A book with both Dr. Theo Cray and FBI agent Jessica Blackwood is a recipe for success. This book is a fast- paced, action, thriller that will keep you hook from chapter 1. I have only read one of the books in the Jessica Blackwood series, but after reading this I'll have to finish that series. Some parts of the plot are highly improbable, but it's a fiction novel and a little improbability adds some great suspense. I cannot wait for the next installment in this series! I greatly missed Dr. Theo Cray!

Thank you Thomas & Mercer, Andrew Mayne and Netgalley for an ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.

I’ve read a couple of Andrew Mayne’s books before (from the Underwater Investigation Unit series) and really enjoyed them, but they are definitely complicated and twisty and it’s not the best idea to jump into one of his series at any point other than the start. So seeing this was the first in a new series, I was delighted at the opportunity.

Unfortunately, apparently Mayne has already written a series each about Jessica Blackwood and Theo Cray, and this series is putting them both together. Which is a massive problem for anyone who hasn’t read those other series, because like me, you’re going to have no idea what’s going on… because not only are these two carried forward, but the villain apparently is too.

I’m intrigued by the premise, which starts with the city of New York ‘disappearing’ in a massive EMP strike and a mysterious chemical fog (though it was still never adequately explained why, for me, even after the eventual reveals). I like both Jessica and Theo and I enjoy Mayne’s writing style, though I would have liked a clearer delineation at the start of each chapter as to whose POV it was written in. But I had absolutely no clue what was going on most of the time, and for a first in series, that’s a major problem. You shouldn’t have to read entire previous series to be able to start this one. I cannot give this more than three stars.

Now, I have read a book by this author before, but not one that had either Theo or Jessica in it. This meant that some of the cases that are mentioned in this book mean nothing to me whatsoever so for that reason, I found it a little bit confusing. I think if you had read all the books starring these two characters (separate series'), it would have been helpful, but it was still a good book.

Jessica is one FBI agent with a whole lot of skills, some of them not entirely lawful etc. Theo is a heck of an intelligent man so the combination of the two of them means that getting to the bottom of the who, why and how of the Void and stopping them from occurring in other places in the world should be relatively easy, right? Nope.

This is a thrilling, heartstopping and sometimes bonkers book. Just go along for the ride and know that it is very much worth reading.

4.5 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer.

When an author combines characters from two of their series, it can challenge the reader. When an author combines two characters, one from a series I look forward to and one that I have never read, made me apprehensive. To know computational biologist Theo Cray is to love him, but introducing FBI special agent Jessica Blackwood, could take me in a direction I wasn’t willing to go. But Andrew Mayne made it work -- he so made it work.

Thankfully, Theo’s brilliant mind, his quirky sense of humor, and his compassion were not overshadowed by a forceful single-minded Jessica -- a woman who literally had a few tricks up her sleeve. She never played him or disregarded his ideas. At times, she may have been a step behind but trusted in Theo enough to let his logic play out, and in time, they would both get to the same place.

After a blackout hits Manhattan, FBI Special Agent Jessica Blackwood is tasked with finding and rescuing Dr. Theo Cray. She locates and retrieves him from a prison in Myanmar and gets him out using some forged documents and a bit of plane stealing. They join forces in order to figure out what dastardly plan the mastermind Michael Haywood has set in motion this time. Dealing with government interagency squabbles and territoriality, Jessica and Theo, a computational biologist, must use every type of intelligence trick in the book to outmaneuver The Warlock. NO SPOILERS.

This reads like a made-for-TV movie or James Bond pilot. Both of these characters have been featured in other series, but this is my first exposure to either of them so had to hit the ground running without any backstory. The narrative fills in the important gaps and I don't feel that I need to go catch up to appreciate this first installment. Jessica is described in the stereotypical female FBI Agent manner, but Theo was definitely a different breed with his analytic mind and moral compass. The pair works so well together, but oh no, save us from a romance between them!

The plot is a typical "save the world" trope with the heroes managing to avert world disaster with some outlandish tricks and other mind games. I enjoyed Theo's non sequiturs and the humorous bantering between the dynamic duo. The science was interesting, if a bit unbelievable, and the whole story was entertaining. I will look forward to another book in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this e-book ARC to read and review.

Mastermind is a really fast-paced story, with lots of action, and so many twists and turns that the reader feels like they are seated on a roller-coaster. There is a plot within a plot and it's very difficult to trust and rely on information depending on which agency it comes from. The man once considered the culprit for many wrongdoings is no more and the one who was supposedly doing good deeds is now responsible for all the bad things that happened. But still, there's hope, Jessica can count on the strong relationships she made when working with the FBI. A great plot, very well written, resulting in one of the best books of action that I read this year!

Andrew Mayne has quickly become one of my favorite authors. His novels are always thought-provoking, intriguing plots and protagonists that you find yourself rooting for regardless if they don’t always abide by the rules.

Mastermind is no different. Combining two of his most popular characters, biologist Dr. Theo Cray and FBI agent Jessica Blackwood, this book picks up right away and continues all the way to the last page.

I’ve read every book in the Dr. Cray series but have not read any of the Jessica books. If you haven’t read any of the previous books I thing you could still follow along with this narrative.

The book centers around mysterious clouds of darkness forming over major cities across the world. The antagonist is a genius who is seemingly always a step ahead,

I really enjoyed this book and I’m looking forward to the next mashup. In the meantime time to read the Blackwood books. The Underwater Investigation Unit books are a good series as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

Its a great action packed novel . You should read the other novels before it.. the story connects with the others.

I really loved this book! It was great to see Jessica Blackwood in a book with Theo Cray. I love their own series too, but together is even better! Some of the events were insane/ unbelievable, but that is what makes it a great read. The author has an amazing creative talent to create these characters and crazy events! Can't wait to read his next book!

A hybrid in so many ways, this book combines two great protagonists into a mystery/sci-fi/adventure thriller that sometimes stretches reality a little too far but the comes right back to its purpose: an entertaining novel.

The nitty-gritty: Non stop action and larger-than-life characters make Andrew Mayne's latest a thrilling, hard to put down series opener.

Well, this was a lot of fun! I’ve read and reviewed all four books in Mayne’s The Naturalist series, which focuses on super smart Dr. Theo Cray, a compu-biologist who is really good at catching bad guys. Mastermind kicks off the start of Mayne’s spin-off series which brings together Theo and Jessica Blackwood, who has her own popular series. I thought this was a great idea, and even though I haven’t read the Jessica Blackwood books, I was eager to see how Mayne would bring them together. And I have to say, I really enjoyed this book. Theo Cray is as smart and crazy as ever, and Jessica Blackwood shows a lot of promise in this first installment. At this point, I still like The Naturalist books better, but I’m definitely going to give this series a chance.

The story kicks off with a magic trick of sorts. New York City seemingly disappears, plunged into darkness with no electricity or cell phone service. Shrouded in a thick smoke that may or may not be toxic, FBI Special Agent Jessica Blackwood is asked to join the investigation team. Jessica, it seems, is known for being connected to cases that are on the strange side, and this one qualifies in spades. Meanwhile, Dr. Theo Cray is stuck in a prison in Myanmar, having been arrested after trying to help vaccinate people illegally. When his name appears on a suspect list in regards to the New York City event, which is being called the Void, Jessica knows that she actually needs Theo on her team in order to track down the person responsible.

Michael Heywood, also known as the Warlock, is Jessica’s nemesis of sorts, but for some reason he’s also fixated on Theo. Jessica is convinced that Heywood is behind the Void—which is spreading to other large cities—and she wants him stopped. Together, she and Theo track down clues that lead to Heywood and his motivations for plunging entire cities into darkness. What they discover is the work of a chilling and terrifying mastermind, and stopping him could be impossible.

As in all of Mayne’s books, the pacing and action scenes are excellent. There’s barely any downtime in this story, and Theo and Jessica go from one dire situation to the next. I loved the way Mayne kept changing the location of the action, giving the impression that Heywood is trying to pull off his diabolical scheme on a global scale. We go from the U.S. to Thailand to Kiev, and a few other places as well. Because Mayne uses science and technology to ground his stories, there’s a lot of cool information about chimpanzees (which I’m terrified of now!), computer hacking, medical research, government conspiracies and much much more. One of my favorite locations was their trip to Chernobyl to follow up on a lead, and it was super creepy reading descriptions of abandoned nuclear facilities and mental hospitals. The action itself is over-the-top at times, but that’s par for the course in an Andrew Mayne book.

It was great to be back in Theo Cray’s head, although he was in a very dark place the last time we saw him in Dark Pattern. Even though I don’t understand half of what he’s saying, I’m always fascinated by how his mind works, his leaps of logic that lead him to figure out the impossible. Even though he’s been through a lot—he nearly died in the last book and didn’t expect to make it out of Myanmar alive—he’s able to focus on the problem at hand. In this case, trying to find Heywood and stop him from doing whatever it is he’s trying to do, which is most certainly illegal and dangerous. Theo’s drive to help people is what keeps him grounded and makes him such a fascinating character. Mayne always adds some really cool tech tidbits into his stories, and in this one there’s an awesome thing that Theo does with a secret website that literally made my jaw drop! 

The story switches between Theo’s and Jessica’s points of view, so we get alternating chapters from both of them. Although I did find it hard at times to tell who was speaking. Jessica might have five chapters in a row, and then Theo would get the next one. It was sort of random, and the chapters weren’t labeled in such a way as to make them easy to identify. Jessica’s character is new to me, since I haven’t read her series yet, but I enjoyed getting to know her. Her personality is much different from Theo’s. She was raised in a family of magicians, so she has an interesting background in illusion and misdirection, which added a nice layer to her character. I also liked the way she and Theo immediately “get” each other and form a tight working relationship. Both of them have had dangerous careers and reputations that make their jobs difficult, but together they discover they can help each other. 

But even though it was fun to meet Jessica and watch her interact with Theo, I have to say that just like he did in The Naturalist series, Dr. Theo Cray stole the show in this book. He’s a large-than-life character, endlessly interesting, and it’s always exciting to see what he’ll do next. There was a point in the story where I realized that I much preferred Theo’s chapters to Jessica’s, which might change once I get to know Jessica better. Still, I think the force of Theo’s personality is just too big for Jessica to compete with, although now I’m anxious to go back and read her series, simply to give her a chance to stand out without Theo hogging all the attention.

I also didn’t care for the budding romance between them that sort of comes out of nowhere. I don’t think in this first installment it was even necessary. I get it, you’ve brought together two of your most fascinating characters, and the obvious outcome is for them to get together. It just felt too much like insta-love to me, too many longing glances and descriptions of their physical assets (Jessica’s gorgeous green eyes, and Theo’s firefighter-like muscular build). Plus Jessica turns into a love-whipped wimp whenever she looks at Theo that way, and it took away some of her badass personality. It wasn’t a deal breaker for me, I’m just saying it wasn’t my favorite part of the story.

But really, Andrew Mayne has a good thing going. It’s hard to put down one of his books once you’ve picked it up. I’ll definitely be continuing this series, and luckily the next book (The Final Equinox) is already on Goodreads with a release date. I can hardly wait!

Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.

Mastermind is the first instalment in the Theo Cray and Jessica Blackwood series in which two of Mayne’s main protagonists and series leads from his other novels, FBI Agent Blackwood, who is a former magician and illusionist, and computer expert and bona fide genius Dr Cray team up together. Jessica has recently been leading a course run by the FBI in which she teaches both offensive and defensive skills to colleagues who may need them, however, she, as a talented and indispensable agent, is called back to fieldwork when her sworn enemy, convicted serial killer Michael Heywood, escapes from a high-security prison mere days before the entirety of New York City is blanketed in a cloud cover so thick it looks like the city has vanished, and, of course, this has tripped all the electrical grids in the area too meaning there is nothing but darkness. Blackwood isn't exactly sure where to start, but she begins to work alongside those at the newly formed Information Data Retrieval agency, although even they have few clues or reliable leads to go on.

When more cities around the globe start to fall into the dense fog too, she realises she desperately needs the help of computational biologist, idiosyncrat and all-around brainiac Dr Theo Cray who is currently incarcerated inside a Myanmar jail as contrary to what many others believe, Jessica feels in her gut that this is much more insidious than a simple weather phenomenon. Her first step is to break him out of prison to prove he isn't working alongside Heywood who is a master hacker himself. Then once she knows Theo can be trusted, they pursue Heywood in an attempt to uncover his nefarious schemes to save further cities from lights out. This is a compelling and unusual thriller, and although I wouldn't ordinarily opt for crime fiction with fantasy or supernatural elements, Mayne crafted everything superbly well. There is plenty of drama, danger, intrigue, twists, turns, red herrings and intense suspense, and the urgency with which they must figure this out before the world is plunged into a black void creates a palpable tension that runs throughout.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer, Andrew Mayne and Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Let me start out by saying I loved The Naturalist series by Mayne which is centered around Dr. Theo Cray and I was disappointed when he ended the series. When I found out he was creating a new series featuring Theo and a character from his first series, FBI agent Jessica Blackwood, I knew I wanted to read the books. I think there is enough information in this book that it can be read as a standalone. You don't have to have read either of the previous series (unless you want to) to understand or enjoy it.

The plot of Mastermind comes across quite different than the other books I've read by Mayne. It starts with some kind of EMP blackout in Manhattan causing it to "disappear." From there Jessica Blackwood "rescues" Theo from a jail in Myanmar and to escape the country they commandeer a plane. After that they go hopping around the globe for a while and investigate stuff, like stolen data, missing chimpanzees and "zombie" men, before returning to the USA. And I won't go on because the plot just gets even more ludicrous from there.

Theo and Jessica narrate alternate sections of the book. It was nice getting a look at Jessica's character and seeing her background in magic. She's a strong, independent, woman, who doesn't need a man to protect her. Kudos to Mayne for creating a character like this. Theo on the other hand comes across as broken down and powerless a lot of the time; it's as if he wants to take the blame all the time, which is a contrast to previous books. He's still smart as hell though.

While the book is a swift read, I felt like it was missing something that was in previous books. The plot was silly and completely over the top. Forget suspending my disbelief, it went out the window with this one. I'll try other books from Andrew Mayne but I don't know if I'll read the next entry in the series. I don't feel right giving this anything higher than 2 stars, considering how many times I almost DNFed it. Recommended for fans of: Mayne's previous books, thrillers, science fiction, action, adventure, general fiction, mystery, suspense and technothrillers.

Mastermind by Andrew Mayne is a highly recommended thriller featuring Dr. Theo Cray and FBI agent Jessica Blackwood.
Jessica Blackwood is called out of the class she is teaching at the FBI Academy in Quantico because a mysterious dark cloud and electrical storm has completely enveloped Manhattan plunging the entire city into darkness. The power is out and for 12 hours the city appears to have vanished into a void. Jessica is briefed along with others in a diverse team and then they enter into the cloud (in a frightening manner) and investigate. Jessica is sure that the serial killer and cultist known as the Warlock, Michael Heywood, is responsible and the cloud is a misdirection. Clouds also cover over Seoul and Singapore. It becomes clear that Jessica needs the help of Dr. Theo Cray, a brilliant scientist and computational biologist, but he is imprisoned in Myanmar. Jessica must use all her wits to get Theo released, and then they must figure out what is happening and why.

Jessica Blackwood and Theo Cray are consummate characters and make a great team who work well together. They are both skilled and intelligent and it will require all their individual strengths and abilities to reveal what is really happening. These are strong characters, individually and together, and their individual areas of expertise and competence complement each other.

This is an action packed thriller that moves across the globe as clues are followed and anomalies or incidences need to be investigated. There is so much going on in the plot that you need to try and follow each clue and thought as it comes up. There is a little X-Files vibe contained in the plot, especially in the search for ultimate answer based on various scientific facts and a vast array of other topics that eventually connect various events and discoveries. With the twists and seemingly unconnected clues, it's impossible the guess the direction of the plot. There are so many possibilities and directions the plot could take which serves to increase the tension and intrigue. 4.5 stars

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Thomas & Mercer.
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, Google Books, and Amazon.

I was VERY excited for this team-up between Andrew Mayne's thriller protagonists, and initially Mastermind delivers the pulpy ridiculousness I expected. Theo's a genius scientist who hunts serial killers! Jessica's a FBI agent from a family of famous stage magicians! And together they... well, I assumed they were going to fight mastercrime. But mostly they take turns waiting for the other one to figure out the next step in the mystery while thinking about how hot their partner is.

Piling one seemingly supernatural/sci-fi mystery on top of another, Mayne struggles to retroactively connect their disparate investigations into a functional conspiracy. And it doesn't help that the initial mysterious phenomenon they encounter, a "void" that blankets entire cities and blocks them from sight, is never satisfactorily explained. But what really drags the plot into tedium is endless wheel-spinning. Through alternating POV chapters, Theo and Jessica really do take turns waiting for each other to display their genius, and you can feel the wheels spinning in Mayne's head as well.

By the end of the novel, the investigation turns out to be irrelevant and the villain's scheme feels like a cop-out. But what ultimately stops this from being the fun, silly thriller I had hoped for is the same problem that Jeffrey Deaver has been struggling with since he had to follow up The Bone Collector. There's just too many masterminds.

I'm newer to Andrew Mayne's novels, having only read the first two of his Underwater Investigation Unit series. As I began to read Mastermind, I quickly realized that these characters had back stories that I did not know and suspected that they were characters from his other series. Of course I was right, yet Mastermind is well written and even though my curiosity is peaked and I want to read the others, I was able to enjoy this book without feeling like I was missing important information.

As with the other two books that I've read, Mastermind reads like a tv show. I kept imagining something similar to The Blacklist. There were some crazy twists that seemed far-fetched but in the same way that I would suspend belief for an hour long tv procedural, I was able to do the same with this book. It was highly entertaining and engaging. The characters were well written and I will be reading Mayne's back list.

I really enjoy the Theo Cray series and when I finished reading it I went through the Jessica Blackwood novels. Then I saw that this book was going to feature both characters and was very excited. It will not disappoint fans of either character. The story alternates between sections from each character's point of view and it is really interesting to see how they view each other as the story goes on. I don't think you need to have read the books in each characters series before reading this story, but it definitely adds to the understanding of Jessica and Theo's personalities and actions if you do.
This story starts when a strange emp storm shuts down Manahattan and Jessica Blackwood is convinced it is another stunt by Michael Heywood aka The Warlock.
Dr. Theo Clay's name appears on a list of possible other suspects. Everyone is reluctant to give Heywood credit and they want any other option then to have to deal with the Warlock, and Jessica is given the task to locate and evaluate if Theo has any involvement in the case. Jessica and Theo team up to pursue the clues wherever they lead, while having to carefully guard what they find from the interested government agencies because of a suspected mole.
I really want to see additional stories with the two characters working together. It was a real treat.
Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read this e-ARC featuring two characters that I have always enjoyed.

I was issued this book for my honest review by NetGalley.

This book, and author, is a bit out of my norm. I have read a couple of Mr. Mayne's books and they are enjoyable and well written.

When I say out of my norm, I mean it has a little bit of a sci-fi in it. Not a straight up "who done it" or "courtroom thriller". Having said that--I am sure there have been sci-fi themed books about a killer pandemic written over the years (Robin Cook?) that seemed a bit of a stretch. Not anymore.

Mastermind is a well thought out plot line. Good characters, and it keeps you guessing. I have to think a lot of research goes into Andrew Mayne's books. You can learn some things--though some went right over my head. I will read more of Mr. Mayne's books.

This is the first of a new Theo Cray and Jessica Blackwood series by Andrew Mayne, a previous best-selling author. Mastermind introduces Jessica, an FBI special agent and Theo a scientist who end up working together as a team. An electrical storm engulfs Manhattan, aiding the escape of a serial killer and doomsday cultist. So, the globetrotting saga begins, as other major cities succumb to the darkness and our unusual duo have their wits tested. With enjoyable characters, dynamic action and kick-ass hero, a sparkling tale unfolds. Whilst at times the narrative causes a chuckle, it does stretch credibility somewhat and so only a three-star rating. With thanks to Thomas & Mercer Publishers and the author for an uncorrected proof copy for review purposes.

What did I just read?! A seriously intense thriller with an education in science. Missing chimpanzees, stolen data, chemical EMPs and a few terrifyingly smart people. Theo and Jessica are new to me, however they each have their own series with their own enemies. Having these two characters work together was genius, now I have to read their books. The tale was exciting and unique with fascinating scientific information and witty characters working together seamlessly. The wait for the next one will too long. I received my copy from Netgalley and wrote my review voluntarily.