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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
Took me halfway to get into this one, but enjoyed it once the pace picked up. The characters are a bit silly — Theo Cray a computational biologist, turned inquisitive detective goes out to solve murder cases. It’s a decent bit of fiction.
I thought it was worth a read (or in my case, a listen). The narrator wasn't bad although there were moments where I struggled knowing if it was the main character's thinking or talking. That could be the author's doing though. It seemed to have good reviews on Amazon and GoodReads over the 2 years since its release.
Oh boy, was I wrong.
When I couldn't stand the audiobook due to my irritation with the main character (Theo Cray), I switched over to my Kindle to finish it. I was at a point where I couldn't relate or felt any suspense. I just wanted to get to the end of it, which actually led to a cliffhanger.
The novel felt as though it had been written well in the beginning but never was finished by Mayne, and then he decided to pick it up again after several years and just had to finish it for the sake of ending it. There were many inconsistencies with not only Theo's character but with the plot.
Either way, The Naturalist had an enticing beginning and an interesting premise. Then, it fell off its rocker towards the end, degrading a (supposedly) intelligent and socially inept protagonist to a super genius who was better than the authorities. It wasn't about finding the truth with rationality; it was about proving he was right all along.
Oh boy, was I wrong.
When I couldn't stand the audiobook due to my irritation with the main character (Theo Cray), I switched over to my Kindle to finish it. I was at a point where I couldn't relate or felt any suspense. I just wanted to get to the end of it, which actually led to a cliffhanger.
The novel felt as though it had been written well in the beginning but never was finished by Mayne, and then he decided to pick it up again after several years and just had to finish it for the sake of ending it. There were many inconsistencies with not only Theo's character but with the plot.
Either way, The Naturalist had an enticing beginning and an interesting premise. Then, it fell off its rocker towards the end, degrading a (supposedly) intelligent and socially inept protagonist to a super genius who was better than the authorities. It wasn't about finding the truth with rationality; it was about proving he was right all along.
A murder mystery with a rogue computational biologist interfering. It reminded me of the Da Vinci Code without the Jesus stuff.
I vacillated from really liking this and being really involved to leaning back and thinking, Hmm, that's a little outlandish and that's not how that would work. But it had my attention and I was glad I finished it. It was a good adventure/ serial killer novel and I liked trying to figure out who was the killer.
I'll be putting Mayne on my internal "good authors" list.
I vacillated from really liking this and being really involved to leaning back and thinking, Hmm, that's a little outlandish and that's not how that would work. But it had my attention and I was glad I finished it. It was a good adventure/ serial killer novel and I liked trying to figure out who was the killer.
I'll be putting Mayne on my internal "good authors" list.
4.5 stars rounded up. Excellent mix of procedural, mystery, paranoia, and just enough rash decisions from the protagonist to keep you worried but not annoyed.
The chapters are short, and nearly each chapter ends with a short sentence that encourages the reader to immediately move on to the next chapter. So, for me, it was a fast read.
The protagonist, a professor with an unusual set of skills, is intelligent but socially awkward and naïve. The police are mostly portrayed as dense – or perhaps simply as unable to think out-of-the-box. The antagonist is … well, you’ll just have to read the book to know that.
From the above description, one can expect a somewhat-clichéd set of characters. But this is a plot-driven story, not a character-driven story, so I didn’t mind that too much.
Bottom line: A fun story, but not great literature.
The protagonist, a professor with an unusual set of skills, is intelligent but socially awkward and naïve. The police are mostly portrayed as dense – or perhaps simply as unable to think out-of-the-box. The antagonist is … well, you’ll just have to read the book to know that.
From the above description, one can expect a somewhat-clichéd set of characters. But this is a plot-driven story, not a character-driven story, so I didn’t mind that too much.
Bottom line: A fun story, but not great literature.
dark
tense
medium-paced
This book is a just-right paced book. Even though there are some aspects that aren’t very interesting, it was a compelling read.
Mayne does a good job of pulling you immediately in to the story. Theo Cray is in a motel getting ice when the motel is stormed by police officials. There is a case of mistaken identity and innocent Cray gets questioned for murder. His personality is so sweet and innocent and scientific, pure and wholesome, I absolutely love it. Cray stays true to himself the entire novel.
Cray, although released from questioning, can’t help himself from probing into the case. He realizes that the police don’t do any serious investigating where investigating is due, and it leads him to finding victim after victim. This obviously leads him into sticky situations with the police. Cray has a tenacious investigative personality and a high moral compass. The reader knows he is innocent, and the police are just being jerks, which absolutely frustrates the reader, but not in a bad way, moreso in an engaged way.
This was my second novel by Mayne, and I can tell he has his particular style. I can imagine Mayne getting bored or tired with the style, but at the moment, it’s a great fit for me. I will also say that it appears that Mayne doesn’t care about wrapping up his novels with a bow, which would be my main complaint. The endings are a little abrupt. And when I stay up till midnight to finish a book, I really would appreciate some effort to place a bow on that package lol. However, once again, my complaints don’t mean I am not recommending him.
Mayne does a good job of pulling you immediately in to the story. Theo Cray is in a motel getting ice when the motel is stormed by police officials. There is a case of mistaken identity and innocent Cray gets questioned for murder. His personality is so sweet and innocent and scientific, pure and wholesome, I absolutely love it. Cray stays true to himself the entire novel.
Cray, although released from questioning, can’t help himself from probing into the case. He realizes that the police don’t do any serious investigating where investigating is due, and it leads him to finding victim after victim. This obviously leads him into sticky situations with the police. Cray has a tenacious investigative personality and a high moral compass. The reader knows he is innocent, and the police are just being jerks, which absolutely frustrates the reader, but not in a bad way, moreso in an engaged way.
This was my second novel by Mayne, and I can tell he has his particular style. I can imagine Mayne getting bored or tired with the style, but at the moment, it’s a great fit for me. I will also say that it appears that Mayne doesn’t care about wrapping up his novels with a bow, which would be my main complaint. The endings are a little abrupt. And when I stay up till midnight to finish a book, I really would appreciate some effort to place a bow on that package lol. However, once again, my complaints don’t mean I am not recommending him.
Just really good
Whoa...just read it. So good I couldn't put it down. I really like the quirky professor as the story teller. The suspense keeps you on the edge of your seat, and the end leaves you wanting more.
Whoa...just read it. So good I couldn't put it down. I really like the quirky professor as the story teller. The suspense keeps you on the edge of your seat, and the end leaves you wanting more.