Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Unexplained Deaths..
The third Sam Kelson mystery and Sam gets some unexpected results when investigating a series of deaths at a memorial hospital. There is no apparent connection with each other but the deaths are all unexplained. It soon becomes clear that nothing is as it seems and that something is very wrong indeed. A swiftly moving storyline and a plot populated with a deftly drawn cast make this a worthy and enjoyable addition to the series.

I started reading this book and found that it was not for me. I didn't want to review a book that I didn't finish.

Chicago PI Sam Kelson is in the hospital after getting shot during his last case. Kelson has a unique medical condition from a previous head wound called disinhibition. This condition makes Kelson incapable of not answering any question or sharing his thoughts. He also has occasional bouts of not being able to recognize himself in a mirror. At the hospital, Kelson is befriended by nurse Jose Feliciano who believes that 3 recent patients have died unnatural deaths. At first, Kelson dismisses her claims but agrees to investigate after another patient unexpectedly dies and Feliciano’s nurse is blamed for making a fatal error.

This was another enjoyable read in the Sam Kelson PI series.

I received an eARC from Netgalley and Severn House with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

Sam Kelson is a private investigator in Chicago. Sam isn't your ordinary man ... while he was a detective just a few years ago, he was shot in the head while on duty. He's lucky to be alive .. but because of the trauma, he now suffers from inhibition .... in his case, the inability to tell a iie. No matter what, there is no way he can ever keep a secret .... a little problematic when questioning people. And then there are those who know of his condition and ask him things just to see what he says .. .like his 13-year-old daughter.

He's been shot again, luckily it's only an arm wound, but he's in hospital for a day or two. While there, he's approached by a nurse ... who tells him people are dying. Well, okay, thinks Sam .. it's a hospital, people do die here.

But the nurse explains that there have been several unexplained deaths ... no connection between the deceased, no pattern, the only thing in common is that they should not have died.

Sam starts asking questions, and the more he uncovers, the more he begins to believe that something is really wrong at the hospital. And someone wants to make sure Sam doesn't learn what .. or why.

Sam is a great character .. he's made the most of his inability to filter what he says, and he's just down right funny. I love his interactions, not only with his friends, but also with his daughter. The plot is cleverly written, there is much action, a bit of violence, and characters that are solidly drawn. Although 3rd in the series, this is easily read as a stand alone, but I do recommend reading in order.

Many thanks to the author / Canongate Books / Severn House / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Former Chicago Detective Sam Kelson is retired and working as a private investigator. When he was shot in the head, he developed disinhibition frontal lobe injury which inhibits inappropriate behavior. He is unable to not say many things that should be left unsaid. The last time he did this he was shot again, but was saved from certain death by his friend. While recovering in the hospital, one of the nurses tells him that some people died there that shouldn’t have. Sam is determined to investigate and opens himself up to the chance that he won’t make it out of the hospital alive. Witty dialog between Kelson and his ex-wife and friends add an appealing touch of humor to his interactions and investigation. Will his friends once again have his back or this time will they be too late? An enjoyable mystery with quirky characters. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

This is a private eye thriller with a difference- Sam Kelson, the investigator, has suffered a brain injury three years previously which means he cannot lie- he must always tell the truth. When he is taken to hospital after being shot in the arm, he meets nurse, Jose Feliciano who wants to hire him to investigate some nefarious goings on at the clinic.
This is a fairly humorous investigative novel which introduces the reader to some unusual characters. It became apparent after a few chapters that it was the third book in a series although that did not detract from my enjoyment. I hadn’t read the earlier books but all was explained so it did not matter that I was coming to the novel fresh.
The fact that Kelson cannot lie did not really add a lot to the story which did seem over complicated in places as there were quite a lot of minor characters. Kelson’s two friends were not well fleshed out and seemed rather two dimensional.
There were a lot of guns and towards the end a lot shooting although it transpired that really there were only 3 suspects. I did in fact guess the perpetrator quite early on.
This was a reasonably enjoyable thriller and I would be tempted to read another book by this author if it became available.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my arc in exchange for an honest review.

Chicago USA. Sam Kelson was once shot in the head. The brain damage has caused Disinhibition which means he has to tell the truth if someone asks, which can prove embarrasing..
When this story starts he has been shot again but in the arm this time. He is only alive because his friend De Marcus Rodman killed his attacker. Whilst recovering in the Clement Memorial Hospital, a nurse Jose Feliciano ( a former bull rider!) mentions suspicious deaths in the hospital.
Despite his ex wife's concerns and his beloved daughter Sue Ellen's misgivings, Sam starts to investigate. He annoys the hospital's head doctor Jacobson and also his ex police detective colleagues Venus Johnson and Dan Peters.
Sam is suspicious of Jacobson's two sons Rick and Scott. Sam finds progress difficult even with Rodman and the excitable one armed Marty's help. He also soon realises he is in grave danger.
An exciting if at times a far fetched thriller. I don't know if disinhibition is an actual medical condition? If it is it is tragic, if not it can be annoying! This is the third book in this series. The author has three other series in print. I have read and enjoyed the detective Daniel Turner series. In my opinion this is a better series than the Kelson one. However I would still recommend this as a good read.

Sam Kelson is a former cop, now a PI, with disinhibition- he can not tell a lie. You never think about how many lies you tell until you meet a man like Sam. In this third outing in an interesting series, he's been shot in the arm by a car thief and, while in the hospital, is approached by Jose, a nurse who is convinced someone is killing patients. Sam's not inclined to get involved but then another patient dies and Jose's girlfriend is accused. The mystery here is enhanced by Kelson's character- he's got a tough relationship with his ex-wife, a hoot of a daughter, and two cats who he's very attached to. While it's probably meant to be hard boiled, there's a lot of humanity (and humor) here. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I enjoy this series - I hope this will be fine as a standalone- and look forward to the next one. A very good read for fans of the PI genre.

Head Case is the third book in the series featuring ex-cop now PI Sam Kelson. He is a very complex character so you could do yourself a favour and read the first two books before diving into this one. Although the main story is self-contained. Be warned... Sam Kelson is a bit Captain Scarlet so it should not come as a shock that we first reconnect with him as he is lying in a hospital bed after recovering from being shot... again!
It is in this hospital bed where he is approached by one of the nurses who needs to voice his concerns about the deaths of some seemingly recoverable patients. Problem is, it's just a gut feeling as there is no discernible pattern to the victims or manner of their deaths. They just shouldn't have died. He wants Sam to investigate, and has his winnings from his bull-riding days to spend on paying him. Sam is honest, too honest, medically honest as he suffers from disinhibition, so doesn't want to take his money, convinced there is nothing to it all. But is persuaded, eventually.
And so begins a roaring romp, delivered in Kelson's own inimitable scary and dangerous way as he bumbles his way through to trying to get to the truth. Without getting shot again.
Aided and abetted by his solid friends, and a few frenemies too, with daughter and his two cats on hand when it gets too tough, can Sam finally dig up enough to work out what is going on?
It's a bit bonkers and sometimes on the farcical side and doesn't always take itself too seriously but, put all these things together, and they really complement each other. Well, along with a cracking plot obviously.
Sam Kelson is probably a bit of a marmite character. I think he is that to all his friends and family too so you would be forgiven that as a reader! Me I think he has enough quirks to make him interesting and a good soul to make him human. He is also a wicked investigator who will stop at nothing, even getting into harm's way, to get to the truth. He is a character that I enjoy reconnecting with and one that I am sad to wave goodbye to once the book is done. Suffice to say I am hanging for book four now. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

4.5 stars and my favorite so far in the series. There are still a few too many characters for me, complicated by calling them by first names in some places and last names in others, but the core cast of 6 or so are fairly established. If you made it through books 1 and 2, this is a treat.

Chicago private detective Sam Kelson is one of the most interesting characters to come along in recent years. He used to be an undercover police detective until he was shot in the head, he survived (obviously!) but the injury left him with something called disinhibition.

As a result Kelson has a complete inability to lie - he quite literally can't keep a secret to save his life. There are also some self-control issues. He has very little ability to filter the thoughts in his head before they come out of his mouth, and if Kelson, for whatever reason, suddenly gets the urge to strip to his underwear and dance on a table then sit back and enjoy the show.

He has a difficult ex-wife, a precocious young daughter, two house cats named after racehorses, and a couple of strange but loyal associates.

Head Case is the third book in an ongoing series and it's not bad (I highly recommend the first book Trouble in Mind). It's not exceptional either. I found the plot a little muddled with at least one subplot that went nowhere. But I really like this character!

Although this book is a standalone it's really more of a self contained story within a larger story arc, meaning if you haven't read the first book you probably won't appreciate this one all that much. On its own Head Case is a slightly better than average P.I. story. As part of the ongoing series it's much better.

***I received a free digital copy of this title through NetGalley.