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mrsfligs's review against another edition
3.0
My Rating: 3.5 stars (A mystery that is a cut above average!)
Story Description
Dave Gurney is a retired NYPD homicide investigator credited with catching numerous serial killers during his illustrious career. But he's been retired for the past two years and trying to live a quiet life with his wife Madeline in a little town in upstate New York. When an old college buddy, Mark Mellery, contacts Gurney about a disturbing letter he's recently received, Gurney's interest is piqued. The letter asked Mellery to: "Think of any number up to a thousand. The first number that comes to your mind. Picture it. Now see how well I know your secrets. Open the little envelope." Mellery thought of the number 658 ... and inside a little sealed envelope that accompanied the letter it says "Does it shock you that I knew you would pick 658?" The letter goes on to give instructions about where to mail an oddly specific amount of money in order to find out why the letter writer seemingly knows so much about Mellery.
Intrigued, Gurney questions Mellery in-depth about the letter, how it arrived, and how the writer could have known the number that Mellery would think ofa number that Mellery insists meant nothing to him. Reluctant to involve the police, Mellery asks Gurney for his help in figuring out what is going on. As additional letters arrive, Gurney gets more and more involved in solving the puzzle. As the author of the notes performs additional acts of seeming clairvoyance, the stakes escalate, and Gurney becomes increasingly concerned about Mellery's welfare. When Mellery turns up deadand the crime scene is filled with odd details and seemingly impossible and nonsensical evidenceGurney gets involved with the investigation, which expands as related cases are uncovered.
As Gurney races to find a serial killer who seems to be infallible and predicting the police's every move, he is also forced to confront his own troubled past and a marriage that is teetering on the brink of disaster.
My Thoughts
I love reading mystery thrillers during the summer. Nothing like the sun baking your brain while tackling a mystery. I'm pleased to report that Think Of A Number is a fast-moving, intriguing mystery/thriller that will have you turning the pages so fast you'll forget to reapply sunscreen and will end up reading on the beach until the tide comes in.
Now I have to confess that I'm not the brightest bulb when it comes to mysteries. I almost never figure out who done it. But in this book, that isn't necessarily the issue. It is more like "How does who done it." Just like Gurney, I got involved in figuring out how the killer was doing all these seemingly impossible things like predicting numbers and vanishing into thin air at a crime scene. And don't worry ... there is nothing supernatural going on here. Everything is explained and makes sense (at least to this dim bulb) ... but darned if I knew how it was being done until Gurney unraveled the puzzle.
The other thing I liked about the book besides the intriguing mystery was how Verdon gave Gurney a compelling back story. Hopefully, this will not be the last Dave Gurney book; he seems like a character ripe with possibility. This is Verdon's first novel, and I think he did a whiz bang job with it. Of course, I suspect he might have a hard time topping the premise of this book, but I wish him luck, and I hope to be reading another Dave Gurney book this time next year when my brain is, once again, ripe to be thrilled.
My Final Recommendation
As much a "how it was done" as well as a "who done it," Think Of A Number is a fast-paced, exciting mystery/thriller that is a cut above average with an interesting hero and an intriguing puzzle of a mystery. Definitely recommended for summer beach reading!
Story Description
Dave Gurney is a retired NYPD homicide investigator credited with catching numerous serial killers during his illustrious career. But he's been retired for the past two years and trying to live a quiet life with his wife Madeline in a little town in upstate New York. When an old college buddy, Mark Mellery, contacts Gurney about a disturbing letter he's recently received, Gurney's interest is piqued. The letter asked Mellery to: "Think of any number up to a thousand. The first number that comes to your mind. Picture it. Now see how well I know your secrets. Open the little envelope." Mellery thought of the number 658 ... and inside a little sealed envelope that accompanied the letter it says "Does it shock you that I knew you would pick 658?" The letter goes on to give instructions about where to mail an oddly specific amount of money in order to find out why the letter writer seemingly knows so much about Mellery.
Intrigued, Gurney questions Mellery in-depth about the letter, how it arrived, and how the writer could have known the number that Mellery would think ofa number that Mellery insists meant nothing to him. Reluctant to involve the police, Mellery asks Gurney for his help in figuring out what is going on. As additional letters arrive, Gurney gets more and more involved in solving the puzzle. As the author of the notes performs additional acts of seeming clairvoyance, the stakes escalate, and Gurney becomes increasingly concerned about Mellery's welfare. When Mellery turns up deadand the crime scene is filled with odd details and seemingly impossible and nonsensical evidenceGurney gets involved with the investigation, which expands as related cases are uncovered.
As Gurney races to find a serial killer who seems to be infallible and predicting the police's every move, he is also forced to confront his own troubled past and a marriage that is teetering on the brink of disaster.
My Thoughts
I love reading mystery thrillers during the summer. Nothing like the sun baking your brain while tackling a mystery. I'm pleased to report that Think Of A Number is a fast-moving, intriguing mystery/thriller that will have you turning the pages so fast you'll forget to reapply sunscreen and will end up reading on the beach until the tide comes in.
Now I have to confess that I'm not the brightest bulb when it comes to mysteries. I almost never figure out who done it. But in this book, that isn't necessarily the issue. It is more like "How does who done it." Just like Gurney, I got involved in figuring out how the killer was doing all these seemingly impossible things like predicting numbers and vanishing into thin air at a crime scene. And don't worry ... there is nothing supernatural going on here. Everything is explained and makes sense (at least to this dim bulb) ... but darned if I knew how it was being done until Gurney unraveled the puzzle.
The other thing I liked about the book besides the intriguing mystery was how Verdon gave Gurney a compelling back story. Hopefully, this will not be the last Dave Gurney book; he seems like a character ripe with possibility. This is Verdon's first novel, and I think he did a whiz bang job with it. Of course, I suspect he might have a hard time topping the premise of this book, but I wish him luck, and I hope to be reading another Dave Gurney book this time next year when my brain is, once again, ripe to be thrilled.
My Final Recommendation
As much a "how it was done" as well as a "who done it," Think Of A Number is a fast-paced, exciting mystery/thriller that is a cut above average with an interesting hero and an intriguing puzzle of a mystery. Definitely recommended for summer beach reading!
simplexreveries's review against another edition
3.0
This book is a fairly good debut mystery novel. Some parts seemed rather drawn out for no reason and the ending of the chapters did not flow into the next chapter. It left me wondering what happened with the train of thought. Overall a good read.
sallyallyally's review against another edition
5.0
Really good puzzle. His three books are equally good.
If one quibble- his wife is a pain in the neck.
If one quibble- his wife is a pain in the neck.
cathyleigh1's review against another edition
4.0
More like 4 1/2 stars. Terrific story, complex characters and story. Looking forward to more by this author.
catdogcatdog's review
2.0
I picked this up because of the intriguing premise, but found myself hating the main character even before the he started dropping homophobic slurs. Man who resents his perfectly lovely wife is a trope I particularly dislike. The writing style isn’t my favorite, a bit overly descriptive in some ways.
I hate to leave negative review, so to be fair, here are the positives: it was an interesting mystery that kept my attention. There was a good balance of twists that were hinted at so I could figure them out prior to the reveal, and components I didn’t guess.
I hate to leave negative review, so to be fair, here are the positives: it was an interesting mystery that kept my attention. There was a good balance of twists that were hinted at so I could figure them out prior to the reveal, and components I didn’t guess.
pintura's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
andrewjstillman's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
novelesque_life's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 STARS
"Arriving in the mail over a period of weeks are taunting letters that end with a simple declaration, “Think of any number…picture it…now see how well I know your secrets.” Amazingly, those who comply find that the letter writer has predicted their random choice exactly. For Dave Gurney, just retired as the NYPD’s top homicide investigator and forging a new life with his wife, Madeleine, in upstate New York, the letters are oddities that begin as a diverting puzzle but quickly ignite a massive serial murder investigation.
What police are confronted with is a completely baffling killer, one who is fond of rhymes filled with threats and warnings, whose attention to detail is unprecedented, and who has an uncanny knack for disappearing into thin air. Even more disturbing, the scale of his ambition seems to widen as events unfold.
Brought in as an investigative consultant, Dave Gurney soon accomplishes deductive breakthroughs that leave local police in awe. Yet, even as he matches wits with his seemingly clairvoyant opponent, Gurney’s tragedy-marred past rises up to haunt him, his marriage approaches a dangerous precipice, and finally, a dark, cold fear builds that he’s met an adversary who can’t be stopped.
In the end, fighting to keep his bearings amid a whirlwind of menace and destruction, Gurney sees the truth of what he’s become – what we all become when guilty memories fester – and how his wife Madeleine’s clear-eyed advice may be the only answer that makes sense." (From Amazon)
so slow!!!!!!!!!! I almost gave up 3 times during part 1. Every time I shut the book I would see great authors grand reviews...again I opened it. After part 1 the book did get better.
"Arriving in the mail over a period of weeks are taunting letters that end with a simple declaration, “Think of any number…picture it…now see how well I know your secrets.” Amazingly, those who comply find that the letter writer has predicted their random choice exactly. For Dave Gurney, just retired as the NYPD’s top homicide investigator and forging a new life with his wife, Madeleine, in upstate New York, the letters are oddities that begin as a diverting puzzle but quickly ignite a massive serial murder investigation.
What police are confronted with is a completely baffling killer, one who is fond of rhymes filled with threats and warnings, whose attention to detail is unprecedented, and who has an uncanny knack for disappearing into thin air. Even more disturbing, the scale of his ambition seems to widen as events unfold.
Brought in as an investigative consultant, Dave Gurney soon accomplishes deductive breakthroughs that leave local police in awe. Yet, even as he matches wits with his seemingly clairvoyant opponent, Gurney’s tragedy-marred past rises up to haunt him, his marriage approaches a dangerous precipice, and finally, a dark, cold fear builds that he’s met an adversary who can’t be stopped.
In the end, fighting to keep his bearings amid a whirlwind of menace and destruction, Gurney sees the truth of what he’s become – what we all become when guilty memories fester – and how his wife Madeleine’s clear-eyed advice may be the only answer that makes sense." (From Amazon)
so slow!!!!!!!!!! I almost gave up 3 times during part 1. Every time I shut the book I would see great authors grand reviews...again I opened it. After part 1 the book did get better.
glitterbomb47's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. The sense of place (upstate NY) was great and reminded me of home. Making the DA an idiot so Verdon could describe law enforcement terms was quite irritating. The mystery was engaging enough, though I guessed some key plot elements long before the supposedly insightful main character did.
afox98's review against another edition
4.0
Great debut novel. I bought it on the recommendation of the book cover (it said if you like Baldacci, you'll like this book), and the employee at Murder by the Book. It was a great thriller with several twists and good back-story as well. Great characters and the author's style of writing was very descriptive and almost melodic. Hard to put down!