The Last Equation of Isaac Severy by Nova Jacobs (Simon & Schuster) March 2018- In 40 words or less: An accident or murder? When a world-renowned mathematician dies his final project is nowhere to be found. Hazel, his adopted granddaughter is the only family member Isaac trusted with the clues to his legacy. More secrets and more death follow.
- Genre: Literary fiction/mystery
- Locale: California
- Time: The present
- Jacobs’ debut novel blurs the lines of mystery and standard fiction. While no understanding of mathematics is necessary to enjoy this novel, it is critical to the story.
Hazel Severy and her brother Gregory are outsiders in a large family of mathematicians and academics. Adopted by Isaac Severy’s imprisoned and mentally ill son, they were taken in by Isaac and his wife. Eschewing the family business, Hazel runs a (now-failing) bookstore and Gregory is in children’s protective services, seeking to keep others from the tumultuous childhood he and Hazel endured.
When Isaac is found dead by the pool under somewhat suspicious circumstances, fissures within all the branches of the family quickly appear. Isaac’s children either live in or battle his shadow, not quite living up to his professional or personal successes. Estranged family members return for the funeral, and to search for his writings that may provide someone with that one big break or possible financial success. For years, Isaac had spoken of a model that could predict traffic patterns thereby reducing congestion and accidents. In their home city of Los Angeles this could be the pot of gold – reducing pollution, saving lives, giving people more time in their day – and some shadowy organizations seemed interested in acquiring the rights to the results.
With these family and professional animosities, Isaac sent Hazel a letter suggesting there were people out to get his project and that no one could be trusted, not the police and not family. Understanding her fundamental ties to books, coded clues were hidden to send her in search of the truth. Jacobs strings the story along through all the family members and the halls of academia. She seems to hold little respect for those in academic life, always searching for the next grant and journal article, often acting inappropriately towards students. Infidelity, professional sabotage, and all manners of family dysfunction abound.
So why read this? Despite the darkness in the Severy family, The Last Equation is an entertaining read. For book people, having a bookstore owner as a main character is a great plot hook. Beyond that, the brother and sister combo of Hazel and Gregory provides a measure of humanity missing in the rest of the family. Jacobs is good about dropping breadcrumbs of clues, along with misdirections, throughout. As a mystery, there are more surprises than one might expect. While many of the characters are far from likable, Jacobs has created some people who are deserving of better. Overall, this is a strong change of pace novel, regardless of your preferred genre, and worth taking with you wherever the summer may take you.
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