The Mindbender

by Tim Kizer

After an unknown entity gives a Navy SEAL mind control powers, the government scrambles to figure out if he's a threat to national security. FBI Agent Peter Anderson arrives at a secret military installation to help break Max Pollack, a Navy SEAL believed to have mind control powers. He soon realizes that the new assignment promises to be his most challenging ever. Peter is shocked when Pollack's wife is murdered to punish her husband for refusing to cooperate with the Department of Defense. His objections are ignored by the base commander, Colonel Steven Walsh, who has been granted unlimited authority to imprison and execute. It's a tough job to keep a man capable of mind control locked up. The question is: Why isn't Pollack trying to escape? Consumed by paranoia, having no one to trust, Peter has trouble telling which thoughts are his own and which have been planted by the mindbender. All bets are off when the Secretary of Defense is suspected to have been influenced by Pollack. Peter fears that Max Pollack has found his way into the mind of every top government official. With the world's fate in the balance, Peter and his colleagues discover that they may be on the wrong side. Tensions are high as they struggle to figure out whether or not they are being manipulated by the mindbender. Who are Max Pollack's masters and what are their plans? Will civilization be torn down before it's rebuilt? The frightening thing is, even the mindbender might not know the answers.

377 pages, Paperback

First published June 10, 2013

Reviews

[Ruth DeSabia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I just can't continue with this book. It sounded so interesting but the dialogue is clunky and unengaging, the characters are so 1 dimensional that I kept forgetting who is who, there's very little description/narration and an awful lot of standing around just talking for a suspense thriller and I just find myself bored to tears while trying to read this. This is a DNF for me, sadly.

[Candy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Government has captured a man who they think can read minds but none of the officers who have contact with him can be sure if their thoughts are their own or if the Mindbender has given them the idea. Rather fun read, everyone is paranoid!

[Lois Welsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the longest book that I have ever read. There are 74 chapters.

A lot of wheeling and dealing and you do not know exactly what is going on.

It did keep my attention and I wanted to see if what I figured out was right.

[Stateless · Rating 2 out of 5]

Starts off on a decent footing, but ultimately rambles on too much. One day the Mindbender is saying nothing, then it changes to acknowledgement of Prahumans - super humans who are working for the benefit of mankind. I was waiting for some increasing tension - but nothing. No action with exception of a CIA assassin - but that plot line is not developed as it could have been. Whole thing just falls flat in the end - bit like one of John Grisham's crap books - like The Chamber.

[Cody · Rating 3 out of 5]

fun concept
seems like to much internal thought left on paper