Thank you Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio for the #ARC in return for an honest review! #MacAudio2024 ✍🏻

📖HEAD CASES by John McMahon
352 pages
Genre: Crime Fiction + Mystery

I downloaded this after getting an email promoting this book and I’m so glad I did!

What did I like/what to expect:
🎈shows like: Criminal Minds, Mindhunter, CSI, Bones
🎈serial killer vibes
🎈fast paced
🎈mysterious and entertaining
🎈puzzle like
🎈dark and twisty

I always an interested in books that center around the FBI, and like many I find serial killers fascinating - from a very far distance. In Head Cases by John McMahon, it's a solid debut with a unique plot. What makes it is the character development with Camden.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

I really enjoyed this book! I love criminal minds and this was in the same vein. I liked the procedural aspect of PAR figuring out the case. I also liked the characters and I hope the rest of the series dives more into the side characters like Richie and Cassie. I will definitely be reading the other books in this series!

Gardner Camden is a genius - and he employs his superpower at PAR, a specialized unit of the FBI. PAR is made up of a nerdy group of accomplished misfits who've been banished to obscurity because of one misdemeanor or the other.

Gardner's quirky ways start to grow on you: his internal compass always points him toward truth and justice, so trying to navigate (tactfully) around all the internal politics and infighting that is the FBI is a constant battle for him. He sees things in very clear cut ways, but the powers that be don't see this internal compass, often voiced in a blunt manner, as an asset.

A highly sensitive case involving the murder of several known serial killers leads to Gardner Camden heading this elite think tank out in the field.

We get to know each of Gardner's highly colourful team members - which is good because this is the first installment in a future series. I, for one, can't wait for the next installment! (I shot my sleeping patterns right to hell - I simply could not put this book down!)

I highly recommend this action-packed novel. It has it all: great writing, plenty of action, a totally twisted plot, and an intriguing cast of characters.

My thanks to the author, John McMahon, the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. 5 out of 5 well deserved stars, and then some!
(Expected Publication date: January 28, 2025)

Gardner Camden leads the Patterns and Recognition (PAR) Unit of the FBI, a cast of quirky characters with unique skills to solve crimes. The team has been called in to investigate the death of a serial killer they thought dead many years ago. Through the investigation we learn about the history of the team and their backgrounds. It was an interesting mystery with good pacing and enjoyable characters.

I enjoyed this first in a new series and look forward to future installments.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #MinotaurBooks for a free copy of #HeadCases by John McMahon. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed Head Cases! FBI Agent Gardner Camden is brilliant and oh, so quirky!! He's part of a unit called PAR, which is made up of a mathematician, a weapons expert, a computer analyst, and a seasoned agent - other quirky "Head Cases." I loved them all! I also loved the amount of mystery and suspense in this book.

My only complaint is there was a little too much "He took a bite of pizza" or "He wiped his mouth," etc. That may seem too nitpicky but sentences like that break my train of thought.

Having said THAT ... I really hope Head Cases will be the start of a series!

Thank you #MinotaurBooks for providing this book for review consideration via #NetGalley. All opinions are my own. Head Cases has an expected publication date of January 28, 2025.

This cat and mouse game between a serial killer and a group of FBI misfits was such an enjoyable read! Each of the FBI agents have their own special gifts to provide to the case which makes the chase all the more fun to watch play out. Will Damron does a wonderful job narrating, boosting the quirky personalities of each character with his voices and overall charm.

This is another book I had the pleasure of reading with my booksta besties and we all enjoyed it so much! Again, we spaced it out over five days but this one is entirely bingeable and you’re not going to want to put it down!

Suspenseful and intriguing! Kept you guessing and wanting to read more. I prefer no bad language but read to review. Definitely want to read next book in series!

3.5, rounded up to 4. This was a quick paced read for a procedural novel that had more depth to characters than I was anticipating. Underlying story was engaging and made the novel as a whole work.

Bookish Thoughts: I initially requested this ARC because the cover and description immediately piqued my interest. This novel was very entertaining and I could not put it down. I enjoyed all the quirky characters and the propulsive plot. I am looking forward to reading the next installment in this gripping series! Plus the television series is a pleasant surprise to know it is in development!

I received an advanced electronic copy from publisher St. Martens Press, Minotaur Books and Netgalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview this book.

This was sooooo interesting- I loved it! It started off a bit clunky but quickly found it’s steam and then I was unable to put it down. The case was unique, as well as the department. The characters were unique and I was completely invested in the story. I can’t wait for more in this series!

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC of Head Cases in exchange for an honest review

This is my introduction to the work of John McMahon. Head Cases is a well crafted novel that follows a specialized group within the FBI to hunt down murderers. McMahon's novel allows readers to wade through the cases and clues in order for the reader to attempt to solve the murder at the same time as the team. Strong characterization allows the reader to relate and understand each team member. This was one of those hard to put down novels. The story pulls the reader in instantly. I recommend this novel for those that love a police procedural similar to Criminal Minds or Bones. .

All I can say is what a thrill ride this book was! Truly one of the best books I have read in a long time. From the start I wanted to know what happened and why it was happening. I thought it was well written and brought in some criminal minds type stuff which immediately caught my attention. The way I would describe this would be an episode of Criminal Minds with Spencer Reid as the main character!

HEAD CASES was an engaging and twisty thriller with an intriguing main character.

Gardner Camden is an FBI Agent with the PAR (Patterns and Recognition) unit of the FBI. He seems to be somewhere on the Autism Spectrum but had honed his abilities to make himself invaluable to the FBI when tough, "unsolvable" cases come in.

This story begins when a body is discovered - the body of a serial killer. The only problem is that this killer was supposed to have died in a fire years earlier. Gardner was on the original case. Then a second serial killer - this one recently released from prison - is found. Then a third murder victim - a self-confessed serial killer who was on trial - is found.

Gardner and the rest of his quirky colleagues are on the trail of a serial killer who kills serial killers and who seems to know what the team is doing and manages to stay one step ahead.

Throw in some inter-FBI politics and Gardner's relationship with his mother who is in a nursing home with memory issues and his seven-year-old daughter who is living with her grandmother, and you have a man leading a complex life.

This was excellent. I look forward to the second book in the series coming in 2026. I also want to find the author's earlier books.

A fast-paced thriller! I love Criminal Minds and the Behavioral Analysis Unit at the FBI, so the PAR unit and Camden was right up my alley! The plot was engaging, with a serial killer killing other serial killers. There were multiple red herrings, and I kept second-guessing who the suspect may be. I enjoyed the puzzles and references to mythology, as well as the things that Camden notices. I also liked the other members of the PAR unit. I will definitely read the second in this series!

Phew what a fab police procedural!!

I was so fascinated with the ongoing investigation. Such great details, characters, clues, and a mystery that keeps you turning those pages!

I was surprised how the team was able to solve the mystery despite the serial killer being one step ahead! It’s fast paced and gripping.

I’m happy that this is the first in a series and look forward to what the author has next!!

4/5

Thanks to the publisher!!

I really enjoyed this! It felt like watching an episode of criminal minds with all of the quirky details!

The pacing of the story was perfect and you really never knew what was coming next so it had a lot of twists and turns for me. I enjoyed Nolan’s character and the backstory to why he was doing what he was. This book was written very well and kept me interested constantly.

Head Cases by John McMahon
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Special FBI agent Gardner Camden is an analytical genius who excels at puzzles, but not so much at people skills. He is part of a unit called PAR (Patterns and Recognition) that is feeling unsure of it’s future as a unit. When DNA links a murder victim with a serial killer long presumed dead, PAR is sent.
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What I liked:
-The cat and mouse vibes in this book were excellent. Both Camden and our suspect were so smart and it was fascinating to read about each puzzle or clue that Camden took apart.
-I loved this team! Shooter and Cassie were both lots of fun and I hope this series goes on to have more from them as well.
-This book had me on my toes the whole time and for at least half of it I was on the edge of my seat.
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4.5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am really hoping this turns into a series.

Book Review: Head Cases by John McMahon
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I really enjoyed Head Cases by John McMahon! It was super interesting and hard to put down. The story pulled me in right away and made me feel like I was watching an episode of Criminal Minds.

The characters were great, and the twists kept me guessing. The writing was easy to follow but still exciting, and I loved how the story kept building the suspense.

I’m so happy I got an ARC of this book! If you like crime stories with a lot of action and surprises, you’ll love this one. It’s definitely worth reading!

4.25 ✨

Thank you St Martin's Press/Minotaur Books and Netgalley for sending me an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

I absolutely love police/detective procedurals. Once I read the blurb for this, I knew I wanted to read it! It didn't let me down. Special Agent Gardner Camden is a part of a small team within the FBI - he's neurodiverse, brilliant, and can't help but be blunt. I love this guy. We got so much detail and I realized it's because Gardner is so detailed - the way the author wrote this was perfect because it really allowed us to understand the inner workings of Camden's brain.

Gardner and his team (who I really enjoyed getting to know) are assigned to a case when DNA links a murder victim to a serial killer that's been dead for years. A second victim turns up and thats when Gardner has to come up with a pattern. But then the murderer starts targeting Gardner and his team 👀

This was such a quick read and even more exciting: a show is in development with MAX! I'll definitely be tuning in and I hope we get more of Gardner and his team.