Finger

Finger is a first novel. The story of a boy, an Irish boy, Brendan. Brendan has prodigious talents in two directions; mathematics and crime. Both skills have a common thread, both require a good deal of deep thought and forward planning. His mathematical skill is discovered by one of his school teachers. Brendan sets himself the ambitious task of solving a long-standing problem in mathematics (the so-called 'Polygon Problem'). Out of financial necessity, he abandons school and is apprenticed to a maker of violins. Here, within five years, Brendan acquires the skills necessary to make his first instrument and to commit his first major crime - stealing five very valuable violins. In his criminal activities Brendan prefers to work alone. However, in his second major crime, he joins forces with a corrupt copper Sergeant Brian McClusky as he sets himself the task of stealing in excess of 50,000 from the multi-millionaire Charlie (Chas) Earl.