Hallie Reads: Twisted & Entertaining | Mind Games by Nancy Mehl

ABOUT THE BOOK

FBI Behavioral Analyst Kaely Quinn’s methods may be highly unorthodox, but her talent is undeniable. She’s done her best to establish a new life for herself after being demoted and transferred to St. Louis when a reporter revealed she’s the daughter of an infamous serial killer. But when that same reporter claims to have received an anonymous poem predicting a string of murders, ending with Kaely’s, it seems her old life has followed her.

When a body is found that fits the poem’s morbid predictions, Kaely and her new partner, Special Agent Noah Hunter, are forced to move past his skepticism of her approach and work together to unravel the deadly riddle.

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, is killed.

Publisher: Bethany House Publishers

Release Date: December 4, 2018

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OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES

Fire Storm

MY REVIEW

Wow! Nancy Mehl’s Mind Games is a wild ride from start to finish. With artful suspense, surprises, and detail, the mystery unfolds on the pages and kept me guessing until Mehl reveals the killer in the end. It’s an unputdownable page-turner, for sure.

At the center of all the action is Kaely Quinn, an FBI behavioral analyst who is also the daughter of a serial killer. Her methods are unusual, but she knows how to do her job well, motivated by her haunting family history. So, when a chilling poem arrives promising a string of deaths leading to Kaely’s, there is little question who should take on the investigation.

To catch this new serial killer, Kaely begins working with Special Agent Noah Hunter. The partnership highlights the complexities of Kaely’s character and faith and prompts a bit of fun banter—and a hint of potential romance, too—all while closing in on the culprit. Kaely and Noah challenge and balance each other well, and I look forward to seeing how they progress together in Book Two.

A thriller reminiscent of Criminal Minds, Mind Games is twisted and entertaining and does not disappoint. I highly recommend it.

★★★★.5

Thanks to Celebrate Lit, I received a complimentary copy of Mind Games and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nancy Mehl is the author of more than thirty books, including the Road to Kingdom, Finding Sanctuary, and Defenders of Justice series. She received the ACFW Mystery Book of the Year Award in 2009. She has a background in social work and is a member of ACFW and RWA. She writes from her home in Missouri, where she lives with her husband, Norman, and their Puggle, Watson. She is part of The Suspense Sisters, along with several other popular suspense authors. She is also very active on Facebook.

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GUEST POST FROM THE AUTHOR

Writing Mind Games is a dream come true. I’ve been interested in FBI profiling for years. I’ve read about it, studied it, and watched every TV special I could find on the subject. So when the chance finally came to write the book I’ve always wanted to write, I jumped at it. Thankfully, through the help of another writer, I was hooked up with a retired FBI profiler. I was so excited. Until I found out I had almost everything wrong. Yes, I had some understanding about profiling, but I knew nothing about the FBI and how it works.

First of all, the FBI doesn’t call the men and women who profile criminals, profilers. They’re called Behavioral Analysts. The plot for Mind Games had my analyst running around the country solving crimes while she was stationed in St. Louis. Uh, no. Behavioral analysts do travel, but they all work out of Quantico in Virginia. So…I rewrote.

There were ways around my conundrum, but one solution led to more and more problems. We finally worked through them. Then I spent the next few months learning acronyms. CIRG, CJIS, NCAVC, HRT, UNSUB, CNU, THU, ViCap, CODIS, SWAT, ERTU, OPU, THRU, ERT… Well, the list goes on and on. The FBI is made up of many specialized units. And a plethora of acronyms, it seems.

I rewrote Mind Games three times before my source said we were good to go.

If you assume I’m out of the woods now, you’d be wrong. I haven’t had the nerve to open up the manuscript I sent her for book two in my Kaely Quinn Profiler series. I figured I had Fire Storm right but… Well, I can tell from her email comments I’ll be doing more rewriting. Sigh.

So is it worth it? A resounding yes! I love learning, and as long as my analyst friend hangs in with me (she has the patience of Job), I’ll keep at it.

I hope you enjoy Mind Games. It’s edgy but fun. Kaely Quinn is a quirky character. She was thrown out of Quantico because her version of profiling is… Well, you’ll just have to read the book to find out!

GIVEAWAY

To celebrate her tour, Nancy is giving away a grand prize of a copy of Mind Games and the three books in Nancy’s Defenders of Justice series, plus a $20 Starbucks gift card!

Two additional winners will also receive a copy of Mind Games! Enter below, and be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway!

Hallie Reads

22 December 2018

Twisted & Entertaining | Mind Games by Nancy Mehl

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