Bibliography: Verdon, John. (2010). Think of a Number.  New York: Crown. ISBN: 978-0307588920

Plot Summary:  Dave Gurney, recently retired NYPD homicide detective, is having a hard time adjusting to leisurely life.  When old acquaintance Mark Mallery calls in a panic about puzzling messages that contain veiled threats hinting at a past crime, Dave promises to help.  When Mark is murdered and other victims of the same puzzle are uncovered, Dave finds himself chasing a serial killer who seems to have thought of all the answers.

Critical Analysis:  I have such a hard time reviewing a book like this.  Such a unique premise and set up, that to say too much is to spoil the book.  A serial killer that can read the minds of his/her potential victims.  If the killer knows what you are thinking, what else does he know?  I am amazed that Verdon thought of such a diabolical plan for the killer.  It is twisted and crazy and methodical and mad and it works.

Dave Gurney is a new character who feels familiar.  Not in an old tired way, more like he seems like someone you have met before.  As a character, he rings true.  I think many retirees, not just cops, have a hard time adjusting to their new life, and I really liked the portrayal of his relationship with his wife.  She loves him and wants to live this retired life where he finally pays attention to her, but can’t stop him from doing what he must.  Verdon gives them a emotionally charged back story that only adds to the heartbreak of what sometimes seems like indifference if not resentment.

Review Excerpts: “The numbers game gets a murderous spin in Verdon’s deft, literate debut.”-Publisher’s Weekly

“[A] riveting thriller with a wonderfully baffling crime. Dave, Madeleine, their marriage, and Mellery are compellingly observed; lesser characters are vividly sketched. The sense of place, whether the Catskills at the onset of winter, or the shabby Bronx, is almost visceral….[C]rime fans of almost every persuasion will love it. An outstanding debut.”–Booklist

“…inventive and entertaining…The hard-edged characters and gritty plot recall Chandler’s “mean streets,” but the ornate puzzles laid before Verdon’s detective might have challenged the “little grey cells” of Hercule Poirot…Verdon plays fair with the reader, crafting the puzzles with elaborate care and dangling the clues in plain sight. “–Washington Post

Reviewed from public library audio book.  Amazon Affiliate: If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.