Winter Reads: Mind Games by Nancy Mehl

Last month was a little chaotic for me. If you've been following this blog as of lately, then you would know I had a family emergency recently; which has resulted in me being slightly late with a couple of reviews. I had read Mind Games by Nancy Mehl back in early December, but with everything that was going on with my grandmother, I had completely forgot about writing the actual review for it!

Mind Games ($15.99; Bethany House Publishers; 396 pages) is the first book in the all-new Kaely Quinn Profiler series. It centers around FBI Behavioral Analyst Kaely Quinn, a woman who made it her mission to track down serial killers after a childhood "event" changed her life forever. She has tried her best to put her past in the past, but she can no longer do so after a reporter unveils the truth about her: She is the daughter of a serial killer.

Demoted and transferred to St. Louis, Missouri, Kaely once again tries to move forward with her life; well, until the same reporter reenters her life, claiming he received an anonymous poem predicting a series of murders.

Along with her new partner, Special Agent Noah Hunter, Kaely investigates a murder that fits the exact details that was in the poem. Now she must race against the clock to stop the killer before he or she strikes again.

Final Thoughts

I've been a fan of Nancy Mehl's novels every since I read the first book in the Road to Kingdom series a few years ago. Her stories are normally set in the Kansas / Missouri area, which is a big plus for for me, as I am a Missourian!

The main character, Kaley Quinn, reminds a lot of the character Elizabeth Keen from the NBC series The Blacklist. Both characters are FBI agents and they both believe they're the daughters of psychopaths; though if you've been watching The Blacklist, then you would know about the recent twist in Elizabeth's parentage.

The overall plot is pretty good with a few decent twists and turns. The only thing I didn't like about the novel is the actual writing. Even though I've enjoyed reading the author's other books, I've found the way this book was written to be a disappointment. The descriptions and dialogue seemed to have been watered-down for easy reading.

What do I mean by easy reading?

What I mean is the book is written in a way that anyone can pick it up and read it fairly quickly, similar in vain to the way James Patterson writes his novels. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed reading Mind Games, and I also like reading Patterson's books as well. However, at this point in time, my reading standards have changes and I expect the books I read to be written better.

Overall, while Mind Games is a good start to a new series, it's also more of a fluff read for me. It has an intriguing story, but it's lacking description depth!

*Note : I received a complimentary copy for review purposes.
All opinions are my own.

About the Author

Nancy Mehl is the author of more than thirty books, including the Defenders of Justice series. Nancy writes from her home in Missouri, where she lives with her husband, Norman, and their puggle, Watson. To learn more, visit NancyMehl.com.