Think of a Number, by John Verdon

This debut is set in upstate New York.  The main character, Dave Gurney, is a former homicide detective with the NYPD.  He and his wife have moved to a remote property in a small town.  Although Gurney has been retired for a year, it has been challenging to disengage from his former life.  To make the process even more difficult, he has just been contacted by former college friend, Mark Mellery, whom he hasn’t seen or spoken to for twenty-five years.  Mark needs help with an unusual case, which must be handled with discretion and cannot involve the police.  Eventually the police do become involved when Mark is murdered.  Gurney becomes entangled in the investigation and is hired as a consultant to solve not only this homicide, but several others that are found to be connected.

Think of a Number is a compelling mystery; I really had a hard time putting it down.  Surprisingly, it is written by a former advertising executive.  I expected John Verdon was a former investigator or at least had some background in criminal justice.  His characters are very believable and the clues are quite puzzling.  For instance, how does the killer know what number his victim is thinking of, before he even thinks it?  Evidence at the crime scenes is also confusing and keeps not only the characters guessing, but the reader guessing as well.  Verdon reveals very little additional information to the reader, which makes the story that much more intriguing.  I didn’t suspect who was behind the crimes until nearly the end of the book.

Check the WRL catalog for Think of a Number.