Book Review: The Fractal Murders

Reviewed By: Luke Croll - RAM

The Fractal Murders     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Mark Cohen
Class/Genre:   Mystery
2004, Time Warner, 311 pages

Private investigator Pepper Keane is hired when three maths professors die in suspicious circumstances within a short space of time. They all specialised in fractal geometry, yet the FBI has ruled out a connection. Another fractal geometry professor, Jane Symers, is not convinced and wants Keane to get to the bottom of it.

On first glance, a mystery based on fractal geometry might seem less than interesting, especially to someone with little or no knowledge of mathematics. However, when I noticed that the book had received a positive review from the founder of fractal geometry, a professor at Yale, I thought it had to be good. Within a few pages, I was hooked.

Cohen has a very open and pleasant writing style. The pace of the book is fast and the story soon becomes exciting. The mathematical concepts, which could pose to a problem for the majority of the readership, are explained in non-technical language and made easily accessible. Pepper Keane is a likeable, humorous and interesting character, as is his friend Scott. Cohen also uses settings a lot. We hear in detail about Keane’s morning runs, what he eats and what people are wearing, adding a touch of detail and realism to the book.

Cohen builds up to the denouement slowly, but when it actually happens, it is almost too quick. A couple more pages of confrontation would have been interesting, but this is only a minor quibble. Apart from this, ‘The Fractal Murders’ is a very enjoyable tale and I look forward to reading more from Mark Cohen.

Luke Croll - RAM

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Luke Croll - RAM

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