Book Review: An Elegant Solution {Bethany House Publishers}

An Elegant Solution by Paul Robertson

ISBN: 9780764205705

Paperback, 427 pages

Publisher: Bethany House

Retail: $14.99

About the book (from the back cover):

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. 

About the author (from Bethany House):

Paul Robertson is a computer programming consultant, part-time high-school math and science teacher, and the author of The Heir. He is also a former Christian bookstore owner (for 15 years), who lives with his family in Blacksburg, Virginia.

My thoughts:

This is a difficult review to write because it took me longer than I anticipated to even get into this book. The writing is...different. It is enjoyable yet extremely frustrating at the same time. It is a book that I could not simply curl up with my cup of coffee and zip through. Well, perhaps I could but I would have missed so much. Reviews from Bethany House are to be completed within one month of receiving the book. I received this book in late October, early November. With the holidays, I've been preoccupied, but even so, this book has taken more of an effort to finish. 

Now that that's out of the way, here's my thoughts.

It reminds me of an 'old' book. The time period is the mid 1700s. The place is Basel, and Robertson does well to describe the city. Leonhard Euler and the Bernoulli's are all real people that I think Robertson has done much research on to be able to give a basic likeness to his characters. Of course, this is a work of fiction, so he's taken liberties, I'm sure. 

Twists, turns, suspense, great descriptives, and good character development are all in this book. But mostly what has stayed with me is the writing style.  

"Every kettle only holds its own measure and no more. Someday they'll reach that and overflow."And then late, as I laid my head on my pillow, thinking about the day and my Master's family, I could hear an overflowing. Not a kettle, but a river. Not the Rhine, but something else, something rising and disturbed. I heard it murmuring, and felt its pull, and was pulled by it to sleep. (pg 17)

Another is the separation -or is it absolute inclusion?- of reality with the past and symbolism. Not just of general symbolism, of secular nature, but references to God and things from the Bible. Here is a bit of that:

The ceiling was higher inside than the roof outside, so far above the stones of the floor that the air inside the church was pulled thin by it...The pillars reached down to the stone floor and pulled upward on it, so the whole church was supported and lifted by its highest steeple. The floor grasped the crypt and the crypt was bedded in the rock and soil of the earth, which meant Basel, and the whole planet, was held up by the church and the church by the heavens...It was important of Basel that it was caught like this, held taut between earth and heaven like a knot between ropes. It was part of each but was not either. One day the city might be pulled fully to one side, and what a sundering that would be. (pg 38)

In black and white I wandered the streets. Others did, also. In the Market Square, beneath the Town Hall's festal brick, the stalls were very crowded. Farmers sold their vegetables, grains, and rustic wares. Goliath was there, with a grindstone, sharpening customers' cutlery. Near him, David was selling wool and slings, keeping count of his business with smooth stones. Demetrius sold his silver, Paul his tents and Lydia her purples, though Basel had no imperials to want them. There was a commotion as someone upset some tables of moneychangers, but I walked on. (pg 115)

While I was reading this book, I would sometimes share bits of it with my teens. My son asked me -jokingly, of course- if elegant means confusing. I'll admit some parts were confusing but the way it's written just pulls you to persevere to finish. There are quite a few references to mathematical equations and reasonings. Those bits were not completely understandable to me personally but I thought them well done so that if someone else were mathematically minded, they would get it.   

Some of the dialogue I didn't particularly care for. It was ...short? Not in length but in style. The characters might have been short in their replies but it seemed excessively so in many of the instances. Here's an example from page 85-86:

"What are your questions?" Gustavus bowed his head in respect. He knew the Inquisitor's power. And Gottlieb knew it, too.
"Who was Knipper?"
"He was a man." His answer wasn't frivolous but profound.
"What was his life?"
"To drive his coach."
"Why did he die?"
"Because his life ended."
...
"Did you see him the evening when he came in from Bern?"
"I saw him."
"What did you see of him?"
"That he'd come."

The murder of a coach driver, Knipper, is where the suspense starts. It wasn't until about 1/2 way through though that I started to really get into the book and wanting to pick it up. Before that there are references to Master Johann's brother's death, and an inquiry being made by Leonhard -he was rather forced to inquire- into the death. No one likes his meddling, however. The whole situation has the reader -as well as the main character- scratching their head! As it goes along, more falls into place, revealing much more. I thought I'd figured out much as it went but was wrong in some places. I won't tell you much in the way of spoilers or how it ends because I don't do that and ... I'm not finished.

I do want to read other of Robertson's books now. Well, just as soon as I finish this one. I really like the way his writing frustrates intrigues. It makes me pay attention and want to pay attention. I didn't once want to skip ahead to see who-done-it {well, maybe I wanted to once but I figured that with the way it was going, I would be lost as to how it happened!}.

So, how can I write a review of a book I've not finished? You see how I've done it. I am enjoying this book although it is not all smooth sailing while reading it. Books that are easy to read aren't always 'good' books and those that are more of a challenge are not 'bad'. 

**Disclaimer: I received this book from Bethany House Publishers for the purpose of this review. No compensation was given. All opinions are my own. See Disclosure/Policies.**