Wolf Rider (Avi novel)

Wolf Rider is a novel written by Avi (pen name of Edward Irving Wortis), published in 1986 by Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.

Plot summary

The story starts when the kitchen phone rings three times before Andy Zadinski, the main protagonist, picks it up. A caller tells him he killed someone named Nina Klemmer. Andy writes what's going on to his friend Paul, and tells him to call the cops on a public phone, and tell them to trace the call. Meanwhile, Andy continues talking to the man on the phone who now calls himself Zeke. Zeke says he stabbed Nina with a sharp kitchen knife because she refused to go out with him. He called Andy b Andy is convinced that Zeke is serious and that they should do something about it. Since his mother died a year before, he doesn't take death as a joke. But no one will listen to Andy—not the police, not his friends, not even his father,not even when Andy discovers that there really is a Nina Klemmer, every one thinks he is just crying wolf. Not even when he spots her at the local college and sees that she fits Zeke's description of her.

Despite warnings from his father, his friend Paul and the police, think Andy should just forget about the call,he feels obligated to track Nina down and warn her. Along the way he finds clues that lead him to believe Zeke is actually a college professor, named Dr. Phil Lucas, that works with his father.

Andy attempts to pressure Lucas into meeting Nina. Andy believes that, that would provide enough evidence to prove his suspicions about Zeke to everyone in town. Instead Lucas ends up capturing him and taking him to the woods to kill him.

Andy suddenly kicks the door and begins struggling with Lucas to escape. During the struggle he kicks Lucas in the face. Lucas' glasses shatter and cut his eyes. In the process the E-brake is hit. Andy escapes Lucas' car. Lucas has forgotten to put on the parking brake, and the car rolls down the hill. His seat belt is stuck. He tries to get out, but it is too late as the car crashes and kills Lucas.

Later, Andy and his dad begin packing Andy's things to prepare to go to the airport. Andy's dad went to Andy's closet, looking for Andy's baseball glove, but ends up finding a shiny cufflink that Lucas always wore. He secretly put it in his pocket and left to the car.

Afterwards, Andy leaves on a plane to his aunt, not telling his father what happened. When the plane flies away, Andy's dad goes to the garbage to throw out the shiny cufflink with tears smeared it.

Throughout the story everyone thinks Andy is lying and crying wolf like the boy who cried wolf thus the name.You can also find more about andrew zandinski on www.google.com .