150. Think of a Number by John Verdon

Think of a Number by John Verdon (Canada) - (US)
Dave Gurney, #1

Pages: 418
Ages: 18+
Finished: Jul. 8, 2011
First Published: Jul. 6, 2010
Publisher: Crown Publishers
Genre: thriller, mystery
Rating: 4/5


First sentence:

"Where were you?" said the old woman in the bed.

Acquired: Received a Review Copy from Random House US.

Reason for Reading: I love thrillers and this new author's book sounded very interesting.  However, I never managed to get around to it and now I have the second book in the series waiting here to be read so thought I ought to get caught up with this one first.

A thoroughly splendid thriller of the serial killer type.  Verdon doesn't just bring us your typical serial killer, though, he's got a special, intelligent one, who sets up elaborate crime scenes, leaves messages taunting the police and before killing his victims he scares them with a series of threatening poems.  This is one guy who thinks he's too smart to be caught, and he almost is.

I loved the murders!  They were bloody but not exactly gruesome and the case was a cerebral one also that was fun to watch unfold.  I found the book quick-paced and it was a page-turner for me.  I really enjoyed the main character, a fairly down-to-earth guy but devoted, perhaps obsessed with the job.  He has a dark moment in his past weighing him down and his marriage.  I appreciate that he isn't one of the usual former alcoholics or divorced.  The fact that he is already married also means there isn't the typical partner love affair to go with either.  A really good book with an intriguing main character.  I'm looking forward to the next book, the next case, and how Dave and his wife work on their marriage.