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Nothing ruins a romantic evening like a brawl with lowlifes—especially when one of them later turns up dead and my date, Detective Isabella Cherabino, is the #1 suspect. My history with the Atlanta PD on both sides of the law makes me an unreliable witness, so while Cherabino is suspended, I'm paying my bills by taking an FBI gig.
I've been hired to play telepathic bodyguard for Tommy, the ten-year-old son of a superior court judge in Savannah presiding over the murder trial of a mob-connected mogul. After an attempt on the kid's life, the Feds believe he's been targeted by the businessman's "associates."
Turns out, Tommy's a nascent telepath, so I'm trying to help him get a handle on his Ability. But it doesn't take a mind reader to see that there's something going on with this kid's parents that's stressing him out more than a death threat...
347 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2014
28 people are currently reading
790 people want to read
About the author
Alex Hughes
13 books417 followersAlex Hughes was born in Savannah, GA and moved to the south Atlanta area when she was eight years old. Shortly thereafter, her grandfather handed her a copy of Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonrider series, and a lifelong obsession with scifi was born.
Alex is a graduate of the prestigious Odyssey Writing Workshop and a Semi-Finalist in the 2011 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards. Her short pieces are published in several markets including EveryDay Fiction, Thunder on the Battlefield and White Cat Magazine.
Alex’s work is smart, dark, adventurous, and a little funny, with a emphasis on great characters and interesting worlds. She gets her inspiration from history (she majored with a European history focus in college), family members, and headlines, as well as whatever book she has in her hand. Lately she’s been reading neuroscience books; the brain’s a cool, cool place and the mind even more so.
An avid cook and foodie, Alex loves great food of any stripe – even better if she can figure out how to put it together. Great food is like a great book; it has lots of layers that work together beautifully, and the result is delicious and harmonious. She’s working on figuring out Indian food right now – suggestions welcome!
Alex loves swing dancing, tetris, music of all kinds, and has been known to get into long conversations with total strangers at restaurants about the Food Network, much to the embarrassment of her sister. She can also balance a spoon on her nose while crossing her eyes, and talk for hours about absolutely nothing.
Alex is a graduate of the prestigious Odyssey Writing Workshop and a Semi-Finalist in the 2011 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards. Her short pieces are published in several markets including EveryDay Fiction, Thunder on the Battlefield and White Cat Magazine.
Alex’s work is smart, dark, adventurous, and a little funny, with a emphasis on great characters and interesting worlds. She gets her inspiration from history (she majored with a European history focus in college), family members, and headlines, as well as whatever book she has in her hand. Lately she’s been reading neuroscience books; the brain’s a cool, cool place and the mind even more so.
An avid cook and foodie, Alex loves great food of any stripe – even better if she can figure out how to put it together. Great food is like a great book; it has lots of layers that work together beautifully, and the result is delicious and harmonious. She’s working on figuring out Indian food right now – suggestions welcome!
Alex loves swing dancing, tetris, music of all kinds, and has been known to get into long conversations with total strangers at restaurants about the Food Network, much to the embarrassment of her sister. She can also balance a spoon on her nose while crossing her eyes, and talk for hours about absolutely nothing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews
February 20, 2018
On about our fav telepath and the world of the future.
Q:
“Don’t borrow trouble. Enjoy what you have now.” (c)
Q:
Sometimes a man needs to make his own way. (c)
Q:
"...The longer things pile up, the harder it’s going to be to get them sorted again.”
I recognized the thought patterns of a workaholic... (c)
Q:
The Guild told you to get lots of sleep and eat well. The Guild told you to scout out your surroundings and plan ahead, and know reality. At worst, they told you to build a steady sense of reality in stolen glimpses of other people’s vision. There were blind men at the Guild who saw just fine like that, through others’ eyes, through Mindspace and overlapping views of the world. But this—this was everything the Guild told you not to do. (c)
Q:
There’s a time to tell the truth, and there’s a time to lie. When you’re in the middle of a horrible tunnel and you can’t see and your mind is busily trying to take your senses apart one by one—and you’re with a cop of whatever stripe—this is not the time for the truth. Even less so when he’s faltering. (c)
Q:
“Don’t borrow trouble. Enjoy what you have now.” (c)
Q:
Sometimes a man needs to make his own way. (c)
Q:
"...The longer things pile up, the harder it’s going to be to get them sorted again.”
I recognized the thought patterns of a workaholic... (c)
Q:
The Guild told you to get lots of sleep and eat well. The Guild told you to scout out your surroundings and plan ahead, and know reality. At worst, they told you to build a steady sense of reality in stolen glimpses of other people’s vision. There were blind men at the Guild who saw just fine like that, through others’ eyes, through Mindspace and overlapping views of the world. But this—this was everything the Guild told you not to do. (c)
Q:
There’s a time to tell the truth, and there’s a time to lie. When you’re in the middle of a horrible tunnel and you can’t see and your mind is busily trying to take your senses apart one by one—and you’re with a cop of whatever stripe—this is not the time for the truth. Even less so when he’s faltering. (c)
July 21, 2020
I can't believe it's the last book in the series
I really don't understand why we don't have more of these books. They're fun and they're just getting good!
I wonder what happened, why Hughes didn't continue. I didn't get to see their final story, and I was getting really, really curious.
Too bad.
Still, it's worth reading. I liked it.
I really don't understand why we don't have more of these books. They're fun and they're just getting good!
I wonder what happened, why Hughes didn't continue. I didn't get to see their final story, and I was getting really, really curious.
Too bad.
Still, it's worth reading. I liked it.
January 10, 2015
http://openbooksociety.com/article/va...
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi
Adam’s mind injury has finally healed! But when a night out with Cherabino turns bad, she is accused of police brutality and Adam’s boss at the police station doesn’t want to see him either, thinking that Adam is a bad influence on Cherabino.
Adam has been plagued with a vision of a child dying because of his inability to save him. So when the FBI calls for him to work on that very boy’s case, he can’t say no. This is his only chance to change the outcome of that vision! Unfortunately that means leaving Cherabino when she needs him the most.
I really wanted to like this book, but I find this series to always be a bit of a struggle. Something about it always makes it difficult to hold my interest. I can put the books down to easily, and this book was no different. It was a slow read, with me only managing a chapter or so at a time. It really seemed to drag out.
They storyline was okay, with Adam minding for a young 10 year old, and Adam teaching him how to use his own undiscovered telepathy along the way. Adam is once again faced with old enemies that he must defeat to save young Tommy’s life. The case itself risking his relationship with Cherabino as he is unable to be in two places at once.
I found Adam’s repetitive thoughts of needing his drug, cigarettes, and Cherabino to be insanely annoying!
I think the romance between the duo is what was making this series better for me and the lack of that relationship in this series was a major blow to my enjoyment. And, now with that relationship in jeopardy I don’t know what it will mean for the remainder of the series. I’m sure they will eventually overcome their problems, but as long as it took them to get together to being with, I’m just not sure I have the patience.
*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi
Adam’s mind injury has finally healed! But when a night out with Cherabino turns bad, she is accused of police brutality and Adam’s boss at the police station doesn’t want to see him either, thinking that Adam is a bad influence on Cherabino.
Adam has been plagued with a vision of a child dying because of his inability to save him. So when the FBI calls for him to work on that very boy’s case, he can’t say no. This is his only chance to change the outcome of that vision! Unfortunately that means leaving Cherabino when she needs him the most.
I really wanted to like this book, but I find this series to always be a bit of a struggle. Something about it always makes it difficult to hold my interest. I can put the books down to easily, and this book was no different. It was a slow read, with me only managing a chapter or so at a time. It really seemed to drag out.
They storyline was okay, with Adam minding for a young 10 year old, and Adam teaching him how to use his own undiscovered telepathy along the way. Adam is once again faced with old enemies that he must defeat to save young Tommy’s life. The case itself risking his relationship with Cherabino as he is unable to be in two places at once.
I found Adam’s repetitive thoughts of needing his drug, cigarettes, and Cherabino to be insanely annoying!
I think the romance between the duo is what was making this series better for me and the lack of that relationship in this series was a major blow to my enjoyment. And, now with that relationship in jeopardy I don’t know what it will mean for the remainder of the series. I’m sure they will eventually overcome their problems, but as long as it took them to get together to being with, I’m just not sure I have the patience.
*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*
April 2, 2017
OK, I want to give this a 4 star but I just can't because of few things. There are places that it drags like it is just trying to work in some angst, whether over his misteps in the investigation, his addiction, or his relationship with Cherebino.
I loved the start of this as now it is Cherebino in the hot seat for something she didn't do. The premise doesn't hold up to scrutiny though because what kind of cop doesn't report an attack and leaves the scene? Still, it is interesting and obviously a set up. So then we get thrown into another investigation and leave Cherebino to fend for herself. Suddenly this FBI investigation becomes the main storyline and we get to hear about Cherebino only through conversations and Alex angsting over being away. The other story line is very interesting though so we get pulled into it. I loved that the FBI players actually seemed to have a little respect for Alex. So the story becomes really good again, except for the angst.
So we are in the middle of this other storyline and realize that they might just overlap a bit. Nobody seems to look at that angle though. Alex is guarding a 10 year old boy and whenever he gets excited he runs off without a by your leave. Well this gets annoying as hell and is ridiculous when it is all about guarding him. The boy is in fear so not listening to his protectors... well ridiculous.
More and more this case seems to have players that have connections to Cherebino's investigation, yet no one puts it together. So all these loose ends made it seem unfinished. Yes, we get the boy's story but there is a big story that is presented that is not finished. So I might have given it a 4 stars right here but.
Cherebino reacts so irrationally to Alex having to work, when they aren't even totally together really. The investigation into Cherebino does get looked at by, not her appealing but the department for mishandling. I mean the FBI should be connecting the two cases by now especially with Alex telling them what was said right? It was like it was some sort of half ending and the more I think about it, the more I consider it a full on cliffhanger posed as an ending because the boy's story is over. Nope, we get no closure even on that for who is orchestrating all of it.
Really the story lines are great but there is no closure and some angst, with slow parts that were a drag. If the next book closes some of the open endings, including the relationship with Cherebino, this would be a great beginning but it isn't a great story in of itself. 3 1/2 stars.
---------While reading-------------------
30%- Great start, wow what questions.
50%- This is annoying with the kid running off with no repercussions. He's scared yet runs off all the time and faster than Alex can keep up.
70%- Next
This is really, really good but that was such a set up that I just couldn't take it. I still don't see the other connections but like I said the set up stupidity has made it drop from excellent.
I loved the start of this as now it is Cherebino in the hot seat for something she didn't do. The premise doesn't hold up to scrutiny though because what kind of cop doesn't report an attack and leaves the scene? Still, it is interesting and obviously a set up. So then we get thrown into another investigation and leave Cherebino to fend for herself. Suddenly this FBI investigation becomes the main storyline and we get to hear about Cherebino only through conversations and Alex angsting over being away. The other story line is very interesting though so we get pulled into it. I loved that the FBI players actually seemed to have a little respect for Alex. So the story becomes really good again, except for the angst.
So we are in the middle of this other storyline and realize that they might just overlap a bit. Nobody seems to look at that angle though. Alex is guarding a 10 year old boy and whenever he gets excited he runs off without a by your leave. Well this gets annoying as hell and is ridiculous when it is all about guarding him. The boy is in fear so not listening to his protectors... well ridiculous.
More and more this case seems to have players that have connections to Cherebino's investigation, yet no one puts it together. So all these loose ends made it seem unfinished. Yes, we get the boy's story but there is a big story that is presented that is not finished. So I might have given it a 4 stars right here but.
Cherebino reacts so irrationally to Alex having to work, when they aren't even totally together really. The investigation into Cherebino does get looked at by, not her appealing but the department for mishandling. I mean the FBI should be connecting the two cases by now especially with Alex telling them what was said right? It was like it was some sort of half ending and the more I think about it, the more I consider it a full on cliffhanger posed as an ending because the boy's story is over. Nope, we get no closure even on that for who is orchestrating all of it.
Really the story lines are great but there is no closure and some angst, with slow parts that were a drag. If the next book closes some of the open endings, including the relationship with Cherebino, this would be a great beginning but it isn't a great story in of itself. 3 1/2 stars.
---------While reading-------------------
30%- Great start, wow what questions.
50%- This is annoying with the kid running off with no repercussions. He's scared yet runs off all the time and faster than Alex can keep up.
70%- Next
This is really, really good but that was such a set up that I just couldn't take it. I still don't see the other connections but like I said the set up stupidity has made it drop from excellent.
March 22, 2019
Unfortunately, I screwed up and read this before book #3, so I spent much of the book thinking my memory had gotten REALLY bad when things that turned out to have happened in book #3 were mentioned...
April 4, 2023
96 points/100 (5/5 stars!)
When Adam and Cherabino are on a date, they end up in a fight where the other participant later ends up dead. Now, Cherabino is the number one suspect - and her job is on the line because of it. Since Adam will only hurt her case, he takes a job in Savannah with the FBI to protect a little boy - a little boy he has previously seen in a vision.
I really liked the book. If you've read The Dresden Files, Vacant was Mindspace Investigations' Changes. This was the book where the series starts to take a new direction. Things started moving that direction in Marked, and this just continues that trajectory. It was really good.
Adam's working with the Feds is just plain good. He does almost everything right and the way he is supposed to. He isn't given situations he had no business being in in the first place. When the scenario was tough, Adam is realistic about his abilities, he tells his superiors about his limitations, and he confirms they understand. I really, really liked the way this entire story played out.
The best part of the book was that people are respecting Adam. The hardest thing in the previous three books was how much people take out of Adam every single day. Sure, they are thinking less than courteous things about him, but people can't help what they think. The problem is, is that they have been working with him for years now, and they still hate him just for what he is. So, with this change of scenery, we find that not everyone hates Adam because of what he is. and that is so, so nice. I never want to go back, honestly.
This book was the most Adam and Cherabino have been have been apart, before. And, it is during one of the hardest parts of Cherabino's life. This was probably why I liked this book so much. Their relationship is just awful, for the both of them. Adam needs someone who likes him for him, and that is not Cherabino. The amount of complaining she has over who Adam is completely killing any enjoyment I have out of their relationship.
I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a lot of fun, and it left me craving more, even though I know it may still be a while yet before the next book is released. Please, more. I crave.
To read more reviews in this series and others, check out keikii eats books!
When Adam and Cherabino are on a date, they end up in a fight where the other participant later ends up dead. Now, Cherabino is the number one suspect - and her job is on the line because of it. Since Adam will only hurt her case, he takes a job in Savannah with the FBI to protect a little boy - a little boy he has previously seen in a vision.
I really liked the book. If you've read The Dresden Files, Vacant was Mindspace Investigations' Changes. This was the book where the series starts to take a new direction. Things started moving that direction in Marked, and this just continues that trajectory. It was really good.
Adam's working with the Feds is just plain good. He does almost everything right and the way he is supposed to. He isn't given situations he had no business being in in the first place. When the scenario was tough, Adam is realistic about his abilities, he tells his superiors about his limitations, and he confirms they understand. I really, really liked the way this entire story played out.
The best part of the book was that people are respecting Adam. The hardest thing in the previous three books was how much people take out of Adam every single day. Sure, they are thinking less than courteous things about him, but people can't help what they think. The problem is, is that they have been working with him for years now, and they still hate him just for what he is. So, with this change of scenery, we find that not everyone hates Adam because of what he is. and that is so, so nice. I never want to go back, honestly.
This book was the most Adam and Cherabino have been have been apart, before. And, it is during one of the hardest parts of Cherabino's life. This was probably why I liked this book so much. Their relationship is just awful, for the both of them. Adam needs someone who likes him for him, and that is not Cherabino. The amount of complaining she has over who Adam is completely killing any enjoyment I have out of their relationship.
I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a lot of fun, and it left me craving more, even though I know it may still be a while yet before the next book is released. Please, more. I crave.
To read more reviews in this series and others, check out keikii eats books!
January 15, 2015
As much as I'm enjoying the series, the one thing that has been bothering me for a while now is the fact that no one ever mentions why addiction can't be "fixed", in a future where telepaths do everything from security to medicine. I understand that the main character's addiction is a driving theme/motivation, from page 1 of the prequel novella, but the main character's telepath training, "Structure/Deconstruction", is explained as people that know how to use telepathy to fix/change problems/issues with the mind, rather the physical problems that a different type of telepath deals with.
So... it would follow that the main character should know how to fix his own drug addiction, if not to do it himself, someone with the same training as he, could do it, depending on whether it's a physical or psychological addiction. If the former then the other type of telepath should be able to fix it. Either way, someone should know how to do it.
Again, I understand it's a main theme and driving motivation of the series, but if I'm understanding her description of telepathy correctly, it should be an easy fix for a trained telepath, but it never comes up in any of the books.
So... it would follow that the main character should know how to fix his own drug addiction, if not to do it himself, someone with the same training as he, could do it, depending on whether it's a physical or psychological addiction. If the former then the other type of telepath should be able to fix it. Either way, someone should know how to do it.
Again, I understand it's a main theme and driving motivation of the series, but if I'm understanding her description of telepathy correctly, it should be an easy fix for a trained telepath, but it never comes up in any of the books.
February 11, 2019
The premise is there, I just wish the main character didn't spend so much time worrying about his "girlfriend". We get it, you're worried for her and wish you could help but situations arise and you can't. Just move on and deal with your situation smarter. If the whole book was like the last 2 chapters or so, it would have kept my attention longer.
October 23, 2020
Vacant is the fourth book in the Mindspace Investigation series by Alex Hughes.
I enjoyed this series. I loved Clean (book 1) with Adam’s struggle with Satin. I read book 2 and 3 in one day, because I wanted to see what happened. But this one was a struggle.
Adam’s relationship with Cherabino never really sat right with me. Even after four books, she seems angry. There’s not much else to her character, except for her anger, at least for me. The relationship between the two is a weak point in the story for me. Luckily, the plot is usually exciting enough that I can overlook their relationship. Although, I was glad when Adam packed up and left to work on an FBI case alone.
But man, was this the most boring FBI case I’d ever read. The excitement happened before Adam got there-a kidnapping attempt that cost two agents their life. Instead we get Adam mentoring a boy about the basics of telepathy. It’s book four! These lessons would have worked better in book one, not this late in the game.
The pace picked up late in the book and the ending had a good tension. While this was my least favorite book in the series by far, I am not giving up on Adam and Cherabino. The pair of them starting up a PI business sounds like fun. I am looking forward to the next book.
Sorry if this sounded a bit rant like. I just felt let down by this one after the enjoyment of the first three.
Check out more of my reviews on cestokes.com
February 5, 2015
Fourth in the Mindspace Investigations psychic investigator series and revolving around Adam Ward, drug addict and police interrogator, taking a side trip to Savannah.
My Take
Talk about love! Poor Adam is enduring a concert because Isabella is so eager to attend it. It's worth it, though, when Adam discovers a whole new Mindspace.
In this story, it's Isabella's and Adam's high sense of responsibility that sets up her downfall.
I do get annoyed with Adam; he's such a whiner! How can he not know what a close rate is? He's been working with the police for how many years?
Mom is a piece of work. Her son should be a high priority for her — god knows, she protests about her kid enough to the security people, but she's more interested in thwarting the protection around him than in spending any time with him, even after someone tried to kidnap her son.
Yeah, that idiot (Adam) thinks he's failed. No shit. He knows the dangers to Tommy, and yet he's too hungry to wait and protect him? Duhhh. How can someone so intelligent be so dumb? Why isn't he telling the FBI about the weapons being sold? As for Tommy…idiot. People tried to kidnap him a few days before. People died for him. People he cared about, and he still goes running off?
Jesus, this Fiske is such a piece of work.
Well, Cherabino is definitely all girl. She wants her cake and she wants to eat it too, and she'll blame Adam if she can't.
One of the good things about Vacant is Adam coming up against temptation and battling it for the right reasons. It certainly makes things more interesting that Adam is a drug addict, and Hughes does a good job of making me feel Adam's "need" and his battle for and against the drug. It feels so real.
This is a hard series to like with all the stupid things the characters do. And yet, I like the twist that Hughes has put on psychics and this alternate world.
The Story
They're going to railroad Isabella for the timing and the set-up. It's too easy and so cowardly that they'll destroy a good cop.
It puts Adam between a rock and a hard place. He wants to be there for Cherabino, and yet he needs this job. Especially after that vision he's had.
The Guild doesn't help much. Seems they're suddenly hurting for money and the pressure is on Adam to repay his debt.
The Characters
Adam Ward, a Level ?? telepath (after the damage done to his brain, Adam doesn't know what level he is these days), is in love with Isabella and finally dating her. Swartz is his Narcotics Anonymous sponsor; Adam got hooked on Satin during a Telepaths' Guild's experiment. (They kicked him to the curb when they found out.)
Detective Isabella Cherabino, a dedicated cop, has a high close rate at the station. Sensei Rivera steps up as a witness.
DeKalb County PD
Detective Michael is partnered up with Isabella. Sergeant Branen doesn't like Adam but will use him for interrogations. Chou is brought in to battle against the witch hunt, a hunt in which most of the rules are being broken. And not for Cherabino.
Fulton County PD
Officer Fulton goes from professional to hostile.
FBI
Special Agent Jarrod had tried to recruit Adam a few weeks ago. Mendez, Loyola, and Sridian are the special agents brought in. Tanya and Jason are private security hired by the sheriff's department.
Marissa Parson is the judge sitting the high-profile Pappadakis case. Her son, ten-year-old Tommy, suffered an attempted kidnapping that morning. Seems he has some psychic ability that Adam begins teaching him how to use. Quentin Alexander is the ex-husband who cares more for his son than his ex-wife does. However, he deals too regularly with crooks to have gotten custody.
The Telepaths' Guild
Edgar Stone is Adam's Watcher with an ultimatum for him. Margaret is Stone's twin sister and a strong teleporter. Kara Chenoa is Adam's traitorous ex-fiancée and in public relations for the Guild.
George Pappadakis, a local (and suspected criminal) businessman, is on trial for murder. Lolly Gilman is the mistress who was killed. Marcia Josepha Garces is Pappadakis' housekeeper who has tried to ignore what he does. Lila is the cook. Bron Jones is the gardener who tries to protect both women.
Garrett Fiske is a crook no one seems to be able to pin anything on. Blair Sibley is a psychopath that works for him; fortunately, he's in prison. They thought. Keenan is the man shot who knows nothing.
Basie is part of a theatre group raising funding by selling weapons. The Python is the big boss; people end up dead when they cross him. The Booker set up the kidnapping.
After the war, the world takes serious control of any tech. Mindspace is the space in which minds interact with the world, through a medium no one really understands.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a cobblestoned street in Savannah, a bright yellow light throwing Adam into shadow as he races across the cover in his flowing duster, a crowbar braced on his shoulder with psychic swirls surrounding him, as he desperately searches for a sign of Tommy. The title and author's name is in a deeper yellow while the series name is settled between them in white.
I think the title is what Adam feels like at the end, Vacant and alone, doing everything he can for the woman he loves.
My Take
Talk about love! Poor Adam is enduring a concert because Isabella is so eager to attend it. It's worth it, though, when Adam discovers a whole new Mindspace.
In this story, it's Isabella's and Adam's high sense of responsibility that sets up her downfall.
I do get annoyed with Adam; he's such a whiner! How can he not know what a close rate is? He's been working with the police for how many years?
Mom is a piece of work. Her son should be a high priority for her — god knows, she protests about her kid enough to the security people, but she's more interested in thwarting the protection around him than in spending any time with him, even after someone tried to kidnap her son.
Yeah, that idiot (Adam) thinks he's failed. No shit. He knows the dangers to Tommy, and yet he's too hungry to wait and protect him? Duhhh. How can someone so intelligent be so dumb? Why isn't he telling the FBI about the weapons being sold? As for Tommy…idiot. People tried to kidnap him a few days before. People died for him. People he cared about, and he still goes running off?
Jesus, this Fiske is such a piece of work.
Well, Cherabino is definitely all girl. She wants her cake and she wants to eat it too, and she'll blame Adam if she can't.
One of the good things about Vacant is Adam coming up against temptation and battling it for the right reasons. It certainly makes things more interesting that Adam is a drug addict, and Hughes does a good job of making me feel Adam's "need" and his battle for and against the drug. It feels so real.
This is a hard series to like with all the stupid things the characters do. And yet, I like the twist that Hughes has put on psychics and this alternate world.
The Story
They're going to railroad Isabella for the timing and the set-up. It's too easy and so cowardly that they'll destroy a good cop.
It puts Adam between a rock and a hard place. He wants to be there for Cherabino, and yet he needs this job. Especially after that vision he's had.
The Guild doesn't help much. Seems they're suddenly hurting for money and the pressure is on Adam to repay his debt.
The Characters
Adam Ward, a Level ?? telepath (after the damage done to his brain, Adam doesn't know what level he is these days), is in love with Isabella and finally dating her. Swartz is his Narcotics Anonymous sponsor; Adam got hooked on Satin during a Telepaths' Guild's experiment. (They kicked him to the curb when they found out.)
Detective Isabella Cherabino, a dedicated cop, has a high close rate at the station. Sensei Rivera steps up as a witness.
DeKalb County PD
Detective Michael is partnered up with Isabella. Sergeant Branen doesn't like Adam but will use him for interrogations. Chou is brought in to battle against the witch hunt, a hunt in which most of the rules are being broken. And not for Cherabino.
Fulton County PD
Officer Fulton goes from professional to hostile.
FBI
Special Agent Jarrod had tried to recruit Adam a few weeks ago. Mendez, Loyola, and Sridian are the special agents brought in. Tanya and Jason are private security hired by the sheriff's department.
Marissa Parson is the judge sitting the high-profile Pappadakis case. Her son, ten-year-old Tommy, suffered an attempted kidnapping that morning. Seems he has some psychic ability that Adam begins teaching him how to use. Quentin Alexander is the ex-husband who cares more for his son than his ex-wife does. However, he deals too regularly with crooks to have gotten custody.
The Telepaths' Guild
Edgar Stone is Adam's Watcher with an ultimatum for him. Margaret is Stone's twin sister and a strong teleporter. Kara Chenoa is Adam's traitorous ex-fiancée and in public relations for the Guild.
George Pappadakis, a local (and suspected criminal) businessman, is on trial for murder. Lolly Gilman is the mistress who was killed. Marcia Josepha Garces is Pappadakis' housekeeper who has tried to ignore what he does. Lila is the cook. Bron Jones is the gardener who tries to protect both women.
Garrett Fiske is a crook no one seems to be able to pin anything on. Blair Sibley is a psychopath that works for him; fortunately, he's in prison. They thought. Keenan is the man shot who knows nothing.
Basie is part of a theatre group raising funding by selling weapons. The Python is the big boss; people end up dead when they cross him. The Booker set up the kidnapping.
After the war, the world takes serious control of any tech. Mindspace is the space in which minds interact with the world, through a medium no one really understands.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a cobblestoned street in Savannah, a bright yellow light throwing Adam into shadow as he races across the cover in his flowing duster, a crowbar braced on his shoulder with psychic swirls surrounding him, as he desperately searches for a sign of Tommy. The title and author's name is in a deeper yellow while the series name is settled between them in white.
I think the title is what Adam feels like at the end, Vacant and alone, doing everything he can for the woman he loves.
May 19, 2019
Four stars. Sustained tension until the very end when the main character makes bad decisions. That's the gist of the series. Read about the main character making bad decisions that don't make sense. This last book is the best of the series. I don't know why I kept reading, perhaps schadenfreude to see how badly the main character can screw up.
The next book will probably explain why the main character chose to keep his bad decisions to himself, etc.
The next book will probably explain why the main character chose to keep his bad decisions to himself, etc.
December 31, 2014
This honestly felt like a filler book to me. The main plot was just flat and uninteresting to me, while the overarching plot was exactly filler between the previous book and the next. The "romance" was tired and nothing new, especially for this series. If only that part of the books could just go away, I think I would be happier. I'm glad that there was less Cherabino in this book, but she was still there and beyond annoying.
Also, too much exposition, still telling me all about the world in ways that I really don't care at all. And the wording itself, wasn't that great. There were several instances where I stopped reading just because I didn't like the word choice or phrasing or just found it flat out annoying.
Okay, there were a lot of complaints, but overall the thing was readable and short. I also still enjoy a male protagonist that isn't Rambo at all times; it gives me something kind of new and gives the story a touch of realism. I'm also interested in the Fiske aspects and where that's going to go in the future. Plus, he's kind of awesome as an antagonist, just because it seems like he's at least a step ahead of everyone else.
Also, too much exposition, still telling me all about the world in ways that I really don't care at all. And the wording itself, wasn't that great. There were several instances where I stopped reading just because I didn't like the word choice or phrasing or just found it flat out annoying.
Okay, there were a lot of complaints, but overall the thing was readable and short. I also still enjoy a male protagonist that isn't Rambo at all times; it gives me something kind of new and gives the story a touch of realism. I'm also interested in the Fiske aspects and where that's going to go in the future. Plus, he's kind of awesome as an antagonist, just because it seems like he's at least a step ahead of everyone else.
December 2, 2014
Another great read
4th book in the series picks up shortly after the previous one. Focuses almost exclusively on Adam working a job out of town. Very little of any of the other characters I've grown accustomed to and was looking forward to seeing again. Still excellent and entertaining moves the story along nicely character and plot wise. Nice to be 4 books in and continue to see the characters grow and change and learn. No one suddenly becoming stupid or drastically changing personality. I think that is my favorite thing about these books, the gradual realistic character development. The storyline moves along too the relationship between Cherabino and Adam, both the personal and professional aspects continue to evolve. Overall another great read and will be looking forward to the next even more eagerly than this one. After having waited till midnight to read this the night of its release and read the whole thing through in a single night i can't complement or recommended this series any more highly than that.
4th book in the series picks up shortly after the previous one. Focuses almost exclusively on Adam working a job out of town. Very little of any of the other characters I've grown accustomed to and was looking forward to seeing again. Still excellent and entertaining moves the story along nicely character and plot wise. Nice to be 4 books in and continue to see the characters grow and change and learn. No one suddenly becoming stupid or drastically changing personality. I think that is my favorite thing about these books, the gradual realistic character development. The storyline moves along too the relationship between Cherabino and Adam, both the personal and professional aspects continue to evolve. Overall another great read and will be looking forward to the next even more eagerly than this one. After having waited till midnight to read this the night of its release and read the whole thing through in a single night i can't complement or recommended this series any more highly than that.
February 9, 2016
I love this series! It is so well written and the characters are so real! Alex Hughes writes with such tension. She has this ability to keep you on edge throughout the books. This is the fourth book that I've read in this series and the suspense has kept right on through. I haven't read an author that could do that since reading the Gunslinger Series by Stephen King. What's amazing about these books is that the post-apocalyptic world that she has created is a throw back to a world before cell phones. It's a world that many of us grew up in. She has also infused this world with a highly credible Telepathic Guild that feels utterly believable. That world has unfolded slowly throughout the series, almost at a pace that matches the reputation of the Deep South where the series takes place. It feels as if the author has had this master plan all along and she is parsing out the details at a pace that only she is willing to reveal. This is a must read!
December 5, 2014
J'aime toujours autant l'atmosphère que créée l'auteur dans cette série Cette fois, l'intrigue policière prend le dessus sur les démêlés de Ward avec la Guilde Il se concentre sur le super vilain loin pour une fois de Cherabino qui reste en arrière plan malgré ses propres problèmes avec la police.
Ce qui m'empêche de donner un "5 étoiles" c'est qu'il me semble parfois un peu subir plutôt qu'agir pour un homme de quarante ans ayant occupé une position importante et exercé le métier d'enseignant à des jeunes aux pouvoirs psychiques. Mais ses doutes ses tergiversations font aussi partie de son histoire et de celle de la planète Quelquefois, le récit à la première personne me gène un peu ici je trouve que l'auteur s'en sort très bien, mêlant habilement infos, émotions, dialogues ... Je lirai certainement la suite ...
Ce qui m'empêche de donner un "5 étoiles" c'est qu'il me semble parfois un peu subir plutôt qu'agir pour un homme de quarante ans ayant occupé une position importante et exercé le métier d'enseignant à des jeunes aux pouvoirs psychiques. Mais ses doutes ses tergiversations font aussi partie de son histoire et de celle de la planète Quelquefois, le récit à la première personne me gène un peu ici je trouve que l'auteur s'en sort très bien, mêlant habilement infos, émotions, dialogues ... Je lirai certainement la suite ...
December 12, 2014
Initial Thoughts: Wow! I just love this series! Adam is just an engaging character, the tarnished hero. I like his character and continued development in this series. Cherabino is also just an interesting and even she is evolving. In this novel, the story was gripping and compelling. What Adam risks was heartbreaking and I look forward to what happens next. It is astonishing how the plot continues to thicken in the overall story arc. As the series progresses the Big Bad is further revealed, and it is staggering to learn the extent of his influence and power. To see the complete review by myself and Gikany, please click on the link to That's What I'm Talking About blog: http://twimom227.com/2014/12/review-v...
December 10, 2014
All 4 books in MINDSPACE INVESTIGATIONS are solidly turned mysteries with well rounded characters, and plots strongly driven by intimate relationships.
These novels are what I have termed Intimate Adventure, the hidden genre.
http://www.simegen.com/jl/intimateadv...
Telepath/detective stories were among my first introduction to the Science Fiction field, and I've never seen it handled better than Alex Hughes has done here.
If you haven't picked up this series yet, do start with the first book as the series is one, long, continuous story all about one strong relationship driving life choices, very much as Gini Koch's ALIEN series is.
These novels are what I have termed Intimate Adventure, the hidden genre.
http://www.simegen.com/jl/intimateadv...
Telepath/detective stories were among my first introduction to the Science Fiction field, and I've never seen it handled better than Alex Hughes has done here.
If you haven't picked up this series yet, do start with the first book as the series is one, long, continuous story all about one strong relationship driving life choices, very much as Gini Koch's ALIEN series is.
October 21, 2017
Great fun but then I'm a sucker for books done in the first person.
January 26, 2015
4.5 stars
January 23, 2019
The quality of this book was worse than the previous books in the series, a first time for inconsistency. This book feels almost like it was written first, as a warm up, before a lot of the details for the series was flushed out. For example, the main character (who I still can't associate with his name) says over and over, "I want my drug." but really only names the drug once, like "my drug" is a placeholder while Hughes waits to figure out what that drug will be.
The series as a whole suffers from a lack of integration between thoughts and words. Four books in, and I still don't really know how the (still mostly nameless) main character feels while under the influence - does Satin make him high? We know it affects the psychic centers of the brain - but how does that feel? Does he lose control of his telepathy completely, or only upper level skills, does it enhance it, or make it go away completely? Is the withdrawal physical, or only/mostly mental?
I would still love to see some kind of flashback (or short story) to Adam meeting Cherabino and/or the police department in the first place. I want to see him fall off the wagon, either in a backstory, or involuntarily as a form of torture by his arch-nemesis,Wilson Garrett Fiske. It's still a great series; it could just be so much better.
The series as a whole suffers from a lack of integration between thoughts and words. Four books in, and I still don't really know how the (still mostly nameless) main character feels while under the influence - does Satin make him high? We know it affects the psychic centers of the brain - but how does that feel? Does he lose control of his telepathy completely, or only upper level skills, does it enhance it, or make it go away completely? Is the withdrawal physical, or only/mostly mental?
I would still love to see some kind of flashback (or short story) to Adam meeting Cherabino and/or the police department in the first place. I want to see him fall off the wagon, either in a backstory, or involuntarily as a form of torture by his arch-nemesis,
April 26, 2018
Vacant is the fourth (and hopefully counting, according to the author's website we might get number 5 this year) of the Mindspace Investigations series. The books feel like urban fantasy but are actually science fiction. It has an ex-addict telepath consulting on criminal activities in a dystopian post-apocalyptic future. The apocalypse being essentially digital rather than nuclear in nature, so nobody has computers beyond a pocket calculator.
Suffice to say our hero is deeply troubled, is obsessively in love with his police partner and spends a lot of time in an angst ridden state. For all that these books are excellent. The characters feel genuinely real, although I still struggle to do anything other than dislike Cherabino, his partner and girlfriend-ish, but we all make mistakes, right?
Here the stakes are raised as the 'big bad' in the background takes a personal interest in Adam and Cherabino, while Adam is assisting the FBA in 'minding' the son of a judge who is being threatened during a high profile case.
A very decent mystery and a very good read. Let's hope that Alex Hughes ends her long hiatus and produces the next novel. I'll be there to read it when she does.
Suffice to say our hero is deeply troubled, is obsessively in love with his police partner and spends a lot of time in an angst ridden state. For all that these books are excellent. The characters feel genuinely real, although I still struggle to do anything other than dislike Cherabino, his partner and girlfriend-ish, but we all make mistakes, right?
Here the stakes are raised as the 'big bad' in the background takes a personal interest in Adam and Cherabino, while Adam is assisting the FBA in 'minding' the son of a judge who is being threatened during a high profile case.
A very decent mystery and a very good read. Let's hope that Alex Hughes ends her long hiatus and produces the next novel. I'll be there to read it when she does.
April 5, 2019
Entertaining Reads
Dresden Fan, or was, haven’t read him in years. This entry of the series is actually the weakest. I’m not sure why the author put Tech as a major subplot throughout series. IMO, despite a few plot wrinkles that author puts in because of it, stories would carry more weight without the major event of fifty some years past .
A big draw of these stories, to me and within this genre, is simply a credible ‘magic’ system. Dresden was great for the first 3-4 stories but then went a little wacko using and bringing to life every dark religious, fantasy , fairy tale known. Dresden became a machistic superhero and stories became more incredulous by chapter.
Here, we have a insecure, self-doubting — at times too much so — MC. Relatable character and a magic system that’s a credible progression of humanity. This entry in the series, author really poured it on with the whiny, self doubting MC. IMO , I thought he hurt his character and overall future of series with MC who should have been growing, not regressing.
Still, entertaining read that’s not too far out there with outlandish, incredulous magic as most of the stories are in this genre.
Dresden Fan, or was, haven’t read him in years. This entry of the series is actually the weakest. I’m not sure why the author put Tech as a major subplot throughout series. IMO, despite a few plot wrinkles that author puts in because of it, stories would carry more weight without the major event of fifty some years past .
A big draw of these stories, to me and within this genre, is simply a credible ‘magic’ system. Dresden was great for the first 3-4 stories but then went a little wacko using and bringing to life every dark religious, fantasy , fairy tale known. Dresden became a machistic superhero and stories became more incredulous by chapter.
Here, we have a insecure, self-doubting — at times too much so — MC. Relatable character and a magic system that’s a credible progression of humanity. This entry in the series, author really poured it on with the whiny, self doubting MC. IMO , I thought he hurt his character and overall future of series with MC who should have been growing, not regressing.
Still, entertaining read that’s not too far out there with outlandish, incredulous magic as most of the stories are in this genre.
December 17, 2021
Still liking this series, but this one wasn't quite as strong for me because of the way one of the characters that I've really come to enjoy was sidelined for most of the book. While the series was still strongly focused on Adam, Hughes had done a nice job in building out more of a supporting cast that really helped lend more depth and texture to everything and losing out on one of the most important of those characters was a disappointment.
On the other hand, we get an exploration of a lot more aspects of telepathy done in depth as well as how some of the training is done in this world. That's definitely interesting and it's done in a way that integrates well into the plot, which never hurts either.
I like this series a lot, which is why it's a bummer that the author has been mostly on hiatus (except for a couple of novellas only available electronically) since 2015 from this series. I understand why, but hopefully she can find a way to get book 5 finished and published because it's a good series. And frankly, it really stinks when a good series that's going in a clear direction with a big pending confrontation with the Big Bad goes away without any resolution.
On the other hand, we get an exploration of a lot more aspects of telepathy done in depth as well as how some of the training is done in this world. That's definitely interesting and it's done in a way that integrates well into the plot, which never hurts either.
I like this series a lot, which is why it's a bummer that the author has been mostly on hiatus (except for a couple of novellas only available electronically) since 2015 from this series. I understand why, but hopefully she can find a way to get book 5 finished and published because it's a good series. And frankly, it really stinks when a good series that's going in a clear direction with a big pending confrontation with the Big Bad goes away without any resolution.
March 3, 2018
I'm still interested in this series as of the end of this fourth book because of the quality of plots and world building, but I don't care much for the angsty relationship between Adam and the cop he works with, Isabella Cherabino. Their UST/romance becomes official in this book.
The violent tendencies of this woman are understandable, but not likeable--she has a habit of punching Adam when he makes her angry, and I don't like that at all. If it was a guy punching out a woman in a relationship, work or romantic, it was repel me, and that is how i feel now about her.
As an unreliable narrator with is history of self-doubt, Adam's acceptance of her anger as justified is in character, but it makes me less patient with the ups and downs of their feelings.
Regarding the book plot--I like this one the best so far, and the drama of the protection detail and the fact that Adam has to work with new people against old foes is interesting. His relationship with the boy he had premonitions about is compelling.
The violent tendencies of this woman are understandable, but not likeable--she has a habit of punching Adam when he makes her angry, and I don't like that at all. If it was a guy punching out a woman in a relationship, work or romantic, it was repel me, and that is how i feel now about her.
As an unreliable narrator with is history of self-doubt, Adam's acceptance of her anger as justified is in character, but it makes me less patient with the ups and downs of their feelings.
Regarding the book plot--I like this one the best so far, and the drama of the protection detail and the fact that Adam has to work with new people against old foes is interesting. His relationship with the boy he had premonitions about is compelling.
July 25, 2023
A telepathic bodyguard is a beautiful premise with lots of promise. Perhaps the other books in this series deliver on the premise better than Vacant. I was disappointed in this book. For my taste, the suspense nor the characters were engaging enough for where they ended up. Conversations/thoughts in and out of the protagonist's mind were frustrating and circular. The conversations/thoughts often were out of step with the character's actions or abilities or repeated incessantly. Some iteration of "I am worried about Cherabino" was dropped on every other page, which felt like a freight train of a point instead of a carefully woven narrative. By the end, I did not care about Cherabino, and by the book's end, I was proved right.
December 14, 2014
Originally published at Reading Reality
Alex Hughes’ Mindspace Investigations is a series that absolutely requires starting at the very beginning. (This seems to be my week for that.) If the idea of an urban fantasy series that reads like a marvelously twisted cross between Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files and J.D. Robb’s In Death series, you’ve come to the right place.
Just start clean with the first book in the series, Clean. The following titles in the series are Sharp and Marked. It is SO worth it, and also necessary to help figure out the roots of the case in Vacant.
Like so many of the titles in this series, that word, Vacant, is a multiple entendre. It refers to Isabella Cherabino’s career, Adam Ward’s ethics, and the office they come to at the end of the story. Possibly also to any threads of a future that Adam might have, but we’ll see.
The cases that Adam and Isabella have to solve in the present are very much tied in with a larger conspiracy that they uncovered in the earlier stories. But even though that possibility is fairly clear to the reader, it is only a vague hint on the horizon for Adam, and not at all on Isabella’s radar.
This is the first time that they solve a case completely separately. It is also the first time that Adam is away from DeKalb County and operating entirely on his own and without training wheels or a support network. He’s on his own for the first time after his descent into addiction and in his long hard climb back to sobriety.
That separation nearly wrecks his extremely slowly developing relationship with Isabella Cherabino. More importantly, it nearly wrecks him. But he comes out stronger for it, albeit with a few more broken places. The difference is that he is not filling those broken places in with drugs. At least not today.
Isabella is charged with police brutality, and becomes the county’s poster child for non-tolerance of such a crime. The only problem is that she didn’t do it, and both the evidence and the hearing are rigged. The question that is asked throughout the story, and only answered by the end, is that of the rigger.
Adam is off in Savannah, chasing down a precognitive vision with the help of the FBI, although they consider that he is helping them. A child will die if Adam can’t figure out how to subvert the vision before it is too late. In order to derail the vision, he also needs to figure out what a judge in a high-profile case is hiding, and who benefits from killing her child.
And what does any of this have to do with actions in Adam’s past? In the end, it is all about him. And not in a good way. Saving that kid may not fix any of the other things that Adam has broken, but it will be enough to make today worthwhile. It gives him yet one more reason to remain clean.
But some of his screwups still catch up with him. Payment will be demanded, but not all of it today.
Escape Rating A: The world of Mindspace Investigations is a very dark and gritty one. While it seems that things are getting better after the chaos of the Tech Wars, it’s going to be a long, hard time until society gets back to where it is in our now. The levels of pollution in the air and water are a factor that Adam is constantly aware of on his trip to Savannah, and so are we.
What is different about this case is that Adam is operating completely solo. While the series has been told from his first-person perspective from the very beginning, we are always aware of Adam’s nearby support group; especially his police partner Isabella Cherabino and his NA sponsor Swartz.
In Savannah Adam is forced to work with an FBI team that he has never met, and one that resents the need to bring in an unknown teep on an emergency basis when theirs is injured. Adam is there to save a 10-year-old boy’s life, and the FBI team is there to prevent a second kidnapping attempt on that same boy.
Adam is also there because the Telepath Guild is yanking his chain, but that’s nothing new. One of the ongoing themes of the series is that Adam wants to distance himself as much as possible from the Telepath Guild, but he keeps getting sucked back in. It is very convenient for everyone, the police, the FBI, the Guild themselves, to have a telepath whose loyalties seem somewhat fluid.
They aren’t, and that’s what keeps getting him into trouble. Although in this story that same sense of loyalty also keeps him out of trouble. Just a bit.
Adam is forced to make a choice. Actually, he’s forced to make a lot of choices, and they are all choices between bad and less bad. He never really gets to choose between bad and good. He’s come a long way from the drug user he remembers being. He makes the best choices he can, and then lives with the consequences, knowingly.
In addition to the harrowing case that Adam is investigating, what we see is him learning to stand on his own again. The question, as always, is for how long.
While the events in this particular story had a lot to do with previous cases, there was also a sense that the events in this book have pushed the story into a different direction. After the bombshell at the end, I’m on pins and needles waiting to see what happens next.
Alex Hughes’ Mindspace Investigations is a series that absolutely requires starting at the very beginning. (This seems to be my week for that.) If the idea of an urban fantasy series that reads like a marvelously twisted cross between Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files and J.D. Robb’s In Death series, you’ve come to the right place.
Just start clean with the first book in the series, Clean. The following titles in the series are Sharp and Marked. It is SO worth it, and also necessary to help figure out the roots of the case in Vacant.
Like so many of the titles in this series, that word, Vacant, is a multiple entendre. It refers to Isabella Cherabino’s career, Adam Ward’s ethics, and the office they come to at the end of the story. Possibly also to any threads of a future that Adam might have, but we’ll see.
The cases that Adam and Isabella have to solve in the present are very much tied in with a larger conspiracy that they uncovered in the earlier stories. But even though that possibility is fairly clear to the reader, it is only a vague hint on the horizon for Adam, and not at all on Isabella’s radar.
This is the first time that they solve a case completely separately. It is also the first time that Adam is away from DeKalb County and operating entirely on his own and without training wheels or a support network. He’s on his own for the first time after his descent into addiction and in his long hard climb back to sobriety.
That separation nearly wrecks his extremely slowly developing relationship with Isabella Cherabino. More importantly, it nearly wrecks him. But he comes out stronger for it, albeit with a few more broken places. The difference is that he is not filling those broken places in with drugs. At least not today.
Isabella is charged with police brutality, and becomes the county’s poster child for non-tolerance of such a crime. The only problem is that she didn’t do it, and both the evidence and the hearing are rigged. The question that is asked throughout the story, and only answered by the end, is that of the rigger.
Adam is off in Savannah, chasing down a precognitive vision with the help of the FBI, although they consider that he is helping them. A child will die if Adam can’t figure out how to subvert the vision before it is too late. In order to derail the vision, he also needs to figure out what a judge in a high-profile case is hiding, and who benefits from killing her child.
And what does any of this have to do with actions in Adam’s past? In the end, it is all about him. And not in a good way. Saving that kid may not fix any of the other things that Adam has broken, but it will be enough to make today worthwhile. It gives him yet one more reason to remain clean.
But some of his screwups still catch up with him. Payment will be demanded, but not all of it today.
Escape Rating A: The world of Mindspace Investigations is a very dark and gritty one. While it seems that things are getting better after the chaos of the Tech Wars, it’s going to be a long, hard time until society gets back to where it is in our now. The levels of pollution in the air and water are a factor that Adam is constantly aware of on his trip to Savannah, and so are we.
What is different about this case is that Adam is operating completely solo. While the series has been told from his first-person perspective from the very beginning, we are always aware of Adam’s nearby support group; especially his police partner Isabella Cherabino and his NA sponsor Swartz.
In Savannah Adam is forced to work with an FBI team that he has never met, and one that resents the need to bring in an unknown teep on an emergency basis when theirs is injured. Adam is there to save a 10-year-old boy’s life, and the FBI team is there to prevent a second kidnapping attempt on that same boy.
Adam is also there because the Telepath Guild is yanking his chain, but that’s nothing new. One of the ongoing themes of the series is that Adam wants to distance himself as much as possible from the Telepath Guild, but he keeps getting sucked back in. It is very convenient for everyone, the police, the FBI, the Guild themselves, to have a telepath whose loyalties seem somewhat fluid.
They aren’t, and that’s what keeps getting him into trouble. Although in this story that same sense of loyalty also keeps him out of trouble. Just a bit.
Adam is forced to make a choice. Actually, he’s forced to make a lot of choices, and they are all choices between bad and less bad. He never really gets to choose between bad and good. He’s come a long way from the drug user he remembers being. He makes the best choices he can, and then lives with the consequences, knowingly.
In addition to the harrowing case that Adam is investigating, what we see is him learning to stand on his own again. The question, as always, is for how long.
While the events in this particular story had a lot to do with previous cases, there was also a sense that the events in this book have pushed the story into a different direction. After the bombshell at the end, I’m on pins and needles waiting to see what happens next.
October 5, 2021
This was a series I had forgotten about, until I did a massive data pull of this log and manually went through and found things I had read and liked that now had more books.
Despite it having been ages since I read one of these, I fell easily back in with the characters and didn't feel like I was missing important information. Which I appreciate.
And despite the fact that I hated all the politics happening to his love interest, that was mostly offscreen, and overall I enjoyed it. And am pleased to see there are more awaiting me.
Despite it having been ages since I read one of these, I fell easily back in with the characters and didn't feel like I was missing important information. Which I appreciate.
And despite the fact that I hated all the politics happening to his love interest, that was mostly offscreen, and overall I enjoyed it. And am pleased to see there are more awaiting me.
October 25, 2018
On the whole I liked the series. The main character is flawed and very human in spite of being a telepath. Things were starting to get a bit bogged down and I wish things could have ended with things being less stressful in Adam's life. It was interesting how things ended and while I would have liked to read more (can't find the next two in between novella's as of yet) this could have been turned into a too long series and I'm glad it didn't.
November 29, 2018
Rating: 6.5/10
Pages: 347
This is the second in this series that I have picked up. And I enjoyed the parts about the Guild and learning more about it. Some of this world seems very domineering, rigid rules. And a lot of vacillating about it. So, not being a normal reader, it felt a little of a drag to a good mystery.
Whether a Mindspace follower or a casual reader, it is an enjoyable read and meets your requirements for this type of mystery.
Kindle
Pages: 347
This is the second in this series that I have picked up. And I enjoyed the parts about the Guild and learning more about it. Some of this world seems very domineering, rigid rules. And a lot of vacillating about it. So, not being a normal reader, it felt a little of a drag to a good mystery.
Whether a Mindspace follower or a casual reader, it is an enjoyable read and meets your requirements for this type of mystery.
Kindle
February 16, 2022
This one took me forever to finish. The misspelling of Bransen right off the bat in Chapter 2 kinda threw me, plus there was a LOT more of Adam's constant rehashing of prior events and feelings and cravings and self-doubt that took up much of each chapter. But, overall I really like this storyline and hope I can find the rest of the series soon, since my local library co-op doesn't have any of Alex Hughes' books in their system.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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