I loved the premise but didn't think the dialogue and characters flowed the best. Good concept though! I think fans of the shows Dexter or Criminal Minds may enjoy this.

Head Cases follows a special group of FBI agents called the Patterns and Recognition (PAR) unit who are kind of the outcasts of the FBI because of their innate analytical skills but minimal people skills. It is similar to Criminal Minds and The Naturals series but if they were adults. They are following a killer who is killing serial killers, which I found was such a unique plot point that I haven't seen often in these FBI/Behavioral Analysis books. I liked the characters and how intelligent they were, and how they interacted with one another. I think it was a really solid book overall, would definitely recommend to thriller and mystery fans.

4/5
The perfect book for fans of crime shows, especially from Al minds because of the psychological aspect. Fast paced.

This was a really good thriller and I hope there will be more books with agent Gardner in it!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

My favorite mystery/thrillers are ones with a law enforcement main character. I love wading through the clues and cases with them to try and solve the crime, oftentimes needing to do so before it’s too late. New to me author, John McMahon, has created a wonderful character in FBI agent Gardner Camden. Although not explicitly stated, it’s clear Camden is neurodivergent with a high IQ and a difficulty in social situations. He is part of a team of misfits called PAR (Patterns and Recognition) who get assigned a case to find the killer who is murdering serial killers.

The case has Camden and his crew crossing the US in order to find and stop a killer who taunts them with clues and phone calls. Each side character is as well-developed as Camden and plays an integral role in solving the crimes. I was right there beside each of them trying to piece it all together.

The story comes to a satisfying conclusion with an opening for the possibility of more books, so I was happy to read in the acknowledgments that another book is forthcoming. I could see this series continuing on for some time as the PAR team becomes a group similar to that of the BSU/BAU in the FBI.

Thank you, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for the copy of Head Cases by John McMahon. I have had a tough time concentrating lately, so it took me a while to finish this one. I loved the story and there were so many reveals my head was spinning. I loved the characters and learning how they ended up in the Patterns and Recognition (PAR) unit. The only thing that annoyed me was how Gardner knew so much about EVERYTHING. I’m so tired of the superhero man who knows and can do it all and prefer fallible MCs.

I loved John McMahon's Head Cases, so much so that I didn't want it to end, BUT when I read the author's notes and saw there's another book coming with these incredibly compelling characters, my book hangover got just a little bit less. This book has it all, not only the interesting and a little bit quirky characters, but a serial killer (maybe more than one). Add in the fact that the FBI thought he was dead, and I was frantically swiping left on my kindle, binge reading. Cat and mouse thrillers are some of my favs, and this is one of the best I've read recently.

This book was fun in every way possible! I loved the mystery, the thrill and the chase. This premise was fresh and unique with lots of things that made me reconsider my earlier perspectives about crime, life, and morality. I loved our protagonist and hope to read more from this author. This book was brilliant! (Actual rating - 4.75 stars).

To me, this book felt like watching a really good episode of Criminal Minds. I literally finished this in one sitting which is rare for me. I just could not put it down. The plot, the characters, the details, just SO GOOD.

This book had my attention. It was quick with short chapters and a continuous flow of leads to take down a serial killer.

The FBI team was on their feet and ready to go at all times. Gardner Camden headed the PAR (Patterns and Recognition) unit with puzzles, riddles, patterns and decoding enigmas to solve an unusual case of a serial killer who was killing serial killers.

The story with all the facts and dialogue is believable with tidbits of information thrown in about the body and mind. It also takes the reader into the Vietnam War making me pause with memories of the movie, “Apocalypse Now.” And for those that enjoyed Danielle Trussoni’s “The Puzzle Box and Puzzle Master,” this also has a main character who is a brilliant problem solver.

While the PAR team is small, the story has a long list of names involved with the case from those who died and many who are helping with vivid descriptions. A lot of thought and timing went into writing this crime thriller. While each part made you try to guess the outcome, it was impossible for me to predict the end. This could be a good movie or series.

My thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of January 28, 2025.

Head Cases follows Agent Gardner and the PAR (Patterns and Recognition) group that handles cold cases. The team consists of The Ace, Gardner Camden, who has been with PAR for four years. The Boss, Frank Roberts, the team leader who plays his cards close to the vest. The Analyst, Cassie Pardo, who can recreate a scene using a tangent formula to determine the height of a shooter in her head. The Shooter, Joanne “Shooter” Harris who was born and raised hunting in Alaska and is an Olympic shooter. Lastly, The Rookie, Richie Brancato, the new guy with puppy dog excitement and a prodigy right out of the academy. The team gets a call for a murder victim whose DNA links a man that Agent Gardner believed to be dead. PAR is usually the behind the scenes group, but this case pulls them out into the field as the murderer begins targeting other serial killers. Will PAR be able to stop a serial killer that is killing other serial killers? Or should they?

I love Criminal Minds and this book gives me the same kind of vibes. A unique group of individuals that when put together form an amazing team. I loved Agent Gardner! He is neurodivergent and his thought process and penchant for details is fun to watch as he navigates the case and the office politics. As the PAR team delves deeper into the serial murders, the clues point to a leak, but is the leak in their own unit? They do have a new rookie on the team, can he be trusted? I couldn’t put this book down and the ending hinted that it may be the beginning of the series. I really hope it is, because I want more of PAR and to get to know the rest of the team as well as we got to know Agent Gardner.

I have not read anything from this author before. In a series debut I expect the background, personal and professional, of the primary characters to be fleshed out. The lead of the newly formed FBI group is well described and I liked him. The team is made up of misfits, all with actions in their careers which put them in a bad light. I felt there’s more to learn about the group’s supporting cast. This will most likely come in future installments. Gardner is leading his first case and it’s a grisly murder, then another. There are odd clues, riddles and puzzles to decipher. Gardner has a brilliant mind, excellent recall and a mathematical skillset, his humor and personal interaction isn’t so great. Nuance and subtlety isn’t his forte. His people skills come across flat. A killer is taunting them and makes it personal to Gardner. The team is jetting from TX to FLA to stop this vengeful killer. There were surprises and misdirection along the fast paced race to stop the killing. I’ve read several other novels involving cyphers riddles, etc. This one wasn’t as clever but is a good premise to build upon. Overall a good read and I would read more of the series to learn more about all the characters.
Minotaur Books (via NetGalley) provided an Advance Reader Copy of “Head Cases” by John McMahon, publication expected 01/28/2025. These are all my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without compensation.

Head Cases - if you are a fan of criminal minds or Scorpion, this would be right up your alley, the premise was very promising, it just missed the mark for me. I found the main character quite unlikable, arrogant and not really able to redeem himself. I found the story overly complicated with details and frequent jumps back and forth, I prefer more of a linear kind of plot and story. It took me a couple tries to get into it, and I think there is promise here, just needs some finessing.

Gardner Camden. This name drove me crazy the entire book. Both names sound like a good last name so I was always a little thrown off. Everyone on the little PAR unit had a fall from grace, but found a last-chance home. This rag-tag team works together very well though, leans on each other, and trusts each other.

This book is a wild ride. It’s fast paced. It’s putting together pieces of a puzzle every step of the way. I genuinely enjoyed the characters and the puzzle. There was a lot to it, but it was easy to follow along. I enjoyed this world and hope to read more cases by Gardner Camden!

Not for me. I requested this to read in October, as I always like to stock up on "spooky stories" to get me in the Halloween mood. This wasn't quite what I expected, and not my favorite.

Head Cases is a serial killer super-thriller following FBI agents of a PAR unit (Patterns and Recognition) gathered to solve two gruesome murders. Agent Gardner Camden, a genius with an eidetic memory, heads up the team which includes the usual team leader in the group, but Gardner is unaware of why he has been put in charge, and senses there is more to it than meets the eye, in relation to the continuation of PAR within the Agency. The first body is discovered to be a serial killer who died seven years earlier in a house fire, and when PAR links the second killing, the team has to follow puzzles and clues deliberately left by the killer.
Contemporary thrillers are not my usual genre of choice, but this one gets high marks from me for ingenuity. A complex murder spree becomes even more puzzling as the reader is taken inside the FBI’s top echelons, with a small group of talented dedicated agents whose unconventional characteristics are a big part of the addictiveness of this story. Recommended to readers of quirky thrillers.

I ate this one up! I love a good police / serial killer mystery and this one delivered. I loved Gardner and his quirks and getting to go along with him as he tried to solve the murders. Cassie is a fun side character as well! I'm excited there is going to be another in the series!

Reading this book felt like I was immersed in a Police Procedural Crime Drama. I binged this book this book in an evening and then went searching to see if this was going to be a future series because I think it definitely should be.

I really enjoyed the author's writing style and found the storyline to be really intriguing. It's fast-paced and there is enough twists to keep you on the edge of your seat turning pages.

This is a new to me author and I am looking forward to reading more from him in the future.

Thank you John McMahon, Net Galley and St. Martin's Press - Minotaur Books for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Gardner Camden is a socially-awkward genius with a knack for solving puzzles. He is the book version of Spencer Reid and I love it. He works for the FBI in their special patterns and recognition unit (PAR)...again, Spencer Reid.

When a body shows up of a killer that was presumed dead, PAR jumps into action. The killer leaves them clues and puzzles for PAR to solve to try and catch him, but will they catch him in time? The unit races against the clock to track down this vigilante before they get shutdown for good.

Head Cases was a fast-paced thriller full of twists and turns that keeps your mind spinning. I finished this book in a matter of DAYS because I needed to know what happened. 10/10 love this author!

Thank you to the author and St. Martin's Press for an ARC. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an e-ARC, available everywhere early next year.

When it comes to prominent departments in the FBI, working in the Patterns and Recognition (PAR) unit is hardly on anyone's wish list. For Agent Camden and his team, it's difficult to picture them anywhere else, even if they are typically found behind a desk. Often brought in on cases that no one else can solve, they are surprised when their newest case leads them into familiar territory: a murder victim is allegedly a serial killer long thought to be dead. As Camden grapples with this blast from his past, a similar victim turns up. Pulled into a tense game of cat and mouse, the unit heads on the road, hoping to solve the riddle before it's too late.

I liked it a lot, appreciating the dialogue and the writing, though I didn't think Camden was as odd as he was portrayed to be. I was also on edge for most of the novel, becoming more nervous as it went on. There were definitely a few surprises, and the question of the killer's motive was a good way to keep people guessing. I want to go back and re-read a few chapters because even now I'm still questioning the chain of events. At one point, it looked like the author was trying to shoehorn in a romance (or at least a flirtation) between two of the characters, and I'm really glad that didn't happen. I'm not sure if this is the first in a series but if there was a sequel, I'd be interested to see where it goes and how the author can top this one.