The Department
A propulsive dark academic thriller with an absolutely shocking twist
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- £4.99
Publisher Description
Some secrets we keep even from ourselves
Philosophy professor Neil Weber can't think of one good reason to get up in the morning. His wife has left him, his academic research has sputtered, and the prospect of tenure is more remote than ever.
Until Lucia Vanotti disappears.
A college student at Neil's Southern university, Lucia has a secret of her own—one that haunts her relationships and leads to reckless, destructive behavior. When Neil is drawn into the mystery of her disappearance, he finds new energy, purpose, and relevance. But at what cost? Each clue pulls him deeper into Lucia' s dark past, but also into the hidden lives of his closest friends and colleagues.
What has driven Lucia to risk everything? And why does Neil, a professor who hardly knew her, care so deeply about finding her? From campus classrooms to sex dens to backwoods hideaways, The Department reveals the world through the dual perspectives of Lucia and Neil as they descend into obsession, delusion, and the dangerous terrain of memory—uncovering the traumas that drive them to behave in ways they never could have predicted or imagined.
Perfect for fans of Jessica Knoll, Ruth Ware, and Gillian Flynn
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Faber's crackling debut centers on a philosophy professor who gets entangled in the case of a missing student. When Neil Weber was six years old, he watched a woman drown without trying to help save her. The trauma of that episode informed his decision to study human behavior; it also compels him to intervene when his campus is roiled by the disappearance of student Lucia Vanotti. Weber has a fuzzy memory of offering Vanotti a cigarette once, and, despite having no authorized role in the investigation, he reaches out to her family and friends for details about her disappearance. His actions arouse suspicion from the police, which Weber ignores, until his inquiry leads him to fear that one of his best friends might be involved. Faber alternates between Weber's present-day narration and Vanotti's perspective, including flashbacks to her childhood and a chronicle of the year before she vanished, keeping even careful readers off-balance throughout. Nuanced characterizations and the author's gift for evoking the rhythms of campus life are sure to delight fans of Peter Swanson. Readers will be eager to see what Faber does next.
