His captor turns out to be the scholar Montalo , whose edition of The Athenian Murders is the only surviving copy of the work .
Partway through the novel , the translator is kidnapped and forced to continue the translation in a cell .
translator 's captor turns out to be the scholar Montalo , whose edition of The Athenian Murders is the only surviving copy of the work .
Partway through the novel , the translator is kidnapped and forced to continue the translation in a cell .