| There really is almost no mathematical content to this novel from the series featuring the protagonists Hans Rekke and Micaela Vargas. Chess is of much greater importance to the plot than is mathematics. However, one character who is occasionally referred to as being a "mathematician" is also shown to be dangerously violent and cruel. So, I wanted to include it in the database as an example of an evil mathematician.
The book opens with a flashback scene of "our hero", Hans, as a child. His math teacher has brought him together with another young boy named Gabor for a contest having something to do with "Cantor's mathematical proof of infinities". While Hans is relaxed and happy, Gabor is competitive. Not only does Gabor demonstrate his brilliance by winning the mathematical competition, he also throws Hans to the ground in an unprovoked display of his martial arts skills. We later learn that Gabor "received his doctorate in mathematics at Trinity College, Cambridge -- at a record young age, of course."
That sets up the plot which involves the same two characters decades later. However, the stakes are now higher as a "gift" from Gabor convinces Hans that he is not only a criminal mastermind but also a heartless killer.
The novel was originally published in Swedish as "Memoria" in 2023. The English translation entitled "Fatal Gambit" was released in 2024. |
