I believe that living and growing are about discovery — moving from our original view of something, through a process of conflict and enlightenment, to a clearer view. It's about figuring out what's really going on, separating truth from illusion. It's about what good detectives do in the stories I like the best.
Great mystery-thrillers are ultimately about real life. They're about us. They are illuminating exaggerations of the learning we engage in every day. I've always felt that the most satisfying stories are those that mirror life's dangers and tragedies clearly — the foolish risks, the collisions, the frightening unknowns, the hidden evils — and provide sound resolutions.
Reviewers have described Think of a Number as a nail-biting thriller, an exciting police procedural, a poignant examination of a marriage in trouble. I see it as the story of a smart and troubled good guy locked in a struggle with a smart and troubled bad guy.
The hero is an intense homicide detective whose attachment to the game creates all the excitement, all the rewards, and most of the problems in his life. He's a genius when it comes to dealing with maniacs and murderers, but a disaster when it comes to dealing with his wife and son — a fantastic cop shackled by his own ineptitude as a husband and father. I think that sort of central character helps the book become many things to many people.
I've been asked how much of my main character, Dave Gurney, is based on my own history and personality. After all, we were both born in the Bronx and both graduated from Fordham College. We both had high-pressure careers in the city, and we both moved to a remote rural area completely different from what we were accustomed to. And I'll admit that some of Dave's thoughts and feelings parallel some of my own. However, he definitely has concerns, talents, and perspectives that are different from mine. I mean, he's a homicide detective! He has the steeliness, the confrontational abilities for that. He has the stomach, the toughness for it.
I think I understand Dave Gurney well enough to write about him, but I could never do what he does. I've also been blessed with a life far less fraught with trouble and tragedy than his, lighter and brighter in so many ways. My wife and I have been given so many gifts — our life together, the good fortune to live in a beautiful place, lots of laughter, our children, our grandchildren.
I hope you enjoy Think of a Number — and that all the mysteries you encounter in your own life have satisfying solutions.
Think of a Number by John Verdon - Book Trailer
Sixty-one hours. Not a minute to spare.
Here are the facts:
The hero: "Jack Reacher is the coolest continuing series character now on offer."
—Stephen King
The situation: A tour bus crashes in a savage snowstorm and lands Jack Reacher in the middle of a deadly confrontation. In nearby Bolton, South Dakota, one brave woman is standing up for justice in a small town threatened by sinister forces. If she's going to live long enough to testify, she'll need help. Because a killer is coming to Bolton, a coldly proficient assassin who never misses.
Reacher's original plan was to keep on moving. But the next 61 hours will change everything. The secrets are deadlier and his enemies are stronger than he could have guessed—but so is the woman whose life he'll risk his own to save.
The opening: "Five minutes to three in the afternoon. Exactly sixty-one hours before it happened."
What others have said: "Child really is that good at heroic suspense writing."
—The Philadelphia Inquirer
Here are the facts:
The hero: Homicide detective Angel Alves
The situation: Memories of the infamous Blood Bath killer still loom large in Boston. So when a pair of students turn up bizarrely slain, Angel Alves fears that another serial killer is stalking the city. Alves and his ex-partner Wayne Mooney must set out to stop grim history from repeating itself. But as they'll quickly learn, matching wits with a twisted mind is a dangerous game.
The opening:
"George Wheeler felt around with his right foot until he found solid ground. He swung his left foot out of the minivan and tried to stand. It was impossible without the use of his hands, and they were tied behind his back."
What others have said: "A terrific down-and-dirty crime novel that reeks of street authenticity. I loved it."
—Dennis Lehane
Here are the facts:
The hero: Alex Delaware, a post-modern detective of sorts, who relies on his psychological prowess to get to root of his cases.
The situation: Her name is Elise Freeman, and her chilling cry for help—to whoever may be listening—comes too late to save her. On a DVD found near her lifeless body, the emotionally and physically battered woman chronicles a year-and-a-half-long ordeal of monstrous abuse at the hands of three sadistic tormentors.
The opening:
"The woman had haunted eyes. Pale, drooping at the outer edges, they stared into the unseen camera with an odd combination of defiance and defeat"
What others have said: "Kellerman really knows how to keep those pages turning."
—New York Times Book Review
Here are the facts:
The hero: David Harwood, a small-town reporter in need of a break. A dedicated husband and father.
The situation: A warm summer Saturday. An amusement park. David Harwood is glad to be spending some quality time with his wife, Jan, and their four-year-old son. But what begins as a pleasant family outing turns into a nightmare after an inexplicable disappearance. A frantic search only leads to an even more shocking and harrowing turn of events.
A small sampling:
"You can't get the cuff over his hand?"
"How many times do I have to tell you? I'm gonna have to cut it off."
"I thought you said it would take forever to cut the cuff."
"I'm not talking about the cuff."
What others have said: "If you like Harlan Coben, you'll love Linwood Barclay."
—Peter Robinson, author of All the Colors of Darkness
Here are the facts:
The situation: It starts with an unspeakable series of grisly murders across three states, a trail of blood leading, finally, to the small Tennessee town of Serenade. There, two more brutal killings lure the Special Crimes Unit into what may be the ultimate trap.
A small sampling: "Hollis nearly jumped out of her skin. She looked up and was angrily aware of the crack in her voice when she demanded, 'Where the hell did you come from?'"
What others have said: "Kay Hooper keeps me guessing until the very end."
—Linda Howard
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Here are the facts:
The situation: The dogs sense it first. High in the Colorado Rockies, a change is coming. Nothing can stop it, nothing will ever be the same. Because what's out there will leave you Breathless.
Opening line: A moment before the encounter, a strange expectancy overcame Grady Adams, a sense that he and Merlin were not alone.
What others have said: "Koontz is a superb plotter and wordsmith. He chronicles the hopes and fears of our time in broad strokes and fine detail, using popular fiction to explore the human condition."
—USA Today
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Here are the facts:
The players: Chef Billy Blessing—well-known New York City restaurant owner, and charming host of Wake Up America!, a popular morning show program.
The situation: It seems network TV can be murder, and Billy Blessing finds this out the hard way when his network's head honcho is found dead. Even worse, it seems the death was caused by a fatal coq au vin that came from Billy's restaurant... which means he's the prime suspect.
Opening line: "The big guy lumbered toward me, waving the cleaver. Weeping like a baby."
What others have said: "This is a funny, funny, very funny mystery that really gallops along and has several cool twists. Maybe Al Roker should quit his day job."
—James Patterson
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