Lauren Nossett returns following her smashing academic campus debut, THE RESEMBLANCE (5 stars), where we met Detective Marlitt Kaplan, appearing in her latest, THE PROFESSOR—first class, an equally satisfying, excellent, riveting sequel of ambition, lies, and obsession!The protagonist, Marlitt Kaplan, is no longer a police officer following the events of the first book. She is now a college research assistant for her father, a professor. Her mom is also a professor at the University of Georgia in Athens, GA.Ethan Haddock, a college student at UGA, is discovered in his apartment dead, apparently by suicide, or was it? There is a lot of media surrounding the campus and its ongoing issues with depression and mental health among college students. The faculty is caught in the middle of getting involved (too much or too little).His German professor, Dr. Verena Sobek, has been taken in for questioning, and there are rumors he was fascinated with her and a possible romance. Her reputation will be ruined unless someone proves her innocence. Was there a love affair gone wrong?A Title IX investigation is opened, and the professor is suspended, and the media is crucifying her, and it is all over social media. To protect her friend's innocence, Marlitt's mother (colleague/professor) has asked Marlitt to help investigate. She can do little without a badge, but the positives are she does not have to go through all the bureaucracy and play by their rules.Marlitt does some major undercover sleuthing, finds Ethan's apartment studio and pretends to be a tenant interested in looking around. She winds up leasing the studio and moves in. She is intelligent, tenacious, and clever.It is creepy knowing Ethan died in this same room; however, she gets to meet the other roommates undercover. However, she may get more than she bargained for when she is in danger of getting too close. Marlitt misses her old job and her partner, Teddy. She cannot get to phone records or other pertinent info but does not think he took his own life. Who murdered him to make it look like a suicide, possibly?She has dinner with the former roommates, Spencer and Sadie— to learn more, and things do not add up. Will the college itself be to blame for not helping the students vulnerable to mental health problems?THE PROFESSOR is intense, twisty, and gripping. Told from POV: there is the female Goth roommate, Sadie, the male narcissistic, Spencer, and the professor, Verena Sobek. (Her/him)Did Ethan take his own life, or was it murder? Who else wanted him dead, or was it to set up the professor? That ENDING!! ??? The jaw-dropping twist you do not see coming!"Revenge will never solve anything. Karma will.”A master storyteller, Lauren Nossett deftly explores the dark side and toxic aspects of academia. From the pressure of professors while maintaining boundaries between themselves and their students. Who will listen to the students show empathy with their mental health struggles with little support from the university?I enjoyed the author's writing, a former professor turned novelist with a Ph.D. in German literature. She has created a standout protagonist in Marlitt, knowing she will not return to Athens PD. She has to serve and protect, and she does not believe in the system after last fall and what has recently happened with this case.THE PROFESSOR covers topics of manipulation, lies, revenge, jealousy, control, drugs, ambition, jealousy, mental health, and obsession! I enjoyed this one even more than the first. I hope we will see more of Marlitt as a PI!AUDIOBOOK: I listened to the audiobook narrated by the talented Saskia Maarleveld (same as the first book) with a perfect accent for Verena and the other character's voices for an outstanding suspenseful listening experience!#JDCMustReadBooks