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The Last Equation of Isaac Severy: A Novel in Clues Audiobook
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Publisher Description
The Family Fang meets The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry in this literary mystery about a struggling bookseller whose recently deceased grandfather, a famed mathematician, left behind a dangerous equation for her to track down—and protect—before others can get their hands on it.
Just days after mathematician and family patriarch Isaac Severy dies of an apparent suicide, his adopted granddaughter Hazel, owner of a struggling Seattle bookstore, receives a letter from him by mail. In it, Isaac alludes to a secretive organization that is after his final bombshell equation, and he charges Hazel with safely delivering it to a trusted colleague. But first, she must find where the equation is hidden.
While in Los Angeles for Isaac’s funeral, Hazel realizes she’s not the only one searching for his life’s work, and that the equation’s implications have potentially disastrous consequences for the extended Severy family, a group of dysfunctional geniuses unmoored by the sudden death of their patriarch.
As agents of an enigmatic company shadow Isaac’s favorite son—a theoretical physicist—and a long-lost cousin mysteriously reappears in Los Angeles, the equation slips further from Hazel’s grasp. She must unravel a series of maddening clues hidden by Isaac inside one of her favorite novels, drawing her ever closer to his mathematical treasure. But when her efforts fall short, she is forced to enlist the help of those with questionable motives.
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“In an upbeat, involving narration of this fun and quirky mystery, Lisa Flanagan does a fine job of allowing listeners to become only as confused as the author intends. Trust her not to let you sink beneath the clues, and you’ll have a fine time trying to figure out what the devil mathematician Isaac Severy’s posthumous final directive means…Flanagan handles the action and range of characters with aplomb.”
— AudioFile
Quotes
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“[An] unformulaic romp of a mystery.”
— Martha Stewart Living -
“Hugely entertaining…Though Ms. Jacobs’ writing has echoes of Thomas Pynchon, Nathanael West, and J. D. Salinger, her terrific book displays in abundance a magic all its own.”
— Wall Street Journal -
“Clever…a novel that is anything but clueless, filled with consideration and compassion.”
— Washington Post -
“This captivating story…is cerebral, eccentric, and endearing.”
— Chicago Review of Books -
“Jacobs never loses traction—or the fun—of her elaborate story line…Her complex and carbonated plot is satisfying and refreshing.”
— St. Louis Post-Dispatch -
“If you love a good scavenger hunt, this is the pick for you. It has everything you’ll need: a dead mathematician, a mystery to solve before an equation gets into the wrong hands, and a questionable ally.”
— Women.com -
“Intricate and moving…Plausible depictions of psychologically wounded characters enhance the surprising plot twists.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review) -
“Hazel encounters old Hollywood hotels, poisonous seeds, Italian tweeds, and Mark Twain disguises as she puts two and two together. Verdict: Jacobs’ debut novel cleverly mixes people, plots, and puzzle with humor and heart.”
— Library Journal (starred review) -
“Delivers all the page-turning suspense of a mystery novel laced with insights into modern mathematics and quantum physics and into the dynamics of family relationships. A brilliant first novel.”
— Booklist (starred review) -
“In lovely, inventive prose, Jacobs reengineers the tropes of family drama to explore age-old conundrums of destiny versus self-determination…[A] remarkable debut.”
— Kirkus Reviews -
“I so hated saying goodbye to the brainy eccentrics in the Severy clan that I started this book all over again as soon as I finished it.”
— Julia Claiborne Johnson, award-winning author of Be Frank with Me -
“In The Last Equation of Isaac Severy, Nova Jacobs sends an endearing bookstore owner on a quest for an elusive mathematical formula—but that is only the beginning of her journey. Jacobs weaves a charming, mysterious tale about family bonds, personal ghosts, and the wondrous intersection of mathematics and art. A fun, compelling read.”
— Matthew Sullivan, author of Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore
Awards
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A Book-of-the-Month Club Selection
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An Indie Next List Selection
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A Library Journal Editor’s Pick for Spring
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A New York Times Book Review pick of the Best Books Now in Paperback
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Finalist for the 2019 Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best First Novel by an American Author
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About Nova Jacobs
Nova Jacobs holds an MFA degree from the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts and is a recipient of the Nicholl Fellowship from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
About Lisa Flanagan
Lisa Flanagan is a classically trained soprano, comedian, voice-over artist, and Earphones Award–winning narrator.