When I read the first book in this series, The Naturalist, I felt as though I'd hit the jackpot with the main character, Dr. Theo Cray. This feeling continued in Looking Glass. In my review of the first book, I said: "Cray is a wimp. He's a nerd. He has trouble relating to people because his head is so thoroughly buried in science and he spends so much time alone on field trips." In this second book, Cray isn't such a wimp anymore. His experiences have changed him, and he's learned how to protect himself better and how to minimize the risks he takes. What hasn't changed is how much I love watching how this character's mind works and how he tracks things down and puts them together. He sees patterns that no one else can, and that's highly important in his search for the Toy Man and the missing children. Cray may say that he can't read his own moral compass, but he definitely has one. When he sees something wrong-- especially something that others are knowingly turning a blind eye to-- he will not quit until the bad guys are caught. No matter what it takes.

Shunned by fellow academics, Cray is looked upon as the Dark Knight in defense intelligence circles, and they're hoping that he'll develop programs they can use both in war and in law enforcement. He's doing his best to steer clear of the war part of the work, and he made me smile when he uses his clearance and some of the tricks he's learned in his new job to help him on his quest to find the missing children.

Andrew Mayne certainly knows how to write a story and a main character that set fire to my imagination, and although I did find the serial killer in Looking Glass to be a bit over the top, both the killer and the events surrounding him aren't completely out of the realm of possibility. I've grabbed a copy of the next Theo Cray thriller, and I know that I'll enjoy reading it. ( )

Better than The Naturalist. Andrew Mayne’s character Theo Cray is the perfect balance between an action hero and a true scientist. The plot development is excellent and the writing is superb. ( )

https://tamaranth.blogspot.com/2021/10/2021117-looking-glass-andrew-mayne.html ( )

Professor Theo Cray has a reputation as a rogue scientist willing to do anything to catch a killer. Having just used every scientific and investigative tool at his disposal to catch a serial killer in Montana, Cray is approached by a father whose son disappeared 9 years before. The police assumed the boy was involved in gang activity because the area of South California he disappeared in is known for violence. His father knows better. Cray agrees to look into it, and finds that a killer called the "Toy Man'' has been stalking, enticing and murdering young, black boys for years. Once again acting outside of law enforcement, Cray is on the trail of a dangerous serial killer and making use of every revolutionary scientific approach he knows to pinpoint a suspect, getting himself into hot water again in the process.

Looking Glass is the second book in the Naturalist series, but the first book by Andrew Mayne that I have read. Readers can jump in and start the series with book two like I did, but be forewarned that lots of information about the first story is revealed during the second book. I don't mind....I'm still going to backtrack and read the first book, even though I know who the killer is already and some of the events leading up to his capture. Cray is an interesting character. He is highly intelligent and very knowledgeable about scientific investigation, procedure and testing. He thinks in a purely logical manner, which makes emotion and social situations a bit tough for him. He tends to come off as a jerk, but it's really just directness and true knowledge, not know-it-all jerkishness. He annoys law enforcement because he bypasses their investigations when they refuse to listen to him. He solves cases they can't solve themselves and doesn't care whose toes he steps on. When I first started Looking Glass, I had a hard time liking this character. He really did come off as a bit of a self-absorbed academic. But, then I got pulled into the story and came to understand that Theo Cray merely looks at all things in a purely logical and scientific manner. He has a goal and uses everything in his disposal to reach that goal -- this time, it's catching a serial killer preying on children. It wasn't long before I was totally on Cray's side, forgiving him for his personality.

This story is well-written and just amazing. The suspense is fantastic and the investigation is incredibly interesting. Cray has access to new scientific tests and tools that help him ferret out clues. Whether or not these things are actually available I have no clue....but the science seemed credible enough to me. I'm no expert....so I just went with the flow and enjoyed the story. Loved it! By the end, I was completely immersed in the story. The ending is fantastic! (No spoilers from me! Read the book!)

A third book in this series, Murder Theory, will be coming out in February, 2019. I can't wait!! I will be backtracking to read the first book, The Naturalist. Andrew Mayne has written several other books including the Station Breaker series and the Jessica Blackwood novels. I will be reading his other books while I wait for the new Theo Cray novel.

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this novel from Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.** ( )

Whilst I felt this was missing an element that the first book had, mainly searching for a serial killer no one else believed was even a person, this installment in the Dr Theo Cray series is by no means bad. Rather the story has shifted to Dr Cray being well known and now working with a new somewhat shady government contractor, where he is approached by a man who wants help to find his missing son, or more specifically, his sons killer.

This search takes on a life of its own as Dr Cray investigates the locale and determines there is a serial killer operating in the area, and further research turns up evidence that the acting law enforcement agencies seem awfully quick to want to pin on a particular person rather than exploring other potential leads.

This becomes more obvious later on when Dr Cray continues researching his leads when a spook turns up in his hotel room and attempts to ward him off, from here it turns into a battle of wills between Dr Crays intellect and cunning, and the spook's backers willingness to protect their minion.

Overall, whilst different to the first book it was still an excellent book, the plot unfolds in a realistic non sensational manner that is relatable. ( )