This turned out to be a much broader tale than I was expecting. After Isaac Severy dies in an apparent suicide, his adopted granddaughter Hazel is the recipient of a letter. In it, she is tasked with finding and delivering his crowning mathematical formula to the right person. If the book had stayed that course, I think the subtitle about clues would be more apt. Instead, there are multiple points of view from this super smart family, in particular Hazel's brother Gabe (by blood, both were adopted), and Issac's son Philip. There is a lot of talk about math and physics, plenty of red herrings and additional plot turns to fill the mystery genre label. It is filled with so many quirky characters and events, it is not hard to imagine it could be one of those large, family dysfunction type movies. It was harder than I thought it would be to get into, but the end reveal came together neatly, so I am glad I stuck it out.

What a great literary mystery! I took a chance and veered outside my typical genre of women's fiction, and I am so glad I did. Combine that with my academic interests the polar opposite of math, and astound me even further. I loved the family drama, the quirky characters, and of course the mysterious equations to be solved -- all of them equal one fantastic read!

Posted on March 29, 2018 by sarah-hope
Fun Reads (Because We All Need an Occasional Break from Saving Democracy)

In one of its iterations, this was a book blog, and while I’ve primarily dedicated it to current U.S. politics and resisting, I’m still reading books, and find them worth sharing. Here are two titles that came out earlier this month, both of which offer a something-more-than-the-usual mystery.

The Last Equation of Isaac Severy, Nova Jacobs, released 6 March, 2018, 352 pages, Simon & Schuster

What do you do when you’re a not-mathematically-inclined bookseller who has discovered after the death of your famous mathematician grandfather that he’s counting on you to rescue his last equation, one which could have dire consequences for the entire world? That’s the question The Last Equation of Isaac Severy answers. At least the protagonist’s adopted grandfather has the courtesy to hide his clues in one of her favorite novels.

Last Equation is a fast-paced read with a plot and characters that grow more complex by the page. It’s the kind of book you want to start in the morning, so you’re sure to have time to finish it before you go to bed. The intersection of the literary and the mathematical results in an interesting kind of culture clash, though Jacobs writes in a way that makes both cultures accessible to her readers, regardless of their backgrounds.

Star Rating (out of five): ****

This is a nerd’s pleasure of a read. Like Mr. Penumbra’s Bookstore, it brought together two of my favorite things, mathematics and books. Nova Jacobs takes her ordinary heroine on a chase through the streets of Los Angeles to uncover the secrets of her extraordinary family. A fun read even if you aren’t a math geek, but more fun if you are!

I really enjoyed this book. As a math person myself, I was excited to read this - and I felt the same about Dark Matter. Science/Math in a mystery novel! I'll eat that up all day. If you hate math, you can still enjoy this book as a mystery book - there isn't an overwhelming amount of actual math in the book so no need to worry.

I thought it was a great mystery novel with Hazel being the mail character, her uncle Phillip being a secondary narrator, while the late, great Isaac being at the center of the mystery. There were a lot of characters/family members so I actually had to write them all down on a family tree to keep everyone straight. I loved how some of the surprises played out early on in the book and how they flowed into the next section (ie- P Booth Lyons, certain relationships...). Overall I can't really say anything bad about this book. It kept my attention, I didn't feel like anything was left unfinished, and I would definitely recommend this as a great mystery fiction!
Thanks for the ARC.

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange of an honest review. There were some parts of this book I liked and others that I didn't. The whole idea of a mystery surrounding an equation sounded fun and I was excited to see what would happen. The equation part of the book and what it showed seemed really far fetched. Some of the characters were pretty awful people! My favorite storyline in the book was Gregorys and the mystery surrounding his actions which didn't really fit well with the main story. The writing was good and the author shows promise, but I really felt kind of meh about the whole thing. If you like the mystery genre than this book might be for you!

A bravely unique story, readers will fall in love with Hazel, and maybe even like math!

Honestly, I did not enjoy this book. Maybe I spaced out my reading of it too much but I never connected with the characters. I never really enjoyed the story. My main feeling when finishing the book is confusion, not on what happened in the book, but what underlied what happened in the book. I can see why other's would love this book, but it was definitely not for me. The Last Equation of Isaac Severy is about a granddaughter searching for her grandfather's last equation, that is supposed to have a huge impact on the world as we know it. The story within is full of twists and turns and an unrealistic plot line -- but hey, you very well may love that

This book was entertaining to read but not much further than that. I figured out the plot twist pretty early. Probably won't ever read it again, and might recommend it to the right kind of people but glad I read it.

The simplest thing I can say is that I didn't enjoy reading this. I kept just wanting it to be over. It wasn't necessarily poorly written but it was also hard to capture my attention. This book also had way too much cousin on cousin love. Not just one set of cousins either. 😑 . If you love math, maybe this one will be more interesting to you but I just felt like the characters were haphazard as well as supremely unlikeable. None of them knew themselves and weren't written to be fully realized. I'm kind of surprised this book has gotten so much attention because, for me, it was mediocre at best.

The Last Equation of Isaac Severy came out earlier this month on March 6, 2018, and you can purchase HERE.
Hazel tried to ignore the burning sensation at the tips of her ears and a sudden desire to upend the tea table and kick her aunt's chair out form under her. There was also a brief clip of Hazel emptying the contents of the teapot on her head. "You've really thought it through, haven't you?"

"Please, this isn't a Poe mystery; it hardly requires a C. Auguste Dupin level of detection. It took me a few seconds. Most people go around thinking that life if magical and mysterious, filled with all kinds of unknowns. Bullshit. Once you decide the universe is knowable, all kinds of answers become available to you."

"I guess I don't go around thinking that way."

"Of course you don't. Very few people are blessed with a methodical brain. Like everyone else, you probably stumble through life getting into trouble, debt, and heartbreak."

The minute I read the synopsis for The Last Equation of Isaac Severy, I moved it all the way to the top of my to-read list. A death, a mystery to be solved, a solution with the potential of far-reaching consequences? It sounded like exactly what I felt like reading. I popped over to NetGalley to see if I could request it (despite the fact that it had JUST been published!) and lo and behold, not only was it available, my wish was granted almost immediately! So thank you, Touchstone, for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.



Part of what attracted me to this novel was that it reminded me of others that I've loved - including Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore, and possibly even Ready Player One, in terms of there being a race to solve a mystery, with an unlikely hero competing against more highly trained and resourced adversaries. However, Equation adds in a healthy dose of inter-generational family drama, which is also one of it's downfalls - for about the first third of the book, I had a difficult time tracking the family members and keeping them and their relationships to each other straight in my mind. That being said, it didn't keep me from enjoying the book. The characters are well developed, the twists and puzzles well thought out, and the solution of the final equation distinctly terrifying to consider. Additionally, author Nova Jacobs is an alum of USC (Go Trojans!) and her knowledge and love for Los Angeles is palpable in her descriptions of the city and it's various parts.



Very fun read, and would be a great book club selection, as there's lots of characters and relationships to dissect as well as themes relating to the pursuit of knowledge and the role of fate versus self-determination on large and small scales.

*The Last Equation of Isaac Severy: A Novel in Clues* by Nova Jacobs is a mystery that surprises you until the very end. Hazel is sent a mysterious letter from her grandfather which he sent before he committed suicide. The letter contains clues for her to uncover, as well as a warning that, "three will die".

This book was a more slow paced mystery and not a thriller per se, but it captured my attention nonetheless. I wanted to know what Hazel would uncover and if she would find what she was looking for before those who wanted to get their hands on the information did. I liked that despite being from a family of mathematicians, she owned a bookshop. I have never read Nova Jacobs before, but I'm glad I did. I would recommend this book to those interested in mysteries.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion of the book.

I binge-read this book in three days. I almost just had to call in sick to work to stay home to read.

Isaac Severy, a renowned mathematician, has died, and in a secret missive to his adopted granddaughter Hazel, he commands that all his work be destroyed so that no one will get their hands on his last equation. His letter also says that two more people will die.

Thus begins the race for Hazel to decode the letter and figure out what her grandfather is alluding to in his furtive message before anyone else, other math-genius relatives included, get their hands on Isaac’s work. This is a little bit Mr. Penumbra’s 24-hour Bookstore, a little bit DaVinci Code, but The Last Equation of Isaac Severy is superior to both of these other books. Pigeonholing it into the “thriller” category isn’t quite accurate.

Do not be deterred by the math element! This book is fascinating, fast-paced, and there are numerous twists throughout the story to keep your mind sharp and your fingers flying through the pages. And the best thing is, you don’t need to understand the math to appreciate the complexity of the story. There are surprises throughout the story, so instead of it being a huge slog of set-up to get to the epiphany at the denouement (I’m looking at you, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), there are constant revelations and unforeseen curve balls to keep interest piqued throughout. There are numerous characters introduced quickly in the beginning, which can seem overwhelming, but the author deftly aids the reader in keeping everything straight.

The Last Equation of Isaac Severy is an exciting ride, and though I am loath to encourage more book-to-screen adaptations, it would make an incredible Netflix series.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Touchstone for this advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I am a self-proclaimed math nerd and I do love the subject, though I feel a bit inadequately compared to the characters in this novel. For these reasons, it made me love this book even more. However, taking that out of the equation (ha, see what I did there), I thoroughly enjoyed this murder mystery, the way this family all tied together, and I couldn't wait to see how everything would turn out. This book kept me intrigued from the very beginning and though I couldn't wait to finish it, I'm now bummed that I can't read anymore. The mathematics talk kept me engaged and the small love story was as a surprise bonus. I hope others will enjoy this novel as much as I did!!

*Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

The adopted granddaughter of the famous mathematician, Isaac Severy, is left a cryptic note after his apparent suicide. "Three will die. I am the first." Hazel is tasked with finding her grandfather's life's work, a predictive equation, before anyone else. He writes that it can be used for ultimate good or evil, depending whose hands it falls into, so she must find it, give it to the correct person, and then destroy it. The trouble is, Hazel is the owner of a failing bookstore, not a mathematician, like the rest of the family, and all the clues to the equation's whereabouts are coded. And so begins Nova Jacobs's stellar debut novel about family, betrayal, and the damage of familial expectations.

It was a fun read and kept me flipping pages. Math enthusiasts will appreciate the references to string theory, predictive sciences, and a few nerdy in-jokes. My only issue with the book was the number of characters who appeared in the first few pages, many extraneous and some who did not reappear until much later in the story. Consequently, I found it hard to keep track of who was who in this whodunnit. Otherwise, it was a cannot-put-down read.

“Three will die. I am the first.”

A spark is lit in struggling bookseller Hazel’s life after she receives a surprising and mysterious posthumous letter from her mathematician genius grandfather Isaac. Isaac is thought to have committed suicide in his Jacuzzi with Christmas lights wrapped around him yet his breakfast table was set for two.

Isaac’s letter to Hazel is cryptic. “Know that I am offf (spelling is correct. hmmm, first clue?) sound mind when I ask that you destroy my work in Room 137. Burn. Smash. Reformat…” He goes on to direct Hazel to find and deliver a special secret equation to an un-named man who is into herringbone. Hazel’s life is about to get ALOT more interesting and I enthusiastically go along for the ride as she puts on her Sherlock Holmes hat.

Numerous clues, suspects, and puzzle pieces to be found in Hazel’s favorite book, and…mathematics?! Refreshing approach. This book started off a little slow during introduction of several characters at Isaac’s funeral, but got my wheels turning early about who could be the bad guy (or gal). My enjoyment of Jacobs’ snappy mystery, family drama and vivid characters grew as I read on. A fun read.

While quite a bit different than I expected I thoroughly enjoyed this book. To me it was almost more of a family study than ‘a novel in clues’, not to say that there wasn’t mystery and intrigue involved, just that the focus seemed to me to be more about exploring the intricacies of the Severy family and those involved with them. Though not completely what I had thought I still raced through this one, both wanting and needing to find out what was behind everything and what was going to happen to each family member. This will be a definite recommendation to everyone I know who loves to read!

The Last Equation of Isaac Severy is an entertaining read, especially if you are a fan of plot driven mysteries and piecing together a puzzle of a book. It took awhile for me to get my bearings in this novel, as there are a few meandering plot lines and a LOT of characters to get to know in the Severy orbit - maybe a tad too many. (I still had to take a moment to place the name of one of the characters while reading the last pages of the book!) But, of the characters that stood out, I quickly became engrossed in their (somewhat terrible and shocking) secrets and their fates.
The story might have appealed to my family drama loving heart, and been better served overall by fleshing out these standout characters more, and earlier in the book. Just as I was getting to really figure them out, the story was wrapping up. There was a lot to uncover about familial bonds, blended families, infidelity, abuse and how it affected these people who felt very real. I definitely see this potential in Jacobs' writing and look forward to her future work.
As for the mystery, I loved the geeky science espionage in the last third of the book and BURNED through the pages to find out what the secret of Isaac's Equation was - nothing I ever would have guessed, and it was thoroughly thought provoking.
Many thanks to Touchstone and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review!

Nova Jacobs debut novel is a worthwhile puzzle mystery title. The story builds slowly with a large “cast” of characters from a dysfunctional family. So large, I made a “crib” sheet of who was who so I could understand the relationships. (But that could just be me for starting a book right before bedtime!) Once I got the characters embedded, the plot moved along with some surprises and interesting LA settings. Isaac Severy is the newly deceased genius patriarch of a large family of mathematically inclined folks. None are quite on the level of Isaac who they esteem. With Isaac’s death (suicide? murder?) he leaves a cryptic note for Hazel, his adopted daughter. Hazel needs to discover his last formula, which may or may not have an impact on the future. The formula may not even exist! Hazel, a struggling bookshop owner, is by even her own estimation the least likely family member to discover what Isaac has left behind. Undaunted and a bit naïve, Hazel stumbles her way by using clues that have meaning for her. Meanwhile, we get to know the other family members and how they might be involved in Isaac’s mysterious formula. Each of them has secrets that could easily be a focus of their own novels. Along the way there is mathematics, string theory, chaos theory, an old-time Hollywood vibe, love, more death and danger. This is definitely a unique book and an author worth watching.

I just absolutely enjoyed this mathematical adventure and mystery. Family drama ensues after the untimely death of the patriarch Isaac Severy, father to three, grandfather to many, and mathematican extraordinaire. He leaves clues to the mathematical equation of his life's work with his foster granddaughter Hazel, who is decidedly bookish instead of numbers-brained like her adoptive siblings. As Hazel struggles with the loss of her grandfather, the impending loss of her bookstore at home, AND being dumped by her lousy boyfriend, she also needs to piece together clues, attempting to beat the others also seeking out Isaac's equation, and we are along for the ride. This is an exciting and fun debut novel and I thoroughly enjoyed it.