Many thanks to NetGalley, Henry Holt & Company, and Alex Pavesi for the opportunity to read his debut novel. 4.5 stars for the most imaginative and smart detective story I believe I've ever read!
Decades ago, Grant McAllister self-published a book of 7 detective stories. He came up with a mathematical rule that all detective stories share - they must have a victim, suspect(s), killer(s), and a detective(s). And of course there are many permutations of those rules to make a myriad of different stories. His 7 stories all showcased these rules. Now, McAllister lives a reclusive lifestyle on a Mediterranean island. Julia Hart, an editor, wants to republish these books for her company and makes a visit to the author. She reads each of the stories and they discuss them; however, she finds inconsistencies in the stories that she points out to McAllister. And is there a connection to another murder?
This story is told in such a creative fashion - we get to read each of the 7 detective stories in between chapters where Julia and Grant discuss the story and point out the inconsistencies (which I dare say you will never find all of them!). It's definitely mysteries within mysteries, all harkening back to an era of old-time detective stories. What an amazing debut - I can't wait to read more from this author who himself has a PhD in mathematics.
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