![]() Quite often the mathematical world is scattered with a sequence of clues, and the art of the mathematician is to try to piece together a coherent and logical argument to explain the evidence. There are many similarities between cracking a crime and trying to prove a mathematical theorem. The Oxford Murders is not the first thriller to combine the two, but it is one of the first to do it successfully. The mix of mathematics and murder mystery makes for a powerful cocktail. After all, the perfect crime isn't one that remains unsolved, but one where the wrong person is fingered. Perhaps there is an alternative, more surprising twist to the sequence. The trouble is that even if they think they've got the next symbol, there is always Wittgenstein's worrying paradox lurking in the background. The maths graduate is joined by the leading Oxford logician Arthur Seldom on the quest to crack the cryptic clues. It seems that the serial killer can be stopped only if someone can crack the next symbol in the sequence. This purest of mathematical forms heralds the death of Mrs Eagleton, landlady to a young south American mathematician who narrates the story. Each new death is accompanied by a different mathematical shape, starting with the circle. In The Oxford Murders, mathematical symbols are the key to a mysterious sequence of murders. ![]()
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