The Naturalist (The Naturalist Series – 1) by Andrew Mayne
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 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?
Amazon Barnes and Noble Goodreads
Author’s Bio
Wildly innovative, highly-visual with a little bit of mischief thrown in, Andrew Mayne is at the forefront of the next generation of magic.
Star of A&E’s Don’t Trust Andrew Mayne, he’s performed his unique brand of illusion on five continents, his YouTube videos have millions of views and he’s cultivated thousands of fans for his magic, books and podcasts calling themselves ‘Mayniacs’.
Taking magic in a new direction, Andrew created his own style of magic called “Shock Magic”; combining the impact of large scale illusion with the in-your-face approach of street magic. It’s fun, it’s irreverent, it’s the next evolution in magic. Andrew’s effects range from making ghosts appear on cell phones, shrinking himself to one foot tall and making a town think they were besieged by UFOs. His magic has even been performed for astronauts on the International Space Station! Andrew has invented over 400 magic effects and published 45 books and videos on the art of illusion. On the leading edge of magic and pop culture, he was among the first to invent magic for the iPhone (even before there were apps) via his website iPhoneTrick.com – that’s since been performed on millions of people.
He’s worked behind the scenes creatively for David Copperfield, Penn & Teller and David Blaine. In 2011 Andrew was invited to China on behalf of the legendary Beijing Circus to share with Asia’s leading magicians his modern approach to illusion. His 2012 tour brought him to Europe and the Middle East.
Andrew started his first world illusion tour while he was a teenager and was soon headlining in resorts and casinos around the world. With the support of talk show host and amateur magician Johnny Carson, Andrew Mayne started a program to use magic to teach critical thinking skills in public schools for the James Randi Educational Foundation. Andrew’s Wizard School segments, teaching magic and science to children, aired nationwide on Public Television.
Beyond magic, Andrew Mayne is also the author of five bestselling mystery and thriller books. His recent thriller, Angel Killer, the story of a female FBI agent with a background magic, was the fifth best selling independent novel in the United Kingdom in 2012. His podcast, Weird Things is also one of the top science and nature podcasts on iTunes.
My Review
5 stars
Professor Theo Cray is called in to help locals investigate the death of a former student, Juniper Parsons. It looks like a bear attack and that is what the locals label the death. But Theo thinks that this is a man killing like a bear. But when Fish and Wildlife kill the suspected bear everyone thinks it is all taken care of.
Theo doesn’t agree. He starts digging into the past and discovers murders like this have been happening to young women over the last thirty years. He keeps digging but Theo is an odd duck and attracts the attention of the police who are starting to think that he is the one that killed Juniper.
This is a great mystery thriller with lots of science. I love how Theo’s computational biology is the thing that catches all the clues to the killer. But his awkwardness is what attracts the attention of the police. Theo is a great person and he is intent on stopping the real killer before he gets arrested.
The science really added to the story and made it that much more believable. I’m glad to see this is the first in a series. I can’t wait to read more about Theo Cray.
I received The Naturalist from the publisher for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.
jbronderbookreviews 
Leave a Reply