The Riddle of the Fractal Monks is a wild ride: an over-the-top math/tech/mystery/humor novel that is the third volume in a series built around the work of a deceased pair of genius-level twin mathematicians, Archimedes and Pythagoras Vavasor. Though this was the third volume in the series and I hadn't read the first two I had no trouble following the narrative which begins with a monk plunging from a balcony to his death at a concert of music composed by Hildegard Von Bingen and grows more and more bizarre from that point. Llamas? Yes. Obscure and murderous monastic orders? Yes. Self defense with a meat cleaver? Yes. This is a perfect book if you're looking for a bit of undemanding, upbeat entertainment. I know I'll be going back to read the first two volumes in the series one of these days when I need a textual pick-me-up.

I received a free electronic review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions are my own.

Reading The Riddle of the Fractal Monks by Jonathan Pinnock without reading the other books in the series was a bit like plunging into a television drama midway through the season. It wasn't like a Poirot where the familiar characters are solving a brand new mystery, it's clearly a continuation of an action-packed adventure started in the first two books. There was some explanation to get me up to speed, but I think that I should probably have read the first two books to get the most out of this one.

Having said that, I did enjoy the book. It was funny and fast-paced and I'd certainly like to read more from this author. The recognisably English setting was particularly enjoyable.

The story ended on a bit of a cliff-hanger, so I hope Mr Pinnock is already working on Book 4!

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing a review copy in exchange for honest feedback.

The Riddle of the Fractal Monks is full-on action from the first chapter. Tom and his girlfriend, Dorothy, are at a prom when the body of a monk bounces down the various tiers of seating and lands near them.

I really wanted to like this book but several aspects got in the way:
a) Characters’ behaviour isn’t natural. On page 1 , a middle-aged woman waiting in the queue at the Albert Hall utters a loud expletive. I have no objection to swearing in the right place, but I just didn’t think it was at all realistic for this character in that situation. That made me more critical of further events.
b) The first few chapters keep introducing characters from the previous books in the series. Whilst I enjoy series, I expect the author to help readers enjoy any book as a stand-alone read and, ideally, want to buy the previous books in the series. I felt no such assistance here. I just felt bewildered.
c) The plot develops in a style that reminds me of comic book crudeness. How likely is it that Tom would meet Sven and agree to go to sea with him, given Sven’s behaviour?
d) There’s no real character development or empathy. I found it difficult to predict how characters would behave, even at the end of the book.
In summary, the book’s OK but I’m not motivated to read any other ones.

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