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Monday, December 24, 2018

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About the Book

Mind games
Book: Mind Games
Author: Nancy Mehl
Genre: Suspense
Release Date: December, 2018
Publisher: Bethany House
FBI Behavioral Analyst Kaely Quinn’s methods may be highly unorthodox, but her talent is undeniable. She’s done her best to establish a new life for herself after being demoted and transferred to St. Louis when a reporter revealed she’s the daughter of an infamous serial killer. But when that same reporter claims to have received an anonymous poem predicting a string of murders, ending with Kaely’s, it seems her old life has followed her.
When a body is found that fits the poem’s morbid predictions, Kaely and her new partner, Special Agent Noah Hunter, are forced to move past his skepticism of her approach and work together to unravel the deadly riddle.
With a brazen serial killer who breaks all the normal patterns on the loose, Noah and Kaely are tested to their limits to catch the murderer before anyone else, including Kaely, is killed.


About the Author

Nancy Mehl (www.nancymehl.com) is the author of more than thirty books, including the Road to Kingdom, Finding Sanctuary, and Defenders of Justice series. She received the ACFW Mystery Book of the Year Award in 2009. She has a background in social work and is a member of ACFW and RWA. She writes from her home in Missouri, where she lives with her husband, Norman, and their Puggle, Watson. She is part of The Suspense Sisters: www.suspensesisters.blogspot.com, along with several other popular suspense authors. She is also very active on Facebook.

Guest Post from Nancy

Writing Mind Games is a dream come true. I’ve been interested in FBI profiling for years. I’ve read about it, studied it, and watched every TV special I could find on the subject. So when the chance finally came to write the book I’ve always wanted to write, I jumped at it. Thankfully, through the help of another writer, I was hooked up with a retired FBI profiler. I was so excited. Until I found out I had almost everything wrong. Yes, I had some understanding about profiling, but I knew nothing about the FBI and how it works.
First of all, the FBI doesn’t call the men and women who profile criminals, profilers. They’re called Behavioral Analysts. The plot for Mind Games had my analyst running around the country solving crimes while she was stationed in St. Louis. Uh, no. Behavioral analysts do travel, but they all work out of Quantico in Virginia. So…I rewrote.
There were ways around my conundrum, but one solution led to more and more problems. We finally worked through them. Then I spent the next few months learning acronyms. CIRG, CJIS, NCAVC, HRT, UNSUB, CNU, THU, ViCap, CODIS, SWAT, ERTU, OPU, THRU, ERT… Well, the list goes on and on. The FBI is made up of many specialized units. And a plethora of acronyms, it seems.
I rewrote Mind Games three times before my source said we were good to go.
If you assume I’m out of the woods now, you’d be wrong. I haven’t had the nerve to open up the manuscript I sent her for book two in my Kaely Quinn Profiler series. I figured I had Fire Storm right but… Well, I can tell from her email comments I’ll be doing more rewriting. Sigh.
So is it worth it? A resounding yes! I love learning, and as long as my analyst friend hangs in with me (she has the patience of Job), I’ll keep at it.
I hope you enjoy Mind Games. It’s edgy but fun. Kaely Quinn is a quirky character. She was thrown out of Quantico because her version of profiling is… Well, you’ll just have to read the book to find out!



Review.jpg


The author has really outdone herself with this book. I have never been so engrossed in a story like this one. The title is perfect because the story is gritty, intriguing, heart pounding,  and filled with deceit and unimaginable mind games that can give you nightmares. I have to put this author at the top of my list as favorite mystery writer. 

Kaely is a very high tech, super smart woman who has a gift of discernment. Her savvy attitude drew me in right away. I could sit with her for hours and watch her as she deciphers clues. Someone is out there taunting her with a cryptic poem which will  lead to untimely deaths if Kaely can't catch them in time. The brilliance of the writing is so powerful I am in awe of how creepy the character who is taunting her gets. She is not liked by some on her team in the Behavioral Analyst Unit. It made me think of the show Criminal Minds and this book would make a perfect story for the show. 

I loved the background on Kaely and especially who her father was. That was  a very pivotal part of the story and the author used it seamlessly to weave it throughout the book. There is a Christian element to the story that I found very tasteful and perfect as a addition to the story. Why does God let bad things happen? That's a question Kaely is asked by her partner. The way she answers the question is well done and shows her trust in God. Kaely is fighting an enemy that thinks they have the upper hand, but Kaely is very determined and has a mind that looks past the obvious. 

I was extremely surprised by who the serial killer was and the author had me guessing throughout the story. It is non stop action with a battle of wits mixed with a powerful good vs evil quality to it. Hold on for a bumpy and psychological  ride where you don't know when the next strike of the enemy will happen.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

Blog Stops

The Lit Addict, December 11
amandainpaDecember 11
A Reader’s BrainDecember 12
Daysong ReflectionsDecember 12
Livin’ Lit, December 12
By The Book, December 13
Lighthouse Academy, December 13
Multifarious, December 14
Splashes of JoyDecember 14
Back Porch ReadsDecember 15
Robin is Bookish, December 15
Janices book reviews, December 15
C Jane Read, December 16
Ashley’s BookshelfDecember 16
The Becca Files, December 16
Bigreadersite, December 16
Quiet Quilter, December 17
Margaret Kazmierczak, December 17
Godly Book Reviews, December 17
All-of-a-kind Mom, December 18
Just the Write Escape, December 18
D’S QUILTS & BOOKS, December 18
Simple Harvest Reads, December 19 (Guest post from Mindy Houng)
Mary Hake, December 19
Remembrancy, December 20
Inklings and notionsDecember 20
Carpe Diem, December 20
Locks, Hooks and BooksDecember 21
Pause for Tales, December 21
Have A Wonderful DayDecember 22
Book by Book, December 22
Bibliophile Reviews, December 23
Cafinated Reads, December 24
Texas Book-aholic, December 24

Giveaway

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To celebrate her tour, Nancy is giving away a grand prize of a copy of Mind Games and the three books in Nancy’s Defenders of Justice series, plus a $20 Starbucks gift card!
Two additional winners will also receive a copy of Mind Games!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/d73b/mind-games-celebration-tour-giveaway

3 comments:

  1. Always fun to hear about another new great book. Thanks for sharing!

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  2. Thank you for your review on "Mind Games" by Nancy Mehl and for being part of the book tour.

    I've had this on my TBR list since I first read about it I would love the opportunity read this great sounding book.
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm up for a good suspense book. It's been awhile since I've read anything by Nancy. Thanks for the review.

    ReplyDelete