Zänker by Peter Maeck
What's It About?
A capital crime in academia spurs an investigative journalist's quest for truth, justice, and a spot on the New York Times Bestseller list.Esteemed Ivy League college president Dr. Amos Loeb is an Auschwitz survivor, a renowned scholar, a heroic humanitarian, a man beloved for “his simple kindness”— an unlikely target for assassination, one would think. Or is he?
Surely this is a case of mistaken identity or a robbery gone wrong, right? But the horrific method of death makes it clear neither of these scenarios is the case as the long-concealed secrets of Loeb’s far-from-perfect past start to unravel.
In award-winning author Peter Maeck’s captivating debut thriller, Zänker, a gruesome murder sends shockwaves through an idyllic northern Vermont college town and sparks an investigation that crumbles the façade of a man once believed beyond reproach.
At first blush, Loeb’s murder appears to be the work of a disgruntled alumnus who has voiced his disgust at Loeb’s decision to allow women into a historically all-male institution—has even publicly threatened him with details that are shockingly close to the way Loeb is eventually killed. Case closed? Not quite. Maeck throws in a killer twist that throws the police investigation — and the reader — for quite a loop.
Maeck does an outstanding job of setting the stage for conflict, peppering the book with a fully fleshed out, if not disconcerting, group of academics and locals, many with means, motivation, and motive to commit the gruesome crime. And while the characters Maeck has skillfully brought to life do the heavy lifting of moving the story forward at a breakneck pace, the book is grounded in its beautiful setting.
It should come as no surprise that among his many pursuits, Maeck is an accomplished poet, playwright, and photographer—his attention to detail is impeccable, and his almost poetic descriptions of the northern Vermont community in which the book is set, do an effective job of balancing out the story’s dark academic tone.
That’s not to say Maeck is gratuitous with gore or violence. Despite the ghastly way in which Loeb is murdered, Maeck handily employs a number of storytelling tactics to keep the pace fast and those pages turning — whip-smart dialogue, effective use of backstory, unique story structure, and a number of well-plotted twists and reveals help to create the foundation for the authentic suspense that underpins the novel. Before long, it becomes nearly impossible to determine who is innocent — and who ultimately wielded the deadly weapon.
As the police stumble their way through an investigation that continues to produce suspects but no answers, the case attracts the attention of a weary journalist who is eager to make his “long overdue presence on the Times bestseller list.” He sets out to write a book in the style of Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, arriving at the scene of the crime just three days after it happens, his pen and curiosity at the ready. In these sections, Maeck’s personal background shines, accurately reflecting the grind — and consequent jaded view — often associated with the profession.
What the would-be crime author ends up writing is Zänker, a book that isn’t an instant bestseller or a Pulitzer Prize candidate as he hoped, but it does garner attention — as does the research he puts into it. While he becomes more involved in the community — and its vivid cast of locals and academics — his journalistic integrity takes a hit, immersing him in the investigation in a very different way than he first intended. Watching the mystery unfold — and eventually be solved — is like being part of a masterclass in writing.
The fictional Zänker in the story may not earn its writer a Pulitzer, but Maeck’s compelling debut well positions him as an author to watch in this genre.
About Peter Maeck:
Peter Maeck is a poet, novelist, playwright, and photographer. His novel “Zänker,” a literary mystery, is now on sale. His narrative poem “Remembrance of Things Present: Making Peace with Dementia,” illustrated with his own photographs (Shanti Arts 2017), celebrates his father’s brave, good-humored experience with Alzheimer’s disease. Peter’s poetry collection “Aperture” (Shanti Arts 2022) “humors saints and shysters, frames show-offs, and coaxes grins from the camera-shy.”
Peter has presented at multiple TEDx events and international mental health conferences. He has a BA magna cum laude in English from Dartmouth College and an MFA in playwriting from Brandeis University.
