Ready for the perfect summer thriller? John Verdon’s debut novel, Think of a Number is it — I promise!

Dave Gurney retired from the New York City police department with the reputation as the man who caught serial killers — many serial killers. He and his wife moved to upstate New York thinking a more laid back, pastoral existence would be just what they need to rediscover their lives together. But an acquaintance from Dave’s college days contacts him. Mark has been receiving letters, written with a fine hand and with a fountain pen in red ink. The letters contain prose and poems hinting at something Mark did during his days as an alcoholic experiencing blackouts:
“Do you believe in Fate? I do, because I thought I’d never see you again — and then one day, there you were. It all came back: how you sound, how you move — most of all, how you think. If someone told you to think of a number, I know what number you’d think of. You don’t believe me? I’ll prove it to you. Think of a number...Picture it...Open the little envelope.”
Mark thinks of the number 658, opens the envelope and there is his number with an even more mystifying note. It turns out, Dave was able to solve serial murders because of his extremely logical approach to the crimes so naturally his interest, to the chagrin of his wife, is piqued by Mark’s story.

Verdon has written a mystery centered on a puzzle — how did the writer know what number Mark would think of? And what does he ultimately want? In answering these questions, we get to know Dave, his wife, Madeleine, and Mark with all of their attributes and foibles. Think of a Number is a terrific novel, perfect for a summer escape. ~Patti