Wall Street Journal’s “Mysteries: Best of 2018” Book of the Month Club Selection *Edgar Award Nominee: Best First Novel by an American Author A “hugely entertaining” (Wall Street Journal) mystery starring “a Royal Tenenbaums-esque clan of geniuses” (Martha Stewart Living)–perfect for fans of Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore. In this “riveting…brilliant” (Booklist) debut, Hazel Severy, the … 24-Hour Bookstore.
In this “riveting…brilliant” (Booklist) debut, Hazel Severy, the owner of a struggling Seattle bookstore, receives a letter from her adoptive grandfather–mathematician Isaac Severy–days after he dies in a suspected suicide. In his puzzling letter, Isaac alludes to a secretive organization that is after his final bombshell equation, and he charges Hazel with safely delivering it to a trusted colleague. But first, she must find where the equation is hidden.
While in Los Angeles for Isaac’s funeral, Hazel realizes she’s not the only one searching for his life’s work, and that the equation’s implications have potentially disastrous consequences for the extended Severy family, a group of dysfunctional geniuses unmoored by the sudden death of their patriarch.
As agents of an enigmatic company shadow Isaac’s favorite son–a theoretical physicist–and a long-lost cousin mysteriously reappears in Los Angeles, the equation slips further from Hazel’s grasp. She must unravel a series of confounding clues hidden inside one of her favorite novels, drawing her ever closer to his mathematical treasure. But when her efforts fall short, she is forced to enlist the help of those with questionable motives.
“A novel that is anything but clueless, filled with consideration and compassion” (The Washington Post), The Last Equation of Isaac Severy proves that, like Hazel, you don’t have to love math to fall under the Severy spell.
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I picked up this turtle because it mentioned a comparison to AJ Fikry, but I didn’t see a connection to that beautiful story.
This novel is about the Severy family of mathematicians and the quest to find Isaac’s last equation. Isaac Severy has died but he has left a letter for his foster granddaughter, Hazel, that is written in clues for her to find the equation and then pass it in to his trusted friend. In the meantime there is a lot of serious dysfunction in this family!
People are competing to find the equation, people are dying, and there are a few affairs happening as well.
The tone and voice of the book reminded me of another author, but I can’t quite place it. This book was ok, a bit complex, but wasn’t as suspenseful as I thought it might be.
#TheLastEquationOfIsaacSevery #NovaJacobs
I thoroughly enjoyed this inventive, quirky, unusual book. I struggle to classify it: Mystery, family drama, psychological study with some (mild) modern day gothic fantasy elements. Books like Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore, The Bookman’s Tale and even one of my all-time favorites, The Shadow of the Wind come to mind. Don’t expect a fast-paced mystery but be prepared for a fantastic ride!
A well-written mystery with a number of interesting, quirky characters ,not to mention the title character who is dead before the story starts. But be advised, the story includes a lot of detail only a mathematician could love. Definitely not a deal-breaker but a caution that will keep readers on their toes.
I am “math challenged”, and perhaps that’s why this book spoke to me. I found it fascinating in that respect, seeing how “the other half” (math privileged”) live. My son is one of these math prodigies, and reading about Fibbinocci and Feinman was a magnetic attraction, because I knew that my son knew what these terms meant and could teach them! The mystery and fascination of the unknown. Good read. Taught me a bit, because I actually looked up those terms and tried to understand statistics and probability and prediction. Lots to think about, long after the book is ended.
The plot followed a fairly typical path so I am giving it an OK.
Good, engaging read. Even if math and I aren’t the best of friends it was easy reading and didn’t leave me stumped—much. Because the writing is excellent enough, the story was easy to follow without getting lost in the numbers. For me it was all about the characters and that made it really worth the read.
This is a fun read. A little uneven. I was able to guess most of the mysteries. happy ending.
Fun for a math geek.
Great story with quirky characters. I loved the twists and turns, and the math. Unexpected fun.
Quirky book that reads well and keeps you interested in the story line. I laughed and tears up and definitely stayed intrigued. Thoroughly enjoyed this little gem!
Great writing, original, well-drawn characters.
A really good book for those who like scientific mysteries.
Just finished this book and it was an enjoyable read. The plot is twisty and imaginative. Characters are fun and some are quirky. I had to keep reading once I started to see how the mystery worked it’s way out.