Whoa, talk about a creepy and suspenseful novel. An Evil Mind has so many twists and turns that by the time you finish it, you’ll feel like you just got off the Full Throttle roller coaster at Six Flags!
This was the first book I’ve read from author Chris Carter, so I didn’t really know what to expect going into it. To be completely honest, I didn’t know much about the plot either. So imagine my surprise when an innocent car accident outside a small town diner reveals a couple of severed heads in the back of someone’s trunk!
For such a gruesome image, the author did a surprisingly fantastic job toning things down enough that if you can handle an episode of CSI, you’ll be okay reading this book. Well, some of the content is a little dark, so maybe imagine something more along the lines of a CSI episode on HBO.
But really, the gruesomeness isn’t overdone, and it does actually add to the story.
Backing up a bit, the book opens with a Sheriff getting his weekly pie fix early one morning in a small, quiet little town. When a driver suffers a heart attack and veers off the road, it comes barreling towards the diner. Just before impact the vehicle hits a pothole, which alters its course causing it to turn left and clip a Ford Taurus sitting in the parking lot.
The Sheriff and everyone else in the diner run out to see what happened. The driver is dead. Maybe the heart attack killed him, if not, well, the impact certainly did.
While the Sheriff is shocked by the accident itself and the dead driver behind the wheel, his deputy notices something else. Something worse, much worse. An open cooler with ice spilled out, and two severed heads rolling around the trunk.
Enter: Robert Hunter, an ex-criminal behavior psychologist and current detective with the Ultra Violent Crime Unit of the LAPD.
Hunter was supposed to be on his way to a much needed vacation when a call from his Captain forced him to change his plans. The FBI is now handling the case from the diner and, because this is his area of expertise, they want Robert’s take on things . While he’s initially reluctant, Hunter ends up agreeing to interview their suspect – a man with a truly evil mind.
It doesn’t take long for Hunter to realize nothing is quite what it originally seemed… and I mean nothing. It’s actually, amazingly, far worse.
I don’t want to give away too much of the plot, but let me just say that I really enjoyed reading this book. The scenes between Hunter and the suspect he’s questioning are as thrilling as they are creepy. From there the book leads the reader down a winding path full of zigzags and surprises, all leading to an ending that will have your heart pumping and leave you checking the locks on your doors before bed. Seriously!
If you’re looking for a good mystery thriller to kill some time (pun absolutely intended!) An Evil Mind is as good as any. Again, while it has some gruesomeness to it, it’s not exactly gory either. I’m not a fan of over-the-top goriness, so I’m glad the author kept things from crossing that line while writing this novel.
If you enjoy television shows like CSI or HBO’s True Detective, chances are you won’t be able to put this book down.
Side note
I didn’t even realize (when I read it) that this book is part of a series. Since then, I’ve learned that it’s actually the sixth novel in the Robert Hunter saga. As a newcomer to the series, I found no difficulties in picking up this book and reading it in a single weekend.
I’m sure the previous books lend much greater detail to the characters, but I certainly tip my cap to author Chris Carter for writing in such a way that I felt I had a firm grasp on all the characters and their personalities after just a few short chapters.
Book Details
Author: Chris Carter
Publisher: Emily Bestler Books
Release Date: December 1, 2015