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The Last Equation of Isaac Severy A Novel in Clues Nova Jacobs Books

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The Last Equation of Isaac Severy A Novel in Clues Nova Jacobs Books

Is everything we do, including murder, already known or to be revealed?

This is the debate at the heart of the riddle in Nova Jacobs’ 2018 novel, “The Last Equation of Issac Severy.” If all acts are predetermined, then, murder in whatever form is premeditated. On the hand, if impulsive is taken as free will, some murders can be unintentional. And what about suicide?

Jacobs opens the story with a great teasing promise of mystery: “On the morning he was to die, the old man woke early and set about making breakfast.” It certainly has to rank with Daphne du Maurier’s “Last night I dreamt of Manderley again.” The line embraces the core issue immediately: is his death expected or unknown to him?

The old man is Issac Severy, a brilliant mathematician of international renown, and we are quickly introduced to several others of the family during his funeral. The setting is contemporary Los Angeles though the initial atmosphere feels a bit like Robin Cook’s mystery, “Coma.”

The lead perspective is from his granddaughter, Hazel, providing the consistent plot line. Other developments are shared through the eyes of her brother, Gregory, and her uncle, Philip. The alternating perspective adds a nice rhythm to the story while maintaining the suspense.

It seems Issac left Hazel a secret letter with verbal and symbolic clues, including veiled hints at where to find and what to do with his last work, even though she is anything but mathematically inclined. As his words describe, “the family member they would least suspect.” Hazel does not share the information but, as she quickly discovers, her actions are being watched.

Meanwhile Gregory, a Los Angeles police detective, and Philip, a Caltech professor of string theory physics, have their own devils to dance with: both with disappointed ambitions and failing affairs.

And there is an assortment of other people, shadowy at first and even confusing in their relationships to the primary characters: cousin Alex, “beautiful glowing things” -Silas, Sidney and an older sister, Sydney -, foster father Tom. Each adds to the texture and tapestry of the tale.

The plot blends both chase and whodunit elements of mystery. A nice touch is the introduction of a greater Los Angeles map with dots and codes suggesting future events.

Traditional suspense elements are blended with more philosophical perspectives as to whether a formula can capture the chaos of daily lives and predict the future. But then, if the future is predetermined, all murders must be premeditated in some form, right? Or are some blind compulsion?

Even though the tale makes reference to well know physicists, mathematicians, the puzzles they have worked on such as Fermat’s Last Theorem, these do not deter from an intricate fun read. They are the color of the world the characters live in and where the actions unfold.

And by the end, while entertained by the immediate answer, you may find more mysteries remain to be unraveled.


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The Last Equation of Isaac Severy A Novel in Clues Nova Jacobs Books Reviews

This is the first supposed science fiction book that I have purchased in a long time but it contains very little science and fairly dull crime fiction. I bought it based on a fairly good review in the WSJ that claimed it was a good meld of physics and crime. It contains very little science. The author marvels over such trite mathematical quandaries as the Monty Hall door switch dilemma but spends little time on real physics except name dropping of sophisticated-sounding Cal-Tech presentations such as "New Non-Perturbative Results for Non_BPS Black Hole M-Brane Constructions in M-Theory." These are placed within the novel to show us how smart the characters are supposed to be because there really is no other way to deduce their intelligence besides the massive migraine headaches from which they all suffer.
The story itself is not particularly engaging and, with only lip service paid to actual math or physics, doesn't hold up.
The premise of knowing the future feels silly and contrived.
I read this over the holidays but am still looking for a good read that educates as well as entertains.
I used to teach English Comp and honestly expected to love this book. The author writes beautifully and I thoroughly enjoyed the first couple of chapters. But I couldn't find a story. Once I thought I had, I felt more like I was on one of those boring teenaged scavenger hunts than reading a mystery.

My husband tried reading the book, too, and gave up less than halfway through. Just don't bother.
This is the kind of novel that always makes me jealous of the writer and wonder if I could ever pull this off, especially as a first novel.

There are so many great things to say about this book, I’m not sure where to start

First of all, it’s a twisty, turny, literary puzzle hunt. It reminds me of another of my favorite books, “The Emperor of Ocean Park,” by Stephen Carter — a similar family drama wrapped in a mystery/thriller.

Secondly, it makes you want to be part of this family, part of this world. Even while dark, tawdry, mysterious things are happening, they’re taking place in Jacobs’ warm world of books, professors, intellectual discussions and pursuits. These are smart, well-read, well-studied people we’re reading about… people who spend their time in independent bookstores and walking about college campuses… and it’s not only a blast to watch them scurry about solving mysteries, having affairs, and racing to stop murders, but we long to be one of them as well.

In fact, that may be one of the book’s best qualities — it makes you feel smart as you read it. It’s the story of Hazel, owner of an indie bookstore, trying to solve a mysterious math problem left behind by her late grandfather, an esteemed mathematician. And just to be clear, I HATE MATH. I hate anything to do with numbers. Literally hate it. I can’t even keep track of my push-ups during boot camp. Yet this book is about math in a big way — and I totally got it. Jacobs smartly avoids getting into the weeds of mathematical processes and techniques. Yes, the McGuffin here depends on all kinds of algebra and calculus I could never get my head around, but Jacobs keeps her story focused on the characters, their relationships, their actions, and how this equation affects their lives — not the math itself. As a result, even if you’re a math-phobe like me, you’re never left behind or confused, and — for a few brief moments as you read this book — you’re allowed to feel smarter than you actually are.

Anyway — this a wonderfully, fun, absorbing, transportive page-turner. If you liked “The Emperor of Ocean Park” or “The Rule of Four,” this book is right up your alley.
Is everything we do, including murder, already known or to be revealed?

This is the debate at the heart of the riddle in Nova Jacobs’ 2018 novel, “The Last Equation of Issac Severy.” If all acts are predetermined, then, murder in whatever form is premeditated. On the hand, if impulsive is taken as free will, some murders can be unintentional. And what about suicide?

Jacobs opens the story with a great teasing promise of mystery “On the morning he was to die, the old man woke early and set about making breakfast.” It certainly has to rank with Daphne du Maurier’s “Last night I dreamt of Manderley again.” The line embraces the core issue immediately is his death expected or unknown to him?

The old man is Issac Severy, a brilliant mathematician of international renown, and we are quickly introduced to several others of the family during his funeral. The setting is contemporary Los Angeles though the initial atmosphere feels a bit like Robin Cook’s mystery, “Coma.”

The lead perspective is from his granddaughter, Hazel, providing the consistent plot line. Other developments are shared through the eyes of her brother, Gregory, and her uncle, Philip. The alternating perspective adds a nice rhythm to the story while maintaining the suspense.

It seems Issac left Hazel a secret letter with verbal and symbolic clues, including veiled hints at where to find and what to do with his last work, even though she is anything but mathematically inclined. As his words describe, “the family member they would least suspect.” Hazel does not share the information but, as she quickly discovers, her actions are being watched.

Meanwhile Gregory, a Los Angeles police detective, and Philip, a Caltech professor of string theory physics, have their own devils to dance with both with disappointed ambitions and failing affairs.

And there is an assortment of other people, shadowy at first and even confusing in their relationships to the primary characters cousin Alex, “beautiful glowing things” -Silas, Sidney and an older sister, Sydney -, foster father Tom. Each adds to the texture and tapestry of the tale.

The plot blends both chase and whodunit elements of mystery. A nice touch is the introduction of a greater Los Angeles map with dots and codes suggesting future events.

Traditional suspense elements are blended with more philosophical perspectives as to whether a formula can capture the chaos of daily lives and predict the future. But then, if the future is predetermined, all murders must be premeditated in some form, right? Or are some blind compulsion?

Even though the tale makes reference to well know physicists, mathematicians, the puzzles they have worked on such as Fermat’s Last Theorem, these do not deter from an intricate fun read. They are the color of the world the characters live in and where the actions unfold.

And by the end, while entertained by the immediate answer, you may find more mysteries remain to be unraveled.