks the debut of a brilliantly engaging new storyteller.