After the last debacle with the "killer" virus, Theo Cray's life is starting to fall apart. He's lost his funding and, apparently, his sound mind. Convinced he might have the virus, he gets his brain scanned regularly looking for signs of damage, and his obsessive nature is taking over. Then someone asks him to look into a potential serial killer nurse, and he dives off the deep end. When he realizes he can see the "dark pattern" around where the nurse is operating, he sounds like a crazy person, and acts like one too. Then ending is almost shocking - is this how it ends for Theo? But there's hope that he'll be restored to his former self. On the whole not my favorite installment in the series (who likes to see a favorite character crash and burn?) but perhaps a necessary one for some growth on his part.

I really enjoyed Dark Pattern. At first it took a little longer to grip my interest, but after a few chapters I was fully enthralled. Theo is dealing with issues dating back to the previous book in addition to trying to find his new quarry. It puts a major strain on the relationships in his life like never before and he gets extremely close to the point of no return. I really liked how we get to see Theo try to work through so many inner struggles in this latest edition. I can't wait to see what impact his choices have in the next book.

Every single book that I have read by Andrew Mayne has completely blown my mind! His series, both, are fascinating, sharp, in a word: brilliant. I can feel my brain expanding with the scientific, technological and mathematical information he includes in each of his books. He's amazing.

Dark Pattern is the fourth in The Naturalist series featuring Dr. Theo Cray, a mathematician who is, literally, a genius. Using his expertise in maths and computer technology, he is able to see patterns in crimes committed that others cannot see. This time he is more vulnerable as a parasite may - or may not - be eating away at his brain. Even in the end, we are not sure what will become of Dr. Theo Cray. Dark Pattern is exciting, inventive and exceptional and, while I encourage you to read the books in order, I cannot recommend ALL of his books highly enough. This techno thriller will leave your reeling!

<strong>Unlike the ones before...</strong>

This one is so unlike the ones before. I cannot even compare it to the others because it is impossible. I was hesitant to read this. I had seen reviews about this book, mixed ones, that either sang high praise or stomped it in the mud. A lot of what was mentioned was the main character's newfound sense of indecisiveness, self doubt, rookie mistakes, all-consuming paranoia due to the Hyde virus.

And I've got to say that those aspects of this character placed in this story made this so unique and profound. Obviously this is not meant to be like every single crime series out there, where everything goes unrealistically smooth. No, it's meant to be unorthodox, uncanny, sophisticated and remarkable in the best worst way.

You don't just follow the crime and serial killer, you follow the main character and altogether the growth.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley!

Dark Pattern is one book in the "series" about Dr Theo Cray, whom is a mathematical genius who sees patterns. I have not read any other books in this series, but I think I followed the book okay without that. He is exposed to a mind-altering pathogen during a case, and his career is upended with this. This book follows him through another case that someone trusts him to solve. Dr Theo Cray is truly an interesting characters, and I enjoyed the book based on him alone.

Andrew Mayne has created Dr. Theo Cray who is one of the best detectives out there. I was hooked from the first book.Dr. Cray is not a police detective, but has a mathematical genius who sees patterns. This gift has caused him to be able to solve crimes that serial killers have committed. He has been subjected to a pathogen that has affected his mind. This has caused him to lose his reputation and makes him question his own sanity.  Only one person believes in him and helps him finish a job that he started. The killer travels all over the world and as a health professional, no one really feels that a nurse would be a suspect, they are Angels after all. This one is an Angel of death who shows no mercy.  Hospitals should be safe places, right? This is the fourth book of the Naturalist and I have loved them all.  Will Dr. Cray be able to overcome his weaknesses and stop the killer? How will this end? I received this book from Net Galley and the publisher for a honest review.

Another superb instalment in this deeply compelling series. Theo Cray is a marvellously unique creation.

There is always a dark intensity to the Theo Cray / Naturalist books. An underlying boil of the scary stuff you don’t want to know exists. The flickering of the things that go bump in the night and will keep you up long after you should.

Dr. Theo Cray and his mathematical mind have a way of seeing patterns. Patterns that he can input into a special computer program and between the two of them, they begin to expose the darker underworld. This time it involving hospital deaths. As Theo is battling for his own sanity, after exposure to a pathogen in the last book (Murder Theory, 2019), he is even more on guard and when he is not trying to push those who love him away, he is traveling on a collision course to trap an angel of death.

Andrew Mayne has taken Dr. Theo Cray to the brink of his own existence. Theo is now a broken man and there is no way of knowing if he will make it back from the place where he was left.

Dark Pattern by Andrew Mayne is the fourth entry in The Naturalist series. Because this is my first book in the series, I felt that I was missing important and relevant information. Dr. Theo Cray finds serial killers by analyzing mathematical patterns, hence the title. Someone from his past asks him to investigate the suspicious deaths of several hospitalized patients. This leads Theo to discover that a nurse may be responsible for hundreds of murders over a period of many decades. He establishes mathematical profiles which identify a possible subject. Theo travels to numerous hospitals and uses somewhat illegal methods to document his convictions. This mystery will appeal to Theo Cray followers. I found it to be difficult to follow but I am only expressing my own opinion. Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

https://lynns-books.com/2019/11/19/dark-pattern-the-naturalist-4-by-andrew-mayne/
4 of 5 stars
I am loving the Naturalist series by Andrew Mayne, this is a series that has hooked me from the get go and every subsequent book has simply left me in awe of the things this author will come up with. I adore these books – that much is fact – and Dark Pattern, well, as the name partly suggests is the darkest of the instalments yet.

All of these books are about serial killers and the material is, to put it bluntly, creepy, scary, and sometimes almost too lifelike – that’s not to say, for clarity, that any of the books are particularly gory or uncomfortable reads – more that they feel like events that could happen and this book has that reality factor in spades. The story once again sees Theo trying to hunt down a serial killer, a killer nurse in fact. I have to say that this storyline gave me the real chills. The idea of a murderer, killing victims as they lie in need of care, is scary in the extreme. It’s the combination of vulnerability and the stark reality that this isn’t unheard of in real life.

Now, to be absolutely clear, this is a series that you should start from book 1. Theo is a complicated character and I think if you try to jump into this series without the benefit of reading from the beginning you will probably not understand him, at best, and quite likely dislike him, at worst. Context is key in my opinion. On top of this – this series is positively addictive and all the books, well, I’m convinced they read themselves they’re so fast paced and difficult to put down. Don’t deny yourself the earlier books, trust me on this, they’re not only downright gripping but they’re necessary if you want to understand Theo and his character arc.

Also, if you haven’t started the series but are thinking of doing so then it’s possible that this review will contain spoilers although hopefully not.

I’m not going to over elaborate on the plot as I don’t want to give anything away. As the story starts Theo is at an all time low. Events from the last book are preying on his mind and he’s desperately worried that he’s exposed himself to a dangerous pathogen that could literally change his brain and possibly turn him into a killer. It’s not a happy situation and Theo is having very disturbing thoughts about his options. Reluctantly he agrees to follow up a lead about a suspicious death in a hospital and early enquiries start to point him in the direction of a particular nurse that people seem to suspect of wrongdoing. all I will say is that things escalate and a huge cat and mouse style chase ensues with Theo becoming more desperate to catch the killer whilst many of the people in authority, particularly at the hospitals, are reluctant to even consider that a killer is on the loose.

So, if you’ve read the other books then you’ll be able to see a certain pattern with this one. Theo doesn’t easily make friends or influence people. He quite frequently comes across as arrogant and his people skills are lacking in the extreme. I don’t think he means to be rude, he’s incredibly intelligent, able to make huge leaps and bounds with his theories and is usually so intent on his search that he leaves others in his wake. He comes across as a little maniacal at times and is so focused on his end goal that he doesn’t have the time or patience to keep people on board or on side and to be honest this doesn’t usually endear people to him. Like I said above, you really do need to read from the start. Personally, I think Theo is a fascinating character to read about.

The story here is again compulsive reading. I really didn’t see the direction we were going to go in and I loved that Theo almost seems to step back to his earlier methods in this story, using his computer models to predict behaviour patterns and come up with leads. It really is a fast paced and gripping read and I couldn’t put it down.

However, I did have a couple of criticisms that didn’t spoil the read for me at all but did leave me with slightly mixed feelings. The first thing is fairly minor but this story seemed to me to lack a little bit of Theo’s brilliance, or at least his powers of deduction. Of looking at a scene from A to B and jumping forward to Z and skipping all the letters in between. I just felt I was missing those special insights a little. The ending however was the real issue I had here and I can’t quite make my mind up what’s going on. On the one hand, the ending felt incredibly rushed. Theo seemed to be spiralling and things got pretty bad pretty quick – there’s also a twist. The thing is, these things were so abrupt that they took me at first in one direction, then stopped me in my tracks and kind of proved me wrong but then the final chapters were so quick that not only did they make my head spin but I felt like I had to go back and read them again. Seriously, if I hadn’t known better I could have almost thought I’d unwittingly skimmed those last pages and missed something as a result! Okay, having thought about it over the past few days I’m hoping this is some sort of tactic on the part of the author, although at the same time I have this awful niggling doubt that maybe Theo is going to go one step too far (well, okay, he probably already went one step too far but maybe next time he’ll go so far beyond the line that the line will be a dim and distant memory).

Enough speculation.

Overall, this is a gripping and powerful read and a great instalment. This series is my catnip, I can’t get enough of it and I eagerly await the next instalment. I have my fingers crossed for Theo and for everyone else because with his brain I dread to think what would happen if he turned to the dark side.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publishers, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

Killer nurse?! Say no more, I was hooked. Dr. Theo Cray has catching killers down to a science.. until now. We race against the clock to find this murderer.. but they may be closer than we think.
The ending seemed a little far fetched, but it was a good cat and mouse type of mystery.

This is one of my favorite ongoing series right now. I love Theo, I love the mysteries and the twists. I loved this until the very end, which was a bit disappointing, hence the four stars.

I am liking this series. But I did think this was the weakest one. Theo made some choices that I did not think were that logical based of how he normally reacts in the other books. I am excited to see what happens next.

The nitty-gritty: Compulsively readable, Andrew Mayne’s thrilling series is just getting better and better.

If you haven’t started this series yet, then my question is, why not? I am enjoying the hell out of Andrew Mayne’s The Naturalist series, and it’s clear after finishing this fourth book that he isn’t even close to being finished with Dr. Theo Cray’s story. Dark Pattern was different from the other books for a couple of reasons. First, this felt like less of a standalone story than the others. Mayne refers back to events in both The Naturalist and Murder Theory, so expect to be lost if you try to start reading at this point in the game. I also found Dark Pattern to be more of a psychological thriller, where the previous books were more action oriented. Theo has been on a downward spiral for a while now, and in this book he really enters a very dark place and stays there. But even without the violence that I've come to expect from the previous books, it ultimately didn’t matter because the horrors in this book are much quieter but equally deadly and chilling.

And from this point on, there will be mild spoilers for previous books, so do read at your own risk!

When the story starts, Dr. Theo Cray is dealing with the fallout from the end of Murder Theory. In that book, he was exposed to a deadly pathogen called the Hyde virus, which turns victims into raving killing machines. Theo stopped the people responsible from secretly infecting the U.S. military ranks, but the virus remains a mystery. Theo is worried that he might develop the disease at any time, and so he’s started getting weekly MRIs so he can spot any irregularities before it’s too late.

One day he’s approached by a student who insists she has evidence of an “angel of death,” a killer nurse. Theo is reluctant to get involved, since he’s tried to leave his life of tracking down and stopping serial killers behind. But curiosity gets the better of him and he decides to talk to a family whose young child died during a routine hospital stay. The father names a “creepy” nurse named Sergio Filman, and Theo sets off on a personal investigation to see if he can prove Filman’s guilt. When his mentor Amanda Paulson sees something in Theo’s data that he missed, they realize that there may be a second killer on the loose as well.

Theo’s determination to stop the hospital deaths takes him from Austin, Texas to the island of Saint Lucia, as he doggedly follows the “Dark Pattern,” the string of data he’s compiled that will eventually lead him to the killers. But his obsession with finding and exposing the truth is becoming a danger to Theo, who can't seem to stop until the killer is caught.

Once again, Andrew Mayne has written a highly entertaining thriller that was impossible to put down. If you’ve read my reviews for the other books in the series, you’ll know that Dr. Theo Cray is a big reason for the success of these books. He’s a computational biologist who uses computer data combined with his expertise in the fields of science to solve murders. It doesn’t hurt that he’s extremely smart, tech savvy, and can analyze data in the blink of an eye. But Theo isn’t perfect by a long shot. He’s arrogant, sneaky, and breaks the law on a regular basis. He thinks nothing of trespassing or stealing data to get what he needs, but he’s also a fast talker and is able to miraculously get himself out of trouble. He reminds me a lot of Dexter, although Theo doesn’t like to kill at all—he only does it when necessary. I loved the direction Mayne takes in this book, as Theo is starting to go down a very dark path. He’s contemplating suicide (although not for the reasons you may think) and his obsession with tracking down the killer nurses borders on mania—he definitely starts to lose himself near the end of the story, which is quite chilling.

And you can’t really talk about Theo without mentioning his girlfriend Jillian. I have to admit I’ve never really been on board with their relationship. I think the main reason is that I just don’t like Jillian that much, for some reason. I get it, she puts up with a lot, being Theo’s girlfriend, but she also tends to be jealous which just isn’t that attractive. She’s more of a mother figure, in my opinion! 

Mayne tackles the subject of hospital corruption, which to me is even more terrifying than the serial killers at loose in the story. I’ve never been completely comfortable around doctors and hospitals to begin with, but after reading Dark Pattern I’m even less likely to trust physicians, which is pretty damn scary! During his investigation, Theo uncovers some very shady business practices and must figure out a way to expose what the hospitals are doing without drawing too much attention to himself. That doesn’t work too well, which I guess is a good thing for us, because the story wouldn’t have been half as exciting if Theo weren’t in danger.

My only quibble about Dark Pattern is that the last ten percent of the book felt way too rushed. It seemed like Mayne wanted to wrap up the story quickly, and I think the pacing suffered a bit for it. BUT. That last paragraph! Of course I can’t reveal the end, but let’s just say that a new character makes an appearance and I had to immediately go to Goodreads to find out who she was. Mayne gives us a clear lead-in to the next book, and I anticipate an excruciating wait to find out where he’s taking his story next, especially since he doesn’t wrap things up neatly at the end. This series is only going to get better, and I highly recommend jumping on board if you haven’t already.

Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy.

Addictive!

Once I started reading this, I couldn't stop. There was a really good mystery in this book. But the obsession of the main character was even more fascinating. It was totally engrossing and now I'm sad that it over. I need to know what happens next!

This author has rightfully blown up recently, and this is just as good as the others in this series. A solid bet for mystery fans. Recommended.

I really appreciate the advanced copy for review!!

So my suspicions were completely correct… there is more Theo to come. I was so stressed at the end of the book. Andrew loves plot twists and he never have enough of them. I started this book thinking that it was going to be the same all over again but with a different villain, and I was a bit right about thinking that.

We see the same old and tiring Cray acting before thinking. The Cray against the system to help the weak. The Cray that never learns, but there was one moment when the author put this character on a real identity crisis. Theo who has fallen from grace had to go over his demons and find that one thing that will save him from losing himself or first he has to completely lose everything to find himself.

I see him taking his craziness or impulsiveness to another level, and I wonder… has something really changed? I think and I hope that nothing will go back to normal... and I would love to see a bigger change in Theo. He better move forward and find redemption for the sake of the readers.

At the end, we get to see some superficial changes in his life and a harder way to resolve the mystery but we will know for sure... maybe by book 5... if he really changes or if we will have another novel of the same. I really enjoy them but I want to see something different. A more drastic change.

These Naturalist books tend to be “one day reads” for me, and Dark Pattern, which got devoured in two reading sessions over a matter of hours, was definitely no exception. I love this series so much, and I just knew this novel would be another unputdownable mystery, which is why I’m glad I had the foresight to clear my schedule to devote an entire afternoon to reading, because bloody hell, this one was addictive.

Once again, Dr. Theo Cray is on the case, though he’s had a lot more on his mind since the last time we saw him. If you have not caught up to this point in the series yet, please bear in mind this review may contain some spoilers for the previous books. While each novel features a self-contained story, the events in them do add up to affect the protagonist in a big way, as evidenced at the beginning of Dark Pattern, which sees Theo fretting over his exposure to a dangerous virus at the conclusion of Murder Theory. While his reputation for catching serial killers has all but destroyed his prospects in the educational and research fields, at least he still has his logical mind and moral compass—for the time being, anyway. And he’s going to need all his wits about him if he’s to solve his next big case, brought forth to him by a nursing professional concerned that a corrupt local hospital system may be shielding the activities of a serial killer nurse who is targeting patients.

Following this tip leads Theo to several families who have lost their children to routine hospital care, with the cause of death a mystery. The one common factor is a nurse who has worked with or around the children immediately prior to their deaths, and the pattern is enough to make Theo suspicious and take a closer look. But what he ends up uncovering is so much worse, including corrupt bureaucrats who knew something fishy was going on but refused to do anything, as well as the manipulation of patient statistics to hide the truth.

Gosh, the stuff you read in this book will send chills running down your spine, and what’s even more frightening is how much of it is based on truth, if news you see on corruption in healthcare or my own experiences working in hospitals are anything to go by. Dark Pattern is up there as one of the darker novels in the Naturalist series, both because of story’s themes and what happens to our main character. Being hospitalized is unpleasant enough as it is, but it’s also a place where people should be able to put themselves and their loved ones in the trust of healthcare workers who are supposed to help heal them. The plot’s premise of a serial killer stalking along the antiseptic halls looking for his prey among the ill, the old, and little helpless children made my skin crawl.

And then of course, we come to Theo. He’s been slowly losing it for a while now, pushing his luck (and limits) when it comes to how far he’s willing to go to solve a case. He continues this trend in Dark Pattern, but now his methods and actions have become even bolder and more extreme. While his heart is still in the right place, you can really tell Theo is well on his way down a slippery slope. While this concerns him, the irony is that he’s probably worried for all the wrong reasons, and without revealing too much about the ending, I have to say his lack of perspective and eventual loss of grip on the situation really surprised me.

Which brings me to the elephant in the room. Let’s just say I loved this book for the most part, and was all prepared to throw it a five star rating until the last few chapters happened. Again, without spoiling anything, I’ll just say that this section didn’t quite jive with everything that came before. The conclusion itself was rather underwhelming, and it also almost felt as if the author suddenly ran up against a hard deadline and had to rush through the rest of the book. I can’t deny this was a bit disappointing, though to tell the truth, this bizarre shift made me feel more confused than anything. This is because in a way, the end of Dark Pattern felt like a sort of “soft reset” for Dr. Theo Cray. It pretty much places the series at a place where the story and character can go in any number of new directions, so I suppose just about anything can happen now.

It gives me great hope for a fifth installment. While Dark Pattern didn’t exactly wow me with its ending, the rest of the book and its mystery plot was solid. I look forward to seeing where The Naturalist series will go next.

Dark Pattern is the fourth in The Naturalist series, which follows computational biologist Dr. Theo Cray. Dr. Cray has gained notoriety as somewhat of a hobbyist in using pattern recognition to find and stop serial killers. This time Dr. Cray is on the trail of a serial killer nurse who has killed hundreds of patients and he's determined to protect any future victims. At the same time, he's dealing with his ongoing worries that the Hyde virus he was previously exposed to is lying dormant in his body, waiting to turn him into a psychopathic killer.

Due to ongoing storylines and references back to the earlier books in the series, I would recommend this book not be read as a stand-alone story. Fans of intelligent suspense/serial killer fiction will enjoy previous stories featuring Dr. Cray.

I've been hooked on this series ever since the first book and although I enjoyed this most recent entry in the saga of Dr. Cray, I found it coming up short of my high expectations. 85% of the book was outstanding and I flew through the entire thing, but the ending felt a bit rushed and lackluster. It wasn't the climactic finish that I expected. The epilogue, however, introduced an exciting possibility for the next book and I eagerly look forward to reading it.

Amazing book! On the edge of my seat. If you liked the other three books before this one, you will certainly love Dark Pattern!