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Jonathan Pinnock
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The Truth about Archie and Pye (A Mathematical Mystery) Paperback – October 1, 2018

by Jonathan Pinnock (Author)
3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 266 ratings
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Something doesn't add up about Archie and Pye ...

After a disastrous day at work, disillusioned junior PR executive Tom Winscombe finds himself sharing a train carriage and a dodgy Merlot with George Burgess, biographer of the Vavasor twins, mathematicians Archimedes and Pythagoras, who both died in curious circumstances a decade ago.

Burgess himself will die tonight in an equally odd manner, leaving Tom with a locked case and a lot of unanswered questions.

Join Tom and a cast of disreputable and downright dangerous characters in this witty thriller set in a murky world of murder, mystery and complex equations, involving internet conspiracy theorists, hedge fund managers, the Belarusian mafia and a cat called µ.

Praise for Jonathan Pinnock:

‘Lovely stuff.’ Ian Rankin

‘He makes funny and self-deprecating company.’ The Herald

‘Jonathan Pinnock writes compelling tales with a deliciously wicked glint in his eye.’ Ian Skillicorn, National Short Story Week

‘Jonathan Pinnock is Roald Dahl’s natural successor.’ Vanessa Gebbie

Previous page
  1. Book 1 of 6
    Mathematical Mysteries
  2. Print length
    304 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    October 1, 2018
  5. Dimensions
    5.06 x 0.76 x 7.81 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1788421086
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1788421089
  8. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Farrago (October 1, 2018)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1788421086
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1788421089
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.06 x 0.76 x 7.81 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 266 ratings

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Jonathan Pinnock

Jonathan Pinnock

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Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars
3.9 out of 5
266 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

AiDee
4.0 out of 5 stars Got a lot better from about the 44% mark
Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2021
Verified Purchase
First person narrative combined with the trope of the bumbling Englishman and his strangely inarticulate relationship with his girlfriend made the first 40% or so of this novel hard work. The antihero abounds in contemporary literature but this was just overdone and I was about to give up when…things improved.

They improved because our hapless Englishman began to engage with people he could actually talk to (unlike his girlfriend, for reasons not entirely made clear and so left to surmise). At this point the author showed a good ear for how people talk and relate and the story moved away from bumbling and assumed the form of a half decent puzzle.

I rate this 4.5 stars but round down because of the torturous start. Had the whole novel been about the level of its second half I would likely have rated this 5.

Worth reading the next instalment? If the male of our leading characters reverts to being an idiot, probably not. But I’m interested enough to read the sample of the next one to find out…
One person found this helpful
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Renee LS
5.0 out of 5 stars A witty, brainy mystery adventure
Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2019
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With a wisecracking hero who’s not especially good at solving mysteries - and certainly not one involving mathematics, women, Belorussians, or cats named Mu - what’s not to like? Haven’t laughed out loud this much since reading the late Douglas Adams.
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Anam Cara
3.0 out of 5 stars Funny but foul language detracted from enjoyment.
Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2018
When I saw this title, I expected the book to have in it math problems to solve much like the crossword puzzle mysteries and sudoku mysteries have puzzles to solve embeded in the text. The Truth about Archie and Pye is nothing like this. There are mathematical elements, but no one needs to know any math to read this book. That means it could be enjoyable for anyone, not just math nerds. I, however, found that a bit disappointing as I had hoped to work through more of the mystery myself with paper and pencil at hand.

Archie and Pye were identical twins that had died (one murdered, one suspected suicide) ten years earlier. Because they were mathematicians working on some of the unsolved problems, a mythology grew up about what they might have discovered. The remaining brother of the twins was quite protective of their papers but finally allowed an author to see them and write a book about them. George Burgess had a manuscript in his briefcase which he left on a train after talking to Tom (our protagonist) in a rather obscure way about his project. Tom picked it up and when going to return it, learned that George had been murdered. One death leads to another and Tom realizes he could also be in trouble. Things go from bad to worse in his life. He looses his job, his company car, the briefcase, he witnesses a kidnapping, his girl friend kicks him out of their apartment. No, it's a pretty bad week for old Tom. And somehow a Belarusian mafia is part of it all! Yep, pretty wild and certainly keeps you turning the pages to see what happens next.

The story was certainly creative and well written. There were times I had to laugh at the situations - some of which were completely absurd! Comments the characters made were funny. I enjoyed that part of the book immensely.

What bothered me, and the main reason for the 3 stars, was the language that was used, sadly, rather frequently. The author used the "f" word so many times there was no way to count the number of usages. That alone will keep me from reading a sequel.

The characters were well defined. I could imagine each one acting as described. I especially liked the Zumba instructor.

I will miss reading further adventures of Tom and Dorothy, but there are many books out there that are also entertaining that do not have the language problem and those are the ones I will chose to invest my time in.
11 people found this helpful
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Red Rock Bookworm
4.0 out of 5 stars SLYLY INTELLIGENT AND ENTERTAINING
Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2018
This is a strikingly good tale about twins, murder, betrayal, mathematical codes, financial survival and human nature in general that begins with PR man Tom Winscombe’s fateful train ride and his chance encounter with a bizarre author whose latest work examines the decade old deaths of twin mathematicians Archimedes (Archie) and Pythagoras (Pye) Vavasor.

The meeting is brief and when, on the following day, the author turns up dead our protagonist goes to the dead man’s home, becomes involved in an unusual situation and decides that something just doesn’t add up. With his PR career in the dumper, his girlfriend seeking greener pastures and having nothing better to do with his time, our amateur Sherlock decides to take a shot at murder investigation utilizing, among other things, internet forums inhabited by conspiracy theorists and the talents of an old college chum.

The cast of characters takes on intriguing nuances as Johnathan Pinnock satirizes situations while providing a tale with more than its share of suspense due in large part to additional murders and the appearance of the Belarus mafia. Challenging the reader’s notions about everything from mathematicians to computer geeks, Pinnock lifts a superficially superficial cast out of the trivial and endows them with some emotional complexity before ripping the rug out from under them.
4 people found this helpful
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Jack Miller
5.0 out of 5 stars Riveting mystery,right up there with Dame Christie
Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2019
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Love mysteries and combining it with math was too fun. Hate that you require a minimum of words. Yuk yuk
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Evelina AvalinahsBooks
4.0 out of 5 stars Great evening entertainment that will deliver
Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2018
This was such a funny book! My mind keeps trying to go to similar books, and I know I've read some, but I can't remember any for the life of me right now. But once you start reading it, you'll know the kind I mean. It's fast, it's hilarious, it's got a ridiculously incompetent main character who is still quite likeable, despite being either a major dick, or just a big doofus - interchangeably (think of a main character from an urban fantasy, for example.) It's good evening entertainment, nothing short of watching a spy or con men movie, and it will deliver.

One more thing - little mathematical details are sprinkled all over the plot - but they're not as difficult as to go over your head, they are explained and they certainly set a nice tone to the story. If you've ever been a maths dork (like me!), this will be an added bonus.

Despite the mystery the main character is chasing in this book, there's still a hanging thread that remains after everything seems to be solved - which makes me happy because that means there's will be a part two. Can't wait to read it!

I thank Farrago and Prelude for the review copy in exchange to my honest opinion. This has not affected my review.
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Anthony Wetterer
5.0 out of 5 stars Good read.
Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2019
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A good read from start to finish!
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Top reviews from other countries

A Reader
4.0 out of 5 stars A fun read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 26, 2019
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Good book - perhaps the ending was a little weaker than I'd have liked but I enjoyed the style of writing and the intriguing plot.
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Marjan
2.0 out of 5 stars not all that funny
Reviewed in Australia on June 10, 2021
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The humour is a bit stale and obvious. The mathematics seem a little forced into the story. The main character is fairly irritating and rather stupid.
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Shane Rickwood
5.0 out of 5 stars An unlikely hero in all of us.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 3, 2023
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This is an interesting take on the comedy murder/mystery novel. The hero is someone whom we can all relate to. The story weaves a twisted tale which will leave you thinking that you have the answer, right upto the moment the ending is revealed, making you qustion why you ever came to that idea.
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john wade
3.0 out of 5 stars Good idea, but won't read any follow-ups
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 26, 2020
Verified Purchase
The idea that drives the plot is clever. However, the writing is formulaic, and the ending too abrupt and fortuitous. And while I have no objection to bad language used to make an effect, the amount of it in this was completely counter-productive. I noticed other reviews - especially from abroad - commenting adversely on this. Swearing has been used to comic effect by writers as diverse as Spike Milligan and Terry Pratchett, and when it comes, it makes an impact. Here it just becomes a bore.
4 people found this helpful
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R J Fieldsend
4.0 out of 5 stars A Thriller with a Mathematical Framework - But don't be put off by that...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 29, 2018
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Tom is a drifter who works in PR. As the story opens he has spectacularly burned a number of bridges with respect to his work life, and his new obsession soon burns the bridges to his personal life too.
A chance encounter with a struggling author of conspiracy books leads down a complex series of rabbit holes and Tom spends the story out of his depth.
I enjoyed this book from beginning to end, and it really felt like I had discovered an author and genre which was almost laser focused at a geek like me. A bit of recreational maths, a series of comedic and slightly silly episodes and a thriller about the high octane world of mathematical proofs!
The last time a book 'spoke' to me in that same way and I knew I was going to read more from the same author was when I discovered the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde.
So if you like Terry Pratchett or Douglas Adams style humour, and Matt Parker or Ian Steward style 'pop' mathematics then this may be just the book you are looking for.
9 people found this helpful
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