Michael WileyBesprekingen

The protagonist in Trouble in Mind by Michael Wiley is Sam Kelson, a retired police detective, turned private I. He has an interesting back story; he was shot in the head resulting in damage in the part of the brain that controls inhibitions. Sam says whatever comes to mind and answers questions with the truth no matter what the consequences. In a profession where truth telling may get one in trouble, this creates particularly difficult situations. So while the disinhibition generates interesting conflict, the situations he puts himself in are illogical and at times ridiculous. He is so often incompetent - after people break into his office 5 times due to an inadequate lock, he still doesn't change it to protect himself. I rolled my eyes at his ineptitude too many times to be interested in reading more about him.½

I really enjoyed this book. I don't believe I have ever ready anything with a main character quite like Sam Kelson. He truly had me on the edge of my seat by what would come out of his mouth next. There were times I thought to myself "No, Sam don't say that!!". I figured out the twist maybe a couple chapters before it was revealed, but it was still an exciting journey and I can't wait to listen to the next audio book in the series. I hope Sam continues his partnership with Rodman.

Sam Kelson turned private investigator is a former narcotics policeman whose career ended after being shot i the head by a drug dealer. His injury caused a condition known as disinhibition which leaves him unable to tell a lie or keep a secret. After the injury, Sam is divorced, but is devoted to his daughter Sue Ellen.

Sam is hired by a new client to help her brother but it is a set up and he is arrested for murder. Sam sets out to try and find out who set him up while the murders countinue to grow. At the same time he continues to irritate everyone by continuous talking, and blurting out everything he is thinking

A very good mystery with a great cast of characters. Look forward to his next book.

I received this book in exchange for a review.

A noir detective novel set in present-day Chicago. The catch with the protagonist is that he has a traumatic brain injury from being shot in the head two years previously when he was a police officer and a drug bust went awry (the drug dealer was killed). This brain injury causes Sam Kelson to lack inhibition- he just says whatever's on his mind at the moment, including hitting on women in his vicinity or being unable to hide from a killer who asks where he is. This character aspect is reminiscent of the main character in Motherless Brooklyn who has Tourette's Syndrome and cannot stop interjecting non-sensical statements and phrases into just about any conversation. Both characters are social outcasts- in the case of Kelson, his wife even divorced him, and he has few friends. Trouble in Mind is decently written for a noir suspense mystery, with some good writing popping up frequently, however, the plot meanders and turns in on itself a few times as Kelton searches out the same people in the same spots over and over. Sam Kelson is an endearing figure, however, in a world of crazy characters. Recommended as a quick noir detective read, but probably won't win any awards (famous last words?).

Sam Kelson is a PI with a problem: since he was shot in the head during a drug bust gone wrong in his previous career as a cop, he suffers from disinhibition — blurting out the truth (or whatever is on his mind), often at very inconvenient times.

This is a very violent mystery novel, but Kelson’s personality and the group of friends and family around him make it an enjoyable and quick read. I listened to this on audio, and thought the narrator handled the quirky nature of the characters well. I look forward to reading or listening to the next book in the series.

This review is for the audio book of Trouble in Mind as provided by LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

A whole lot of suspension of disbelief is required to accept that a man with brain damage, which makes him unable to lie, has made an appropriate career choice as a private detective. It takes more to understand why he's so obsessed with the question of whether he fired first at the drug dealer who put a bullet in his head. That's not all of the logical obstacles that the listener has to overcome in this novel, which is studded with characters that are consistently extraordinary. As in, “I've never met anyone like that.”

All that being said, there is amusement here, with our hero blurting out the obviously wrong things time after time. And it's entertainment, after all, not “true crime,” but the biggest flaw in the novel is that there's not much mystery in it. I knew the crime kingpin halfway through, and it becomes a thriller chase book soon thereafter.

Well performed by Paul Woodson, it's amusing enough for company on your commute, but not something you'll long remember.

Trouble in Mind: A Sam Kelson Mystery is a modern noir mystery thriller featuring a damaged protagonist—brain damaged, that is—by a bullet to the head while undercover as a narcotics cop. Sam is left with a permanent inability to stop himself from saying and doing whatever crosses his mind, thus ending his career and his marriage. Retired from the police, Sam goes to work as a PI and quickly gets in over his head on a case that may be connected to the shooting that left him with a damaged brain and a damaged life.

Fictional detectives with disabilities are nothing new—think obsessive-compulsive Monk, wheelchair bound Ironsides, PTSD-afflicted Dex Parios, blind Sir John Fielding, agoraphobic Nero Wolfe, or the many alcoholic and drug addicted walking wounded. Even the great Sherlock Holmes is often portrayed (at least in derivative works) with autism spectrum characteristics. In this crowded field, Sam Kelson’s diagnose of disinhibition feels like an effort to find a new twist to differentiate the main character from the herd and a plot devise to jump-start the story.

Once jump-started, the story is very competently developed and presented. The focus of the action-packed plot shifts and twists. Connections are suggested but not all may be real or mean what we may think they do at first. I guessed the identify of the main villain before it was revealed—but not so far before that it spoiled the story.

The author includes the standard noir elements—a mysterious femme fatale, lots of gun violence and dead bodies, gangsters, and a clever villain. These traditional noir elements are lightened by the refreshing appearances of Sam’s young daughter and her kittens and by Sam’s loyal sidekick. I wish the ex-wife was not presented as such a stereotypical bitch. This did nothing to advance the story and seemed to be just an effort to increase the readers’ sympathy for Sam—an effort that was not needed.

I listened to the audio book edition. The narration is easy to listen to and enhanced the story. The voices of each character are differentiated without the narration becoming overly theatrical.

I rate this audio book with 3 ½ stars (out of 5)—a solid read.½

Sam Kelson is an ex-Chicago narcotics cop who has been shot in the head during a drug bust gone bad. His partner saves his life, but Sam is retired from the force on disability because his injury has left him with a condition called disinhibitation which means he is now incable of telling a lie or even demurring from telling the truth. To keep body and soul together he becomes a private eye,

One day a good-looking redhead named Trina Felbanks appears in his office wanting him to investigate her pharmacist brother who she suspects is selling drugs. When Kelson arrives at Felbanks' apartment, he finds Felbanks dead from a gunshot wound and a SWAT team bursting through the door almost immediately afterwards.

Now Felbanks finds himself in a situation that any fan of Alfred Hitchcock movies will find familiar: the innocent man accused of a crime based on highly circumstantial, but damning, evidence. What follows is a wild chain of events spread out over a couple of weeks as Kelson both tries to prove his innocence and also find the real killer.

The author knows Chicago well and if needed I could have traced his peregrinations around Chicago on a map. The dialogue is authentic and the action is non-stop. Thanks to Library Thing who sent me this audio book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to LibraryThing, HighBridge Audio , and Severn House Pub for the free disc set of this audio book.

This book has such an interesting premise. A cop is shot in the head on a bust and therefore can no longer be a cop. He opens his own PI office, but is perhaps not the best PI because his brain injury leads him to always tell the truth, even when it’s not helpful or asked for. I was never sure where the plot was going to go. There were some good moments of levity amidst the heaviness of murder and drugs. I am unsure if I would pick up another book in this series, but this one did keep me entertained.

Trouble in Mind
by Michael Wiley

This crime novel introduces the former Chicago cop, Sam Kelson.

During an undercover operation, he took a bullet to the head and recovery left him with a disability called "disinhibition: he cannot keep silent or tell lies when questioned."

Now a struggling PI, relying on pain medication, therapy and living
a personally shattered life, he is surprisingly good at his labors.
There are the totally inappropriate personal comments that
make you feel bad for his lack of control.
But there are times, both professionally and personally, when you applaud his truthfulness.

I thought the novel was a fine introduction to Sam as the past and present were well explained.
I look forward to Sam's future with motives, causes and culprits.

My review copy was audio from Highbridge.
My only difficulty was that disc 2 was unplayable.

3.5 stars.

The first installment in the Sam Kelson Mystery series, Trouble in Mind by Michael Wiley is an intriguing mystery.

Private Investigator Sam Kelson is a former narcotics officer whose career ended after taking a bullet to head. He continues to suffer from headaches from the injury and a condition known as disinhibition which leaves him unable to tell a lie or keep a secret. The condition also causes Sam to blurt out whatever he is thinking no matter how inappropriate his thoughts might be. Now divorced, he is a devoted dad to his eleven year old daughter Sue Ellen, who finds his disinhibition quite amusing.

Sam's life takes a troubling turn when his newest client, Trina, hires him to convince her brother, pharmacist Christian Felbanks, to stop dealing the drugs he is filching from his employer. Sam discovers Christian's lifeless body and homicide Detective Dan Peters arrests him for murder. Sam knows Trina has set him up, but will he found out who is behind the plot before it is too late?

Sam is a quirky character whose disinhibition manages to irritate just about everyone he meets. He also has a tendency to talk a lot which people tend to find distracting and downright annoying. Despite his propensity for rambling, Sam is a likable man who is a little clueless but quite tenacious as he tries to figure out who Trina is working for.

There are a surprising number of suspects who might have it in for Sam. First in line is the family of the teenager who died in the same shoot out in which Sam was shot. Next is a surprising connection between a real estate mogul and someone from Sam's past. As the bodies begin to pile up, Sam remains Peters and his partner Venus Johnson's main suspect. In order to get out from underneath the cloud of suspicion, Sam turns to a former police academy friend DeMarcus Rodman to help him uncover the truth about who is behind the deadly plot.

Trouble in Mind is a clever mystery with an eccentric cast of colorful characters. The storyline is engaging but the pacing is a little slow. With a few predictable twists, Michael Wiley brings this fascinating mystery to an over the top, slightly improbable conclusion.

Despite a bit of a bumpy beginning, I am looking forward to reading the next novel Sam Kelson Mystery series.

4.5 stars.

Monument Road by Michael Wiley is a riveting mystery which features a former death row inmate who is struggling to reintegrate to society while at the same time working as a investigator for the nonprofit that helped overturn his conviction.

After stopping to help brothers Duane and Steven Bronson late one night, Franky Dast is eventually arrested, convicted and sent to death row for their horrific murders. Eight years later, after his tireless work on his appeals and aided by the Justice Now Iniative, his conviction has been overturned and Franky has been released from prison. Franky might be no longer incarcerated, but many people, including his brother Jared and Bill Higby, the detective who arrested him, have no doubt that he killed the teenagers. After Bill is arrested for shooting and killing Joshua Skooner, his neighbor and son of prominent judge Eric Skooner, Franky is gleeful about his nemesis's plight. However, he quickly comes to the conclusion that Bill might be innocent and Franky's subsequent investigation unexpectedly leads back to the Bronson brothers' murders.

Franky might no longer be physically in prison, but he is not exactly free from the effects of his incarceration. He vacillates between the highest of highs and the lowest of lows as he tries to adjust to his new life. Despite his adjustment issues, he jumps headlong into working for the Justice Now Iniative where he goes to extreme lengths to help exonerate prisoners who have been wrongly convicted. Franky is highly intelligent and relentless in his pursuit of the truth but his impulsivity and volatility do not always result in the best decisions. He refuses to take no for an answer in his zeal to find answers and Franky frequently skirts the boundaries of respectable behavior when confronted with recalcitrant witnesses.

Monument Road is a well-executed mystery that takes a stunning turn when Franky uncovers evidence that hints at shocking corruption and wrongdoing at the highest level in the justice system. Franky is a complex character who is surprisingly sympathetic despite his erratic behavior and ill-thought out decisions. The plot is engaging and Michael Wiley brings the novel to an action packed conclusion. This first installment in the Franky Dast Mystery series is sure to be a hit with fans of the genre.

Freed after spending eight years on death row for a crime he did not commit, Franky Dast now works as an investigator for the Justice Now Initiative. But he’s not able to move past the events that cost him eight years of his life and isn’t certain he should help the detective who testified against him all those years ago and who now faces a murder charge himself.

Investigating for Justice Now, Franky learns more about the murder charge against Detective Higby; Franky hates the man and wants him to be guilty of the crime. But as he learns more about the circumstances and about the people involved, he realizes there is much more to the case than he’d first thought.

Despite his release from prison, many people still believe Franky is guilty of the murders that wrongfully incarcerated him and he realizes he must prove himself innocent of that crime before he can make headway in the Higby investigation. Can Franky learn what really happened that night on Monument Road?

This gritty narrative explores the psychological state of those released from prison after several years in an unforgiving prison system and offers readers a starkly realistic view through Franky’s interactions with others. By turns, Franky will make readers sad, hopeful, angry, and scared as he makes choices that seem self-destructive and yet are part of his learning how to be free after spending so many years as an innocent man on death row.

The characters are well-developed and believable; unexpected twists and turns keep readers guessing until the final reveal. The narrative itself is grim, dark, stifling, and brutally raw. Sometimes it is difficult to read. But its honesty is both compelling and mesmerizing. Put this one on your must-read list.

Highly recommended.

A great hard boiled crime mystery reminiscent of the film noir of yesteryear. I had an excellent time with this one. Highly recommended for genre fans.

Again I seem to have started a series with the second book, as I did the one before this. I don't know what's up with my library not having the first books of series, but it is a bit frustrating. The author seems to have done a decent job filling me in on the first novel without boring anyone who had read the first.

This sounded interesting & started out very well. All through the book there were some very good writing & some that I didn't care for. The hero kept getting flowery with his language. Sometimes it was fun, the way it is in a Mickey Spillane novel, other times it was jarring, but overall the writing was pretty good. Ditto with the reading. While it was well read, the voice varied between chapters a lot. The same POV should have the same voice, shouldn't it? It didn't, but that was minor. Overall, it was well read, both male & female voices.

Unfortunately, motivations were never particularly believable & the overall logic of the story was forced. The ending was particularly horrific in that regard, glossed over by never emptying guns, falling bodies, & 'hero' that, like the bad guys, should certainly spend some time in jail for sheer idiocy. My suspension of belief snapped entirely at the metal works, maybe the last 1/8th of the book. If I hadn't been about done mowing the fields as well, I probably would have looked for another book at that point. As it was, I let it run to the end which coincided closely enough with the mowing.

A well-written adventure in the traditional smart-aleck PI mold. Lots of bodies and guns. I fear I'm developing an allergy to lead or something.

When you think ‘private detective’, you think of a divorced and alcoholic ex-cop, with a plain and unrefined office a few floors up in an old building that drives a beat up car. Well, Joe Kozmarski is no exception. In Wiley’s latest mystery, the Chicago detective takes on both the Windy City's finest…and worst. This is an excellent reminder of why we’ve loved gritty P.I. stories since Spade and Marlowe first hit the mean streets.
Kozmarski is hired to play security guard at a new housing construction site that is experiencing its share of burglaries. When the thieves arrive, they turn out to be…cops. After shooting and killing one, Kozmarski is thrown in jail. A buddy on the force—who works as liaison to a civilian based ethical board—then recruits him to infiltrate the gang of thieves to destroy it from the inside. Kozmarski, who is trying to reconcile a relationship with his ex and fighting the temptations of alcohol, drugs and a sexy partner, soon runs afoul of the FBI agent who also want a piece of the action. Who can Joe trust and just who’s playing who in the bigger scheme of things?
This is a quick read, but thoroughly enjoyable. It contains all the expected elements: bad cop power plays, street gangs, a high priced sex club, a tour of Chicago, the obligatory shoot ‘em up car chase and a few plot twists to keep you guessing. You’ll sleep well knowing you’ve read another fine story to be put on the shelf in the private eye wing of your collection.

Reviewed by Stephen L. Brayton, author of “Beta” for Suspense Magazine

Ex-Chicago cop Joe Kozmarski, current PI involved in the real world of PIs (divorce work, long hours staked out behind a camera), witnesses an incident that draws him into a mystery with roots in 1950s racial tension. Great writing, great setting fully realized, characters you can believe, a protagonist you can believe in, a plot that will keep you involved until the last page. TjS

Excellent book. It is well written and a compelling read. The characters are deep and believable. This book is much better than your average criime mystery.