The Mystery of the Invisible Hand - Paperback

by Marshall Jevons (Author)

Fictional sleuth Henry Spearman returns to solve a murder mystery involving art and economics

Henry Spearman, the balding economics professor with a knack for solving crimes, returns in The Mystery of the Invisible Hand-a clever whodunit of campus intrigue, stolen art, and murder. Having just won the Nobel Prize, Spearman accepts an invitation to lecture at Monte Vista University. He arrives in the wake of a puzzling art heist with plans to teach a course on art and economics-only to be faced with the alleged suicide of womanizing artist-in-residence Tristan Wheeler. When it becomes clear that Wheeler had serious enemies and a murderer is in their midst, Henry Spearman is on the case.

Was Wheeler killed by a jilted lover, a cuckolded husband, or a beleaguered assistant? Could there have been a connection between Wheeler's marketability and his death? From the Monte Vista campus in San Antonio to the halls of Sotheby's in New York, Spearman traces the connections between economics and the art world, finding his clues in monopolies and the Coase conjecture, auction theory, and the work of Adam Smith. What are the parallels between a firm's capital and an art museum's collection? What does the market say about art's authenticity versus its availability? And what is the mysterious "death effect" that lies at the heart of the case? Spearman must rely on his savviest economic insights to clear up this artful mystery and pin down a killer.

Back Jacket

"A cerebral delight, The Mystery of the Invisible Hand is an engrossing, original, and compelling whodunit in the tradition of Amanda Cross and Joanne Dobson."--Carolyn Hart, Agatha Award-winning author of Letter from Home

"Marshall Jevons is the pioneer for integrating economics and detective fiction, and The Mystery of the Invisible Hand is another fine effort in this genre."--Tyler Cowen, George Mason University

"While it's been said that economics is the 'dismal science, ' there's nothing dismal in Marshall Jevons's latest novel, The Mystery of the Invisible Hand. An art theft and alleged suicide lead Nobel Prize-winning economist Henry Spearman on a puzzling quest that demonstrates his talents both as a sleuth and an economist. Very much recommended!"--Brendan DuBois, two-time Shamus Award winner and author of Fatal Harbor

"This is another terrific Marshall Jevons mystery! If you enjoy your economics served with a side of fun and a dash of suspense, you should definitely read this book."--John Siegfried, professor emeritus of economics, Vanderbilt University

"The more than capable pen of Marshall Jevons transforms the field of economics into something far beyond what has often been referred to as 'the dismal science.' The Mystery of the Invisible Hand is an entertaining and educational treat for crime fiction fans and students of economics alike."--Andy Straka, Shamus Award-winning author of The K Street Hunting Society

"A must for readers who love academic mysteries."--Frankie Y. Bailey, author of The Red Queen Dies

"The Mystery of the Invisible Hand offers interesting economic insights in an entertaining detective story."--Michael Klein, Tufts University and author of Something for Nothing

"Jevons is an accomplished writer who sprinkles his work with eclectic quotes and economic perception. This latest addition to the Henry Spearman murder series is well written and provides an engaging look at the art market. I enjoyed it."--Jonathan Wight, author of Saving Adam Smith

Author Biography

Marshall Jevons is the pen name of Kenneth G. Elzinga, professor of economics at the University of Virginia. Elzinga, along with William Breit of Trinity University (1933â "2011), has written three other Henry Spearman mystery novels under the Jevons pseudonym: The Fatal Equilibrium, Murder at the Margin, and A Deadly Indifference.