Murderous Mind, A

How did no one hear a young female student being murdered in her apartment? The crime is disturbingly familiar to one that occurred 15 years earlier, DI Joe Jackson had his suspicions at the time but they came to naught after Jackson himself was revealed to be killer. Now his former protege, police officer Naomi Blake takes a second look at the case Joe was building, a case that involved deaths going back more than twenty years. But is she right to trust a man she believes is capable of the the worst crime a human being can commit? A fascinating and thought provoking mystery where no one and nothing is as it seems

A student is found murdered in her bedroom at the dorm. No one heard anything. The killing was brutal. How did the killer get in? Why kill her?

Severn House and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you). It will be published March 1st.

The cast of characters in this story is varied. There are several cops, some retired cops, students, and a couple of assassins. Most of the characters have baggage from their past. A dead cop comes back to haunt them. There's lots of drama and it's an interesting story.

The dead girl appears to be a random victim. It's not until an older cop points out the similarity between this case and an old one that they realize they have a serial killer on their hands.

The killer is smart even if he is insane. He picks those who look at him and recognize him as dangerous. I'd be in trouble if I met him. The worst part is that he is almost untouchable. They can't prove anything.

The author lets you know who the killer is about half way through the book. I wondered about at that at the time but it sets things up for the ending. Ms. Adams does a great job of story telling and the ending is a killer.

Fans of modern British thrillers will enjoy A Murderous Mind, the eleventh installment in the series by Jane A. Adams. In this story, an 18-year old student has been brutally murdered, and her flatmates are especially upset because they were there and didn’t hear anything. The murder is very similar to one that happened 15 years prior, and is still hasn’t been solved. As the police investigate, they find that there have been others over the years, all unsolved, and they contact Naomi Blake, who is now blind, but was the protégé of the man who investigated the original murder. The murderer is aware that they may be onto him, and has no problem eliminating anyone who might expose him.

Readers are aware of who the murderer is most of the way through the book, and also what he is thinking, which definitely adds to the suspense.

Adams has done an excellent job of setting the scene, and incorporating British charm into this book. Naomi Blake, who has retired from the police department due to an accident leaving her blind, is a very unlikely hero, and it’s interesting that the ones who are actually working the investigation are the main characters, even though the series is named after Naomi Blake. Nevertheless, Naomi is likeable, smart, and is able to help solve cases. A Murderous Mind is well-written, and definitely a fast read. The characters are unique, albeit believable, and there are twists and turns, as well as plenty of suspense, especially near the end of the book.

A Murderous Mind is a nice addition to a good series and is recommended for those who don’t like a lot of graphic violence and language.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.