Presence of Mind

By: Edward Cline

Narrated by: Robert Burke

Ideas that kill....

This challenging mystery by the author of First Prize brings back Chess Hanrahan, "a thinking man's Mike Hammer".

A woman working undercover for the FBI is dead as Russian agents make a grab for a seemingly obscure computer company. Hanrahan, who believes no observable phenomenon is beyond rational scrutiny, plays a high-stakes game with a cabal of social scientists who want to reshape public thought - knowing that ideas can kill.

©1992, 2011 Edward Cline (P)2014 Edward Cline

Not for me

What disappointed you about Presence of Mind?

Pretty much everything- I actually found the "hero" a pompous, obnoxious jerk; The story has the same feel as old-school detective/film noir classics to me. Its not a style I enjoy and I probably would have never bought the book had I known it incorporated that style.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Robert Burke?

I'm not sure who I would have cast, but Robert Burke sounds a bit like he is in an echo chamber at times.

What character would you cut from Presence of Mind?

The only character that had any "presence" was Hanrahan- and I disliked him.

Any additional comments?

I could only make it to chapter 10- so I never finished the book. I found it boring and tedious. Based on the summary, I expected more action. I really wish the summary would include descriptions regarding the style. I have never been a big fan of the early crime/detective novels or film noir. I'm disappointed that I wasted the time on a book that was so disagreeable to me, I couldn't even finish it.