“I don’t remember who introduced me to Dr. Prendel. However, I do know that it was at the home of Martin Fleming, the psychiatrist, during a get-together of the faculty professors to celebrate his promotion from Assistant Dean to Dean, and I was immediately captivated by his reserved, taciturn attitude and the indifference with which he looked around him, as if he knew exactly what would happen and what would be said…”

So begins The Island of Last Truth, a story of many mysteries, principal among them, the true identity of the enigmatic Dr. Matthew Prendel. Legend has is that Prendel, an expert sailor, had been shipwrecked years before the story opens in contemporary New York. His boat was attacked by pirates. He survived thanks to an incredible stroke of luck, while his entire crew perished. But then found himself embroiled in a ferocious fight for survival between two castaways on a desert island. There, too, he was lucky and came out the victor. Or perhaps luck played no part in it. Perhaps something darker was at play. And at stake. The only thing sure is that Matthew Prendel disappeared for five whole years. He has been back in New York now for a couple of years. That’s what they say at least. Though one should never rely entirely on hearsay…

Flavia Company
Flavia Company was born in Buenos Aires in 1963 and has lived in Barcelona since the 1973. She is the author of twelve novels. Her fiction has been translated and published in more than six languages. She teaches writing at the Ateneo Barcelonés.  

• Dec 6 2012
  MonkeyBicycle: "A fast – but intelligent – thriller"
  
• Dec 4 2012
  On the Seawall: "The Island of Last Truth is a fine yarn that saves its best for last."
  
• Oct 11 2012
  The Complete Review: "An unsettling castaway story."
  
• Oct 5 2012
  The Hungry Reader: "Full of surprises and shocks . . . A must read."