I do like how Robertson writes. He has such a knack for painting pictures with words. For example, Leonhard has walked the streets of his town all his life. Robertson describes the scenery such as a boy might see, leaving out much detail. Then as Leonhard grows up from an 18 year old boy into an 18 year old man, Robertson describes more detail as Leonhard walks along the streets making the city come to life.
He illustrates thoughts that will lay in your mind rising to wakefulness when you least expect it. The story stays with you even after you turn out the light.
This story is not a light or fluffy read. There is lots of meat to chew on, and many points to ponder as you chew. Sometimes Robertson will not lead into an illustration well and you may find yourself lost, groping for some kind of foundation. Descriptions of what Leonhard sees (because he sees things not seen), do not seem to meld into the story well. You find yourself struggling to connect some dots. But, those are few and far between.
The characters are extremely well developed. No head jumping or hopping for the story is written in first person. As Leonhard delves deeper into the mystery, the reader is sometimes left to wonder what Leonhard has just discovered. It reminds me of sitting in Algebra class and everyone "got" the illustration, but I'm sitting there without a clue.
Mathematics plays a huge role in this storyline, but in this part of the story everything remains crystal clear. Robertson does an excellent job describing and explaining what the role in complete clarity. No connecting dots or wondering if a paragraph or two was cut and laying on the editor's floor.
Frankly, the mystery is not the fascinating part of the novel. Leonhard's journey to maturity, and his deep faith through this journey is the most fascinating. Somehow when you get to the end, you aren't panting for "whodunit" but you are marveling at how gently, inexhorbaly you are drawn to understand how important faith, honesty, and God's will is to the believer.
ABOUT THE BOOK
When the Rules That Govern Men Are Shattered, All You Can Trust Are the Invisible Rules That Govern Life Itself
For math prodigy Leonhard Euler, the Bernoulli family have been more than just friends. Master Johann has been a demanding mentor, and his sons have been Leonhard's allies and companions. But this is a family torn by jealousy. Father and sons are engaged in a ruthless competition for prestige among the mathematical elites of Europe. And now, their aspirations may have turned deadly.
Lured into an investigation of the suspicious death of Jacob Bernoulli, his master's brother, twenty years ago, Leonhard soon discovers he's facing an elusive puzzle as complicated as any math equation. Surrounded by the world's most brilliant--and cunning--minds, Leonhard finds himself tracing an unraveling and invisible spiral of greed, blackmail, and murder. He'll need all his genius to find an elegant solution to this desperate battle of wills.
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