Review: A nice start to the Mindhunters series
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 5, 2012
"Only Fear by Anne Marie Becker details the chilling tale of a psychiatrist, Dr. Maggie Levine, who has had to overcome a violence-laden past trauma that altered her life forever and caused her to have panic attacks intermittently. A covert threat results in the Society for the Study of the Aberrant Mind (SSAM) being called in to assist her, especially because she has close ties to the leader of SSAM. Ethan Townsend has always been a loner but he is still struggling to get past the horrific events that made him leave the Secret Service. He is disturbed to realize that the considerable resources of the SSAM are supposed to assist a celebrity radio psychiatrist who received a vaguely threatening call but soon discovers that she has a valid reason for her concern. A young agent, Becca Haney, who is assigned as his partner also irks the dour agent who fears that youth and exuberance will not compensate for her small stature and inexperience. The clues and bodies begin to accumulate as it becomes clear that the person targeting Maggie wants to capitalize on her fears and use them to destroy her. It is up to Ethan to prevent any harm from coming to her or the plucky agent who is supposed to help him in his mission, even as he fears that his own nightmares may become a reality again.An intriguing suspenseful story that gradually reveals the common threads that unite several apparently unrelated characters, each of whom has experienced a significantly traumatic event which has shaped his or her subsequent life. The tension gradually mounts in reflection of the actions of the villain as clues are slowly unraveled to try to pinpoint the culprit. Some of the background of the Society and its driven leader is explained and a framework is established for more exciting tales to be relayed in the future Mindhunters books. A promising debut title! Night Owl Reviews