Eight Detectives opening line: The two suspects sat on mismatched furniture in the white and almost featureless lounge, waiting for something to happen.
My blurb:
Julia Hart wants to know the method behind the seven murder mysteries. Grant McAllister states that all tales of this genre have their basis in mathematics. And he has written stories to prove his theory. Is Julia really there to publish them as she states, or does she have something murderous in mind?
Eight Detectives
A dazzlingly clever battle of wits between an ageing detective novelist and the young woman who might just be clever enough to solve the biggest mystery of them all…All murder mysteries follow a simple set of rules. Grant McAllister, an eccentric but brilliant professor of mathematics, once sat down and worked them all out – and wrote a set of seven stories to demonstrate.Soon after, Grant disappeared to live on an isolated Mediterranean island. No-one knows why he left. He never came home.Thirty years later, Julia Hart, a smart, ambitious young editor, knocks on his door. Grant’s work is being republished, and together the two of them must revisit those old stories.But as she reads the sharp, twisting tales, Julia is unsettled to realise that there are things that don’t make sense: deliberate inconsistencies which Grant is unable – or unwilling – to explain. Might they be a trail of clues? And if so, do they lead towards the topic on which Grant is most evasive: the truth about what happened thirty years before?If Julia wants answers, she must triumph in a battle of wits with a dangerously clever adversary. But she must tread carefully: she knows there’s a mystery, but she doesn’t yet realise there’s already been a murder…
My verdict:
I enjoyed the seven murder stories within the storyline of the novel. Enough so to keep reading the book. However, the rest of the book was not overwhelming. This book is really not worth adding to your reading list in my opinion. But if you do read it and feel differently, let me know.
Publishing information:
Disclosure: I was sent the book to review by Penguin Random House South Africa. I was not required to write a positive review. This post is in line with my blogging policy.
Inspiration published on Lavender and Lime May 16:
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- 2018: Quiet Mountain
- 2016: Vanilla Ice Cream
- 2013: Roasted Butternut With Spinach Pesto And Pumpkin Seeds
- 2012: The Kitchin
- 2011: Poached Eggs
I like that math seems ot be a prominent part of the story, but it does nto seem to have captivated your interest…
The base story line was just not as good as the mini stories within the novel 🙂
It sounds like this book was disappointing, Tandy.
It was not the best read!
I go in and out of “reading mode.“ Months will go by when I can’t pick up a book, then there will be months when I can’t stop reading. Fortunately, I am currently experiencing the latter. This sounds like an interesting book and right up my alley. Thanks for the recommendation, I’m going to look for it.
Please let me know what you think once you have read it. Thanks for the visit Pattie 🙂