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The Naturalist Kindle Edition

4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 49,895 ratings

An Amazon Charts bestseller.

Professor Theo Cray is trained to see patterns where others see chaos. So when mutilated bodies found deep in the Montana woods leave the cops searching blindly for clues, Theo sees something they missed. Something unnatural. Something only he can stop.

As a computational biologist, Theo is more familiar with digital code and microbes than the dark arts of forensic sleuthing. But a field trip to Montana suddenly lands him in the middle of an investigation into the bloody killing of one of his former students. As more details, and bodies, come to light, the local cops determine that the killer is either a grizzly gone rogue…or Theo himself. Racing to stay one step ahead of the police, Theo must use his scientific acumen to uncover the killer. Will he be able to become as cunning as the predator he hunts—before he becomes its prey?

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Editorial Reviews

Review

A Liz and Lisa Best Book of the Month

“[A] smoothly written suspense novel from Thriller Award finalist Mayne…The action builds to [an]…exciting confrontation between Cray and his foe, and scientific detail lends verisimilitude.” Publishers Weekly

“With a strong sense of place and palpable suspense that builds to a violent confrontation and resolution, Mayne’s (Angel Killer) series debut will satisfy devotees of outdoors mysteries and intriguing characters.” Library Journal

The Naturalist is a suspenseful, tense, and wholly entertaining story…Compliments to Andrew Mayne for the brilliant first entry in a fascinating new series.” —New York Journal of Books

“An engrossing mix of science, speculation, and suspense, The Naturalist will suck you in.” Omnivoracious

“A tour de force of a thriller.” —Gumshoe Review

“Mayne is a natural storyteller, and once you start this one, you may find yourself staying up late to finish it…It employs everything that makes good thrillers really good…The creep factor is high, and the killer, once revealed, will make your skin crawl.” —Criminal Element

“If you enjoy the TV channel Investigation Discovery or shows like Forensic Files, then Andrew Mayne’s The Naturalist is the perfect read for you!” The Suspense Is Thrilling Me

From the Publisher

This thriller laced with cutting-edge science sucked me in from page one, making my adrenaline surge in the same way the works of Michael Crichton and Dan Brown do. Theo Cray, a computational biologist and professor, is a brilliant yet flawed hero. Much more comfortable in his lab than with people, he is thrown into the role of amateur detective/forensic investigator when one of his former students is found dead—and he is the prime suspect.

Forced to step outside of his academic mind-set and deal with humans, Theo relies upon his scientific expertise and some genetic profiling to uncover the truth and preserve his own life. His ability to see unusual patterns where others see only random brutality is when Theo is at his most dazzling. Almost magical. This is not entirely surprising when you take into consideration author Andrew Mayne’s side job as a professional illusionist and magician.

As a nonscientist
and magic enthusiast, I was spellbound by every page. And now I wait with bated breath for Theo Cray’s next adventure in Looking Glass, the second book of the series.

- Liz Pearsons, Editor

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01N1UN91W
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Thomas & Mercer (October 1, 2017)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 1, 2017
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 4.3 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 381 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 49,895 ratings

About the author

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Andrew Mayne
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Andrew Mayne is a Wall Street Journal bestselling author whose books include The Naturalist, a Thriller Award finalist and Black Fall an Edgar Award finalist Black Fall. He’s the star of the Discovery Channel’s Shark Week special Andrew Mayne: Ghost Diver, where he swam alongside great white sharks using an underwater invisibility suit he designed and also was the star of A&E’s Don’t Trust Andrew Mayne. He currently serves as the Science Communicator for OpenAI, the creators of ChatGPT and GPT-4.

@AndrewMayne

AndrewMayne.com

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
49,895 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the plot gripping and interesting. They describe the book as an enjoyable, fast read with a well-developed science content. Readers appreciate the well-developed characters and sympathetic hero. The writing style is described as fluid and well-narrated, with realistic dialogue. The pacing is considered fast and satisfying.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

3,534 customers mention "Suspenseful"2,963 positive571 negative

Customers enjoy the suspenseful story. They find the plot engaging with unexpected twists, keeping them hooked until the end. The book is described as a fast-paced thriller with a great and scary story. Readers appreciate the refreshing take on crime and the chilling moments that occur when Theo thinks he's being watched.

"...I love that the author added some chilling moments when Theo thinks he's being watched, and I'm always impressed by the addition of a strong female..." Read more

"...The Naturalist” is one fascinating, intense, un-put-downable read. Mayne really knows how to tell a gripping story. THE NATURALIST..." Read more

"This author wasted no time. We're dropped right into the plot and it never lets up, each scene following logically from the last, with no tangents..." Read more

"This is the best who dunnit thriller I’ve ever read...." Read more

2,808 customers mention "Readability"2,715 positive93 negative

Customers find the book engaging and enjoyable. They say it's a good start to the series and a nice change from what they've been reading for a long time.

"...does an expert job of laying out the sequences of events during this thrilling and terrifying ending in a clear and easy to follow manner...." Read more

"...Go read the book, it's well worth the brief but exciting time you'll spend with such a fast mover." Read more

"...We begin with a very good, creepy, scary, and ultimately deadly opening. Mayne is so good at setting the scene and making it dramatic...." Read more

"...So, it was promising. If the second Naturalist book doesn’t cost much, I may even give it a shot when it’s published...." Read more

1,202 customers mention "Science content"1,173 positive29 negative

Customers find the book's science content interesting and educational. They appreciate the sound reasoning and scientific problem-solving. The dialogue is thought-provoking and realistic, with plausible explanations. Readers appreciate the author's ability to present technical concepts so that a layman can understand them. Overall, it's an exciting story about a scientist trying to track down a serial killer.

"...He is extremely intelligent, so at first I was worried that I would just be fed a jumble of scientific jargon, however the author brilliantly..." Read more

"...level hacking skills - but also the thoughts and the SCIENCE behind those methods...." Read more

"...All the characters are smart, capable, and strong in the best sense. The story is well plotted...." Read more

"...what you're getting here is basically entirely plot with very little exposition...." Read more

1,028 customers mention "Character development"891 positive137 negative

Customers enjoy the character development. They find the main characters interesting and well-portrayed. The hero is described as an analytical thinker. Readers also appreciate the colorful characters and believable, flawed characters.

"...The Naturalist is a refreshing murder mystery with a clever protagonist who not only shares his methods - none of which thankfully involve superhero..." Read more

"...All the characters are smart, capable, and strong in the best sense. The story is well plotted...." Read more

"...Cray is an interesting, complex character...." Read more

"...I'm glad I did. The protagonist is somewhat of a nerd and he focuses on finding patterns in systems...." Read more

966 customers mention "Writing style"732 positive234 negative

Customers enjoy the writing style and find it well-written and well-narrated. They appreciate the realistic dialogue and find the book entertaining and unputdownable. The editing is praised as good.

"...The Naturalist” is one fascinating, intense, un-put-downable read. Mayne really knows how to tell a gripping story. THE NATURALIST..." Read more

"...The book is broken down into really short, digestible chapters, each taking only a few minutes to read...." Read more

"This was very well written, good storytelling, good murder mystery solving with science nerd stuff...." Read more

"...I hope these aren't spoilers, but I'll say that there was some foul language, but not excessively throughout...." Read more

739 customers mention "Pacing"580 positive159 negative

Customers find the book has a good pace. They say the story moves quickly, with crisp dialogue and good transitions. The book is described as an interesting, fast read that pulls you in right away.

"...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..." Read more

"...It's an incredibly quick read, because what you're getting here is basically entirely plot with very little exposition...." Read more

"...The pacing is generally brisk...." Read more

"...Overall though, it’s a fast-paced, entertaining read. I flew through the last pages to find out the ending." Read more

231 customers mention "Murder mystery"193 positive38 negative

Customers enjoy the murder mystery. They appreciate the scientific expertise and intuition used to solve a series of crimes. The ecotone description and strategic thinking to find the killer are also appreciated. While it's not an original concept, readers find the killings have a pattern and the fatal injuries display similar characteristics. The computer modeling of patterns in past murders and prediction of areas to look for is fascinating.

"...with a breakneck pace, clever protagonist, detection methods grounded in modern science and are not at all the squeamish type where a bit of..." Read more

"...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...." Read more

"...It was really easy to figure out who the killer must be - not exactly an original concept (saw it on "Criminal Minds" not so very long ago)...." Read more

"...The protagonist is somewhat of a nerd and he focuses on finding patterns in systems. In the novel, a former student is killed, supposedly by a bear...." Read more

227 customers mention "Ease of comprehension"176 positive51 negative

Customers find the book easy to follow and understand. They appreciate the author's logic and intuitive leaps of deduction. The background is authentic but not overly complex, making the story easy to imagine as a movie. Readers find the book exciting, addictive, and hard to put down.

"...during this thrilling and terrifying ending in a clear and easy to follow manner...." Read more

"...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;..." Read more

"This was an easy page turner. I would have liked a follow up chapter or epilogue so you know who made it out alive...." Read more

"September Prime First Selection It was hard for me to get into this book at first, and truthfully, I almost had this classified as a &#..." Read more

Flat Out Addictive Fun!
5 out of 5 stars
Flat Out Addictive Fun!
My husband is worried. I don’t read novels. Not because I don’t want to, but because I get distracted. If a person walks into the room or a leaf falls from a tree outside, I hear it and just can’t focus. So when I announced I was a third of the way through my fourth Mayne novel in under three weeks--weeks during which I worked full time, attended a conference in Vegas, and so on--he became concerned. And he should be. I’m a junkie. Mayne’s writing is like crack or meth: immediately addictive, and I’m on a binge. I read half of “Looking Glass” standing at a recharge station in McCarren Airport waiting on a red-eye flight, completely engrossed despite slot machines blaring. I’ll sit down at 8:00 p.m., just going to read one more chapter. 12:00 a.m. rolls around and I’ve read many “one more chapters” and have to force myself to stop. This is not hyperbole. My only hope of recovery is that he has written a finite number of novels. After I’m done binging on them, I will be forced to indulge one at a time. I’ll be fine.I generally don’t recommend developing addictions, but if you are looking for one, just pick up “The Naturalist.” It’s your gateway to hooked reading and this drug is way more fun than any I can think of. Thank you, Andrew Mayne, for providing my opiate of choice. Do I really have to wait ‘til October to get more Cray?P.S. Too many reviewers complaining about grammar and sentence structure. Chill, folks, this is fiction; it's OK.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2017
    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)
    8 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on September 20, 2017
    Let's talk about pacing. About how some books are a slow burn, walking you gently through a complex, character filled plot. About the gentle waltz of a drawn out Play in written form that makes up the pages of so many modern, franchise obsessed, first of more books in a series than you'll ever read modern novels.

    Let's talk about that sort of pacing. Because this...isn't one of those books.

    Some novels like to wear the word Thriller like a costume to. Use it to disguise their sprawling, convoluted plot. Its a tactic this author woould doubtless appreciate, even though The Naturalist refuses to do the same.

    No you see, this book doesn't so much move along, as it SCREAMS. Like a runaway train well aware that the breaks are gone and it's all downhill from here, The Naturalist grabs the reader in a present-tense deathgrip of suspense and talks to them.as it races at breakneck speed through a modern murder mystery.

    And what a mystery it is. You won't guess the killer too soon. Well, you will. But you'll also be wrong. And this is coming from a guy who is no longer allowed to offer guesses at his local murder mystery dinner theatre after twice inadverdently forcing last minute,.half improvised plot changes because he spoiled the finale during guest participation segments. No, this is a mystery about the sort of killer who could get away with murder in the modern world of DANA and forensic science - clever. Cunning. Invisible.

    So why not throw five stars at the book and have done? The plot drags a tad around the 50% mark. Which is to say, it moves at a quick jog as opposed to the break neck Sprint that is it's usual pace, mind. And it's a little too dependent at times on the tropes of dumb small town cops, lazy know it all detectives and the small town girl willing to fall for the first intelligent out of town she sees. All tropes that DO exist for a reason, and even make sense where they present themselves herein, but which are nonetheless also tropes for a reason and perhaps a little threadbare at this modern date.

    But don't let those small things throw you. The Naturalist is a refreshing murder mystery with a clever protagonist who not only shares his methods - none of which thankfully involve superhero level hacking skills - but also the thoughts and the SCIENCE behind those methods. This is a nice addition to the story, and it really adds to the plausibility of both the detection methods and the narrative as a whole.

    So, with all that said, I will leave you with one last word on the novel. Well, two words: Trigger. Warning. If you are, or know, someone - especially a female someone - who was the victim of violence, especially at the hands of a single, depraved individual, approach this tale with due caution.

    If, on the other hand, you love first person, present tense thrillers with a breakneck pace, clever protagonist, detection methods grounded in modern science and are not at all the squeamish type where a bit of violence or it's after effects are prone to throw you off...then what are you waiting for? Go read the book, it's well worth the brief but exciting time you'll spend with such a fast mover.
    6 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • Amanda Petruzzi
    5.0 out of 5 stars Avvincente
    Reviewed in Italy on August 14, 2024
    Già letto in italiano, ed amato, voglio provare a cimentarmi in una lettera in lingua straniera. Storia avvincente che vi fa restare attaccati alle pagine del libro. Consiglio
    Report
  • Christine Johal
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent thriller
    Reviewed in Canada on February 1, 2020
    This book is an extremely intelligent thriller from the point of view of a biologist/computer scientist who acts on a hunch and gets himself into all kinds of trouble. I liked the pace of the book as well as the really interesting facts that came up.
  • Rachel
    5.0 out of 5 stars Do Trust Andrew Mayne…For a Rollicking Good Time
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 17, 2020
    Two weeks ago I hadn’t heard of Andrew Mayne. I’m now six books into a burgeoning, all consuming addiction to his works.

    What a brilliant time I’ve had, rip snorting through these thrilling, ingenious and intelligent stories. How is this man not being carried through towns, aloft on a velvet litter with adoring minions throwing gifts at his feet for the glorious, storytelling bounty he has placed before us?? I’m recommending these novels far and wide and truly believe they are some of the freshest and most engaging books I’ve read for a very long time.

    My first Andrew Mayne book was The Girl Beneath the Sea and I really enjoyed it. Enough so that I bought ‘The Naturalist’ straight after. It was here, with the delightfully intrepid, borderline autistic Professor Theo Cray that my addiction was born.

    A quirky, annoying yet brave and endearing computational biologist, Professor Cray is certain that his missing ex-grad student was not killed by a random bear attack but by a serial killer. One with sufficient situational and naturalistic awareness that he has been operating undetected for years. And Theo can prove it too- except no-one will listen and he is minimised and patronised by those who should be following his lead.

    With a mind that makes connections simply impossible for others, like a modern day Sherlock Holmes but firmly rooted in fact and science, Theo is compelled to take action, convinced other lives are at risk.

    And so begins a masterclass in adrenaline, with a plot that zooms along like a formula one race car, sleek and streamlined and careening round corners with dazzling skill; very occasionally skittering with one wheel off the track in its own delightful exuberance before screeching right back on solid ground to carry the reader, breathless to the finish line.

    There are multiple dizzying plot twists and daring actions yet at no time does the impeccable logic and beautifully delineated prose waiver from both entertaining and also educating.

    This novel (and the others in the Theo Cray series) are like someone taking the best bits of Thomas Harris and ‘Silence of the Lambs’ for creep factor and heart-in-the-mouth serial killer stalking; adding the race-against-time pizazz of Dan Brown’s Robert Langdon (minus the annoying religious symbolism but plus the intellect beats brawn geek-love) and then whizzing it in a blender with a garnish of Michael Connolly for investigative relentlessness and Zoe Sharp for believable action sequences. In short, a heady cocktail where the whole is more than the sum of the parts and something brilliantly unique and not even minimally derivative is born.

    There are so many complex elements of differing genres here and yet never once did this superb novel falter. The characterisation is deep and sure. The complex plot and action sequences handled with skill. Morality, the law, intellectual vanity and the need to know and prove to others what you see and they don’t are exciting and rich themes in these novels. They’re clever and surprising and exciting. And how wonderful to have a neuroatypical hero at the heart of such a dazzling series.

    The Naturalist was a supremely entertaining and intelligent read and I for one am utterly delighted to have found a wonderful and thankfully prolific new author. Andrew Mayne, I salute you.
  • Amazon Kunde
    5.0 out of 5 stars Eines der besten Bücher ever!
    Reviewed in Germany on October 12, 2018
    Ich lese gerne und viel und dieses Buch ist eines der besten Bücher, die ich je gelesen habe.
    1. Das Buch ist von Anfang an spannend. Wenn man mal angefangen hat kann man es kaum noch weglegen
    2. Das Ende ist nicht vorhersehbar. Jedes Kapitel endet spannend (manchmal so spannend, dass man Gänsehaut bekommt), es gibt viele unerwartete Wendungen und die Storyline ist nicht basic und langweilig.
    3. Neben der Spannung gibt es in dem Buch aber auch einige lustige Stellen, bei denen ich lachen musste.
    4. Die Art, wie die Morde gelöst werden ist nicht weit hergeholt. Man versteht total, warum das so ist, und fragt sich nicht wie der da jetzt draufgekommen ist.
    Dieses Buch ist definitiv ein Essential in deinem Bücherregal!
  • Placeholder
    5.0 out of 5 stars Keeps you on the edge!! A Must read.
    Reviewed in India on October 15, 2018
    I stumbled upon this book by chance. Had no inkling about the author or what kind of books he writes. So checked the synopsis which seemed quite interesting. And I can surely say that this book delivers!! The story revolves around a bio computational scientist who creates computer based mathematical models of the natural habitats and their inhabitants to study their impact on each other. Some really advanced stuff! The story starts slow and progresses with a lot of doubt and dilemma. Every now and then some really interesting plots are revealed. The Naturalist gets you totally engrossed as you travel with him deep into the forests or high on the mountain cliff. If you can get enough stillness and quiet around maybe you can hear (in your minds!) the huffed breathing of the prey running from the predator. Its not boring even one bit and the element of surprise is well preserved till until the last few chapters. This is my first book from Andrew Mayne but surely won't be last!!
    You should go for this book without any preconceived notion and you will soon be wanting more.
    Happy Reading!

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