The first book in the Dave Gurney series, Think of a Number is a heart-pounding game of cat and mouse that grows relentlessly darker and more frightening as its pace accelerates Threatening letters arrive in the mail over a period of weeks, ending with a simple declaration: “Think of any number . . . picture it . . . now see how well I know your secrets.” Those who comply find that the letter … find that the letter writer has predicted their random choice exactly. But when oddities that begin as a diverting puzzle quickly ignite into a massive serial murder investigation, police are confronted with a baffling killer, one who is fond of rhymes filled with threats and warnings, whose attention to detail is unprecedented, and who has an uncanny knack for disappearing into thin air.
Brought in as an investigative consultant, Dave Gurney, a recently retired NYPD homicide investigator, soon accomplishes deductive breakthroughs that leave local police in awe. Yet, even as he matches wits with his seemingly clairvoyant opponent, Gurney’s tragedy-marred past rises up to haunt him, his marriage approaches a dangerous precipice, and he wonders if he’s met an adversary who can’t be stopped.
A work that defies easy labels—at once a propulsive masterpiece of suspense and an absorbing immersion in the lives of characters so real we seem to hear their heartbeats—Think of a Number is a novel you’ll not soon forget.
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Thinking mans thriller, one of the best I’ve ever read. A retired “supercop” detective is thrown into a cat and mouse game. Addictive reading, superb first book. Read the whole series.
Fantastic book! I bought the author’s other books as well. Great premise and the main character – a cerebral retired police officer – is a formidable and distant man but also a soulful and sympathetic character. All the characters are well-written. The plot is one you’ve never read before, very original, and I couldn’t stop until I got to the last …
Excellent book, thriller that will keep you guessing until the final chapter.
Too long and very predictable.
Outstanding plot.
Started me on the series. Hard to put down.
Despite solving/identifying the killer early on, I could not put this book down! I could nearly see the characters, and when they were tired or exhausted so was I but still couldn’t put it down!
Dave Gurney is a great character.
Presented as an impossible mystery, you try to unravel the truth before the author gives it to you.
Outstanding! Hands down the best serial killer thriller I’ve ever read. It’s a genuine mystery rather than just a bunch of gruesome thrills (which is usually all that SKTs end up being) and the mystery is John Dickson Carr calibre, which is very high praise in my book. JDC updated for the 21st century and with a police procedural grafted on. Great …
I read this book a while ago but I’ve seen read the later books in the series. John Verdon kept me in suspense throughout the book and I was surprised by the ending. I highly recommend it.
I enjoyed the characters in this book and the solving of the crime. I went on to purchase other books in the series.
Think of a Number was great! Love the suspense,…a real page-turner. Looking forward to reading more in this series.
This was my first Version novel, but not my last for sure.
Quite a clever mystery. Not the best I’ve ever read but worth reading.
Not what I expected but loved it and look for more from this author.
Really, really enjoyed this novel. One of those books you can’t put down but know you have to go to sleep eventually. Truly a page turner,
That was intense! I really enjoyed this book. I liked how they slowly put the clues together. I also liked the introspective main character and his wife.
Wonderful character development. Plenty of sub-plots to keep things tangled up! Great read!
excellent story, with many twists and interesting characters.