The second installment in the Naturalist series is as exciting as the first. This time, Theo Cray gets involved in the case of a missing child, which police has long written off as a cold case. However, following the steps of the boy and digging around in the neighborhood, Theo unravels more and more inconsistencies that lead to a horrific and deadly discovery. As always, Theo can rely on his sharp scientific skills and some high-level technical support to solve this mysterious puzzle.
Again, I was fascinated by the different way of investigation Theo follows, and though there were a lot of scientific explanations and stuff I never got lost. This is a clever and unique thriller series that I will definitely keep following.

It was hard to get centered in this book as it was the second in a series. I didn't know that when I requested. No fault on the part of the writer. I DNF'd for this reason. But I'm sure other people will enjoy it. The writing was clear, concise, and descriptive.

Just as in the first book of this series, this is a wonderful book with a wonderful character to headline the book. Prof Theo Cray. He is one of my favourite characters in mystery/thrillers right now. As I said for the previous book he seems like a geek but calling him a geek would be totally wrong. An my favourite part about these books are that the science aspects, the ones that are actually really difficult to understand sometimes, has been made interesting and palatable. I really enjoyed this book as well and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone. I hadn't previously downloaded the book off NetGalley and I bought it but a big thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for approving it to me initially.

This book was great from cover to cover. THis is the second book in this series and i enjoyed it as much as the first. Theo cray is an interesting character that keeps me engaged. I can’t wait to read the next installment.

Professor Theo Cray is a consultant to various counter terrorism agencies and to homicide squads because he is intuitive in addition to being a well educated scientist. The book opens with Dr. Cray figuring out the significance of a photo on a fridge in the apartment of a suspected terrorist.

Then there is a lot of back story about Book 1 in which Dr. Cray indentifies the "Grizzly Killer", and, while gaining fame, loses many things of value as a result.

Back in the present, the story now is not about terrorists, drones and airstrikes and rendition, it is about a missing boy, who turns out to be one of many missing boys, who turn out to be the victims of another serial killer.

I was not wild about this book. It's in the first person, a style I think hinders effective rendering of action plots, and somehow, Dr. Cray seems too able. He's a naturalist, and a geneticist, and also a crime stopper? I don't see it, and so I found the story slightly preposterous.

That doesn't mean you won't like it though. First person narrative might be your favorite style.

I received a review copy of "Looking Glass: The Naturalist Series, Book 2" by Andrew Mayne (Thomas & Mercer) through NetGalley.com.

I've decided that I would probably read just about anything by this author. This story made a huge impression on me, and Andrew Mayne has already been added to my "just buy it" list. I liked his character Theo Cray. His lone wolf style reminded me of my favorite book boyfriend Charlie Parker. "Without the supernatural bent." When and if the people he works for can be convinced that he knows what the heck he's doing, he'll be damn near unstoppable. The big bad in this story, the Toyman, gave me the heebie jeebies. Looking forward to the next in the series, and I've already bought the first book. Recommended. My thanks to Thomas and Mercer publishing, and Netgalley for letting me read and review.

I read this as soon as I finished the first in the series, THE NATURALIST. Loved them both. A terrific series that should be read in order. Andrew Mayne adds humor and terror to create a very fast paced, engrossing novel.

Professor Theo Cray has a reputation as a rogue scientist willing to do anything to catch a killer. Having just used every scientific and investigative tool at his disposal to catch a serial killer in Montana, Cray is approached by a father whose son disappeared 9 years before. The police assumed the boy was involved in gang activity because the area of South California he disappeared in is known for violence. His father knows better. Cray agrees to look into it, and finds that a killer called the "Toy Man'' has been stalking, enticing and murdering young, black boys for years. Once again acting outside of law enforcement, Cray is on the trail of a dangerous serial killer and making use of every revolutionary scientific approach he knows to pinpoint a suspect, getting himself into hot water again in the process.

Looking Glass is the second book in the Naturalist series, but the first book by Andrew Mayne that I have read. Readers can jump in and start the series with book two like I did, but be forewarned that lots of information about the first story is revealed during the second book. I don't mind....I'm still going to backtrack and read the first book, even though I know who the killer is already and some of the events leading up to his capture. Cray is an interesting character. He is highly intelligent and very knowledgeable about scientific investigation, procedure and testing. He thinks in a purely logical manner, which makes emotion and social situations a bit tough for him. He tends to come off as a jerk, but it's really just directness and true knowledge, not know-it-all jerkishness. He annoys law enforcement because he bypasses their investigations when they refuse to listen to him. He solves cases they can't solve themselves and doesn't care whose toes he steps on. When I first started Looking Glass, I had a hard time liking this character. He really did come off as a bit of a self-absorbed academic. But, then I got pulled into the story and came to understand that Theo Cray merely looks at all things in a purely logical and scientific manner. He has a goal and uses everything in his disposal to reach that goal -- this time, it's catching a serial killer preying on children. It wasn't long before I was totally on Cray's side, forgiving him for his personality.

This story is well-written and just amazing. The suspense is fantastic and the investigation is incredibly interesting. Cray has access to new scientific tests and tools that help him ferret out clues. Whether or not these things are actually available I have no clue....but the science seemed credible enough to me. I'm no expert....so I just went with the flow and enjoyed the story. Loved it! By the end, I was completely immersed in the story. The ending is fantastic! (No spoilers from me! Read the book!)

A third book in this series, Murder Theory, will be coming out in February, 2019. I can't wait!! I will be backtracking to read the first book, The Naturalist. Andrew Mayne has written several other books including the Station Breaker series and the Jessica Blackwood novels. I will be reading his other books while I wait for the new Theo Cray novel.

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this novel from Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

To say that this book was better than its predecessor would be an understatement. Where The Naturalist was just okay for me, this novel was a lot more intriguing!

This novel makes enough references to The Naturalist that it isn't completely necessary for the reader to have read the first book. However, I would strongly urge readers to do so because it gives you a better idea of what kind of story you are getting into.

That being said, I liked Theo's character a lot more this time than previously. Maybe it was because he had already gone through one harrowing experience and was making smarter decisions this time around when it came to the authorities. Maybe it was his smartass comments. Either way, it was great. I only wish the other characters in this story had held up as well as he did. Granted, they play minor roles compared to Theo, but it would have been nice to get more of a feel for them and have them less cookie-cutter. 

I also really liked the story itself. There was a ton of action but everything flowed and made sense. There were a couple of times where I was caught off guard and needed to reread something, but it was quite interesting. I did find the ending a teeny bit disappointing, but I enjoyed the journey to get there. 

One of the things I really like about this book is the writing style. There is a fair amount of scientific jargon but it's presented in a way that makes it easy for everyone to understand, and it is only given when necessary. I admire how well researched the ideas for this book are and I liked how it naturally flowed with the plot of the story. 

Overall, I found this novel to be engaging and fast-paced, with a good story line and a very interesting main character. It wasn't perfect, but I definitely enjoyed reading it. Solid 3/5 stars!

professional and refreshing - with smart ass Theo, scientist and, yes, I guess, vigilante whose instincts pleases me - he keeps his eye on what really matters - in this case, a child was kidnapped years ago, and Theo takes on the case - he is a computer whiz, and an expert at sussing out clues, and has developped software that he uses to detect serial killers in this case and earlier in his career - he is physically fearless and uses his wit and brain to get out of scrapes and bend the rules in pursuit of people who are clearly the bad guys. really also addictive - I am pleased to have been introduced to this writer who has written others in this series which I plan to follow up on!

Book Review: Looking Glass (The Naturalist #2) by Andrew Mayne

As with Book One, Theo Cray is a modern day Sherlock using the power of deduction through "computational biology" (i.e. analytical and theoretical methods and computational modeling in multiple fields), creatively put to use by the writer with a level of technical detail that's easy to understand.

Along with a gripping and fast-paced story, the book is a page-turner. I especially liked the intriguing opening prologue /chapter which coupled a child kidnapping with cutting-edge "Virtual Tactical Field Theater" counter-terrorism technology. The latter fizzles out and the rest of the book focuses on the abduction.

Two observations:

Profanity. Quite unnecessary to the storyline, the erudite and highly educated college professor drops the "F" bomb in almost every page, as though a testament to toughness or for some obscure, incomprehensible purpose.

Plausibility. The protagonist, initially portrayed to be a scaredy-cat who carried mace like a girl and got regularly beaten up like a rag doll, is now a fully-pledged alpha warrior who packs a gluck and NVG (night vision googles). With no further training other than the few "Karate Kid" lessons in Book One, the educator, in hand-cuffs, inside a jail, takes on two Special Forces /street thug types and guess which side gets knocked out?

Perhaps Cray needs a Watson, maybe more of a Bruce Lee as a sidekick and focus on being a brilliant scientist and NOT on being being an action star cum MMA champ /super secret agent.

This review is based on an ARC (Advance Reading Copy), with many thanks to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and Andrew Mayne for the privilege.

https://lynns-books.com/2018/03/29/looking-glass-the-naturalist-2-by-andrew-mayne/
I love this series so much right now. It’s gone straight to the top of my ‘must read’ list and to be honest it’s the one time in my life that I actually wish I was late to the party – because then I could just pick up one book after another to satisfy my need to read more. As it is, I’ll have to be patient and wait and pray to the God of Books that ‘pretty please, let there be lots and lots more books with Professor Theo Cray’.

To be honest, I picked this one up and had no expectations of liking it as much as The Naturalist, how could Mayne possible knock it out of the park again? I simply loved the setting of the Naturalist. The wilderness just gave the book an extra dimension of fear and the fact that the main protagonist is a nerdy scientist as oppose to a tough cookie all added to the tension. So, yes, I confess, even though I wanted to love Looking Glass I picked this up with an almost belligerent stubbornness that there was no way on earth it was going to win me over or top the Naturalist. Then, I read the first few pages, harrumphing to myself, inwardly thinking that I already didn’t like the setting as much, etc, etc, and what do you know, ten pages in and I was hooked. Couldn’t put the book down. What the hell. I’m not going to say this is better than The Naturalist because I couldn’t call it – I am going to say that it’s every bit as good and it just knocked my socks off.

If you haven’t read the first book in the series then I would point out that it’s not essential to do so before picking up Looking Glass. So far the books have been self contained stories in their own right. However, why deny yourself the pleasure of picking up The Naturalist, it’s so good and also you’ll have a better understanding of Prof Cray if you’ve read the first book. Basically, Cray is one smart individual. He’s not a detective and doesn’t work for the police or in an investigative field. He studies scientific data and has come up with a model for predicting patterns. Having come to the notice of the authorities in the first book he is now working in an advisory capacity on covert operations. That is until he’s approached by a distraught parent wanting answers about his son who went missing a few years ago. He reluctantly agrees to look at the case, let’s be honest, all the clues have long since gone cold, and yet once again Theo is able to make use of not only his above average intellect but his ability to think differently. I would say ‘outside the box’ but that’s a conventional phrase and there’s nothing conventional about Professor Cray.

I’m not going to discuss the plot other than to say that Theo will once again be on the trail of a serial killer, a killer who seems to be obscured by urban myth and is known as the Toy Man.

Once again Theo seems to be searching through the seedy underbelly of society and not only is this a dangerous endeavour bringing him to the attention of gangsters and hidden bureaus but potentially means his life is in serious danger. He’s rattling a cage here that could release some serious monsters.

For me personally the real draw of these books is Theo. In some ways this series and Theo himself remind me of Sherlock Holmes. To be clear, these stories are nothing like Conan Doyle’s stories, nor is Theo a detective. I hesitate to use the term because of it’s negative connotations but really he’s a vigilante – at least that’s what he would be called by the general populace of the world in which he lives. In real terms Theo is simply someone who is relentless when he has a problem to solve. He can’t let it go. Like Holmes he works things out in a methodical way and similar to that famous detective I would say he has ‘issues’ in connecting with others. In Theo’s case this means he has an ability to think differently, to examine data for what it is, what it means and what it says. It makes him a fascinating character to read about. Part of the thrill of Holmes was listening to his theories, how he’d figured something out and this is a very strong part of the enjoyment, for me anyway, with these stories.

As you would expect with a second in series the main character has grown. When we first met Theo he was totally absorbed by his work and statistics. He had very little interaction with others and his scientific work took up all his time. His exploits in the first book unfortunately cast him in a rather poor light in terms of his academic peers and his work as a tutor and scientist have crashed. That being said he’s kept busy. In this book we find a slightly more savvy character. Theo has learnt a few things through his near death experiences. That’s not to say that he won’t still put himself in harm’s way – just that he will reflect on his actions before he does so. Some of his exploits, well, they had me on the edge of my seat.

I don’t think there’s too much more I can say really without spoiling the potential for surprise. Basically, if you want to read an intelligent, thought provoking, well written and gripping series, a series about serial killers, a series about detecting that isn’t a detective novel, then here you go. This is a thrilling ride. It’s dark. It’s a little over the top, it’s original and totally, absolutely ridiculously addictive. If you pick this up, prepare for total absorption, you can’t get off in the middle of a roller coaster ride after all.

In case you haven’t guessed, I loved this and can’t recommend it enough.

I received a copy courtesy of the publisher, through Netgalley, for which my thanks.

The nitty-gritty: Another winning story from Andrew Mayne, with non-stop thrills, fascinating details about scientific and forensic investigation, and a smart main character who can solve just about any puzzle.

Andrew Mayne’s stories are just so damn fun! This is the second in The Naturalist series, starring Dr. Theo Cray, a brilliant computational scientist who hunts serial killers in his spare time and finds himself on the wrong side of the law over and over again. But Theo is smart enough to get himself out of all the trouble he gets himself into as well, which is one reason I love his character. I’m not going to give too much of a story recap for this book, because I certainly don’t want to spoil anything for you. But I will tell you what I love about Mayne’s plotting and characters, and hopefully you’ll want to jump into this series as well. Looking Glass is a completely separate story from The Naturalist, and even though a few events from the first book are mentioned, this can easily be read as a standalone.

Dr. Theo Cray now works for a private defense contractor called OpenSkyAI, a company that secretly keeps tabs on people all over the world who may be about to commit terrible crimes. By studying patterns, the employees can determine who to focus on and hopefully stop bad things before they happen. Theo is also recovering from his harrowing experience at the end of The Naturalist, the result of which has made him somewhat of a celebrity. His talents at finding missing persons and tracking down dangerous serial killers attract the attention of desperate people who want help finding loved ones or simply answers that law enforcement could never give them.

One day Theo is approached by a man named William Bostrom, whose son Chris went missing nine years ago. The case is cold, since the police were never able to find out what happened to Chris, and William thinks Theo is just the guy to help him out. Theo’s investigation brings him to the Los Angeles suburb of Compton, where he uncovers an urban myth that may have some truth to it. A mysterious black man who drives a white Cadillac and is rumored to lure young boys into his car with promises of toys has been dubbed the Toy Man by locals, although no one can say for sure whether he actually exists or not. As Theo follows one lead after another, he’s drawn into a dark world where children disappear and are never seen again. But the closer he gets to the truth, the more dangerous his investigation becomes. Unfortunately, Theo Cray isn’t the kind to back down.

I think I mentioned this in my review of The Naturalist, but if you’re a fan of the TV shows Bones or Dexter then you will most likely love this series. I happen to love stories that deal with forensic science and investigation, and there is plenty of that in Looking Glass. In The Naturalist, Theo used his knowledge of botany to locate dead bodies, and here he gets a little more techy and uses all kinds of cool gadgets and profiling software, some of which he invented, to search databases in order to narrow down the list of suspects. Theo reminds me a lot of MacGyver when he’s using his problem solving skills, and I never got tired of marveling at how quickly he jumps to conclusions or comes up with unique ways to figure stuff out. He’s also pretty gifted in the physical department. He’s got all sorts of fighting skills like karate, he knows how to handle a gun, and he’s fast when he needs to be. You may be thinking to yourself, “Is there anything Theo can’t do?” and I’m pretty sure the answer to that is “no.”

Theo is also not above breaking the law in order to get the evidence he needs, or to set up surveillance cameras, or a hundred other little things he thinks of that will help him with his (sometimes illegal) investigations. He’s so crafty and he gets away with things so often that I couldn’t help but marvel at the way his brain works. Let’s just say that if I ever needed help solving a crime, I’d definitely want someone like Theo Cray to help me out!

Because this is a story about trying to track down an elusive serial killer, Mayne includes lots of fascinating (and terrifying!) tidbits on some of history’s most infamous real-life serial killers. Clearly Theo has done his homework, and he gives the reader glimpses of how hard it is to actually catch killers. One example that he mentions involves the police sitting across the street from Ted Bundy’s house, watching him wash his car in plain sight—literally washing any evidence of his crimes away—while waiting for a warrant to arrest him. Mayne gives us lots of chilling examples of near misses, the police mere yards away from the killer but unable to do anything about it because of red tape.

And while there are some extreme over-the-top moments in this story, I forgave all of them because I had such a great time reading this book. Andrew Mayne is a natural-born storyteller, and using Theo Cray to tell his stories works so well for this series. I’m thrilled that there is a third book in the works called Murder Theory (coming out next year) and I’m already salivating at the thought of another adventure with Theo Cray. Highly recommended!

Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy.

Before I started Looking Glass, I made sure to clear my schedule for the rest of the day because I had a feeling I wouldn’t want to be interrupted. As it turned out, I was right. God help anyone who would have dared disturb me, it sure wouldn’t have been pretty! This was a book I finished in just one sitting, and in that time, you couldn’t have pried it loose from my hands with a crowbar.

This second installment of The Naturalist follows protagonist Theo Cray as he once again digs his heels into a case involving the missing victims of a serial killer. You can jump into it without having read the first book, but just bear in mind there will be some references and spoilers to his time in Montana if you ever have plans to go back and read it. In the aftermath of those events, Theo has become a bit of national celebrity for helping catch a prolific killer, but at the same time, his involvement in such a high-profile case has also made him anathema to the academic community. Stuck doing soul-draining work for the government, Theo finds himself drawn to the hunt again when a distraught father of a missing boy shows up on his doorstep with a request to look into the case.

The only problem? Little Christopher Bostrom disappeared nine years ago, and for most investigators this would mean a cold case with no chance of being solved. Theo, however, is scientist who finds patterns, and after crunching some numbers and doing some database searches, the results he finds are disturbing. Not only was Christopher a likely victim of a serial child abductor and murderer, there is evidence that this killer is still on the loose and active today. The only clues Theo has to go on are a couple of kids’ drawings and an eerie urban legend told among elementary school children about a mysterious figure called the Toy Man.

The author has done it again. I spent most of this book with my heart in my throat, because even when there wasn’t much action on the page, Mayne was able to keep up the intensity and fast pace throughout the narrative with vivid descriptions of scientific processes and fascinating facts. Looking Glass was an electrifying book that never had me bored for a second. Because so much of what Theo does also involves computational biology, or the study of the development and application of biological data to generate patterns and models, readers with an interest in any of the related scientific fields will likely eat this one right up.

In addition, Theo Cray is fast becoming one of my favorite protagonists. As a vigilante scientist, he’s an unconventional hero, a bit socially awkward and tactless because he’s more used to dealing in facts not feelings. He’s also frighteningly clever and fast on his feet, using what he knows of social and behavioral patterns to spin elaborate scenarios and identities for himself to get out of sticky situations. What’s more, ever since the events of The Naturalist, Theo’s heart has become hardened which has in turn emboldened him and made him more focused and gutsier when it comes to getting what he needs. When he’s not keeping me on the edge of my seat with high-risk escapades, he’s making me laugh with his reckless yet ingenious stunts like that one particular incident involving an Amazon delivery box and glowing bacteria. At the end of the day, Theo Cray is a weirdo nerd, and I love him for both his intellect and humor.

As for the story, I won’t be going into too much detail because the less you know going in, the better it is going to be. Suffice to say Mayne knows how to get a reader’s blood racing. One small lead from a cold case ends up snowballing into a series bombshell clues which lead to even bigger and more shocking discoveries. From my experience with The Naturalist, I already know the author is not afraid to go all out, even if it means delving into the realm of the incredible and far-fetched, though in the context of this tale it was easy to just follow along. I’m certainly glad I did with Looking Glass, because I can’t remember the last time I had this much fun with a book.

Hard to believe the first book could have been topped, but I believe Andrew Mayne has done it. I love this series so much, it’s almost absurd how badly I want to read more right now. I’m thrilled to discover a third book is already in the works, but the bad news is that it’s not listed to come out until early next year. Oh, this wait is seriously going to suck…

Looking Glass manages to be even better than The Naturalist! Now, Theo is even more in a "f*** this sh**" mode, which I love so much. His character grew since the first book, but maintains his charmingly nerdy personality. Also I found the plot of this book so exciting I couldn't stop turning pages! It's a nice and quick read, and it sticks to the mind for sure. I love this series and I will DEFINITELY be the first in line when the third one comes out!

This book and the book before it, about the same character, are hard reading for me, since I'm not sure I understand even half of what the character is thinking. Of course the character has a way of thinking that makes him what he is and gives him the ability to see thing differently than most of us so my not understanding him isn't a complaint. I enjoyed the book, despite the violence, since the violence was meant to stop more violence. I wouldn't mind reading more books about Theo Cray's work in the future, as he does what he thinks needs to be done, while having to compromise his values along the way. Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for this ARC in return for an honest review.

Nerdy science guy with desire for justice at his best, narrow focused know-it-all that ignores people and rules at his worst, Professor Theo Cray finds himself searching for another serial killer in LOOKING GLASS by Andrew Mayne. Cray's challenge is even tougher this time, because now their are larger and more powerful entities trying to misdirect Cray and bury the truth he is searching for.
Cray perceives criminal investigation the way new world baseball minds view sabermetrics; probabilities and likelihoods are key to finding the truth. Mayne also makes Cray more accessible; Cray has learned a little better since his last case (THE NATURALIST) how to interact with the world (law enforcement, witnesses, etc) to get what he needs. Still a little bull headed and determined to find the truth even if it breaks laws, Cray intentions are so pure, though, the reader can't help but yearn for him to solve the case. There are some dead ends in Cray's search, but Mayne entertains with some creative and fun characters in those parts so that those dead ends are quickly smoothed over and woven into the fabric and texture of the search. While most all of the science and forensic discovery is easy to understand and explained in detail when necessary, there are few moments when Mayne does go off on a bit of a extraneous tangent that really doesn't progress the story and occasionally halts the momentum a good mystery/suspense like this one should have.
In LOOKING GLASS, Mayne has presented a excited and multi-layered story of Professor Theo Cray's righteous search for a killer the world has either ignored or simply forgotten. Cray's relentless drive and Mayne's crafting of a multilayered story full of twists and turns makes for a compelling read.

After successfully finding a serial killer that no one even knew existed, Dr. Theo Cray is in high demand. He’s working for a shadowy arm of the government, trying to find connections between suspected terrorists. He’s also being hounded by people who’ve lost loved ones, looking for answers where there seemingly are none. The sad eyes of a father missing his only son gets to Theo, and he’s on the case in L.A., looking for missing African American children with light-colored eyes. I’m happy to report that he escapes the physical trauma that beset him in the first novel, though this episode seems to take a more psychological toll. Expect more of the same solid pacing from Mayne’s first installment, along with Cray continuing to “science the shit” out of every situation. The ending did seem slightly far-fetched, and it left me a little sad for Cray – is he going down to the dark side? I’m looking forward to finding out in the third book.

Andrew Mayne writes very entertaining crime fiction and the second in the Naturalist series, Looking Glass is another winner.

Dr. Theo Cray, who caught one of the most prolific serial killers in history, is on the trail of another serial killer that no one knew existed - one that targets at-risk, forgotten children in the Los Angeles area. When William Bostrom shows up on Cray's doorstep, asking for help in the case of his long-missing son, something about him keeps Cray from turning him down. Using his specially designed software and local urban legend, Cray is on the trail of the "Toy Man" - his reputation has preceded him and the LAPD does not want him involved in the investigation. But Cray is convinced that they are missing information that he can provide them. So he is off again on another solo hunt for a serial killer.

Well written thriller that sometimes goes a tad over the top with the conspiracy but at the same time has a good heart. Theo Cray is a really smart guy who is now working for DIA but that doesn't stop him from working hard to figure out who and what the "Toy Man" is. His investigatory strategy relies on scientific method, not the gut, and he's successful. You know he's going to sort this out but can you figure out who the bad guy is? This has enough twists to keep you guessing. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.