Head Cases: A Novel (The Head Cases Series)

By John McMahon

Head Cases follows an enigmatic group of FBI agents as they hunt down a murderer seeking his own justice in this electrifying—and commercial—series debut. FBI Agent Gardner Camden is an analytical genius with an affinity for puzzles. He also has a blind spot on the human side of investigations, a blindness that sometimes even includes people in his own life, like his beloved seven-year-old daughter Camila. Gardner and his squad of brilliant yet quirky agents make up the Patterns and Recognition (PAR) unit, the FBI’s hidden edge, brought in for cases that no one else can solve. When DNA links a murder victim to a serial killer long presumed dead, the team springs into action. A second victim establishes a pattern, and the murderer begins leaving a trail of clues and riddles especially for Gardner. And while the PAR team is usually relegated to working cold cases from behind a desk, the investigation puts them on the road and into the public eye, following in the footsteps of a killer. Along with Gardner, PAR consists of a mathematician, a weapons expert, a computer analyst, and their leader, a career agent. Each of them must use every skill they have to solve the riddle of the killer’s identity. But with the perpetrator somehow learning more and more about the team at PAR, can they protect themselves and their families…before it’s too late? With an enigmatic case that will keep readers on the edge of their seats and a thoroughly engaging ensemble cast, John McMahon’s Head Cases is a triumph.

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Published Jan 28, 2025

352 pages

Average rating: 8.12

16 RATINGS

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Andrea-The Shelf Life Books
9/10 stars
“Head Cases” by John McMahon is about a unit within the FBI called PAR (pattern and recognition). On this case, they are searching for a serial killer who is out to killing other serial killers in a gruesome manner. DNA has shown that the killer who was presumed dead a long time ago, is alive and leaving a trail of riddles and signs that will lead the PAR Unit to him.

Liking the characters was so easy for me and I was fully invested in their success and downfalls. This is a police procedural, special unit story and a thriller/mystery all rolled into one. It is fascinating in its construction, the weaving of the characters, the perfect red herrings to the end and entertaining the whole time. I definitely recommend Head Case. I can’t wait to read the second book in the series in early 2026.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, John Mc Mahon, and the publisher St. Martin’s Press/ Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read and review an advanced reader's copy of Head Case.

I loved this book, it was a 4.5 star read for me.

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