The Theory of Death: A Decker/Lazarus Novel    by Faye Kellerman Order:  USA  Can William Morrow, 2016 (2015) Hardcover, Paperback, CD, e-Book      Reviewed by Bob Walch This 27th installment of the top selling Decker/Lazarus series has a decided academic bent to it. Former Police Lieutenant Peter Decker has retired from the big city to a lower profile job in upstate New York. Although he has enjoyed the less frenetic pace and rural lifestyle, Decker has still managed to keep busy with the upstate police. When a nude, male body is discovered in the local woods, the authorities are puzzled about not only who the dead man is but whether this is a homicide or something else. Called in to aid the investigation, Decker must first identify the body and that's when a former Greenbury detective, Tyler McAdams, helps out. Staying with Decker, the first year law student hears about the investigation and elects to forsake his law books for a while to lend a hand. Once the dead man is identified the trail leads to Kneed Loft College and a group of gifted but rather eccentric math prodigies. Decker and McAdams may be a bit in over their heads as they have to match wits with scheming academics and sift through puzzling ciphers and enigmatic formulas. But even in this bucolic setting there is plenty of danger. And, as Sherlock Holmes once observed, when a brilliant mind goes bad, the result can be a very dangerous adversary indeed! Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews