Think of a Number

By John Verdon

I finished this one yesterday and I really liked it. It was a really good puzzle-y mystery and I didn’t suspect who the killer turned out to be until the end of the book.

There was a section in chapter six that really stuck with me, about the character (a retired homicide detective) spending more time in consideration of action than in any action itself: “his natural inclinations tilted him inward in a variety of ways, with the result that, left to his own devices, he spent more time in consideration of action than in action, more time in his head than in the world”.

This definitely hit home, since I see myself as a planner, analyzer, a person who weighs the pros and cons and consequences of every action or inaction (what Mr. Pingwing calls an overthinker!).

I would definitely recommend this book if you’re looking for a well-written, page-turning murder mystery.