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Mark Cohen Biography, Books, and Similar Authors

Author Biography  | Interview  | Books by this Author  | Read-Alikes

Mark Cohen
Michelle McGinley

Mark Cohen

Mark Cohen Biography

Mark Cohen grew up in Denver. He earned his BA in economics at Whitman College and his law degree from the University of Colorado School of Law. From 1983 to 1987 he served as a Judge Advocate (JAG) in the U.S. Air Force, and later practiced law in Omaha.

Cohen's debut novel, The Fractal Murders, was originally self-published and was chosen as a Book Sense 76 Top Mystery in 2002 and was a finalist for the Colorado Book Award. Mysterious Press published a revised hardcover edition in 2004. A second Pepper Keane novel, Bluetick Revenge, was published in 2005.

Cohen lives with his wife, two daughters, and three dogs in Nederland, Colorado.

From the author's website

Mark Cohen's website

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Interview

Mark Cohen discusses the story behind his first book, The Fractal Murders, both in terms of the book's plot and the long road to getting it published.

Editor's note: Originally self-published, Mark Cohen's The Fractal Murders won tremendous praise from reviewers and was a Book Sense Top Ten Mystery in 2002. Impressed by Cohen's voice, creativity, and humor, Mysterious Press purchased The Fractal Murders and will release a hardcover version in May of 2004. A sequel, Bluetick Revenge, is in the works. In this Q&A, Mark takes time to discuss The Fractal Murders (TFM) and how it came to be.

Q. First tell us, what is a fractal?
A. A fractal is a geometric shape with a pattern that repeats itself at different scales of magnitude. Most objects in nature are fractals. Ginger roots are a great example; every ginger root is unique, yet they all look somewhat similar. And the "branches" of each root have the same general shape as the root as whole.

Q. How do fractals come into play in TFM?
A. The mystery begins when math professor Jayne Smyers discovers that three other math professors in different parts of the United States - all specialists in fractal geometry - were murdered or committed suicide within a short period of time. Unable to chalk it up to coincidence, she contacts the FBI. When the feds tell her the...

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Books by this Author

Books by Mark Cohen at BookBrowse
The Fractal Murders jacket
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Read-Alikes

All the books below are recommended as read-alikes for Mark Cohen but some maybe more relevant to you than others depending on which books by the author you have read and enjoyed. So look for the suggested read-alikes by title linked on the right.
How we choose read-alikes

  • Michael Connelly

    Michael Connelly

    Michael Connelly decided to become a writer after discovering the books of Raymond Chandler while attending the University of Florida. Once he decided on this direction he chose a major in journalism and a minor in creative ... (more)

    If you enjoyed:
    The Fractal Murders

    Try:
    The Closers
    by Michael Connelly

  • Robert B. Parker

    Robert B. Parker

    Robert B. Parker was the author of more than 60 books including westerns and young-adult novels, but is best known for his detective novels featuring Boston private-eye Spenser. In recent years he introduced a new ... (more)

    If you enjoyed:
    The Fractal Murders

    Try:
    Hugger Mugger
    by Robert B. Parker

We recommend 3 similar authors

View all 3 Read-Alikes

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