Join the North Providence Mystery Book Club on Tuesday November 4, 2025. We will be discussing Think of a Number by John Verdon. This is the first book featuring retired detective Dave Gurney.
The book description from the publisher’s website is, “Threatening letters arrive in the mail over a period of weeks, ending with a simple declaration: “Think of any number . . . picture it . . . now see how well I know your secrets.” Those who comply find that the letter writer has predicted their random choice exactly. But when oddities that begin as a diverting puzzle quickly ignite into a massive serial murder investigation, police are confronted with a baffling killer, one who is fond of rhymes filled with threats and warnings, whose attention to detail is unprecedented, and who has an uncanny knack for disappearing into thin air.
Brought in as an investigative consultant, Dave Gurney, a recently retired NYPD
homicide investigator, soon accomplishes deductive breakthroughs that leave
local police in awe. Yet, even as he matches wits with his seemingly
clairvoyant opponent, Gurney’s tragedy-marred past rises up to haunt him, his
marriage approaches a dangerous precipice, and he wonders if he’s met an adversary
who can’t be stopped.”
We will meet at 6:30 pm in the First Floor Conference Room,
and through Zoom. For more information, please see Sara at the Reference Desk.
