Long time, no talk! With the hectic scramble leading up to Christmas (and my oldest son’s birthday!), I haven’t blogged for a few weeks.
But I have something worth waiting for… a review of a book that’s been getting buzz all month and the best suspense title I’ve read to date this year, Nancy Mehl’s Mind Games.
Synopsis: Kaely Quinn’s talents as an FBI behavior analyst are impossible to ignore, no matter how unorthodox her methods. But when a reporter outs her as the daughter of an infamous serial killer, she’s demoted to field agent and transferred to St. Louis.
When the same reporter who ruined her career claims to have received an anonymous poem predicting a string of murders, ending with Kaely’s, the reporter’s ulterior motives bring his claim into question. But when a body is found that fits the poem’s predictions, the threat is undeniable, and the FBI sends Special Agent Noah Hunter to St. Louis.
Initially resentful of the assignment, Noah is surprised at how quickly his respect for Kaely grows, despite her oddities. But with a brazen serial killer who breaks all the normal patterns on the loose, Noah and Kaely are tested to their limits to catch the murderer before anyone else–including Kaely herself–is killed. (Goodreads)
My Thoughts: Mind Games is book 1 in the Kaely Quinn Profiler series and is a straight suspense novel with very light romance. It’s harder-edged than anything Mehl has done before, though her Defenders of Justice series certainly dealt with grittier subject matter as well.
The protagonist, Kaely Quinn (though that’s not her real name!), is such an interesting character- a broken woman of complexity and staggering depth. When Kaely was a child, her father was jailed for committing a series of grisly murders, and this past trauma leads Kaely to become an FBI behavioral analyst. Being the daughter of an infamous serial killer shapes Kaely in unique ways. One example? She uses unusual methods for getting into the mind of an UNSUB, or “unknown subject” of an investigation, pretending that she’s having dinner with the killer and reading his mannerisms and body language as she does so. More of Kaely’s quirks and defense mechanisms are revealed as the story progresses, and I’m interested to see how this character develops in future books.
A real strength of this book is its stellar pacing. A “ticking time bomb” is set early in the book, when Kaely receives a threatening poem detailing a new killer’s agenda, which culminates in her own predicted death. With a weighty challenge set forth so early, the pace is breakneck from the beginning chapters straight through to conclusion. Mehl also leverages her plot to advantage, with scenes, like precisely-placed dominos, driving the action forward in an organic, believable way. The story packs in tons of twists and turns, even up to the very final pages of this novel.
I also appreciate the fact that the romance is just really a faint note in this book. Don’t get me wrong; I really enjoy a good romantic thread, but I also loved how clean the suspense line was in this one. There is a small bit of a love triangle between Kaely, her old partner, Alex, and her new partner, Noah, but it’s very subtle and only a bit of a counterpoint to draw out Kaely’s emotions. In book 1, Kaely, still tangled in the trauma of her past, isn’t at a point where she’s able to be in a healthy, functional relationship. I really respect that Mehl didn’t try to force romance into the story when it didn’t really suit the character’s present emotional state.
Another highlight of Mind Games is its setting. Though much of the story’s action takes place indoors, we do get a bit of Midwest flavor when Kaely visits St. Louis’ own Forest Park. Though she’s definitely not at the Park to take in the scenery (the UNSUB’s first victim is discovered at the location), it was still interesting to read Mehl’s descriptions of a place I’ve visted before. It’s also obvious that Mehl extensively researched the FBI and its intricate chain of command, lingo, etc., before tackling Mind Games. Her attention to detail makes for a rich, authentic, and absorbing novel that almost makes you forget you’re reading fiction.
Final thoughts? This one is a definite page turner and crackles with intensity. It’s no wonder that the second book in the series is called Firestorm.
Have you read Mind Games? What did you think of it?
Readalikes: If you enjoyed Mind Games, you’ll probably also like the fast-paced suspense in Diann Mill’s Burden of Proof and Lynette Eason’s Code of Valor.
Keep reading!
Shaen
