I can absolutely see why this book could be loved by the right reader, but unfortunately that is not me. I enjoyed aspects of it and there are some wonderful sentences but overall just not the right fit.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. I found this book incredibly interesting the author really kept me hooked until the end. very well written I highly recommend.

Good book liked reading this held my attention kept me. Wanting to see what was next. Would recommend this book

‘Imagine a person who can visualize ten steps ahead, not simply in the game of chess, but in every human interaction.’

Dr Albert Puddles … a mathematician and logician - a lot of knowledge and a lot to learn. Puddles and his assistant plus a menagerie of tough, rough and intelligent acquaintances try to bring down a politician, a murderer, some corrupt FBI agents by predicting actions and decisions ten steps ahead. Miller writes the scenes well. The characters are quirky and nerdy, rough and ready. I enjoyed the storyline and the pace.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ARC.

This is a damn great book. Surprising, intelligent and extremely ingenious. It is a puzzle that hides its pieces and requires attention to put it together.

Highly recommended.

Logic is indeed sexy

<blockquote>"I will submit to you today that logic is indeed sexy. Logic is fact in a world of fiction, truth in a society of lies, and light in the shadows. Logic will never betray you, deceive you, or disappoint you. It will guide you and illuminate your path ahead. Logic provides the loyalty, security, and friendship that many of you hope to find in a spouse someday. What could be sexier than that?"</blockquote>

The Tree of Knowledge, by Daniel G. Miller, is not about eating the forbidden fruit. Rather it maps the exciting intricacy of decision trees onto a world peopled by math professors and corrupt politicians. (And it's also a love story. [Isn't everything?])

I admire this thriller's ambition, and I loved the the idea of the puzzles (though they were rather simplistic, and would not realistically pose a challenge to students of logic), but the premise was a stretch. The characters were thin — there were a few I couldn't keep straight, many of them were interchangeable — and not believable.

Useful life lesson reminders: Break everything down into discrete challenges; it makes overwhelming goals manageable, reachable. Clear your mind of assumptions, images, emotions; focus on pure information. [But, I remind myself: Sometimes the emotion is the information.]

Thank you to Netgalley, Daniel Miller, and the publisher for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was looking forward to this debut based on the notion that it was similar to Dan Browns books, but it didnt work for me in the same way. I ended up getting confused and having a hard time following along at some points. I think that it definitely has potential and the author is a good writer, it just wasnt for me. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3,

I really enjoyed this mystery novel, I loved the character Albert Puddles, and it was a fascinating read. It was a wonderful job and the characters were interesting.

If you're looking for a book where a scrawny math nerd finds himself suddenly with world-changing power in his hands, surpassing all convention and fact to conveniently invalidate the skill sets of others (because the story calls for it), sure, this book is for you.

Not your typical crime solving approach or story which is refreshing. Unlikely main character which is also nice and makes for an interesting read that keeps you guessing. Highly recommend

I really enjoyed this! A good mystery, it was unlike a lot of others in the genre, and I loved the scientific perspective it added. Thriller elements and great characters made this a fun, easy read. Very strong debut!

The reviews and synopsis for this book had me excited to read it, as a math and logic lover and a big fan of mysteries.

I liked the writing style and the characters were overall likable, however, I just couldn't get into the use of puzzles and diagrams, it felt like it jarred with the story and I ended up speed/scan reading just to get to the end.

I also found many of the statements about Ying's physique completely unnecessary, such as "marshmallow-shaped, height-challenged lacky" (chapter 9) and this put me off continuing with the book.

Thanks to Netgalley & Houndstooth Books for a copy of the ARC in return for my honest review.

Who knew logic could be a super power? This had some Dan Brown vibes, John Marrs level believability, and an Ocean’s 11 type cast. A great blender bottle of adventure, emotion, twists, mystery, fun, tension, and academia. And there are riddles. I only wish that the ending wasn’t wrapped up so quickly.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!
I love this book, everything is perfect and it sometimes makes me even questioned myself about a lot of things!
The characters here are so well developed and such a page turner!

Really enjoyed this book. I love the characters and how they seem pretty rag-tag but awesome at the same time. Kind of got off to a slow start but once you got going it was an easy read. I also thought it was really funny.

Thanks to Netgalley and Houndstooth Books for the Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
This was enjoyable but the writing style didn't really work for me. I liked the plot and the characters but something about it was just... off.
I'd recommend this to anyone that likes puzzles/mysteries, really well paced and interesting story!

Such a clever and entertaining read. Makes me wonder how smart humans can actually be.

Many thanks to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the ARC.

Albert Puddles is a mathematics professor who is consulted by the local police following a murder where the victim was able to grab part of a written cipher from his assailant.
What follows is a fast paced thriller (that is my best definition of this book's genre) that discovers The Tree of Knowledge - a mathematical/logical process to anticipate the future.

The concept of the book is quite interesting, and I didn't mind Puddles (despite the terrible name). There were just so many tropes in the book and unnecessary everyday sexism that made me feel like this book was written in the 90s. Some more editorial assistance and a mentor wouldn't go astray as there is a lot of potential here. I wavered on the rating, but landed on 3 stars as I did read it easily in a few hours and although I wouldn't necessarily recommend the book, I can see it may have some appeal for readers a bit more forgiving of what I found irritating.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

A fun, quick, engaging read with lots of adventure! Characters were well defined and developed to the point where you would be able to figure out who was saying what without dialogue tags. The flow was nice and even, I didn't feel like there were a lot of lulls or gaps. Overall , I really enjoyed it!