Eight Detectives
ISBN: 9781405944977
Description
All murder mysteries follow a simple set of rules. In the 1930s, Grant McAllister, a mathematics professor turned author, worked them out, hiding their secrets in a book of crime stories. Then Grant disappeared. Julia Hart has finally tracked him down. She wants to know what happened to him. But she's about to discover that a good mystery can be murder to solve.
Reviewed on 6th February 2022
I picked up this new mystery novel entirely on a whim after seeing it displayed in a bookshop and needing an extra book to make up a multi buy deal. I’m glad I did.
The wrapping story sees Julia track down a mathematician turned author turned recluse, and visits him asking to understand more about his collection of short stories - which purport to be examples of all the mathematically possible crime stories.
It’s a fascinating book on several levels. The combination of maths and mystery fits nicely with me, as it could be said that I’ve studied both things. The structure, alternating between chapters representing each of the short stories, and chapters exploring the interaction and discussion between the two real characters, is novel, and makes for a really interesting read.
I’m really happy to have found this book, and am intrigued to see if the author has anything else lined up next.