Take a look into the briefcase filled with cases of Detective Soames, whose abilities are on par with those of Sherlock Holmes. And just as Holmes had his Watson, Soames has the retired military doctor Dr. John Watsup at his side, who, with his naivety, sets him up for brilliant smashes while meticulously recording the solved cases. Many of them are closely linked to interesting mathematical problems, and finding the perpetrator is often impossible without solving a tricky mathematical puzzle, which the author regrettably often leaves to the reader. Those who have long struggled with their brain cells in vain and wish to give in can peek at the solutions at the end of the book, where they often find information about broader contexts and references to literature. Where a traditional detective can rely on muddy footprints, Soames must engage interesting combinatorial considerations or his knowledge of Peano arithmetic or the intricate properties of prime numbers. The mathematical procedures are further elucidated by Dr. Watsup, who, however, sometimes gets tangled up in the solutions. Can you help him?
