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The Naturalist (The Naturalist, #1)

Andrew Mayne

Start date: April 9, 2018

Finish date: May 1, 2018

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Apr 19, 2018 Linda rated it liked it

Shelves: 2018, audio-only, romance

I loved the first half of The Naturalist. The clever and humble but socially awkward biologist who notices things that law enforcement doesn't, and uses his noodle to progress the case. I was thinking that this is a series I can get behind.

But then it took a turn. (view spoiler) ...more

7 likes · Like · see review

Oct 07, 2017 LJ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: amateur_sleuth, contemporary_post_1945, male_author, mystery, suspense, montana, academic, thomas_-_mercer

First Sentence: Red and blue police lights splash off the chipped chrome letters spelling ICE MACHINE.

Professor Theo Cray uses computational science and applies it to biology, including the study of DNA. On a field trip, staying in a small town in northern Montana, he is taken in for police questioning related to recent deaths of women. One set of photos stands out. A young woman, one of Theo’s former students, had been involved. Theo ends up with a vial of her blood that also contains a stran First Sentence: Red and blue police lights splash off the chipped chrome letters spelling ICE MACHINE.

Professor Theo Cray uses computational science and applies it to biology, including the study of DNA. On a field trip, staying in a small town in northern Montana, he is taken in for police questioning related to recent deaths of women. One set of photos stands out. A young woman, one of Theo’s former students, had been involved. Theo ends up with a vial of her blood that also contains a strand of hair, and even though the bear has been killed, something doesn’t seem right to Theo. That instinct ends up putting him in extreme danger.

We begin with a very good, creepy, scary, and ultimately deadly opening. Mayne is so good at setting the scene and making it dramatic. He then adds a bit of irony to it, while completely capturing our attention. He also provides an interesting assessment of grief—“The trouble is we expect the emote part of emotion. Humans are social primates, and our experiences have to be externalized to be acknowledged by others.”

There is nothing better than an author who entertains and makes one think. Mayne succeeds at both. He both makes the science, such as the two types of DNA, comprehensible and interesting but raises other questions that make one stop and consider; did Christians the story of creation from the Greeks?

Detective Glenn is an interesting character. The reversal of roles is nice, where Glenn is the understanding, sympathetic cop, and the woman Sheriff Tyson is the hard-nosed, just wants answers. But it’s Cray who is the focus; a somewhat stereotypical scientist who is brilliant at somethings and completely naïve about others. That said, one can’t help but enjoy the bits of humor—“I’m such an idiot.” “Not everyone can be a rocket scientist.” “CalTech’s program actually accepted me. But I turned it down to study biology at M.I.T.” Still, there is a very good transition, with the help of a friend, that make Cray—“I’m done being the crazy guy showing up in police stations with a wild story about a killer who makes crimes look like animal attacks.” All the characters are smart, capable, and strong in the best sense.

The story is well plotted. There are some good twists one should have seen coming but didn’t. Mayne builds the suspense to an almost unbearable pitch, ensuring that one won’t stop reading until the final page.

“The Naturalist” is one fascinating, intense, un-put-downable read. Mayne really knows how to tell a gripping story.

THE NATURALIST (Ama. Sleuth-Prof. Theo Cray-Montana-Contemp) – VG+
Mayne, Andrew – 1st in series
Thomas & Mercer (Oct 2017)
...more

6 likes · Like · see review

Mar 06, 2018 Katie marked it as to-read

Jul 17, 2018 Kasa Cotugno marked it as to-read

Shelves: genre-crime-thriller

Nov 03, 2017 Karen Bevers rated it it was amazing

Oct 17, 2017 Larry added it

May 02, 2023 Marilyn rated it it was amazing

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