One night while gambling, David has one of his epileptic seizures and make an error in his calculations that results in his losing a hand and money that he borrowed from the house. David winds up on the run from the Russian mafia and in urgent need of a large amount of money. In order to get his hands on some money quickly, Caine volunteers to test an experimental drug that may also help with his seizures. Caine experiences an unexpected side effect of the drug that permits him to "see" the future and the limitless range of alternative states, which is the premise of Laplace's Demon, a mathematical theorem that hypothesizes that a person can know everything that ever happened and therefore would be able to predict future history. Caine now finds himself not only on the run from the Russian mafia, but also being hunted by the CIA and the FBI. He joins forces with Nava Vaner; a rogue CIA agent, who comes to his aid and is also fleeing from the same federal agencies. The question remains: has David Caine become Laplace's "demon?"

It is hard to believe that Improbable is Adam Fawer's debut novel, because the book is so well-written and the plot line is both complex and riveting. The author weaves a large amount of scientific information about probability and quantum physics into the plotline that I found to be very informative as well as key to what is happening in the novel. Do not skim these sections, because they really are relevant to the plot. Fawer's descriptions of David's epileptic seizures and the fugue states that he experiences after receiving the experimental drug are chillingly realistic, enhancing the intensity of this thriller.

Unlike many novels that I have read, the ending is not rushed and the author ties up all of the loose ends in the plot. Improbable is on my top-10 list of thrillers and one that I highly recommend. I look forward to other books from this author and hope that they include David Caine. Bravo!