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Hidden Variables
Disgraced physicist Shawn Ronin needs to keep solving problems.
After his ivory tower life came crashing down around him, Shawn’s compulsion to find hidden answers drove him to become a private investigator. Unfortunately, the career change doesn't end up straightening out his messy life or even net him much money. Instead, it just shines a light on how much more complicated human problems can be than anything found in a textbook.
Presented with the opportunity to help another professor avoid a similar fate to his own, Shawn finds himself unable walk away. Returning to the university that forsook him, he uncovers more than just misconduct lurking in the ego-driven, high-achiever world where he used to thrive. None of Shawn’s once Nobel Prize worthy papers can help him now.
Can a man used to solving some of humanity’s most complex problems learn to ask for help with his own?
Hidden Variables is a sharp-witted debut novel by Chris Racknor that brings the preppy university world back to down to earth. Because not everyone is as smart as they think they are, and we’re all human. Smart and funny dialogue plus unexpected twists adds up to a great read.
After his ivory tower life came crashing down around him, Shawn’s compulsion to find hidden answers drove him to become a private investigator. Unfortunately, the career change doesn't end up straightening out his messy life or even net him much money. Instead, it just shines a light on how much more complicated human problems can be than anything found in a textbook.
Presented with the opportunity to help another professor avoid a similar fate to his own, Shawn finds himself unable walk away. Returning to the university that forsook him, he uncovers more than just misconduct lurking in the ego-driven, high-achiever world where he used to thrive. None of Shawn’s once Nobel Prize worthy papers can help him now.
Can a man used to solving some of humanity’s most complex problems learn to ask for help with his own?
Hidden Variables is a sharp-witted debut novel by Chris Racknor that brings the preppy university world back to down to earth. Because not everyone is as smart as they think they are, and we’re all human. Smart and funny dialogue plus unexpected twists adds up to a great read.
- GenresMystery
195 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 1, 2021
37 people are currently reading
46 people want to read
About the author
Chris Racknor
7 books6 followersChris Racknor has a Ph.D. in physics and lives in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. He has been an astronomy teacher, physicist, motorcycle owner, competitive strongman, varsity rugby player, and stay-at-home dad. He is a family man, data junkie, sci-fi nerd, professional kilt-wearing tree thrower, and sumo wrestling aficionado with plenty more stories to tell.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
May 4, 2022
Cliff Hanger
This is one book I'm glad I picked up. The writer gets your attention on the first page and keeps you spellbound right to the end.
Well thought out with great characters!
This is one book I'm glad I picked up. The writer gets your attention on the first page and keeps you spellbound right to the end.
Well thought out with great characters!
June 26, 2021
**3.5 stars**
This was a pretty good read! Smart and engaging, Hidden Variables was a fun thrill ride!
When Dr. Shawn Ronin loses nearly everything because of a scandal, a change in career seemed to be his only option. Taking in his obsession with finding the truth and uncovering clues, he turns to private investigating. Things were progressing until he’s called back to the university. Another professor is being accused of stealing a paper from a grad student, and Shawn is being asked to investigate. He reluctantly takes the case, but with every answer he finds, more questions come up, and Shawn finds himself at the center of a something much more serious than he previously thought.
I quite liked Dr. Shawn Ronin as a main. He was strong and intelligent, and I appreciated that he made mistakes during his investigations – it makes sense considering he is an amateur PI. I thought the plot moved at a good pace and there were definitely moments I got completely sucked into the story. The twists and turns were well-laid out, and I think Racknor did a really good job interconnecting the characters. I do wish that there a little more depth to Shawn's character. I understand the situation he's in, but it would've been great so see more development with him, especially since he's the main character. Overall though, a good read and solid mystery!
Thank you Voracious Readers and Chris Racknor for my copy!
This was a pretty good read! Smart and engaging, Hidden Variables was a fun thrill ride!
When Dr. Shawn Ronin loses nearly everything because of a scandal, a change in career seemed to be his only option. Taking in his obsession with finding the truth and uncovering clues, he turns to private investigating. Things were progressing until he’s called back to the university. Another professor is being accused of stealing a paper from a grad student, and Shawn is being asked to investigate. He reluctantly takes the case, but with every answer he finds, more questions come up, and Shawn finds himself at the center of a something much more serious than he previously thought.
I quite liked Dr. Shawn Ronin as a main. He was strong and intelligent, and I appreciated that he made mistakes during his investigations – it makes sense considering he is an amateur PI. I thought the plot moved at a good pace and there were definitely moments I got completely sucked into the story. The twists and turns were well-laid out, and I think Racknor did a really good job interconnecting the characters. I do wish that there a little more depth to Shawn's character. I understand the situation he's in, but it would've been great so see more development with him, especially since he's the main character. Overall though, a good read and solid mystery!
Thank you Voracious Readers and Chris Racknor for my copy!
August 11, 2021
1.Hidden Variables by Chris Racknor
I heard Chris interviewed on the My Favourite Detective Stories podcast, and it inspired me to check out Hidden Variables. It's a novel about a former physics professor, Dr. Shawn Ronin, accused of academic dishonesty. The scandal ruined his career and his financial prospects. He's living above a coffee shop that his brother owns, and working as an unlicensed private investigator. When another professor at his former university is accused of academic dishonesty, in the same physics department, Ronin is brought in to investigate.
Ronin is a solid character. For readers of Robert B. Parker, he is similar to Spencer. He has that same wit, and that same tenacity not to quit on a case. There is enough nuance to make Ronin interesting, and small details make him believable and likable, too. He takes care of himself (for example, he counts calories), is concerned with his appearance, and women find him attractive. These qualities are presented in a genuine way that isn't forced, something that is a challenge to do. Ronin also doesn't drink, a detail that is unique and quite cool in a genre of hard-drinking, troubled protagonists. I like that he has an edge to him while still being a good person.
Much of the story takes place on and around a university campus, and I enjoyed the glimpse into that world. There is enough action, violence, and swearing to satisfy the noir reader, but neither are extreme and they definitely fit the tone of the story. The prose is clean and simple.
Overall, I enjoyed this novel. 4 stars.
I heard Chris interviewed on the My Favourite Detective Stories podcast, and it inspired me to check out Hidden Variables. It's a novel about a former physics professor, Dr. Shawn Ronin, accused of academic dishonesty. The scandal ruined his career and his financial prospects. He's living above a coffee shop that his brother owns, and working as an unlicensed private investigator. When another professor at his former university is accused of academic dishonesty, in the same physics department, Ronin is brought in to investigate.
Ronin is a solid character. For readers of Robert B. Parker, he is similar to Spencer. He has that same wit, and that same tenacity not to quit on a case. There is enough nuance to make Ronin interesting, and small details make him believable and likable, too. He takes care of himself (for example, he counts calories), is concerned with his appearance, and women find him attractive. These qualities are presented in a genuine way that isn't forced, something that is a challenge to do. Ronin also doesn't drink, a detail that is unique and quite cool in a genre of hard-drinking, troubled protagonists. I like that he has an edge to him while still being a good person.
Much of the story takes place on and around a university campus, and I enjoyed the glimpse into that world. There is enough action, violence, and swearing to satisfy the noir reader, but neither are extreme and they definitely fit the tone of the story. The prose is clean and simple.
Overall, I enjoyed this novel. 4 stars.
November 18, 2024
⭐️⭐️
I downloaded this one from Kindle Unlimited 3 years ago and I finally got around to reading it.
It was very confusing. Shawn Ronin is a disgraced PHD physicist who was accused of plagiarism and fired from the university where he taught and researched. So he becomes a PI. Go figure.
Someone (too many characters to keep straight as to who) engages him to find out the truth about another researcher at this same university who also gets accused of plagiarism.
BTW, he used to be overweight but he now he’s all buff because he figured out his eating problems and now he logs everything he eats. But at the end of the story he was wolfing down donuts. Go figure!
Not the worst book I ever read but I have zero interest to read the next one in this series. Good - have many series to work on anyway.
Lots of other people praised this book, so maybe it’s just me.
Goodreads 2024 Challenge - Book #104 of 120
I downloaded this one from Kindle Unlimited 3 years ago and I finally got around to reading it.
It was very confusing. Shawn Ronin is a disgraced PHD physicist who was accused of plagiarism and fired from the university where he taught and researched. So he becomes a PI. Go figure.
Someone (too many characters to keep straight as to who) engages him to find out the truth about another researcher at this same university who also gets accused of plagiarism.
BTW, he used to be overweight but he now he’s all buff because he figured out his eating problems and now he logs everything he eats. But at the end of the story he was wolfing down donuts. Go figure!
Not the worst book I ever read but I have zero interest to read the next one in this series. Good - have many series to work on anyway.
Lots of other people praised this book, so maybe it’s just me.
Goodreads 2024 Challenge - Book #104 of 120
April 16, 2021
**** I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ****
Having been forced out of life in academia our hero has taken up a new career as a PI... Because they're just different kind of puzzles right?
I thoroughly enjoyed this read, it wasn't too heavy, though I confess to skilmming over some of the academic descriptions (maybe due to being in the middle of a PhD of my own!). I liked the main character who being down on his luck and feeling a little abandoned by his friends and ex-colleagues grows throughout the book and learns that it's ok to ask for help now and again. Likewise, I enjoyed all the other characters in the book and they feel like they all had their place.
The plot was interesting and was not over complicated or unrealistic which kept me engaged throughout. A great book to read over several evenings when I needed to take my mind off my own reseearch! I'm looking forward to seeing what our hero gets up to next!
Having been forced out of life in academia our hero has taken up a new career as a PI... Because they're just different kind of puzzles right?
I thoroughly enjoyed this read, it wasn't too heavy, though I confess to skilmming over some of the academic descriptions (maybe due to being in the middle of a PhD of my own!). I liked the main character who being down on his luck and feeling a little abandoned by his friends and ex-colleagues grows throughout the book and learns that it's ok to ask for help now and again. Likewise, I enjoyed all the other characters in the book and they feel like they all had their place.
The plot was interesting and was not over complicated or unrealistic which kept me engaged throughout. A great book to read over several evenings when I needed to take my mind off my own reseearch! I'm looking forward to seeing what our hero gets up to next!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 11, 2021
There is such an emphasis on his woes and how he was wrongly accused that I couldn’t help thinking Ronin was investigating the wrong case. Then he meets Sarah Enns and turns into a hormonal teenager, unfortunately worse is to follow and at times the story turns into a bit of a farce.
The story finally reaches a conclusion, although I’m not really sure how it got there. There were a few interesting bits and Ronin does improve a little towards the end. Overall I suppose it was OK, so I have given 2 stars.
The story finally reaches a conclusion, although I’m not really sure how it got there. There were a few interesting bits and Ronin does improve a little towards the end. Overall I suppose it was OK, so I have given 2 stars.
April 20, 2021
If you are like me, you don’t ordinarily download a book with very few ratings, and not much writing history from the author to help you decide.
Because the description of the book piqued my curiosity, I read HIDDEN VARIABLES, and was not disappointed. It is everything and more the reviews described. A terrific story.
Because the description of the book piqued my curiosity, I read HIDDEN VARIABLES, and was not disappointed. It is everything and more the reviews described. A terrific story.
April 19, 2021
A bit clumsy but worth it
The leading character proves being a PhD is not a guarantee of brilliance in criminal detection. Amateur mistakes but learning takes place. At times confusing but worth reading.
The leading character proves being a PhD is not a guarantee of brilliance in criminal detection. Amateur mistakes but learning takes place. At times confusing but worth reading.
May 28, 2021
Really enjoyable thriller.
I'm not sure I fully understood all the physics talk, but this didn't matter or impact on my enjoyment of the book.
A strong lead character, good pace, and an engaging storyline- a winning combination.
I'm not sure I fully understood all the physics talk, but this didn't matter or impact on my enjoyment of the book.
A strong lead character, good pace, and an engaging storyline- a winning combination.
June 9, 2021
A free book from Voracious Readers thank you
A smartly written mystery set against a University backdrop where truth is carelessly handled to discredit people. One such professor spends his time unravelling the events that may see other's lives ruined as his was. In doing so he finds surprising reasons for the skull duggery going on.
Surprising plot twists make for good reading
A smartly written mystery set against a University backdrop where truth is carelessly handled to discredit people. One such professor spends his time unravelling the events that may see other's lives ruined as his was. In doing so he finds surprising reasons for the skull duggery going on.
Surprising plot twists make for good reading
April 16, 2021
well written, pacy mystery. received as a complimentary review copy from VRO
May 17, 2021
I enjoyed reading this book. This book is about Shawn Ronin a disgraced university professor who sets up his own private detective agency. Shawn returns to the university to help another professor before he goes through the same fate as Shawn. This book was excellent and very funny and shows a different side to university. I received this free complementary book from Voracious Readers Only.
May 14, 2021
Fast paced, great read from VRO. A little unbelievable with the Chinese spies and with the main character putting himself continuously in harm’s way, it was none the less an enjoyable read, and I was anxious to know what would occur next.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 10, 2021
Really enjoyed the book and will be starting the sequel ASAP.
March 16, 2021
I received this book through Voracious Readers
Doctor Shawn Ronin, a Professor of theoretical physics, lost his job when he was wrongly accused of scientific misconduct. What he thought was just an untrue accusation that he would easily be able to discredit, turned out to be his downfall and life as he knew it changed.
Now Shawn is teaching part time at a collage across town and has become a PI, taking his love of asking questions and finding answers and using it in a different way.
When a similar incident, like the one that claimed his career, occurs with another professor, he finds himself on the case, trying to figure out just what is going on.
I liked this story and I liked Shawn as a character, at some points in the story it seemed like everything was going against him and I looked forward to seeing what would happen next and just how he would manage to figure things out. It was easy to read and I soon found myself caught up in the story, I am glad I read it.
Doctor Shawn Ronin, a Professor of theoretical physics, lost his job when he was wrongly accused of scientific misconduct. What he thought was just an untrue accusation that he would easily be able to discredit, turned out to be his downfall and life as he knew it changed.
Now Shawn is teaching part time at a collage across town and has become a PI, taking his love of asking questions and finding answers and using it in a different way.
When a similar incident, like the one that claimed his career, occurs with another professor, he finds himself on the case, trying to figure out just what is going on.
I liked this story and I liked Shawn as a character, at some points in the story it seemed like everything was going against him and I looked forward to seeing what would happen next and just how he would manage to figure things out. It was easy to read and I soon found myself caught up in the story, I am glad I read it.
March 13, 2021
Review through Voracious Readers Only
Good solid read. Chris Racknor has created very cool character in Shawn, a disgraced professor (not through any fault of his own) turned unlicensed PI. Some of the technical physics details were above my head but didn't detract from the story for me. Lots of action, a touch of romance and a little bit of jazz in a club made for an enjoyable read 😀
Good solid read. Chris Racknor has created very cool character in Shawn, a disgraced professor (not through any fault of his own) turned unlicensed PI. Some of the technical physics details were above my head but didn't detract from the story for me. Lots of action, a touch of romance and a little bit of jazz in a club made for an enjoyable read 😀
January 22, 2023
Shawn Ronin was a college professor who lost his job in some kind of scandal in which he was likely implicated improperly. Something to do with stealing other people's work. So, he has decided to try being a bit of a private investigator. Investigating physics or people is all about problem solving.
Someone in his former department asks for his help because another professor and some graduate students and claiming they've had their work plagiarized. I don't quite understand the issue. It seems to me that one could look at lab books and the like and figure out fairly easily who did the original work. But perhaps academia has changed since I was involved in academic style research. I did, actually, get plagiarized once, by a guy named Hack, actually. But all he did was lift a description of my apparatus and used it in one of his papers which likely used a similar apparatus. No issues over swiping one another's results, which is all that matters.
So, anyway, I had problems understanding the core issues because they didn't make any sense to me. Other than that, the story was ok, and provided a moderately pleasant diversion from modern life.
Someone in his former department asks for his help because another professor and some graduate students and claiming they've had their work plagiarized. I don't quite understand the issue. It seems to me that one could look at lab books and the like and figure out fairly easily who did the original work. But perhaps academia has changed since I was involved in academic style research. I did, actually, get plagiarized once, by a guy named Hack, actually. But all he did was lift a description of my apparatus and used it in one of his papers which likely used a similar apparatus. No issues over swiping one another's results, which is all that matters.
So, anyway, I had problems understanding the core issues because they didn't make any sense to me. Other than that, the story was ok, and provided a moderately pleasant diversion from modern life.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews