By Tessa Pulyer Posted on

Master Mind by Andrew Mayne #BookReview #Thriller #ThrillerThursday #RIPXVI

Dr. Theo Cray and FBI agent Jessica Blackwood confront a cataclysmic conspiracy in a pulse-quickening thriller by the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Naturalist.

A mysterious electrical storm plunges Manhattan into darkness. As a strange, smothering fog rolls in, all communication crashes. In the blink of an eye, the island seems to vanish into a void.

FBI special agent Jessica Blackwood and brilliant scientist Dr. Theo Cray know this isn’t a freak accident. It’s a sinister sleight of hand. Their greatest adversary, a serial killer and cultist known as the Warlock, has escaped during a prison transfer in New York. A depraved master of manipulation, he promised the end of days. He’s making good on it.

One by one, cities across the globe are erupting in chaos as they disappear into the same black holes. Even for two ingenious trackers like Jessica and Theo, there’s still so much to learn about the pattern to the Warlock’s madness. The voids are just a warm-up for something bigger. To discover it—to stop it—Jessica and Theo must descend into the darkest of shadows—and minds.

What I Loved

The combination of elements- technology, medical, and criminal thrillers with a dose of performance magic is just incredibly fascinating. I spent most of the book simply in awe of everything I was experiencing within the pages. You know, when a story begins with the disappearance of New York City, you might as well strap yourself in because it’s going to be a wild ride, and Mastermind delivered and then some.

Bringing together two main characters that each has a series individually is an intriguing idea. And, even though I haven’t read either of the two series, I had no trouble following them in this story. I loved the way they provide so much insightful knowledge for the reader about each other. So, even though I was meeting each character for the first time, they were also meeting each other for the first time. This worked brilliantly for me as a new reader.

The fast-paced and constant thrills kept me glued to the page. The short chapters and first-person narration added to the smooth quickness, along with the witty banter and explanations that were a bit over my head but read authentic. I love the magician aspect of the story too. I’ve always been fascinated by magic, and to have the main character from a family full of magicians added a unique element that just gave the story an extra spark.

The Characters

Jessica Blackwood is a lone-wolf investigator who rubs many people the wrong way while maintaining essential connections that help smooth her path. She is from a family full of magicians, and she grew up learning the tricks of the trade and subtly falls back on those skills as needed.

Dr. Theo Cray has a bad reputation for playing by his own rules to catch serial killers, which has put him on a list of possible accomplices to one of the worst of the worst. I enjoyed the match-up of these two brilliant and strongly determined investigators.

What I Wish

My only wish is that the changes in narrators had been marked. I’m easily confused by multiple narrators and found myself scratching my head more than once as the narration switched between Jessica and Theo.

Reminds Me Of

 It reminds me of when two popular tv series have a crossover event.

Rating:

Rating: 5 out of 5.

To Read or Not to Read

If you are looking for a thriller with a mashup of subgenres that will leave you amazed, Mastermind is a book you won’t want to miss.

19 Replies to “Master Mind by Andrew Mayne #BookReview #Thriller #ThrillerThursday #RIPXVI”

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      It was very interesting and action packed – all that is right and good about thrillers ❤️

      Like

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      I loved those movies, and yes, there are some small bits that reminded me of them. You have to love illusionists/magicians ❤️

      Liked by 1 person

  4. Mae Clair says:

    Ooooh, this sounds so good. I was kind of worried when I realized the characters came from series books, but it sounds like I could dive right in without any trouble at all. And the magician element really appeals to me. This is definitely going on my TBR!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      I had no trouble whatsoever jumping right in. The only reason I even knew they each had their own series was because my husband told me. He’s a big fan of Andrew Mayne’s books.

      Like

  5. Teri Polen says:

    This is another author I’ve always wanted to read but haven’t gotten around to it. I reallllyyyy like the sound of this one.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      It is so incredibly cool! I think you’d enjoy it. Andrew Mayne and Jeff Wheeler both were recommendations from my husband and he has yet to steer me wrong. ❤️

      Liked by 1 person

  6. WendyW says:

    Too bad about the narrators, I’ve seen multiple narrators done really well, and others where multiple narrators are confusing.

    Liked by 1 person

  7. Grab the Lapels says:

    Ooof, if you’re mixing up Jessica and Theo because they both have chapters in first-person POV, then the author likely didn’t give them enough distinguishing internal character traits. You should be able to tell which narrator is which within a few sentences if the author has done it correctly.

    Liked by 1 person

      1. Grab the Lapels says:

        I’ve only known you for a little while, but everything tells me you’re an incredibly intelligent, astute reader. I think it’s the author doesn’t quite know how to make two characters who don’t sound kinda sorta like him, the author.

        Liked by 1 person

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