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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
I live in the west and the mountains and hike a lot. This book felt like it was about a real place. I felt creeped out by some of the scenes. The protagonist is a problem for me. How can he be so observant about behavior and supposedly unobservant at the same time? Also I know a lot of smart, highly educated people who approach things logically with a wide variety of analytical tools. Maybe not the most common in the general population but certainly not completely unique. But with those caveats, I loved the storytelling and setting.
Woah.
So I was expecting a sort of half-way paranormal/wendigo/bigfoot-esque mystery/thriller novel. And that element is there, sort of, but it's also a very deeply scientific novel and the paranormal aspect quickly takes a backseat.
The narrator of this novel is great, I really like his POV and the way he analyzes things. The only downside, I think, is that he's very analytical and more...observational about things--he admits in one section that he doesn't display emotions much, and I think that it sort of comes through in the narration and makes the story itself feel kind of detached and emotionless at times. However, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing, and throughout the story there are pockets of emotions here and there that increased as the story went along, so by the end of the story there was a great sense of anxiety and a sense of building stakes and tension.
I think this story played the villain card really well. No spoilers here, obvs, but this is one of the few "you can't guess who it is til the end" stories that I actually didn't hate; it felt appropriate and not like the author was being manipulative/straight up lying in order to preserve the "twist" ending or some big plot reveal.
In some ways, this is a procedural story in the sense that we're viewing the narrator's scientific procedure on how he tracks down the killer. But because he's also sort of becoming a hunter himself, it's still an interesting story with an excellent sense of pace and some brilliant leaps of logic, even if some of the "science" in the novel seems far fetched. (If stretching the limits of scientific/biology/computer technology bugs you, don't read this. For the typical "I can sit through an episode of CSI and Criminal Minds without bitching about the blatant overstatements and mischaracterized/completely impossible DNA tests/geographic profile leaps" people, you should be fine.) And I need to go ahead and say that even if you don't think you would like a semi-procedural, science-based hunting-down-the-killer novel--give this a try. I didn't realize that's what it would be like either--if I had, I wouldn't have tried it, tbh--but it ended up being really well written and riveting, and it never once felt like the narrator/story/audience was on the sidelines of the hunt. The narrator is the driving force, and he's actively hunting down the killer.
So I was expecting a sort of half-way paranormal/wendigo/bigfoot-esque mystery/thriller novel. And that element is there, sort of, but it's also a very deeply scientific novel and the paranormal aspect quickly takes a backseat.
The narrator of this novel is great, I really like his POV and the way he analyzes things. The only downside, I think, is that he's very analytical and more...observational about things--he admits in one section that he doesn't display emotions much, and I think that it sort of comes through in the narration and makes the story itself feel kind of detached and emotionless at times. However, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing, and throughout the story there are pockets of emotions here and there that increased as the story went along, so by the end of the story there was a great sense of anxiety and a sense of building stakes and tension.
I think this story played the villain card really well. No spoilers here, obvs, but this is one of the few "you can't guess who it is til the end" stories that I actually didn't hate; it felt appropriate and not like the author was being manipulative/straight up lying in order to preserve the "twist" ending or some big plot reveal.
In some ways, this is a procedural story in the sense that we're viewing the narrator's scientific procedure on how he tracks down the killer. But because he's also sort of becoming a hunter himself, it's still an interesting story with an excellent sense of pace and some brilliant leaps of logic, even if some of the "science" in the novel seems far fetched. (If stretching the limits of scientific/biology/computer technology bugs you, don't read this. For the typical "I can sit through an episode of CSI and Criminal Minds without bitching about the blatant overstatements and mischaracterized/completely impossible DNA tests/geographic profile leaps" people, you should be fine.) And I need to go ahead and say that even if you don't think you would like a semi-procedural, science-based hunting-down-the-killer novel--give this a try. I didn't realize that's what it would be like either--if I had, I wouldn't have tried it, tbh--but it ended up being really well written and riveting, and it never once felt like the narrator/story/audience was on the sidelines of the hunt. The narrator is the driving force, and he's actively hunting down the killer.
Ugh. This is a book where I see this great rating and think it can’t possibly go wrong, yet that’s all it is - wrong.
The protagonist annoyed me. He’s smug, condescending, and pretty much someone I’d like to see die throughout the book. Usually not a good sign. He makes a comment that he knows a lot of stupid people with Ed.D and Psy.D degrees. The inference being he’s so much smarter with his MIT degree. Noooo that’s not judgmental (sarcasm). He’s a scientist who suddenly thinks he’s Sherlock Holmes while all the bumbling dumb hicks in Montana can’t do anything right. They think it’s a bear. He thinks it’s a killer.
I don’t know this author but my opinion is the writing needs work. Things are wrong or just improbable. They find the body of a girl missing for quite a while (weeks or months) yet rigor mortis has set in. Uhh... rigor only lasts maybe to 60 hours after death... tops. The inference is that EVERY law enforcement person is a moron. It’s not believable in any way. It wasn’t shocking or scary. Characters were flat and unbelievable. I read a LOT in this genre and this book doesn’t hold weight with soooo many other, better well-written options out there.
The protagonist annoyed me. He’s smug, condescending, and pretty much someone I’d like to see die throughout the book. Usually not a good sign. He makes a comment that he knows a lot of stupid people with Ed.D and Psy.D degrees. The inference being he’s so much smarter with his MIT degree. Noooo that’s not judgmental (sarcasm). He’s a scientist who suddenly thinks he’s Sherlock Holmes while all the bumbling dumb hicks in Montana can’t do anything right. They think it’s a bear. He thinks it’s a killer.
I don’t know this author but my opinion is the writing needs work. Things are wrong or just improbable. They find the body of a girl missing for quite a while (weeks or months) yet rigor mortis has set in. Uhh... rigor only lasts maybe to 60 hours after death... tops. The inference is that EVERY law enforcement person is a moron. It’s not believable in any way. It wasn’t shocking or scary. Characters were flat and unbelievable. I read a LOT in this genre and this book doesn’t hold weight with soooo many other, better well-written options out there.
A decent enough thriller that had me engrossed until the final pages. Nothing too special about it though, and it had a somewhat unconvincing and unfinished ending.
Enjoyed this enough to ignore the inaccuracies and implausible stuff (as far as computer science goes) and even the hero’s incredible range of capabilities. Scary parts were really effective.
What a fast paced suspenseful and utterly compelling read. I finished the entire book almost in one sitting.
Such an amazing page-turner right until the last 40 pages. Than it starts to feel like the author was late for something or just got tired of writing this book. What’s more disappointing is that plot was okay, but writing style just got worse and worse with every next chapter. What started as a clever and very well-written classic thriller, became a cliche and even a little too filled with gender stereotypes from cowboy detective movies with a sexy and gentle rebel woman who played the good guy’s girl. And the kinds of situations you come up with imagining how you’d be a hero and save your crush when you’re 10. So it just got comical.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed the book so much I’ll just pretend the end chapters never happened :)
Nevertheless, I enjoyed the book so much I’ll just pretend the end chapters never happened :)
One of the best books I've read in a while and partly while I'm so tired this week! Highly recommend for lovers of thrillers/ mysteries.
adventurous
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence
Dr. Theo Cray will stop at nothing to find the source of a former students killer. He finds he patterns that others can’t see and he uses his bioinformatic mind to connect the dots. When no one believes him, he keeps going despite the legal and moral implications he may face. Relationships and people are not his forte but patterns and nature are.
Great twists along the way and the involvement of science really amped up this novel. The data analysis alone are enough to make you think about the world. This book was realistic in nature and the story telling and character development were perfectly aligned.
Great twists along the way and the involvement of science really amped up this novel. The data analysis alone are enough to make you think about the world. This book was realistic in nature and the story telling and character development were perfectly aligned.