Metaphysics For Murder

About the Book

This mystery is about a series of murders motivated by the philosophic writings of Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche. Michael Carter, a disabled Vietnam veteran, has been strangled to death. Carter has no known enemies, his apartment was not ransacked and there appears to be no rational motive for his murder. Detective Loren Stutz finds no clues at the murder scene.

Four weeks later, a mute woman, Elvira Morgan, becomes the killer’s second victim. Again the killer leaves no clues, but, strangely, a bag with three college testbooks is found near the body. Four weeks after Elvira’s death, another woman, Betty Wilson, a drug addict and prostitute, meets the same fate. Although she is found nude, there is no evidence of any sexual activity between her and her killer. Again the crime scene seems absent of clues.

Forensic experts who examine the three bodies and a heel print found at one of the murder scenes conjecture that the killer may be a male, 5’11’, weight about 190 pounds. The experts emphasize that these are mere conjectures on their part as they are unable to tie the evidence on which they are based to the killer. Surprisingly, a blob of dry spit is found in the hair of each of all three victims.

Patti Carr, Stutz’ girlfriend, realizes that his preoccupation with the case is crowding out their love life. In an effort to be of help to him, she asks him to let her review his files on the murders. She discovers that a book, Thus Spake Zarathustra, by Nietzsche, was found at each of the crime scenes. She speculates that there may be a possible connection between it and the murders.  

At Patti’s suggestion, Stutz visits Ann Prescott, a philosophy professor at a nearby college, to learn about Nietzsche. He prevails on her to try to develop a rationale for murder based on Nietzsche’s works. Ann Prescott constructs a diabolical hypothesis, Metaphysics for Murder, and, at his urging, gives Stutz the names of five former students who showed a particular interest in this philosopher’s writings.

The school librarian becomes victim number four exactly four weeks after the murder of Betty Wilson. This time no book is found but two different clues surface: the victim’s name is similar to that of Nietzsche’s sister, Elizabeth Forster and, a neighbor notices an unknown Jeep parked in the street near the murder scene on the night of the murder. Smythson, one of the former Nietzsche students and now a successful investment manager, owns a Mercedes, a Jaguar, and a Jeep.

During a confrontation Stutz arranges in Smythson’s mansion, Smythson arrogantly admits that he is the killer. He explains the whys for the murders and for the four-week timing intervals. The “whys” are based on certain of the writings of Nietzsche.Fearing the wealthy and intelligent Smythson may escape conviction for his murders, Stutz kills him but makes it look like an act of self-defense.

With the murders solved, Stutz and Patti marry. Smythson leaves a frightening legacy for us to ponder.

About the Author

Mario Sanci Leo was a management consultant for thirty years before retiring several years ago. He is a lifetime student of philosophy and intellectual history, intrigued by how ideas affect the values and behaviors of individuals in different societies. This is his first work of fiction.