Think of a Number by John Verdon

THINK OF A NUMBER by John Verdon is the debut novel which has been published with Random House Publishing and released July 2010.

A wonderfully written suspenseful thriller that revolves around retired homicide detective Dave Gurney and a serial killer.
Dave has been retired for not quite a year, but for the always busy and engrossed detective life in upstate NY isn't all what it seems. Bored to tears and looking for something to fill his days he develops a new hobby, actually it was a little disturbing if you ask me. He is re-creating pictures of the serial killers he once caught during his career. It was a little creepy, but then again I had to put myself in this man's shoes, it was all he knew for years, chasing down these killers, they became his life. Which of course this hobby is non to pleasing to his wife, who thought by him retiring and moving out of NYC that they would have a second chance on life and their marriage. Apparently not.

Not only that but poor Dave get himself entangled in the mystery of a new serial killer at large. It starts when he is contacted by an old acquaintance who is receiving mysterious and quite disturbing letters from someone who claims to know him rather well. Enough that the poems and letters that he is now receiving are quite hostile and so disturbing he is at a loss.

The story really starts for me there and doesn't really let you go until the end. Although I have to say there are a few chapters here and there that were a little fluff to keep the story going I felt that all in all I couldn't stop turning the pages, I had to know what was going to happen next. Dave seemed so human  to me, faults and all and that is part of what made him so real. With so many twists and turns within the plot line this is one roller coaster ride of a thriller that you aren't going to want to put down!!!!

Arriving in the mail one day is a taunting letter that ends with a simple declaration “See how well I know your secrets-just think of a number.” Eerily, those who comply find that the letter writer has predicted their random choice exactly.

For Dave Gurney, just retired as the NYPD’s top homicide investigator and forging a new life with his wife, Madeleine, in upstate New York, the letters are oddities that begin as a diverting puzzle but quickly ignite a massive serial-murder investigation.

Brought in as an investigative “consultant,” Gurney soon accomplishes deductive breakthroughs that have local police in awe. Yet, with each taunting move by his seemingly clairvoyant opponent, Gurney feels his tragedy-marred past rising up to haunt him, his marriage approaching a dangerous precipice, and, finally, a dark, cold fear building that he’s met an adversary who can’t be stopped.

Starting on 7/12 and running through 7/25, THINK OF A NUMBER is being offered as an e-book for the special price of $5.99! Click here to connect to the Random House website where you can purchase the ebook. The special e-book pricing will be available from any retailer that sells ebooks (Amazon, B&N.com, Sony, etc.)