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Lauren Nossett
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The Professor: A Novel Kindle Edition

by Lauren Nossett (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 171 ratings
Editors' pick Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
See all formats and editions

“The Professor is a thoroughly gripping mystery about power, ambition, and the lengths we will go to in order to succeed. Pacey and full of tension, this one will stick with you long after THE END.” –New York Times and #1 International Bestselling author, Karin Slaughter


For fans of Tana French, The Professor investigates the darkest corners of academic life: ambition, lies, and obsession.

On a spring afternoon in Athens, Georgia, Ethan Haddock is discovered in his apartment, dead, apparently by his own hand. His fatality immediately garners media attention: not because his death reflects the troubling increase of depression and mental health issues among college students, but because the media has caught the whiff of a scandal. His professor, Dr. Verena Sobek, has been taken in for questioning, and there are rumors his death is the result of a bad romance. A Title IX investigation is opened, the professor is suspended, and social media crusaders and trolls alike are out for blood.

Marlitt Kaplan never investigated love affairs. A former detective turned research assistant, she misses the excitement of her old job, but most of all the friendship of her partner, Teddy. When her mother, a professor at the university and colleague of the accused professor, asks for her help, she finds herself in the impossible position of proving something didn't happen. Without the credentials to interview suspects or access phone records, she will have to get closer to a victim's life than ever before. And she quickly finds herself in his apartment, having dinner with his roommates, even sleeping in his bed. But is she too close to see the truth?

In her relentless pursuit to uncover the mystery behind Ethan’s death, Marlitt will be forced to confront the power structures ingrained in the classroom against the backdrop of a historic campus and an institution that sometimes fails its most vulnerable members.

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  1. Print length
    321 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Flatiron Books
  5. Publication date
    November 14, 2023
  6. File size
    4538 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for Lauren Nossett

"Impressive. . . . An emotionally resonant page-turner from a writer worth watching." ―Publishers Weekly

“I can’t get enough of dark academic fiction, and Lauren Nosett’s takes the aesthetic into the frat houses in this college campus thriller.” ―Crime Reads

“This chilling story has it all.” ―Woman’s World

“A fast, fun read, that is nearly impossible to put down. . . . Every detail, every element of the story gets a payoff. . . . An intricately told tale.” ―Paste Magazine

“Twisty, dark, and brilliant, The Resemblance is a chilling crime thriller that will keep you turning the pages faster than you can binge a true crime podcast.” ―Sally Hepworth, bestselling author of The Good Sister

“A timely, expertly plotted mystery about power and privilege, The Resemblance will grab you from the first page and keep you guessing until the final twist. A captivating debut.” ―Alafair Burke, bestselling author of Find Me

“A campus crime plunges a driven young detective into the shadowy depths of Greek life, where power and privilege hide sinister secrets. In The Resemblance, Nossett pushes the stakes ever higher, and the horrors of this hidden world feel all too real. A timely and compelling thriller, and a jagged new twist on dark academia.” ―Laura McHugh, award-winning author of What’s Done in Darkness

“The Resemblance is a taut campus mystery that grows bigger and dives deeper into the community as the crime unfolds. Twisty turns with an emotional punch deliver a captivating read.” ―Wendy Walker, bestselling author of Don’t Look for Me

“At once a careful, nuanced dismantling of toxic masculinity and an exploration of academia’s dark underbelly, The Resemblance is a powerhouse of a book that is as timely as it is terrifying. Perpetually twisty and full of chilling secrets, this masterful debut heralds Lauren Nossett as a fearless new voice in crime thrillers.” ―Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, author of the The Girls Are All So Nice Here

“Haunting. . . . A sinister, addictive blend of self-aware police procedural and campus novel, this is the kind of book that slips its fingers around your throat and doesn’t let go.” ―Ashley Winstead, author of The Last Housewife

About the Author

Lauren Nossett is a professor of German language and literature. Her scholarly work has appeared in journals and edited volumes. She attended the Tin House Summer Writers’ Workshop in 2015 and 2017. The Resemblance is her first novel. She currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BPQT2XTN
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Flatiron Books (November 14, 2023)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 14, 2023
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 4538 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 321 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 171 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Lauren Nossett

Lauren Nossett

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LAUREN NOSSETT is a professor turned novelist with a Ph.D. in German literature. Her debut novel, THE RESEMBLANCE, won the ITW Thriller Award for Best First Novel. Her new novel, THE PROFESSOR, is out November 2023. She currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee.

Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars
171 global ratings
The Professor by Lauren Nossett
4 out of 5 stars

The Professor by Lauren Nossett

The Professor⭐️⭐️⭐️💫By Lauren NossettThank you @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for early access to The Professor. I had hoped to finish before the release date but fell short by a couple weeks.The Professor is an enjoyable thriller/mystery. I enjoyed the multiple point of views and the narration. The story itself was entertaining, but I didn’t feel like I was on the edge of my seat. It was more of a cozy mystery.Verena is a hardworking German Professor at the University of Georgia in hopes of getting tenure. Her favorite student commits suicide, and investigators are lead to believe Verena was more than a professor to him.Marlitt is a former detective, who has her own baggage. Marlitt’s mother is also a German professor and asks Marlitt to help clear her friend Verena’s name. Since Marlitt is no longer a detective or in the good graces of the police force, she is not required to follow the rules. She dives into the case and does it her way.I wish the book didn’t have so many loose ends on Verena’s story. There were also some holes within the other characters as well. I love a nice tidy epilogue completing everyone’s story. Like many books, the ending leaves the reader/listener slightly confused.Favorite quote: “Healing is painful. It’s awkward and uncomfortable. It starts by admitting my faults… all of them and asking for forgiveness… being willing to accept that I might not get it but doing it all the same.”Favorite character: Verena 🖊️Steamy rating: Cold 🥶Profanity: Mild 😬How I discovered: NetGalley ✅Method: Advanced audiobook via NetGalley 🎧
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Top reviews from the United States

Pam Culp
4.0 out of 5 stars The Professor
Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2023
Verified Purchase
A good solid read, easy dialogue. I was entertained and very surprised at the end. I would recommend it for anyone looking for suspense, mostly likable characters and a couple of twists…
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sikonat
5.0 out of 5 stars Masterclass in slow burning tension
Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2023
Lauren Nossett continues spotlighting toxic university culture in The Professor, an utterly gripping follow up her gangbuster of a debut, The Resemblance.

After her dogged pursuit of privileged fraternity members left her literally and figuratively burnt, detective Marlitt Kaplan resigned from the Athens police department rather than be fired in disgrace.

Now working as her father's research assistant, Marlitt is asked by her mother to help clear the name of her junior colleague, German professor Dr Verena Sobek. Verena is under Title IX investigation regarding her relationship with student Ethan Haddock, who died by suicide.

Nossett carefully builds tension as chapters switch between Marlitt, and past chapters by 'Him', a student we assume to be Ethan, and 'Her', a professor who we assumed to be Verena. Normally I find flashbacks something that slows the present-day tension, but I couldn't skip a sentence. Every time I'd return to Him and Her, I was struggling to identify who really were the victim and perpetrator.

Tension racks up a notch when Marlitt, almost reminiscent of Tana French's The Likeness, impulsively moves into Ethan's old room with gothic, artistic Sadie and neat-freak, household father figure Spencer.

Feeling adrift from the fallout of her previous case, and missing her former partner Teddy who refuses to speak to her, Marlitt finds herself drawn to student life and regular boozy housemate dinners. I absolutely loved the wonderful way Lauren Nossett writes Marlitt's observations and reflections:

'I laugh. And for the briefest moment, I forget my scars, the smooth patches where hair doesn't grow. I could be anyone. We could be anyone. Just two semi-young people laughing in the sun.'

Marlitt is an interesting character that had me hooked. She's tenacious at pursuing the truth and while that makes her a great detective, the consequences have forced her to reflect on how her actions hurt others, especially Teddy. She admits she was selfish, ignoring the racial microaggressions directed towards him by their colleagues for supporting her.

Where The Resemblance looked at how universities protect privilege, The Professor looks at how it doesn't protect students and staff. Nossett, a former academic, uses her experiences to take aim at university culture and how both students AND staff are shafted by these billion dollar degree factories. Having worked at three universities myself in student services, I've witnessed how cuts to services, such as counselling, leave students falling through the cracks.

Most poignant were the 'Her' chapters, providing astute observations about the struggles dealing with cheating, class sizes and the burnout due to the lack of support for staff and students. This professor cares about her students, but as the mental health clinic tells her 'everyone's depressed' and they're overworked themselves.

This book is a masterclass at building a slow-burn tension while balancing compelling plot developments and featuring a clever, tenacious heroine to champion. Twist after twist, I was ensnared. When I got to the final sentence my jaw dropped. Kudos to Lauren Nossett, I eagerly look forward to your next book, hopefully more Marlitt.

Thanks to Flatiron Books and NetGalley for the ARC.
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Lola
3.0 out of 5 stars The Professor
Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2024
This is a follow-up to “The Resemblance”. The author has made some changes in the second book of the series. In the first book, the author struggled to stay on point and often went off on tangents. However, in this book, the author focuses on following a single plot line with fewer tangents, which has resulted in overall improvements to Marlitt’s story. However, in this book, we have three points of view: Marlitt (the main character), Hers (the victim), and Him (the antagonist).

This story has Marlitt as a “disgraced cop”, but she resigned from her position in the last book, so being disgraced seemed a bit dramatic. She is trying to figure out what to do with herself after the hot mess of her final case and her life after the fire. Her mother asks her to help clear a colleague’s name who is implicated in an affair with a student who recently committed suicide. During this course of the investigation, Marlitt moves into the dead kid’s apartment and runs into her old colleague Oliver. Marlitt is so focused on this mystery and connecting all the dots that she puts herself in harm’s way. Again. We do see some introspection of toxic traits and this book seemingly paves the way for a lot more books in the future.

The positive aspects of the story are that the author has not repeated the same plot of following 10 wild rabbits, which makes the story more interesting. The main character, Marlitt, is portrayed in a more relatable and likable manner, in contrast to her previous depiction as a walking disaster. The supporting characters are also more engaging, adding depth to the plot and the protagonist. The story also shines a light on the struggles of college students dealing with mental health issues, but it is done in a respectful and sensitive way, without being preachy. It is a poignant portrayal of a young adult trying to find their place in the world while dealing with inner turmoil.

I have some criticisms about the book. Firstly, there are fewer tangents, but the pacing has slowed down significantly. Secondly, I am unsure how I feel about the change of POVs. Even though it was done to provide more perspective on the case, it completely alters the tone of the first book. Lastly, the epilogue was 100% out of character for the characters involved.

Overall, there is much improvement in book two, and it is well worth the read.
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Vanessa P
4.0 out of 5 stars A dark academia, psychological thriller
Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2024
A dark academia, psychological thriller that puts Marlitt Kaplan, former detective, again investigating a death. After the events of the previous novel, The Resemblance, Marlitt is suffering the fallout and working as a research assistant. Her mother asks her to help her fellow professor who has been accused of being in a relationship with a student. The student, Ethan Haddock, has been found in his apartment, dead, and with an apparent suicide note pointing to the professor.

The media ensues once they learn of the scandal and Marlitt again puts herself in danger to find out the truth.

This is a slow burn mystery that also deals with mental health and emotional manipulation. I enjoyed The Professor and while it can be read without reading the first in the series (The Resemblance), there are plot points that allude to it. The ending was satisfying.
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