Andrew Mayne (1)
Author of The Naturalist
For other authors named Andrew Mayne, see the disambiguation page.
Series
Works by Andrew Mayne
How to Write a Novella in 24 Hours: And other questionable & possibly insane advice on creativity for writers (2015) 19 copies, 2 reviews
The Chronological Man 6 copies
Solo-X 3 copies
How to Levitate 2 copies
Pocket Sawing-In-Half 1 copy
Extreme Brain Damage 1 copy
Illusion FX 1 copy
In Half 1 copy
Bisection Unlimited 1 copy
Illusion EFX 1 copy
Event Horizon 1 copy
Free Fall 1 copy
Levitator 1 copy
Voodoo Box 1 copy
Associated Works
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 20th century
- Gender
- male
- Occupations
- magician
- Short biography
- Known for his creative and visual style of magic, Andrew has made ghosts appear on the screens of borrowed iPhones, shrunk himself to one foot tall and even made a town think they were besieged by UFOs. With over 45 published books, DVDs and effects, Andrew is considered one of the most creative magicians of his generation. His creative repertoire stretches from both intimate close-up magic to grand illusion.
He's the publisher of WeirdThings.com, iTricks.com - magic's number one daily magic news site, co-host of Weird Things the podcast and co-founder of Jaras/Mayne productions and has produced content for the Cartoon Channel and the G4 network. - Map Location
- USA
Members
Reviews
This murder mystery follows a biologist who specializes in using computers to track patterns in the natural world as he tries to solve the murder of a former graduate student who at first appears to have been attacked by a bear. I enjoyed the first two-thirds of the story immensely, as we followed Theo Cray as he puzzled things out using science and patterns. But once he really got on the track of the killer, things got pretty over-the-top and violent, and I started having a hard time show more believing characters' motivations. I kind of want to read more of the series based on how much I enjoyed the beginning of this one, but that desire also annoys me. show less
There are a bunch of far right dog whistles in this book (calling people NPCs, claiming that colleges teach kids America is evil, etc etc) and it really took me out of the story, which was just mid to begin with. I've overlooked problems with this author before, but I think I hit my limit. (Tangent: the author portrays himself as an expert scuba diver, but in his Underwater Investigation Series, the main character refers to her tanks as "oxygen tanks." I've been a scuba instructor for 20 show more years, and any serious diver would call you out for that in a heartbeat. Mixing air tanks and oxygen tanks has killed several people, because pure oxygen is toxic and deadly below about 15 feet. I get that most readers won't know or care about that, but claiming to be an expert and getting something so basic and important so wrong? Makes me doubt the author.) Anyway, all that's to say, I'll be avoiding this author from now on. The book plots were only ok to begin with, and there's plenty of other offerings to read. Life's too short for bad books. show less
I always look forward to reading the latest Underwater Investigation Unit thriller. I've learned a lot about diving in different locations-- in Dark Dive, it's sinkholes and underwater caverns-- and about the state of Florida itself. Florida seems to be the home of abandoned "pet/monsters": pythons, anacondas, Nile crocodiles... let alone the native alligators, and Sloan has to take the wildlife into account each time she dives.
The diving sequences are always riveting. You never know show more what's going to spring at Sloan from out of the murk, and I have to admit that I enjoy the vicarious scares. But it's not all fast-paced thrills and technical gadgetry. I wish every state in the country could have someone with the savvy of Sloan's boss, George Solar. To smooth the way for his investigators, Solar has two RVs-- one filled with lawyers ready, willing, and able to get search warrants and other legal necessities, and the second armed with CSI techs and all the lab equipment they need to avoid the interminable delays of local law enforcement backlogs. Sweet, eh?
Even sweeter is the fact that the cast of characters is just as strong as the story, the thrills, and the technology. I like Sloan's irreverent voice, and her partner Scott is increasingly figuring into the stories. In addition, there's always a one-time character whom you wish could become a recurring one. In Dark Dive, it's octogenarian Gayle Pinnesky. I just loved her to bits!
Exciting story, lots to learn, fantastic setting with a touch of the alien about it, and great characters. If you haven't already gone diving with Andrew Mayne's Underwater Investigation Unit, it's time you did!
(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley) show less
The diving sequences are always riveting. You never know show more what's going to spring at Sloan from out of the murk, and I have to admit that I enjoy the vicarious scares. But it's not all fast-paced thrills and technical gadgetry. I wish every state in the country could have someone with the savvy of Sloan's boss, George Solar. To smooth the way for his investigators, Solar has two RVs-- one filled with lawyers ready, willing, and able to get search warrants and other legal necessities, and the second armed with CSI techs and all the lab equipment they need to avoid the interminable delays of local law enforcement backlogs. Sweet, eh?
Even sweeter is the fact that the cast of characters is just as strong as the story, the thrills, and the technology. I like Sloan's irreverent voice, and her partner Scott is increasingly figuring into the stories. In addition, there's always a one-time character whom you wish could become a recurring one. In Dark Dive, it's octogenarian Gayle Pinnesky. I just loved her to bits!
Exciting story, lots to learn, fantastic setting with a touch of the alien about it, and great characters. If you haven't already gone diving with Andrew Mayne's Underwater Investigation Unit, it's time you did!
(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley) show less
Breathtakingly good
First person, present tense writing doesn’t always come off, perhaps because of the difficulty of conveying how others see the narrator. In this novel, it works so well that you quickly lose awareness of the style and get wrapped up in the sense of the story.
The central character is Theo, a scientist who gets supremely focussed on detail, but can be oblivious to the broader strokes that are obvious to others. You see this in the opening scenes, where Theo observes police show more breaking in to a motel room (his) without making the connection that they are seeking him as a potentially violent suspect. He is arrested and interrogated, and though afraid, he is still observing and analysing the techniques that are being used to induce him to be calm and cooperative even as he comes to understand that the crime they suspect him of is murder.
For reasons that become evident as you read (no spoilers here) Theo is drawn in to investigating the details of the attack and keeps getting into conflict with the police. There are enough snippets of science to intrigue and interest, without overwhelming, the reader, and to make sense of Theo’s deductions and actions.
The build to the climax is terrific.
I will be looking for more by this author. show less
First person, present tense writing doesn’t always come off, perhaps because of the difficulty of conveying how others see the narrator. In this novel, it works so well that you quickly lose awareness of the style and get wrapped up in the sense of the story.
The central character is Theo, a scientist who gets supremely focussed on detail, but can be oblivious to the broader strokes that are obvious to others. You see this in the opening scenes, where Theo observes police show more breaking in to a motel room (his) without making the connection that they are seeking him as a potentially violent suspect. He is arrested and interrogated, and though afraid, he is still observing and analysing the techniques that are being used to induce him to be calm and cooperative even as he comes to understand that the crime they suspect him of is murder.
For reasons that become evident as you read (no spoilers here) Theo is drawn in to investigating the details of the attack and keeps getting into conflict with the police. There are enough snippets of science to intrigue and interest, without overwhelming, the reader, and to make sense of Theo’s deductions and actions.
The build to the climax is terrific.
I will be looking for more by this author. show less
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Statistics
- Works
- 54
- Also by
- 2
- Members
- 3,084
- Popularity
- #8,280
- Rating
- 3.8
- Reviews
- 201
- ISBNs
- 142
- Languages
- 5