Gardner Camden is unique yet unusual in a good way. He may have trouble connecting with you, but give him a case to solve, and he will devise a million ways to solve it. Gardner combines these unique skills with his special group of misfits, like himself, called PAR (Patterns and Recognition Unit), within the FBI. The team is called into action when a serial killer that they deemed dead seven years ago is recently found the same way he murdered his victims. From that point on, the reader is taken on a journey to find a serial killer killing serial killers and leaving clues that only his unit can solve. Will Gardner and his team catch this killer before the killer gets a chance to reveal his true agenda?

Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect from this book. Before I read a book, I research and try to get a glimpse of what I am about to get myself into. I could not tell if this would be a true crime story based on actual events or if it would mimic some of my favorite crime shows. I was surprised and on the edge of my seat reading this book. This book was thrilling! The author knew how to keep me engaged and entertained! I stayed up late to finish this, and I read the book every chance I could! I am new to John McMahon, but I will research to see what other good reads he has up his sleeve. This book is for you if you like psychological, suspenseful thrillers or hit shows like Criminal Minds, Dexter, or FBI!

FBI Agent Gardner Camden works for the Patterns and Recognition (PAR) unit, whose specialty is solving cold cases. I instantly liked Camden and his crew. They are a nerdy, specialized bunch who see things that others have missed. I appreciate the way their minds work and I thoroughly enjoyed being right there with the team picking up on the clues the killer is leaving for them. He wants to be found. He wants to play. For me this book had a slight Silence of the Lambs feel to it, and I couldn't read fast enough. I wanted the PAR team to find the killer and bring him down, and I was thrilled and in awe every time they found the smallest of clues that propelled the investigation forward. When I reached the end of the book I hoped John McMahon would consider a sequel, so imagine my surprise when I checked Goodreads and found 'PAR Unit, #1' beside the book's title. I am very much looking forward to solving more cases with Agent Camden's extremely literal mind! If you are a sucker for FBI/police procedural stories then this book is for you!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the DRC in exchange for my honest review.

Great story that I couldn’t put down! I loved seeing the inner workings of the FBI and the main character, Gardner, was so interesting to follow. I hope for more books following the PAR crew

This seems like a fantastic start to this series. Criminal minds vibes here for this book. The characters are interesting and I look forward to more .

This is intense and thrilling read for fans of FBI procedurals. If you're looking for detailed descriptions on how to catch a killer, this book is great. I loved the character development and following along as the PAR unit put the pieces together in their case.

I'm looking forward to reading more with the PAR team.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for a digital ARC of this book.

Intricate detailed plot of an investigative unit that I have never heard of, PAR. Every person on this unit has a story, but I wish the book was told from a singular point of view instead of multiple. While I appreciate the backstory of each of the characters, it tended to weigh down the plot for me. But overall a solid story with plenty of gory details.

Thank you, NetGalley for a digital copy of this book. The opinions are my own and freely given.

A Special group of FBI agents make up the PAR Unit (Patterns and Recognition) each member brings something different to the table. And seeing what other FBI agents can't, or don't care to look for. They are investigating the murder of a victim whose DNA is linked to a long dead serial killer. This leads to more victims and the team races to solve the cases.

I love books about cold cases and this one rank right up there. I look forward to reading the next in this series.

Gardner Camden (Gardy) is a thirty-seven year old FBI agent who works for an unusual division called PAR (Patterns and Recognition). With a focus on solving the toughest crimes, those involving pattern recognition and the making of obscure connections, Gardy is a genius level agent, who just happens to think differently than others. With behavior traits that would likely put him on the spectrum, where Grady’s social skills are lacking, he more than makes up for it in his raw (and applied) intelligence.

A complex, intricately-plotted FBI procedural follows - with Gardy and his team (including Cassie Pardo, a twenty-nine year old mathematician who Gardy wishes to be more than just a work-time partner) pulling out all the stops in a multiple-state hunt for a prolific serial killer, who will stop at nothing (including harm to the agents themselves) to accomplish their goals.

A well-written and interesting tale, with perhaps a tad too much detail for the average reader (or at least, this average reader), the book has an authentic FBI-team feel to it, despite the strangeness of the PAR unit, and many twists and turns, that manage to integrate in many cleverly weird clues and a number of red-herrings.

Lovers of action-packed mysteries, with quirky main characters, and a fast-moving plot, will find plenty to like here. I for one, loved Gardy and his take-me-as-I-am personality, appreciating his originality, and a starring role in what looks to be the start of a new series featuring the PAR team.

A great big thank you to #Netgalley,the author and the publisher for an ARC of this book. All thoughts presented are my own.

This felt exactly like what watching an especially good episode of criminal minds feels like. This was smart, sharp, tightly paced, and had an interesting cast of characters. Our main character definitely seems Dr. Spencer Reid coded and I found myself fascinated with how his mind made connections, but also how his personal life would crash into his work and thoughts. The ending had me glued to see how it would end, and I found it quite satisfying overall.

I did find the villain to be a bit lacking, but that’s understandable since they weren’t the main focus, but I found in the latter half that they got less interesting when at first the snippets were get felt more intriguing.

Overall this is a great book to bust you out of a slump and a great opening to a crime series.

Oh My Gosh this was amazing. It was like reading an episode of Criminal Minds with FBI Agent Gardner Camden reminding me of Hotch. The mystery and suspense was amazing and thrilling. Also we can't forget his quirky team which i loved how they worked together with all their gifts to find out who the killer was.

Head Cases was such a fascinating and gripping read that I immediately put John McMahon’s backlist on my TBR! This reminded me a tiny bit of a show that got cancelled awhile back (which of course I can’t remember the name of) and was just as dark and gritty as that was. Throw in some Criminal Minds and Dexter vibes and this is a story that a lot of readers will enjoy. I loved being inside of Gardner’s head even though it was both incredibly frustrating and incredible at the same time. I loved his genius, and I could see how someone like this would have their flaws as well. I have to imagine it’s hard y’all! The serial killer targeting other serial killers is like my dream plot, and it was a twisty road to the end.

I would highly recommend checking out the audiobook myself, and I loved Will Damron as the voice of Gardner. I felt that he really brought the character to life from the page, and I loved every minute that I got to listen to him. I do hope he comes back in future installments! I always enjoy anything that focuses on the FBI, especially when it comes to unique crime solving abilities, and this book hit the mark on so many levels. Each character stood out on their own and at no time did anyone bleed into another. This was also easy to follow which I appreciated and very compelling at the same time. And I couldn’t help but love the nod to Murder by the Book! 👀 That scene practically made me snort it was so funny.

Read this if you are looking for serial killers, FBI drama, and unique characters that stand out.

Book Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
Audiobook Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I really enjoyed this first installment of a new series. I loved how FBI agent Gardner Camden is a master puzzle solver, with a fierce devotion to his mother and his 7 year old daughter, Camila. Now Camden's team is brought into solve a series of murders. There is a serial killer that was presumed dead, but new clues lead the team to believe he is still alive.
Their group, PAR, is comprised of a mathematician, a weapons expert, a computer analyst, and their leader, a career agent. Together, they try to determine who is the killer, while putting their lives, and those they love, in danger. There is also the threat of PAR being shut down, and a mole in the FBI.
Very exciting and suspenseful first book in the series. I can't wait for book 2! I may have to go back and read the author's back list!

Fans of Criminal Minds, Law and Order, and FBI police procedurals pay attention!! This book, Head Cases, is going to be exactly what you love but in book form. I could not get enough of this one, and envisioned it playing out in my head just like a tv episode.

I love the cast of characters, and the premise is very exciting. New favorite series? I think so!

"Head Cases" is the pejorative assigned to the Patterns and Recognition (PAR) Unit, a small group within the FBI staffed by agents with unusual approaches to analyzing cases. These agents do not typically go into the field; rather, they analyze information that others have gathered, then apply their unique skills to produce leads.

Though not named as such, it's clear that the agents are all neurodivergent, and their careers have stalled within the bureau. They're seen as misfits and weirdos by the director and his deputy.

One such agent is Gardner Camden who is skilled at solving puzzles, and does not fully understand how to interact with people, causing upset feelings generally when he does. He harmed his career years earlier when he called the authorities on his wife, who was the daughter of his mentor within the FBI, when Garnder discovered she was involved in financial crimes at her job. He has a young daughter, Camila, who now lives with his mother-in-law, who tolerates him unhappily.

The PAR unit is run by Frank Roberts, a quiet, thoughtful man. Members are Gardner, recent arrival Cassie Pardo, who is good at math and is detail-oriented; there was an incident with Cassie's previous boss, which propelled her into the unit. Joanne Harris, known as "Shooter" is a weapons expert, and ended up in PAR after disagreeing quite publicly with a superior. The newest addition to the group is Richie, who actually chose to join the unit, and whose personnel file is sealed, which seems suspicious to Gardner.

The novel opens with Gardner and Cassie arrive at a suspicious death. Gardner realizes, once they start investigating, that the dead man is a serial killer thought to be dead already. Frank has Gardner lead the case.

Then, another serial killer is found dead. Gardner realizes that yet another serial killer is targeting accused serial killers when strange clues are found on the dead men.

It becomes clear that their suspect is someone who enjoys puzzles, and this person is leaving these behind for the PAR unit to decipher. This person also contacts Gardner, taunting the agent, implying that they are playing a game together. Gardner has PAR pull up old cases and go through them using the agents' skills with patterns to find any leads, even while the killer begins threatening Gardner's family.

The pace is fast and this story is smartly written. The characters are intriguing, and I enjoyed the interactions of the PAR agents. Gardner is sympathetic, and though he struggles in his interactions, I loved his relationship with his young daughter Camila.

I sure hope we get more cases soon for PAR to solve -- I really liked this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and to St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.

A suspenseful, cat and mouse thriller with a Criminal Minds vibe. The writing pulled me into this intriguing story and fascinating characters. Most definitely will pickup future installments.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to St. Martin’s and NetGalley for this ARC. I enjoy legal thrillers and police procedural so I had to request this book! This is my first by John McMahon and I was happy to read it! The novel did throw an awful lot of information at tot but I found it navigable and not overwhelming. I found myself drawn in from the start and the fast pace made it an enjoyable read. I can see this turned into a crime show and I hope the author follows through were these characters for future installments.

If you know me, you know I love my police procedurals and I’ve been craving a strong detective/police procedural lately. I’ve been looking for something to tie me over until the next Karin Slaughter book comes out, and I think I found a new author to watch for.

The first in a new series, Head Cases follows FBI Agent Gardner Camden and his team the Patterns and Recognition (PAR) Unit as they case a serial killer killing…serial killers. The first victim – one of Camden’s cases from years ago that the FBI thought had died. Can they catch the killer before the case become too personal?

Slow Horses meets Criminal Minds. Plenty of action and a good balance of characters. Camden has neurodivergent tendencies, and I felt that McMahon did a wonderful job of giving him growth but keeping him realistic. I primarily listened to the audiobook and Will Damron was an amazing narrator for Camden. I definitely loved the way this series started, and I can’t wait for the PAR #2. Going to have to dive into McMahon’s P.T. Marsh series next!



Head Cases is out now. Huge thank you to Minotaur Books & Macmillan Audio for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review, please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my:
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✨ The Vibes ✨
If Criminal Minds was a dark comedy

📖 Read if…
✨ You’re still waiting for a new season of Mindhunter
✨ You enjoy the band of misfits energy of Guardians of the Galaxy
✨ You don’t mind dark humor

To be fully transparent I didn’t really know what to expect when picking up Head Cases. The cover didn’t give much away and the summary read like your standard thriller. But as soon as I finished the first chapter, I knew this book was something special.

Head Cases throws you right in the middle of the action, opening with Agent Gardner Camden and his partner investigating the highly suspicious death of a serial killer who allegedly died years ago and things get even weirder when it appears that this new killer is targeting Agent Camden himself. That’s when the Patterns and Recognition (PAR) unit steps in, a group of quirky agents that are brought in to investigate the cases no one can solve.

It takes a minute to get accustomed to the tone and structure of Head Cases. Agent Camden narrates the story and often jumps between his thoughts on the case, reflections on previous cases, and concerns about his young daughter, but once you adjust to this stream of consciousness, the book is a lot of fun. The mystery is dark and complex, full of puzzles that will have even seasoned readers of the genre questioning their theories. And the humor! It feels weird to say a book as intense as this one is funny, but it really is. McMahon does a great job of incorporating dark humor in a way that never makes light of the more serious elements of the story.

Based on Goodreads, I think there is a sequel in the works, and I would gladly read more about this ragtag group of investigators. Head Cases is out now. Thanks to Minotaur and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

John McMahon has entered into my auto read author list with Head Cases. In this one we follow a specialized unit of the FBI as they try to catch a serial killer enacting his own justice upon other killers. The pacing was creeping and slowly burning toward the end, adding just enough tension to keep me up late into the night to finish this book. I really enjoyed all of the characters. Their personalities worked together so well and reminded me of procedural TV shows that I always loved. I cannot wait to read the next book in this series.

Flawed but likeable characters and an interesting storyline made this a good start to a new series. I wasn’t sure I’d like it but I’ll definitely read the next one.