An Amazon Charts bestseller. Professor Theo Cray is trained to see patterns where others see chaos. So when mutilated bodies found deep in the Montana woods leave the cops searching blindly for clues, Theo sees something they missed. Something unnatural. Something only he can stop.As a computational biologist, Theo is more familiar with digital code and microbes than the dark arts of forensic … dark arts of forensic sleuthing. But a field trip to Montana suddenly lands him in the middle of an investigation into the bloody killing of one of his former students. As more details, and bodies, come to light, the local cops determine that the killer is either a grizzly gone rogue…or Theo himself. Racing to stay one step ahead of the police, Theo must use his scientific acumen to uncover the killer. Will he be able to become as cunning as the predator he hunts—before he becomes its prey?
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Loved it. If you’re looking for a thrilling adventure that’s hard to put down, give this book a try.
Wow!!! I haven’t had that much fun reading a book in a long, long time! Don’t get me wrong this serial killer thriller….thrills. It has it’s seriously creepy, tense and edge of your seat moments but it was also extremely fun to read (yeah, I’m a little wacked), perfectly paced and balanced.
This book follows Theo, the quintessential, socially awkward, and common sense lacking scientist, as he gets caught up in the hunt for the serial killer responsible for the death of his former student. And when I say caught up, I really mean he is the only one hunting. Law enforcement cannot see what is so blatantly obvious to Theo. His scientific mind demands the answers and the man within can’t walk away. To my surprise, I was completely endeared with Theo. His mind was completely beyond my comprehension but the man well, he brought out the fixer in me. I wanted to be his life coach, instill some much needed guidance and maybe a slap or two upside the head. 😉
I’ll be honest, I didn’t always understand the science but the cool thing is I didn’t have to to enjoy the story. Plus, I managed to learn a thing or two. This story, I imagine, pushes science to its edge and maybe over it some too and there are scenes that are over the top a smidgen. But isn’t that what a good story teller does? They take the believable and give it and edge, embellish the truth, intensify the climax, and in the end, the story is better and more enjoyable for everyone. If you’re science minded and are going to split hairs over every theory, walk away but if you want to enjoy and excellently written story with one of the best endings ever, read on!
This is my first book by Andrew Mayne but I am chomping at the bit to move on to the next one. Angel Killer here I come.
I could not put this book down!
Theo Cray, a socially awkward computational biologist, is a suspect in the murder of a former student found dead in the Montana woods. Cray is released once local authorities find evidence that she was mauled by a bear, but he keeps inserting himself into the case and starts making connections to other disappearances.
This was an excellent book until two-thirds of the way through, where it started to drag and then suddenly morphed into an action novel for the last few chapters.
Even though the book veered off course for me toward the end, I loved the nerdy Cray as a leading character. I liked his analytical approach to the evidence combined with the absurd decisions he would sometimes make in situations involving people. I also liked the comparisons (“This isn’t hell, but the entrance can’t be far.”) and observations about human nature (“Nature controls us more than we want to admit.”) that were woven into the book.
Even though I rated this book 3 stars, I will most definitely read other books in the Naturalist series. I’m invested in Cray and I can’t wait to see the lengths he goes to avoid faculty meetings in the rest of the series.
Very interesting perspective for a thriller.
Andrew Mayne breaks new ground. Love his characters. If you are looking for something new in a mystery or thriller, I highly recommend the Naturalist.
I would like to thank Amazon Publishing France / Thomas & Mercer and the Netgalley website for allowing me to read this book.
By reading this book we learn that sometimes science alone can solve cases.
We find Theo Cray, biologist. When bodies are found in the woods of Montana, Theo will quickly realize that the police have the wrong culprit based on grizzly attacks.
One of his former students is murdered and he is the number one suspect in this investigation. He has to get ahead of the police and find the murderer before they do. Will he succeed in finding him or will he be prey?
I was immediately hooked on the story so gripping, addictive, captivating, full of suspense and twists and turns with endearing characters. Can’t wait to read the book two.
You wouldn’t think a book about a “computer” biologist would be fast paced, but this one was. The tension just keeps building and you keep wondering what kind of trouble is this guy going to get into next.
Loved the mix of science, mystery, and crime-solving that Andrew Mayne brought to The Naturalist. Once I finished this I had to read the rest of the books in the series. And almost everything else the author has written.
Really a good read
This was a very refreshing take on a protagonist to whom I could finally relate. Even drawn into a serial killer investigation, in which, at one point, he is a suspect, Theo Cray never loses his cool and keeps using his brain instead of turning to emotions. His sharp, analytical mind was such a breath of fresh air for me as a reader, I was literally savoring every page. The plot itself is incredibly fascinating, with lots of twists and turns that’ll keep you guessing. It’s dark. It’s gory in places. It features a serial killer who takes murder to some new level. It’ll keep you turning pages and holding your breath all the way to an explosive ending. One of the best suspense/psychological thrillers I’ve read in a long time. Highly recommended to all fans of the genre!
Professor Theo Cray is finishing up field research in Montana before his next semester of teaching begins. When a former student is brutally killed, his presence in the same area doesn’t appear coincidental to local police and he’s hauled in for questioning. His case isn’t helped by his natural social awkwardness, which raises red flags for Detective Glenn. The evidence shows Juniper was killed in a bear attack, clearing Theo, but he’s not ready to accept the official story. Utilizing his intelligence, curiosity and natural (and software-aided) ability to detect patterns, he’s soon uncovering so many bodies of missing persons that it’s obvious to him as the work of a prolific serial killer. Unfortunately, the local police and sheriff’s departments are sticking with the animal-attack story while the killer’s still on the loose. Will Theo be able to gather enough evidence to convince law enforcement to take the threat seriously or will he be forced to abandon the search? It’s only a matter of time before the killer strikes again. Who will his next victim be?
I just read this fantastically gripping book for the second time and, darn it (insert stronger expletive here), Andrew Mayne, you kept me up waaay too late again. Even knowing what was coming, I couldn’t put the Kindle down. The plot was tight and the main character likable in his oddities. As a scientist myself, I appreciated that Theo was motivated not only by the death of his former student but also by the need to solve the puzzle. Seeing some reviews (the minority, by far) with less than high praise shocked me. While it’s true that we each have our own tastes, the detailed research that went into this book was evident, the story chilling and the quality of the writing high. Read for yourself and you’ll soon be adding this author to your TBR list.
The book had a perfect pace for me – not too fast and not too slow. I found the scientific explanations a bit boring in the beginning, but later on it became really interesting. I didn’t expect the end.
Just not my cup of tea. Ended up skipping to the end.
This was the most unusual and entertaining mystery I’ve read in a long time. The murder is gruesome and the main character’s pursuit to solve it is completely unexpected and unique. Loved it. Will read anything from this author I can find.
I’m conflicted on how to review this book. I took me forever to read because I kept putting it down. In the end, I decided to finish it because the initial premise intrigued me. Sadly, at around the forty-percent mark, the storyline nosedived into unrealistic waters. The climax likened to a bad B-rated movie.
On the plus side, the author did a fantastic job of researching the ins and outs of working as a computational biologist. The MC came across as believable and knowledgeable in his profession, and those parts I really enjoyed. Other facts the author must have garnered from TV or a movie, and unfortunately, they’re incorrect.
A good content editor could have helped the author with POV hiccups, errors in believability, and the worse sin of all: deus ex machina. For those unfamiliar with the term, it means the author cheated the reader out of solving the mystery. Isn’t that half the fun of reading mysteries? But in The Naturalist, the killer’s name isn’t even mentioned until the MC solves the case. What a shame. I had such high hopes while reading the opening chapter. Which is partly why I rounded up from 2.5 stars.
4.5
Book source ~ Kindle First
Professor Theo Cray is out doing sciency-stuff in Montana when the cops come knocking at his motel room door. Well, not knocking, more like knocking down. He has no idea what they think he’s done, but after several long hours and lots of weird questions they finally tell him he’s a suspect in a murder investigation and he’s more than surprised. And then upset because the person murdered is a former student. He starts feeling guilty for reasons that are weird, but understandable and these feelings lead him down a road he never imagined he’d travel – using his big science brain to solve a murder. Except, his application of science leads him to something so much bigger and more evil than even he could have predicted.
If you like science and murder mysteries then this is the book for you. There is a shitload of both in it. I’m not a science person. I’m not dumb, but a lot of certain sciences just go over my head and I end up with only a vague understanding and a headache for my trouble. This book is filled with Theo explaining science stuff and how he’s using what he knows to apply it to a serial killer, but somehow the author manages to mostly make sense to me. Excellent job! No, seriously. Ask any of my science instructors. They’ll tell you. Flashbacks to Chemistry make me shudder in horror and revulsion. Luckily, Biology wasn’t as terrible and there’s a lot of Biology in this book. I took off a bit for the massive amounts of science and some areas of slight ridiculousness, but overall it’s only a small deduction. This story kept me glued to the pages, wondering what on Earth Theo was going to discover next and if he’d survive the inevitable faceoff with the killer. Also, there’s a great buildup of suspense there towards the end. Yowzers. There’s even a bit of romance for Theo, but it’s mostly science, bodies, and trying to find the killer. I ended up liking this book way more than I thought I would. Great job!
Andrew Mayne has written a real page-turner with The Naturalist. It was an original take on the serial-killer genre, and I loved every second of it. Give it a try, you won’t be disappointed.
Serial killer vs nerdy scientist. This is an action packed, psychological thriller with a few science lessons on the side.
Very enjoyable and well written mystery written from the perspective of a socially awkward but fascinating biologist. Dr Theo Cray is first suspected of murdering a former student, then becomes obsessed with solving the mystery of her death.