Customer Reviews

The Fractal Murders (Pepper Keane Mysteries)

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Seldom do you feel like a book has been specifically written for you, especially when it is a first novel by an unheralded author published by Muddy Gap Press in Boulder, CO. However, in my quest for mysteries by new authors I was intrigued by the uniformly glowing reviews for THE FRACTAL MURDERS, and after the first two paragraphs I knew that I was hooked.

This is hopefully the first in a series of Pepper Keane mysteries, a former prosecutor turned PI as he deals with his existential anxieties by reading Heidegger, listening to country music and Credence Clearwater, running and working out at his brother's gym, and hanging out with two great dogs in his mountain Colorado home, and hoping for enough interesting cases to support himself. And a mathematical and business angle to boot, two things with which I am familiar enough to increase my appreciation of the story but not essential to your enjoyment. ( The author's explanations are very clear and concise and a detailed understanding is not at all crucial to the story line.)

Doctor Jane Smymers, a professor at the Boulder campus of the University of Colorado learns of the recent apparently unrelated deaths of three specialists in fractal mathematics, and her knowledge of statistics convinces her that the provbabilty of these being random events is extremely small. She involves the FBI but is dissatisfied with their decision to close the case, having found no relationship between the individuals, the modes of death being very dissimilar, and the geographic locations being widespread (East Coast, West Coast, and midwestern college campuses). Despite his reservations, Jane convinces Pepper to conduct a preliminary investigation of his own, and his interest is heightened by the fact that one of the FBI agents on the case is someone whose history is a source of great aggravation to Pepper.

The author is a former JAG lawyer and now a municipal court judge in Boulder, so he knows the law, the FBI, and the area, and captures the essence of them all. He never writes down to the reader, and we get to feel that Pepper is someone who we would enjoy getting to know. (A western version of Robert Parker's Spenser with more existential angst.) And, as you may guess, Pepper becomes increasingly attracted to Jane and this plot line adds another dimension to the story.

A few examples of some of the great lines,

"A girlfriend once told me that I spent too much time thinking about things. I'd thought about that a lot over the years."

"How was Wall Walla?" asked Scott. "It's the city so beautiful they named it twice."

"This trip has been a real education," Scott said. "First I find out that there's a National Forest in Nebraska. Now I learn that there are black squirrels in Kansas." "I think that the politically correct term is 'squirrels of color'."

And one last thing, you'll have to read the book to discover how to communicate in E-Prime. A true delight, a real education , and a good mystery all in the same book..It was so involving that I had to keep reading it to find out how it ended, but I was enjoying it so much I was disappointed when I was done that I would have to wait for the next volume. Definitely as highly recommended as anything that I have read in the last year, even if your interests are not as closely aligned with the subject matter as mine. If you like clever wordplay, fun characters, and mystery, you'll like this book.

A Denver native, Mark Cohen graduated from Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, then attended law school at the University of Colorado. He practiced law in Nebraska, served as an Air Force Judge Advocate, and now resides in Boulder, Colorado, where he serves as a municipal judge. He has written several articles, and probably many more briefs. The Fractal Murders is his first mystery.

Pepper Keane is a retired attorney and former Federal Prosecutor who is now living and working in Boulder with his two dogs, Buck and Wheat. He is hired by Jane Smyders, a math professor at the University of Colorado when three of her colleagues who specialize in her area of expertise, fractal geometry, are either murdered or die by suspicious means. Pepper has enough of a background, having been a former Marine JAG, and connections galore from past and present affiliations, to find the common thread that connects the deaths. Pepper is an interesting man, with an affection for Diet Coke, rock and roll, reading Philosophy, and exercise; an unusual observation of sizing people up (often associated with what they are wearing); and an encyclopedic knowledge and grasp of many subjects. Then there is the attraction he feels for his new client, Jane Smyers:

"We continued running and I thought about Jayne Smyers. She was pretty, no doubt about that. And she was certainly smart. But some other quality was drawing me to her. She possessed a certain perky optimism - something I felt I lacked. I tried to put her out of my mind, but I kept hearing that Sam Cooke song. Maybe by being an A student, I could win her love for me.

The Fractal Murders is an intensely entertaining book that is simply delicious to read. The action is well-paced, Pepper's character is a nice package of enough brawn, brains, experience, logic, and sensuality to make him a hero of sorts, but with enough flaws to make him a believable character. The plot is well charted and covers many areas where Mr. Cohen has something to teach that is interesting without overshadowing the story. Pepper Keane is a nice mix of sensitivity and intellect, with just enough experience to give his character depth. Cohen does a superb job of keeping the reader guessing, and even the end poses a bit of a love puzzle. Cohen leaves us clamoring for more. Exceptionally clear writing makes it a great read!

...

I am new to the mystery genre and fiction for the most part. I picked up Bluetick Revenge at the library a few months ago and really enjoyed it.

I couldn't wait to pick up Fractals. I wasn't disappointed. Cohens characters are fun and interesting and the locations let my imagination wander. The Fractal theme wasn't very technical and I believe I may have actually learned something useful from a fiction novel. I found it to be a nice reprieve from non-fiction world news and such. Anyway, it was a real page turner for me. I look forward to reading the next Buck and Wheat adventure ;)

Living in Colorado I enjoy searching out and reading mysteries that either take place in Colorado or are written by Colorado authors. The author, Mark Cohen, lives in Nederland, Colorado.

In this award winning mystery novel, "Hard-Boiled" Detective Pepper Keane is hired by a tall and attractive math professor (with whom he of course eventually starts a romantic relationship) who is concerned about the deaths of three of her colleagues. Three victims, three different states. Although the FBI concludes that the deaths are unrelated, she is convinced that these three mathematicians were murdered because of their knowledge of fractal geometry.

I give The Fractal Murders a very high rating as a mystery, a genre I almost read exclusively and may be a bit jaded about and very critical of, because it was clever enough to keep me from figuring out the solution too early even though all of the clues were there. The writing style, however, did not completely appeal to me. But this was more than made up for by a main character and plot that kept me interested. This is obviously a first novel. The development of characters is still in an early stage. But I look forward to more mysteries with Pepper Keane as the main character.
The list of suspects grows and the plot becomes more interesting as you proceed. This is a "Hardboiled" P.I. / detective novel. So, at times the book is pretty violent and at times very funny. The ending has you holding your breath until the last page. Unfortunately, there are a number of typos, which proved disconcerting to me, but they did not minimize my enjoyment of the book. I look forward to more of Pepper Keane.
Before reading Fractal Murders, I knew nothing about fractal mathematics. After reading Fractal Murders, I still know very little about fractal mathematics. But that's okay. I don't think the point of the book was to teach Fractal Mathmatics, but was just part of the plotting. Anyway, it all makes sense as the story unfolds.
I enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. You'll think you solved the crime early and often. But the ending will surprise you!
John Row

The Fractal Murders follows lawyer turned private-eye Pepper Keane as he seeks to learn what connects the seemingly unrelated deaths of three math professors -- all specialists in fractal geometry. Keane is an exciting character, a bit of a contradiction. He is a former Marine JAG that flirts with vegetarianism, drinks Diet Coke by the gallon, and knows more rock 'n roll trivia than most any man should.

When an attractive math professor, Jayne Smyers, discovers that three specialists in fractal geometry are dead, she alerts the FBI. When they tell her it was just a coincidence, she hires Pepper Keane. With his sidekick, unemployed astrophysicist Scott McCutcheon, Pepper leaves no stone un-turned, and comes up with more suspects than he bargained for.

I could not put this book down. It was that good. The humor was great, and Pepper Keane's wisecracks reminded me a lot of Robert B. Parker's Spenser novels.

If you are an academic looking for some light reading during a break, then this book is for you. In general, I am not a fan of mysteries, but this one held my attention. The basic premise is that three mathematicians, all of whom are experts in the use of fractals, have died. Two were clearly murdered and the third was an apparent suicide. At first, it appears that their common area of expertise is a coincidence, but that is not the case. My interest was not held by the use of mathematics, but by the pace and quality of the story.
The author is a lawyer and a judge who lives in Colorado, which is the residence of the primary character, Pepper Keane, who is a retired lawyer now working as a private investigator. The principle characters are generally very well developed and also full of idiosyncrasies. The background of the author comes out clearly as the story progresses, as the steps in the investigation are generally sequential and logical.
I am not an expert on fractals, but follow the field well enough to know that the mathematical premise of fractals being used to predict markets is a real one. This added an additional point of validity to the story as it would have been much weaker if the math usage was less than legitimate.
I enjoyed this story and encourage the author to write another involving the main character. Halfway through it, I thought I had tagged the culprit, but it turned out that I was wrong and did not find that out until the last few pages. I am recommending it to all of my non-mathematician friends who enjoy murder mysteries.

Published in Journal of Recreational Mathematics, reprinted with permission.

Here is a first novel that is written with great assurance, good humor and intelligence. Pepper Keane is--I have to hope--going to be a highly likable series hero. What makes The Fractal Murders notable is the lack of macho posturing, an absence of violent scenes that so many mystery writers feel are necessary to validate their hero's status as someone out of the ordinary. Pepper Keane is a thinking man, with a good heart and a gentle sense of humor. His dealings with females, particularly Jayne Smyers (the professor who hires him to look into the deaths of three fellow mathematicians), are refreshingly honest and discreet. The author spares the reader graphic details--again that so many writers feel are needed when they are not. Most readers have functioning intelligence and don't need to be spoonfed details we can readily supply via our own imaginations. It appears that author Cohen has grasped this significant fact and has written from the heart, without undue embellishments. He also manages to impart information on the somewhat arcane field of fractal mathematics without leaving the reader glassy-eyed--no small accomplishment.

Nothing is telegraphed; there are no stock characters. This is fresh, thoughtful writing that supports a new private eye who holds the reader's interest (and affection) through his personal honesty, good heartedness and intelligence.

My only quibble is a rather amateurishly done page layout and less than perfect proofreading--neither of which problems detracts from this well-done book.
Highly recommended.

I love reading mysteries (essentially junk food for my mind) that increase my awareness of more esoteric subjects. I still know next to nothing about fractals, but at least I know they exist. And I had a great time reading the Fractal Murders while that happened.

Pepper Keane is a great character, a sort of Travis McGee of our time. Actually, a great deal about the Fractal Murders has very much a John D. MacDonald flavor to it. Keane is a protgonist who has rebelled against "the man" and lives by his own rules as an investigator. A woman brings him a case that is complex and full of intrigue. Happily, Mark Cohen is a little more light-handed with the sexism and the sex than MacDonald!.

The Fractal Murders has great background that I never found boring, Pepper Keane is a charming main character and his family and friends are also full of personality and fully envisioned. No one-dimensional characterizations. The mystery leads you most of the way and then has a twist I didn't see coming. I liked this book very much and would read more by this author. I hope there are more!

University of Colorado math professor Jayne Smyers hires Pepper Keane, former Marine JAG turned PI, to investigate the deaths of three other math professors. The Feds have investigated and found no link between the deaths. Jayne is convinced there's a link. Pepper is skeptical at first but agrees to look into it.

There's plenty of bad blood between Pepper and FBI agent Polk who did some of the investigating. This history adds to Pepper's determination to investigate these deaths.

As Pepper digs deeper into the deaths, he begins to see some similar threads that continue to propel him forward. With romance in the air, Pepper worries that Jayne may be the next victim.

Can he decipher the pattern and unmask the killer before anyone else is killed? Can he protect Jayne as well?

I thoroughly enjoyed this refreshing mystery. Pepper is a fabulous character, even with his baggage. It is explained throughout the book, so we aren't left floundering. His interactions with Polk, Jayne, detectives where each mathematician was killed, his brother, his neighbors, and his best friend really help us to get to know him.

I found the math to be explained in plain English so that it was easy to understand. It also didn't detract from the investigation; it actually enhanced it. I am not a mathematician, but I really enjoyed this book. I hope he writes more in this series. I can't wait to read them. I highly recommend this book.

In addition to being an engaging story with adventure, humor, and surprises, Cohen "teaches" the math encountered in an interesting way. All in all, the book is a great read that keeps the reader turning the pages till they end.