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Doctor of Darkness

by Suresh

298 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #01-0346; ISBN 1-55212-944-6; US$25.00, C$28.50, EUR20.50, £14.50

An insightful novel that explores the destructive relationship between man and society.

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about the book      about the author      excerpts      catalogue info

About the Book Set in Germany, Doctor of Darkness revolves around the eventful life of a Nazi doctor named Jan Koch. The story begins dramatically with a Jewish merchant swindling his gullible father. From that time on, Jan lives through a series of painful events that turn him into a monster. Armed with a new weapon (hate), Jan confronts the people from his past. With the help of his Nazi friends, he punishes them mercilessly. Neverthelass, Jan's hate does not end there. He wants more blood! Consequently, he joins the Buchenwald concentration camp to inflict further suffering on the hapless victims. Then one day a shocking event enlightens Jan, and makes him question his brutality. The novel explores the Nazi's deepest scars, his fears, his anger, and his misguided thirst for justice. Furthermore, the novel tries to answer one significant question: Is Jan Koch the victim of the system?

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About the Author Suresh was born in Madras, India, in 1978. After graduating as an Engineer in the year 2000, he worked as a full-time developer. Nurtured in 'psychologically suffocating' conditions, he decided to examine his own obsessions. Thus, his inquiry into human nature propelled him to become a novelist. "Novels are reflections of our true images," he says. Since then, Suresh decided to use every novel as a tool for self-discovery. Currently, he is working on his second novel.

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Excerpts

    The next morning, Jan decided to skip classes; he was too disturbed to concentrate on his studies. He felt that a 'break' might help him recover from the shock. What could you do? Kill me? The question never left his mind for a minute.
    Lars noticed the sad expression on his face and said, "You look dull."
    Jan sighed. "Personal problems."
    "Anything I can do to help?" Lars volunteered.
    Jan shook his head. "I don't think so."
    "You can confide in me," he suggested. "We are your best friends now."
    "I know," Jan said. "That is why I do not want to bother you. You have done so much for me already."
    Lars gave him a friendly hug. "You are like a son to me," he said emotionally. "I want to help you. Please tell me what is bothering you."
    Jan told him about his predicament. "This is my sad story," he concluded.
    Lars was enraged. "I will teach her a lesson," he said fervently. Then he called out, "Stefan!"
    Stefan came immediately and asked, "What is the matter, father?"
    Lars explained Jan's dilemma. Stefan listened and said, "We have to do what we have to do!"
    Lars concurred. "That's my boy," he said cheerfully.
    Jan was bewildered, but he did not demand any explanation. Lars told Jan that they would be back in a few minutes. After they left, Jan began to think about Stefan's statement. What do they intend to do? he wondered.
    Forty minutes later, Lars and Stefan came back. "Your problems are over now," Lars told him.
    Jan was surprised. "How do you mean?"
    Lars answered casually, "Paula died in a car accident a few minutes ago!"

    When Boris came to know about his daughter's death, he was distraught. He found it impossible to believe that Paula had died. She was so cheerful yesterday and now she is dead! He also wondered why she walked in front of a car. He knew the answer: suicide. Boris dismissed the answer instantly, for he knew that Paula was a strong woman. Furthermore, his favorite daughter had no problems.
    All of a sudden, Boris became disturbed. It was because Jan's gigantic figure came to his mind. There is certainly something ominous about him, he thought. He wondered if Jan had something to do with Paula's death. He rejected the idea instantly, because he knew that Jan was not that stupid. Boris had conveyed the news to the other members of the family. His wife, Berta, wept continually. Boris tried to comfort her, but to no avail.
    A week later, the eldest daughter, Thea, came to attend the funeral. She looked at her parents and ran toward them. "I am so sorry," she cried.
    "This is not happening," Berta said. "Paula was such a good girl."
    If only you knew, Boris thought.
    "When I heard the news, I was startled," Thea said. "I contacted Kurt immediately. He is not here yet?"
    Boris sighed. "The prodigal son is always late," he remarked bitterly.
    Berta embraced Thea and said, "I still have you!"
    Thea was touched. "You will always have me, mother," she said emotionally. She turned to her father and said, "What actually happened?"
    Boris shrugged. "I wish I knew. It seems like Paula walked in front of a car."
    Thea was shocked. "You mean she committed suicide?"
    Boris shook his head. "She is not that kind of girl."
    "Then it is probably an accident," Thea suggested.
    "Possible," Boris said, "but I can't believe that she would be so careless."
    "Stop abusing my dead child," Berta said.
    Boris was defensive. "I was not," he protested. He looked toward the door, and noticed his son. "When did you come?"
    "Now," Kurt replied.
    Berta was pleased to see her son. "I knew you would come."
    "He had to come," Boris said. "It is his sister's funeral, for God's sake!"
    Kurt smiled viciously. "Actually, I was busy," he said, "but I did not want to miss the funeral."
    Though Kurt was known for his nasty behavior, his remark angered everyone. "Shut up," Boris yelled. "Do not speak ill of the dead."
    Kurt grinned. "I spoke ill of her even when she was alive."
    His indifferent attitude saddened Berta. "She was your sister," she began.
    "So?" Kurt asked casually.
    "You have to respect her."
    Kurt snorted. "Respect that whore?" he said. "She was nothing of a woman, mother. If anything, she was a disgrace to the entire family. Our neighbors, friends and relatives knew all about her 'hobbies'. She was a wretched woman. I think it is father's fault. He used to say that she was his favorite daughter. He pampered her a lot. That's why she failed to get into university; she never concentrated on anything important. The dead woman was preoccupied with dirty habits."
    While Boris and Berta felt ashamed, Thea was angry. "Why do you always say such nasty things about her?"
    "Because it is true," Kurt answered.
    Boris spoke up. "You are a cruel person!"
    Kurt gave a sarcastic laugh. "True," he agreed, "but I have never blackmailed poor boys."
    While the women were confused, Boris was surprised. How did he know? he wondered. "What are you talking about?" he thundered.
    Kurt shrugged. "I am talking about her hobbies," he clarified. "Your favorite daughter used to buy young men."
    Boris was dumbfounded. "But who told you all that nonsense?" he demanded.
    "That is none of your business," Kurt replied, "but your facial expression tells me I am right."
    Thea interjected. "Are you people speaking a foreign language or something? I do not understand it at all."
    Boris turned to her. "It is nothing, my dear," he said. "Your brother is very imaginative."
    Kurt chuckled. "I am as imaginative as Paula was noble," he remarked dryly.
    Berta became annoyed and said, "Shut up, son. We will quarrel later. Let us first give her a decent burial."

    "Jan!" Stefan called out.
    "What is it?"
    Stefan smiled. "Our crisis has come to an end," he said jubilantly.
    "What are you talking about?"
    "Paula's brother, Kurt, has confessed to the murder," he said. "Can you believe that?"
    Jan looked at him, stunned. "But he did not do it."
    Stefan laughed. "I know," he said and called his father. "Perhaps, he knows what's going on."
    Lars arrived and greeted Jan. Then he turned to Stefan. "What is it, Stefan?" he asked. "Is it about the confession?"
    Stefan and Jan were surprised. "You know about it?" Jan asked.
    Lars snorted. "Part of my plan," he said triumphantly. "Let me explain. I knew the police would investigate. I also knew that Dreyfus was a tough guy. I had to do something, and so I framed Paula's brother."
    Jan was astounded. "But how did you manage to accomplish that?" he asked. "It is a difficult task, isn't it?"
    Lars put his hand on his shoulder. "Perhaps, it would be better if someone else explained it."
    The boys were puzzled. "What do you mean 'someone else'?" Stefan asked. He was utterly confused.
    Lars pointed toward the door. "Do you see someone there?"
    To their surprise, they found a beautiful woman. "We see a woman," Stefan said, "but who is she?"
    Lars looked up at the woman. "Come here," he ordered. "Introduce yourself to my boys."
    The woman came forward. She looked at the boys and smiled. "My name is Thea," she said. "Paula was my sister."
    Jan was shocked. "I..."
    Lars stopped. "Don't worry," he said. "She works for me. She is the one that killed Paula!"
    Jan was so alarmed that he could hardly speak. "But how come Stefan did not know about this? I thought he killed..."
    "Yeah, that was the original plan," he concurred, "but at the time, I did not know that Thea was Paula's sister. I gave Stefan some other job..."
    Stefan interrupted. "He asked me to wait at the bus stop," he put in. "I was puzzled, but he did not explain. Now I understand why."
    "I am sorry, son," Lars said. "Once I realized that Thea could finish the job, I had to be careful. I didn't want anyone to know, not even you."
    "I see. I thought some dark stranger killed Paula. But it was her own sister. This is incredible!"
    Jan recovered from the shock and looked at Thea. "You are amazing, but I would like to know how you killed her."
    Thea cleared her throat. "It was not easy," she said. "First, I had to get Paula out of the house. I told her that there had been an emergency, and that we must go to the hospital. The poor girl believed me, and waited outside the house until I got the car around. It was a great opportunity, and I drove over her. Since we live in a secluded area, no one was watching. I drove for almost an hour, and dumped the car in the lake."
    "What if the police find the car?" he asked nervously.
    Thea grinned. "That would be great. The car belongs to Kurt!"
    Lars spoke up. "You are very good," he said. He turned to Jan and Stefan. "She has made sure there are no clues..."
    Stefan interjected. "I am not sure," he ejaculated. "At seven, the neighbors could have seen her. Secondly, what was Kurt's car doing there? Finally, anyone could have seen you dump the car."
    Thea remained unruffled. "If someone had seen me kill Paula or dump the car, they would have reported it to the police by now. Since no one did, it is taken for granted that we are safe. If the police discover the car, they are not going to suspect that I drove it-it is not even my car. They would only know that it belongs to Kurt, so it would implicate him. By the way, Kurt parked the car in our house, and stayed in his friend's place. I also bribed that stupid friend to lie to the detective."
    Stefan commented, "Another surprise."
    Thea resumed fervently. "Anyway, as I was saying, the police would conclude that Kurt killed Paula and dumped the car in the lake. Only we know that Kurt did not drive that car, so where is the problem? Besides, Kurt has confessed."
    "Why did he confess?"
    "I think the detective nearly killed him," Thea said. "He probably wanted to impress his boss, so this must have been a great chance. He forced Kurt to confess, so that he could get his promotion!"
    Jan sighed. "You killed your own sister," he said. "It is unbelievable!"
    "There is no place for sentiments, Jan," Thea remarked. "We are working for a cause. Nazis are our brothers and sisters."
    Lars chuckled. "Did you hear that, folks?"
    Jan and Stefan nodded. "I guess we have to make sacrifices," Stefan said. Then he added slyly, "Sacrifice other people's lives, that is!"
    Lars laughed loudly. "We are the devil's children!"
    Jan smiled. "When I was a child, I used to believe in God. As an old man now, I believe in the devil."
    Thea rose. "Let us complete our mission successfully," she said. "We should never let anything deter us."

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Catalogue Information

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