The Final Equinox
Andrew Mayne
Dr. Theo Cray and FBI agent Jessica Blackwood follow a deadly celestial trail in a thrilling novel by the Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Mastermind. A signal is detected at the outer edge of the solar system. more
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published Thomas & Mercer
4.16
Rating
5034
Ratings
242
Reviews
Andrew Mayne
60 books 2482 followers
Community reviews
My thanks to Thomas and Mercer, Andrew Mayne and Netgalley. It's funny, but I didn't much like these two together, in their last book. This time I did. Unfortunately, the story as a whole was not to my liking at all. It actually seemed a bit ridiculous. more
Makes you wonder. If there really is intelligent life out there in Space, the last place they'd contact would be US. Andrew Mayne brings together the dynamic duo of Dr. Theo Cray and Jessica Blackwood in this second edition of this series. Theo is a computational biologist as well as a computer modeling expert. more
The very smart and mega, mega rich dude, Thomas T. Theismann is obsessed with finding and making contact with other civilisations in the universe. By the weight of the sheer numbers of galaxies you could safely assume that we are not “alone”. So Theismann has spent several fortunes setting up research institutes and space observatories to search for that all elusive message. I mean we know humans have been sending all sorts of data out into space - music, digital encyclopaedias, Simpsons episodes for years. more
This is the second book that combines two characters from two series by this author - Theo Cray and Jessica Blackwood. Already in the first book, I thought it was a very successful combination and I still think so. This time, Theo and Jessica spend less time together, at least in the first half of the book, but still work on the same cause - each from its own perspective and using their own unique skills. This time, the case they are working on is not related to a serial killer, but it is about something completely different. Theo is asked to join a group of scientists working on a top-secret project that could be groundbreaking for humanity. more
Andrew Mayne brings two of his most complicated protagonists together once more for an adventure that is, literally, out of this world. Dr. Theo Cray and FBI Agent Jessica Blackwood explore the world of space and a few murders on Earth, trying to see how they might be interconnected. Cray uses his highly scientific mind to posit answers while gent Blackwood sticks to the facts to convey her thoughts. Mayne does a wonderful job, though the reader will have to remain attentive to catch all the banter found herein. more
My thanks to Thomas and Mercer, as well as to NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of The Final Equinox. When a signal is detected at the outer edge of the solar system, computational biologist Dr. Theo Cray and magician-turned-FBI-agent Jessica Blackwood are looking . and listening. I absolutely love Theo Cray and Jessica Blackwood AND this series. more
Dr. Theo Cray and FBI agent Jessica Blackwood return in this second novel in the series following up on their adventures in Mastermind. This time out they are a couple. In this story Theo is recruited to join a mysterious project. A group of scientists are searching for, and trying to contact, intelligent life somewhere in the cosmos. more
3 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum. com/2022/10/14/. I have certain expectations from an Andrew Mayne novel. That I would have to big time suspend my disbelief, perhaps. Or that things would be over-the-top bonkers or off the wall insane. more
This is a difficult review for me to write. Not because I do not know what to say, but because I hate to say it. I love the books of Andrew Mayne. I get honestly excited when a new one comes out. I usually rip right through them in a day because they are so engrossing and fun. more
A competent, well-paced sequel. Narrators are doing a good job, so it works well as an audiobook. more
I really hope that the “final” in the title has nothing to do with this series because I love these characters with a passion. If Theo Cray and Jessica Blackwood were awesome on their own, together they are unstoppable. What one lacks, the other brings, and this time their case is spectacular. Theo is invited to a secret compound to help prove - or discredit - a signal from outer space. The author is obviously very bright and Theo is a literal genius, so it’s fun to hear his position on extraterrestrial lifeforms and the possibility of first contact. more
I've read all the Theo Cray books and all of Jessica Blackwood books. So this was a real treat for me to have them together. I really like the way the stories develop piece by piece (and sneakily teach me things I didn't know before). I hope there will be plenty more Theo & Jessica books. more
Book Review: The Final Equinox (Theo Cray and Jessica Blackwood #2) by Andrew Mayne Published by Thomas & Mercer, September 13, 2022 ★★★★☆ (3. 75 Stars)Mixed. The most notable change in this "Theo Cray" book compared with previous editions in the series, is its absence of profanity. I decided to give author Andrew Mayne another look, five years after I read the first two Kindle offerings of his "Theo Cray" series: "The Naturalist" (2017), and "Looking Glass" (2018). Like many readers, I was then turned off by the profanity. more
Great series. have to wait to read number 3 when it is released. more
I really should get used to and expect things to be a little crazy when Theo and Jessica are involved. This one started out a bit normal, Theo at home, Jessica on a case. Jessica's case had me rolling my eyes, stupid, stupid girls, I'm glad that she communicated that to them. I found it interesting how Theo got pulled into the odd situation he did, was glad he gave them a crazy fee for consultation, he actually earned it. I loved how both Theo and Jessica knew there would be a time when they would need to communicate without others know it. more
4 starsAndrew Mayne has developed some interesting characters to pursue unusual mystery solutions. This is the second in the series that combines two of those characters: Jessica Blackwood, an FBI agent who starred as a rising magician earlier in her life; and, Theo Cray, a Computational Biologist specializing in determining pattern in nature and predicting behavior as a way to solve mysteries. This book begins with Jessica in pursuit of "Treeman", a regional legend thought to live in the forest but not considered dangerous until two teenage girls go missing with significant amounts of their blood is found in the forest after recently posting a video depicting them searching for the legend late one night. Theo finds himself invited to join a group of specialized scientists with only the assurance that he would find his time interesting and the compensation significant. After an interview he finds peculiar, he is flown to a very remote research station where he finds it is being financed by a noted billionaire. more
There is just something about Theo Cray that is always intriguing even when his pissing everyone off while broadcasting that he is the smartest guy in the room. And if anyone has the ability to prove contact with aliens has happened it would be Theo Cray. Another good pair up with Jessica Blackwood, these two work well with and off of each other. And even though I think I enjoy the books with Theo off on his own these are a close second. With the two watching each other's back they are able to avoid possible blind spots they have on their own. more
As awesome as I expected it to be. The ending seemed a little rushed to me but Mayne’s books are so good they always seem too short. I hope “final” in the title doesn’t mean this is the final installment in the Theo/Jessica books. more
I’m a huge fan of Andrew Mayne’s Jessica Blackwood series, which made this book a must-read for me the instant I saw it. Even better, it’s the second time Mayne is teaming Jessica up with Dr. Theo Cray, the protagonist of the author’s other popular series. Jessica is a magician-turned-FBI-agent, and Theo is a computational biologist and skeptic who is trained to see patterns where others see chaos. In this novel, Theo is summoned to join a group of scientists trying to interpret whether an apparently interplanetary signal is coming from intelligent life elsewhere in our universe. more
Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the copy of The Final Equinox. I love the Theo and Jessica books. I love the characters and the mixture of science and magician tricks is addictive. Of course the writing is as great as usual in these books. The story was intriguing even though the science was a little over my head. more
For the second time, following the success of the thriller MASTERMIND, author Andrew Mayne has brought together the protagonists of two of his acclaimed series --- computational biologist Dr. Theo Cray and magician-turned-FBI-agent Jessica Blackwood. THE FINAL EQUINOX will take Cray and Blackwood into a possible conspiracy that has cosmic consequences including the possible proof of intelligent life at the far reaches of our solar system. Dr. Theo Cray is barely finished with a case involving a deadly AI when he receives a mysterious phone call from someone claiming to require his expertise in person. more
The Final Equinox by Andrew Mayne is a very highly recommended thriller with a world traveling science fiction theme. After opening with an interesting autopsy in Atlanta attended by computational biologist Dr. Theo Cray, the plot takes a turn to New Mexico. Billionaire Thomas T. Theismann has been spending a fortune and years on trying to find extraterrestrial intelligent life in the universe and when he believes he has received an alien signal, Cray is one of the experts he hires as an advisor. more
Did I fall into Asimov’s Elijah Baley robot series. Wait . . . is there a murder bot. more
Mystery/ThrillerAndrew Mayne crushes the Smart Thriller genre once again. I fell in love with Theo Cray in The Naturalist series and I also love the character of Jessica Blackwood in her series, so bringing these two beloved characters together is genius. Theo is a computational biologist who made his name when he captured a few serial killers. He also gave all his money away and not only became a possible suspect in some of the murder mysteries he solved, but managed to piss off the government. Jessica is a former magician turned FBI agent who solves some of the truly mysterious crimes the FBI gets involved in. more
Rating: 3 starsThis is the second book in this series which currently only has two books. If a third is written, I'd happily read it. I don't always understand the science behind Dr. Theo Cray's ideas and lessons, so I suspend belief and go with the broad concepts without getting frustrated. I've already read the previous book series (The Naturalist) featuring Dr. more
Thank you to NetGalley for the privilege or reading this book in return for an honest review. I read this as a stand alone book and have not had the privilege of reading the first book in the series. With that said, I really enjoyed this book. I loved the characters, especially Jessica Blackwood. The storyline, as well as the humor, kept me engaged. more
Love this series. Can’t wait for more. This is the second book in the series that was born from merging 2 unrelated series. The genius scientist detective Theo Cray is now in a relationship with magician FBI agent Jessica Blackwood. If you haven’t read the Blackwood or Cray series prior to this book or the first in the series, I don’t think you will enjoy it as much. more
The Jessica Blacwood series was really good. The first Theo Cray/Jessica Blackwood was ok but I didn't like or see the need for introducing Theo Cray. But this book book is beyond awful. I have only read a quarter and I am giving up. The first 20% is just twaddle with Theo I have already noted down 24 names of people introduced in the book. more
Theo & Jessica do it againI love this duo. Theo Cray and Jessica Blackwood are the ultimate power couple, in that they vanquish assassins and solve puzzles with their combined skills. The puzzle to be solved in this book in the series is on a cosmic scale, literally. It’s the revelation of a communication from a distant galaxy, unless they can prove it’s a hoax. Their efforts to do so place them in the crosshairs of a murderer. more
