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Sam Kelson #1
Trouble in Mind
Introducing maverick Chicago private investigator Sam Kelson in the first of a hardhitting new crime noir series. Sam Kelson is a PI like no other. As a consequence of being shot in the head while working undercover as a Chicago cop, he suffers from he cannot keep silent or tell lies when questioned. But truth be told ― and Kelson always tells the truth ― he still feels compelled to investigate and, despite the odds, he’s good at his job. Hired by Trina Felbanks to investigate her pharmacist brother whom she suspects is dealing drugs, Kelson arrives at Felbanks’ home to make a shocking discovery ― his client’s brother has been murdered. Arrested on suspicion of his murder, Kelson makes an even more startling discovery concerning his client’s identity. Kelson would appear to have been set up … but by whom, and why? As events spiral out of control and the body count rises, Kelson realizes he’s made a dangerously powerful enemy. Will he survive long enough to discover who has targeted him ― and what it is they want?
216 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2019
9 people are currently reading
78 people want to read
About the author
Michael Wiley
34 books85 followersMichael Wiley’s new novel is The Long Way Out, featuring Franky Dast, an exonerated ex-con who investigates a series of murders in Northeast Florida. Michael is also the author of three mystery and detective series, including the Shamus Award-winning Joe Kozmarski books, the Daniel Turner thrillers, and, most recently, the Sam Kelson PI novels. His short stories appear often in magazines and anthologies, including Best Mystery Stories of the Year 2022.
Michael grew up in Chicago and lived and worked in the neighborhoods and on the streets where he sets his Kelson and Kozmarski mysteries. He teaches literature at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville—the setting of The Long Way Out, an earlier Franky Dast novel (Monument Road), and the Daniel Turner novels.
Series:
* Joe Kozmarski Mystery
Michael grew up in Chicago and lived and worked in the neighborhoods and on the streets where he sets his Kelson and Kozmarski mysteries. He teaches literature at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville—the setting of The Long Way Out, an earlier Franky Dast novel (Monument Road), and the Daniel Turner novels.
Series:
* Joe Kozmarski Mystery
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
January 23, 2023
Having read books previously by this author, I knew there was little risk picking up a new series by him.
How wrong was I?
This book is a gem, a delight and has left me wanting more about his new protagonist Sam Kelson. This is indeed an engaging mystery and rooted in the fine traditions of the American private detective genre.
Kelson was a Narcotics undercover cop in Chicago when he was shot in the line of duty.
He had to be discharged from his police duties and was retired due to his disability.
He is a struggling PI whose life if falling to pieces around him as due to his injuries his personality has changed and he is almost impossible to live with.
2 years on he still struggles in therapy; separated from his wife and unable to control his mouth like some kind of verbal Tourettes where he is compelled to speak and always tells the truth. His diagnosis is disinhibition and something called autopagnosia.
These are not great qualities for meeting new people and holding interrogations or probing questions since he is programmed to say what he thinks. He has not social brakes to save offence or stop himself even when he knows it will get him into trouble. His behaviour is almost childlike and his 11 year old daughter adores his frank and openness devoid in all other adults.
For the reader the author has created a unique hero with the qualities to self-destruct. It is funny and humorous without degrading the conditions or looking for cheap laughs. I adored every page he is speaking, thinking or coping and found him a great guy to root for.
In this first book he is seemingly being placed in a threatening situation where some unknown adversary wants him to suffer and loose everything before he is ruined and probably killed. The guy after him has some connection to the person Kelson fatally wounded when he himself was shot and nearly died.
Someone is playing with his head and sends a go-between to confuse him and frame him for murders he was lured to the scene of the crime.
Within a few pages of the story Kelson is locked up, suspected of murder and no-one likes a rogue cop addicted to prescription medication.
He must clear himself, try to get the police to see he’s being set up and discover who is pulling the strings. The stakes are raised when his family are threatened and no-one appears to believe his role as an innocent pawn in growing body count.
Like when I first found Bernie Rhodenbarr. I can praise Michael Wiley no higher than it carries echoes of Lawrence Block.
How wrong was I?
This book is a gem, a delight and has left me wanting more about his new protagonist Sam Kelson. This is indeed an engaging mystery and rooted in the fine traditions of the American private detective genre.
Kelson was a Narcotics undercover cop in Chicago when he was shot in the line of duty.
He had to be discharged from his police duties and was retired due to his disability.
He is a struggling PI whose life if falling to pieces around him as due to his injuries his personality has changed and he is almost impossible to live with.
2 years on he still struggles in therapy; separated from his wife and unable to control his mouth like some kind of verbal Tourettes where he is compelled to speak and always tells the truth. His diagnosis is disinhibition and something called autopagnosia.
These are not great qualities for meeting new people and holding interrogations or probing questions since he is programmed to say what he thinks. He has not social brakes to save offence or stop himself even when he knows it will get him into trouble. His behaviour is almost childlike and his 11 year old daughter adores his frank and openness devoid in all other adults.
For the reader the author has created a unique hero with the qualities to self-destruct. It is funny and humorous without degrading the conditions or looking for cheap laughs. I adored every page he is speaking, thinking or coping and found him a great guy to root for.
In this first book he is seemingly being placed in a threatening situation where some unknown adversary wants him to suffer and loose everything before he is ruined and probably killed. The guy after him has some connection to the person Kelson fatally wounded when he himself was shot and nearly died.
Someone is playing with his head and sends a go-between to confuse him and frame him for murders he was lured to the scene of the crime.
Within a few pages of the story Kelson is locked up, suspected of murder and no-one likes a rogue cop addicted to prescription medication.
He must clear himself, try to get the police to see he’s being set up and discover who is pulling the strings. The stakes are raised when his family are threatened and no-one appears to believe his role as an innocent pawn in growing body count.
Like when I first found Bernie Rhodenbarr. I can praise Michael Wiley no higher than it carries echoes of Lawrence Block.
January 14, 2020
Sam Kelson is a Private Investigator with a diagnosis of disinhibition after he was shot in the head while working undercover in narcotics when he was a Chicago cop. His condition requires pain pills on a daily basis, and more importantly, he cannot control what comes out of his mouth. His thoughts, his feelings, and he cannot lie ... he is incapable. And when asked a question, he absolutely must answer.
Surprisingly enough, he's rather good at his job. A woman walks into his office and wants to hire him to investigate her brother ... a pharmacist who may be dealing drugs. And when he tracks down the brother, he's met with quite an eye opener. Kelson is arrested on suspicion of murder ... especially when the cops identify the dead man. And then they learn that his sister wasn't his sister at all.
It seems that Kelson has been set up .. but why and by whom?
This is a real page turner, filled with action from the very first page. The mystery is nicely paced with suspense that holds one's attention to the the surprising end. Various twists and turns with an occasional red herring make this an excellent read.
Many thanks to the author / Severn House / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
Surprisingly enough, he's rather good at his job. A woman walks into his office and wants to hire him to investigate her brother ... a pharmacist who may be dealing drugs. And when he tracks down the brother, he's met with quite an eye opener. Kelson is arrested on suspicion of murder ... especially when the cops identify the dead man. And then they learn that his sister wasn't his sister at all.
It seems that Kelson has been set up .. but why and by whom?
This is a real page turner, filled with action from the very first page. The mystery is nicely paced with suspense that holds one's attention to the the surprising end. Various twists and turns with an occasional red herring make this an excellent read.
Many thanks to the author / Severn House / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
Read
August 14, 2021I got just about 2 hours left of the audiobook but it's have been waiting for me to finish it for a few days and I just don't have an interest picking it back up. It has an intresting premise. An detective that has injured is head so that is completely unable to tell lies or keep silent. He says whatever comes up in his head. I didn't think it was terrible, decent but didn't evoke any strong feelings or a need to finish it either. So I decided not to rate this.
February 22, 2020
Trouble in Mind
by Michael Wiley
This crime novel introduces the former Chicago cop, Sam Kelson.
During an undercover operation, he took a bullet to the head and recovery left him with a disability called "disinhibition: he cannot keep silent or tell lies when questioned."
Now a struggling PI, relying on pain medication, therapy and living
a personally shattered life, he is surprisingly good at his labors.
There are the totally inappropriate personal comments that
make you feel bad for his lack of control.
But there are times, both professionally and personally, when you applaud his truthfulness.
I thought the novel was a fine introduction to Sam as the past and present were well explained.
I look forward to Sam's future with motives, causes and culprits.
My review copy was audio from Highbridge.
My only difficulty was that disc 2 was unplayable.
by Michael Wiley
This crime novel introduces the former Chicago cop, Sam Kelson.
During an undercover operation, he took a bullet to the head and recovery left him with a disability called "disinhibition: he cannot keep silent or tell lies when questioned."
Now a struggling PI, relying on pain medication, therapy and living
a personally shattered life, he is surprisingly good at his labors.
There are the totally inappropriate personal comments that
make you feel bad for his lack of control.
But there are times, both professionally and personally, when you applaud his truthfulness.
I thought the novel was a fine introduction to Sam as the past and present were well explained.
I look forward to Sam's future with motives, causes and culprits.
My review copy was audio from Highbridge.
My only difficulty was that disc 2 was unplayable.
June 12, 2022
Loved it! Like all of the author's other books, this one has a really dark (noir) style to it, and the humor and quirky characters only add to the overall greatness. Looking forward to reading the other books in this series, too!
September 14, 2024
I read these over a year ago & they were good.
Sam, the MC, was injured in the line of duty & now he isn't able to NOT LIE! Since he cant be a cop he became a private investigator.
This makes for quite a interesting story when you are investigating & CANT LIE!.
The pacing was fast, great writing & you really find yourself feeling for Sam! I thought the cast of characters including his ex wife, daughter & the people who help him were great!
Highly recommend!
The entire series was a binge read for me. If your looking for a quick read with an interesting protagonist this might be a winner for you.
Sam, the MC, was injured in the line of duty & now he isn't able to NOT LIE! Since he cant be a cop he became a private investigator.
This makes for quite a interesting story when you are investigating & CANT LIE!.
The pacing was fast, great writing & you really find yourself feeling for Sam! I thought the cast of characters including his ex wife, daughter & the people who help him were great!
Highly recommend!
The entire series was a binge read for me. If your looking for a quick read with an interesting protagonist this might be a winner for you.
September 29, 2019
Good crime story. Great read.
A quick synopsis: Two years ago, while taking part in an undercover narcotics sting officer Sam Kelson, mid-30s, took a bullet to the head that should have killed him (in fact, he was technically dead for a brief time). As a result, Kelson, now trying to work as a P.I., suffers from disinhibition which leaves him incapable of keeping secrets or telling lies. He also has an unfortunate habit of making inappropriate comments and a tendency to irritate people.
I was intrigued by the premise of a P.I. who was incapable of keeping secrets. The whole disinhibition aspect was less unique since pretty much all the great hard-boiled detectives have issues with impulse control (though it usually has more to do with anger issues and questionable decision making rather than random stream-of-consciousness commentary).
I wasn't really sure what to expect (seriously, we all know that you can't always trust the book blurb). Perhaps a silly story built around a gimmicky premise... some lightweight crime fiction... a saccharine story of overcoming the odds... whatever. I thought, if nothing else, it would be a pleasant time waster between more "serious" reading.
So, I was pleasantly surprised to find that Trouble in Mind by Michael Wiley is a very good crime novel. Good characters, decent plot, a little dark, odd-ball humor sprinkled in here and there... I would stop short of calling it fast-paced but once things get going it's pretty steady with a fairly streamlined (not overly descriptive) narrative.
I liked this book a lot. In my opinion detective Sam Kelson would not be out of place in the company of such fictional detectives as Elvis Cole (by Robert Crais), or Hap & Leonard (by Joe R. Lansdale). There is also a hint - just a hint - of some of the edgier aspects of ex-cop Matthew Scudder (by Lawrence Block).
If, as I suspect, this ends up being a series then sign me up right now - I'm in!
There is some adult language and brief crime scene descriptions (not overly graphic).
***Thanks to NetGalley, Severn House Publishers, and author Michael Wiley for providing me with a free digital copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.
A quick synopsis: Two years ago, while taking part in an undercover narcotics sting officer Sam Kelson, mid-30s, took a bullet to the head that should have killed him (in fact, he was technically dead for a brief time). As a result, Kelson, now trying to work as a P.I., suffers from disinhibition which leaves him incapable of keeping secrets or telling lies. He also has an unfortunate habit of making inappropriate comments and a tendency to irritate people.
I was intrigued by the premise of a P.I. who was incapable of keeping secrets. The whole disinhibition aspect was less unique since pretty much all the great hard-boiled detectives have issues with impulse control (though it usually has more to do with anger issues and questionable decision making rather than random stream-of-consciousness commentary).
I wasn't really sure what to expect (seriously, we all know that you can't always trust the book blurb). Perhaps a silly story built around a gimmicky premise... some lightweight crime fiction... a saccharine story of overcoming the odds... whatever. I thought, if nothing else, it would be a pleasant time waster between more "serious" reading.
So, I was pleasantly surprised to find that Trouble in Mind by Michael Wiley is a very good crime novel. Good characters, decent plot, a little dark, odd-ball humor sprinkled in here and there... I would stop short of calling it fast-paced but once things get going it's pretty steady with a fairly streamlined (not overly descriptive) narrative.
I liked this book a lot. In my opinion detective Sam Kelson would not be out of place in the company of such fictional detectives as Elvis Cole (by Robert Crais), or Hap & Leonard (by Joe R. Lansdale). There is also a hint - just a hint - of some of the edgier aspects of ex-cop Matthew Scudder (by Lawrence Block).
If, as I suspect, this ends up being a series then sign me up right now - I'm in!
There is some adult language and brief crime scene descriptions (not overly graphic).
***Thanks to NetGalley, Severn House Publishers, and author Michael Wiley for providing me with a free digital copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.
November 18, 2019
I read a LOT of crime fiction and it can all get a bit samey and, every so often, I crave something a little different. Be it the MC or the actual crime being investigated. In this book I got the both. Sam Kelson is a former cop who was shot in the head when undercover with the drugs squad. This caused, shall we say, behavioural issues for him, the most interesting being his disinhibition; the inability to keep secrets or tell lies. He now works as a PI and, when we first meet him, he is visited by a woman who wants him to investigate her pharmacist brother who she claims is stealing and selling drugs. Sam visits the pharmacy and is redirected to his home as he is not at work. On visiting his home he is shocked to find the man dead. Even worse, the police storm in and arrest him. He's been set up. By who and why?
And so begins a rather convoluted and spiralling tale which has Sam chasing his tail all over the city as both the body count and the number of his arrests rise. More of the story I can not divulge here for fear of spoilers but suffice to say I spent the majority of the book as clueless as Sam so I just sat back and enjoyed the ride. And what a ride it was...
I blooming loved Sam. He's so different from any other MC in any crime book I have read. And he loves his kittens! I really hope that this is the start of a series. I suspect it is as the author has gone above and beyond in creating his MC and there's no way he can leave all that wonder behind. The plot is so convoluted that I gave up trying to work out who was who and what was what and, more importantly, who to trust. But, by the end of the book, when all was revealed, I sat back and applauded the author for a job well done. I do have a couple of niggles with some of the things included in the book (no details, sorry, spoilers) but I was more than happy to accept and move on as the rest of what I read was high quality stuff.
All in all, a great book that I have no hesitation recommending for fans of the genre. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
And so begins a rather convoluted and spiralling tale which has Sam chasing his tail all over the city as both the body count and the number of his arrests rise. More of the story I can not divulge here for fear of spoilers but suffice to say I spent the majority of the book as clueless as Sam so I just sat back and enjoyed the ride. And what a ride it was...
I blooming loved Sam. He's so different from any other MC in any crime book I have read. And he loves his kittens! I really hope that this is the start of a series. I suspect it is as the author has gone above and beyond in creating his MC and there's no way he can leave all that wonder behind. The plot is so convoluted that I gave up trying to work out who was who and what was what and, more importantly, who to trust. But, by the end of the book, when all was revealed, I sat back and applauded the author for a job well done. I do have a couple of niggles with some of the things included in the book (no details, sorry, spoilers) but I was more than happy to accept and move on as the rest of what I read was high quality stuff.
All in all, a great book that I have no hesitation recommending for fans of the genre. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
January 5, 2020
Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
Trouble in Mind is the promising first book in a new series by Michael Wiley. Due out 7th Jan 2020 from Severn House, it's 224 pages and will be available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats (ebook available now).
This is a nice PI procedural with an appealing protagonist who is a good investigator despite a traumatic brain injury which left him missing a significant portion of his brain and disinhibition, so he always blurts out what's on his mind and is incapable of filtering or lying. This unsurprisingly causes him a lot of problems. There's a lot of humor here and not all dark or ironic. His relationship with his 11 year old daughter is priceless and sweet (she enjoys quizzing him about ALL kinds of things because she knows precisely what his brain injury did to his ability to obfuscate).
There is a fair amount of rough language and mature themes (used in context). There is a fair bit of violence and murder, as expected, but the descriptions aren't overly graphic.
In some ways, the book reminded me in a good way of one of my favorite series, Lansdale's Hap & Leonard, in its over-the-top violence and maverick good guy against the forces of nastiness as well as wonky, lolloping humor. I love love love his daughter. I'm looking forward to more in this series.
Five stars. Highly recommended.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Trouble in Mind is the promising first book in a new series by Michael Wiley. Due out 7th Jan 2020 from Severn House, it's 224 pages and will be available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats (ebook available now).
This is a nice PI procedural with an appealing protagonist who is a good investigator despite a traumatic brain injury which left him missing a significant portion of his brain and disinhibition, so he always blurts out what's on his mind and is incapable of filtering or lying. This unsurprisingly causes him a lot of problems. There's a lot of humor here and not all dark or ironic. His relationship with his 11 year old daughter is priceless and sweet (she enjoys quizzing him about ALL kinds of things because she knows precisely what his brain injury did to his ability to obfuscate).
There is a fair amount of rough language and mature themes (used in context). There is a fair bit of violence and murder, as expected, but the descriptions aren't overly graphic.
In some ways, the book reminded me in a good way of one of my favorite series, Lansdale's Hap & Leonard, in its over-the-top violence and maverick good guy against the forces of nastiness as well as wonky, lolloping humor. I love love love his daughter. I'm looking forward to more in this series.
Five stars. Highly recommended.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
February 27, 2020
Sam Kelson is an ex-Chicago narcotics cop who has been shot in the head during a drug bust gone bad. His partner saves his life, but Sam is retired from the force on disability because his injury has left him with a condition called disinhibitation which means he is now incapable of telling a lie or even demurring from telling the truth. To keep body and soul together he becomes a private eye,
One day a good-looking redhead named Trina Felbanks appears in his office wanting him to investigate her pharmacist brother who she suspects is selling drugs. When Kelson arrives at Felbanks' apartment, he finds Felbanks dead from a gunshot wound and a SWAT team bursting through the door almost immediately afterwards.
Now Felbanks finds himself in a situation that any fan of Alfred Hitchcock movies will find familiar: the innocent man accused of a crime based on highly circumstantial, but damning, evidence. What follows is a wild chain of events spread out over a couple of weeks as Kelson both tries to prove his innocence and also find the real killer.
The author knows Chicago well and if needed I could have traced his peregrinations around Chicago on a map. The dialogue is authentic and the action is non-stop. Thanks to Library Thing who sent me this audio book in exchange for an honest review.
One day a good-looking redhead named Trina Felbanks appears in his office wanting him to investigate her pharmacist brother who she suspects is selling drugs. When Kelson arrives at Felbanks' apartment, he finds Felbanks dead from a gunshot wound and a SWAT team bursting through the door almost immediately afterwards.
Now Felbanks finds himself in a situation that any fan of Alfred Hitchcock movies will find familiar: the innocent man accused of a crime based on highly circumstantial, but damning, evidence. What follows is a wild chain of events spread out over a couple of weeks as Kelson both tries to prove his innocence and also find the real killer.
The author knows Chicago well and if needed I could have traced his peregrinations around Chicago on a map. The dialogue is authentic and the action is non-stop. Thanks to Library Thing who sent me this audio book in exchange for an honest review.
March 11, 2020
This review is for the audio book of Trouble in Mind as provided by LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
A whole lot of suspension of disbelief is required to accept that a man with brain damage, which makes him unable to lie, has made an appropriate career choice as a private detective. It takes more to understand why he's so obsessed with the question of whether he fired first at the drug dealer who put a bullet in his head. That's not all of the logical obstacles that the listener has to overcome in this novel, which is studded with characters that are consistently extraordinary. As in, “I've never met anyone like that.”
All that being said, there is amusement here, with our hero blurting out the obviously wrong things time after time. And it's entertainment, after all, not “true crime,” but the biggest flaw in the novel is that there's not much mystery in it. I knew the crime kingpin halfway through, and it becomes a thriller chase book soon thereafter.
Well performed by Paul Woodson, it's amusing enough for company on your commute, but not something you'll long remember.
A whole lot of suspension of disbelief is required to accept that a man with brain damage, which makes him unable to lie, has made an appropriate career choice as a private detective. It takes more to understand why he's so obsessed with the question of whether he fired first at the drug dealer who put a bullet in his head. That's not all of the logical obstacles that the listener has to overcome in this novel, which is studded with characters that are consistently extraordinary. As in, “I've never met anyone like that.”
All that being said, there is amusement here, with our hero blurting out the obviously wrong things time after time. And it's entertainment, after all, not “true crime,” but the biggest flaw in the novel is that there's not much mystery in it. I knew the crime kingpin halfway through, and it becomes a thriller chase book soon thereafter.
Well performed by Paul Woodson, it's amusing enough for company on your commute, but not something you'll long remember.
January 6, 2020
3.5 stars.
The first installment in the Sam Kelson Mystery series, Trouble in Mind by Michael Wiley is an intriguing mystery.
Private Investigator Sam Kelson is a former narcotics officer whose career ended after taking a bullet to head. He continues to suffer from headaches from the injury and a condition known as disinhibition which leaves him unable to tell a lie or keep a secret. The condition also causes Sam to blurt out whatever he is thinking no matter how inappropriate his thoughts might be. Now divorced, he is a devoted dad to his eleven year old daughter Sue Ellen, who finds his disinhibition quite amusing.
Sam's life takes a troubling turn when his newest client, Trina, hires him to convince her brother, pharmacist Christian Felbanks, to stop dealing the drugs he is filching from his employer. Sam discovers Christian's lifeless body and homicide Detective Dan Peters arrests him for murder. Sam knows Trina has set him up, but will he found out who is behind the plot before it is too late?
Sam is a quirky character whose disinhibition manages to irritate just about everyone he meets. He also has a tendency to talk a lot which people tend to find distracting and downright annoying. Despite his propensity for rambling, Sam is a likable man who is a little clueless but quite tenacious as he tries to figure out who Trina is working for.
There are a surprising number of suspects who might have it in for Sam. First in line is the family of the teenager who died in the same shoot out in which Sam was shot. Next is a surprising connection between a real estate mogul and someone from Sam's past. As the bodies begin to pile up, Sam remains Peters and his partner Venus Johnson's main suspect. In order to get out from underneath the cloud of suspicion, Sam turns to a former police academy friend DeMarcus Rodman to help him uncover the truth about who is behind the deadly plot.
Trouble in Mind is a clever mystery with an eccentric cast of colorful characters. The storyline is engaging but the pacing is a little slow. With a few predictable twists, Michael Wiley brings this fascinating mystery to an over the top, slightly improbable conclusion.
Despite a bit of a bumpy beginning, I am looking forward to reading the next novel Sam Kelson Mystery series.
The first installment in the Sam Kelson Mystery series, Trouble in Mind by Michael Wiley is an intriguing mystery.
Private Investigator Sam Kelson is a former narcotics officer whose career ended after taking a bullet to head. He continues to suffer from headaches from the injury and a condition known as disinhibition which leaves him unable to tell a lie or keep a secret. The condition also causes Sam to blurt out whatever he is thinking no matter how inappropriate his thoughts might be. Now divorced, he is a devoted dad to his eleven year old daughter Sue Ellen, who finds his disinhibition quite amusing.
Sam's life takes a troubling turn when his newest client, Trina, hires him to convince her brother, pharmacist Christian Felbanks, to stop dealing the drugs he is filching from his employer. Sam discovers Christian's lifeless body and homicide Detective Dan Peters arrests him for murder. Sam knows Trina has set him up, but will he found out who is behind the plot before it is too late?
Sam is a quirky character whose disinhibition manages to irritate just about everyone he meets. He also has a tendency to talk a lot which people tend to find distracting and downright annoying. Despite his propensity for rambling, Sam is a likable man who is a little clueless but quite tenacious as he tries to figure out who Trina is working for.
There are a surprising number of suspects who might have it in for Sam. First in line is the family of the teenager who died in the same shoot out in which Sam was shot. Next is a surprising connection between a real estate mogul and someone from Sam's past. As the bodies begin to pile up, Sam remains Peters and his partner Venus Johnson's main suspect. In order to get out from underneath the cloud of suspicion, Sam turns to a former police academy friend DeMarcus Rodman to help him uncover the truth about who is behind the deadly plot.
Trouble in Mind is a clever mystery with an eccentric cast of colorful characters. The storyline is engaging but the pacing is a little slow. With a few predictable twists, Michael Wiley brings this fascinating mystery to an over the top, slightly improbable conclusion.
Despite a bit of a bumpy beginning, I am looking forward to reading the next novel Sam Kelson Mystery series.
January 23, 2020
I don’t know why more people haven’t heard of Michael Wiley. I don’t know why his books aren’t on the NYT bestseller list. I don’t know why he hasn’t won more awards. But I do know TROUBLE IN MIND is the most entertaining novel I’ve read in quite sometime. And I’ve read quite a few really good ones.
The dialogue is as crisp, sharp, and sometimes comic as anything I’ve read. The protagonist, private detective Sam Kelson, is as off-center as a blind archer. He suffered a brain injury in the line of duty (as a Chicago policeman) that left him “disinhibited.” So you never know what he’s going to do or say next, he talks incessantly, and he can’t help but tell the truth . . . which often works against him.
Wiley surrounded Kelson with a cast of colorful characters and plopped them down in a twisting, turning mystery/thriller that will have you flipping through the pages as fast as a flying arrow. It’s a truly engaging read.
It oughta be on a lot of bestseller lists.
The dialogue is as crisp, sharp, and sometimes comic as anything I’ve read. The protagonist, private detective Sam Kelson, is as off-center as a blind archer. He suffered a brain injury in the line of duty (as a Chicago policeman) that left him “disinhibited.” So you never know what he’s going to do or say next, he talks incessantly, and he can’t help but tell the truth . . . which often works against him.
Wiley surrounded Kelson with a cast of colorful characters and plopped them down in a twisting, turning mystery/thriller that will have you flipping through the pages as fast as a flying arrow. It’s a truly engaging read.
It oughta be on a lot of bestseller lists.
April 25, 2021
Sam Kelson has a problem. Because of an injury to his head, he is "disinhibited". It is difficult for him to stop talking, and especially difficult to not tell the truth. For a private detective, these are not good traits. But they make for interesting reading, as presented here.
I don't know anything about the medical condition Sam has, but to me the consequences seem realistic, at least as drawn by Wiley. I expect that a person who is disinhibited may have even less control than is exhibited by Sam, but I can accept his case as believable.
Sam is hired by a woman to look into her brother's use of drugs. Or at least that is what she says. When Sam shows up at the brother's apartment and finds more than he was looking for, he has reason to believe he's been set up. Additional incidents only solidify this theory.
The novel quickly escalates to a high level of violence. Not my favorite aspect to the story, but there is enough here anyway to have kept me reading.
I don't know anything about the medical condition Sam has, but to me the consequences seem realistic, at least as drawn by Wiley. I expect that a person who is disinhibited may have even less control than is exhibited by Sam, but I can accept his case as believable.
Sam is hired by a woman to look into her brother's use of drugs. Or at least that is what she says. When Sam shows up at the brother's apartment and finds more than he was looking for, he has reason to believe he's been set up. Additional incidents only solidify this theory.
The novel quickly escalates to a high level of violence. Not my favorite aspect to the story, but there is enough here anyway to have kept me reading.
January 24, 2023
I admit to a bias against mysteries in which something is “wrong” in addition to the crime itself (the detective is disabled or psychic or a cat; the offense occurs in Transylvania or the 14th Century or on a spaceship), but I liked Michael Wiley’s Trouble in Mind despite its main character’s very implausible (as well as inconsistently portrayed) brain injury-caused mental handicap, a kind of a variant of Tourette’s which involves blurting out the truth rather than dirty words. What appealed to me, I think, was the depiction of a person’s recognition of a sudden, permanent inability to achieve the goals that once defined his life. This detective’s way of coping* involves several murders (but, happily, almost no details of the victims’ suffering). I look forward to the next book in the series, and recommend this one to mystery fans.
*he also adopts two kittens and treats them kindly, albeit somewhat haphazardly
*he also adopts two kittens and treats them kindly, albeit somewhat haphazardly
March 30, 2020
Sam Kelson turned private investigator is a former narcotics policeman whose career ended after being shot i the head by a drug dealer. His injury caused a condition known as disinhibition which leaves him unable to tell a lie or keep a secret. After the injury, Sam is divorced, but is devoted to his daughter Sue Ellen.
Sam is hired by a new client to help her brother but it is a set up and he is arrested for murder. Sam sets out to try and find out who set him up while the murders countinue to grow. At the same time he continues to irritate everyone by continuous talking, and blurting out everything he is thinking
A very good mystery with a great cast of characters. Look forward to his next book.
I received this book in exchange for a review.
September 27, 2022
Maybe it was the high fever I had while reading this, but while the set up was interesting, I did not think the execution was up to par.
We have Sam Kelson, ex police with a memory issue due to being shot in the brain while in service. He has no verbal impulse control so he routinely can not lie and just spurts out whatever thought comes his way. I find it highly unlikely that he could conduct any kind of business with this impairment, much less a private detective.
Yes, this puts him in some pretty funny and/or dangerous situations, but I just could not buy it.
I borrowed a copy from the public library
We have Sam Kelson, ex police with a memory issue due to being shot in the brain while in service. He has no verbal impulse control so he routinely can not lie and just spurts out whatever thought comes his way. I find it highly unlikely that he could conduct any kind of business with this impairment, much less a private detective.
Yes, this puts him in some pretty funny and/or dangerous situations, but I just could not buy it.
I borrowed a copy from the public library
March 12, 2020
Sam Kelson is a PI with a problem: since he was shot in the head during a drug bust gone wrong in his previous career as a cop, he suffers from disinhibition — blurting out the truth (or whatever is on his mind), often at very inconvenient times.
This is a very violent mystery novel, but Kelson’s personality and the group of friends and family around him make it an enjoyable and quick read. I listened to this on audio, and thought the narrator handled the quirky nature of the characters well. I look forward to reading or listening to the next book in the series.
This is a very violent mystery novel, but Kelson’s personality and the group of friends and family around him make it an enjoyable and quick read. I listened to this on audio, and thought the narrator handled the quirky nature of the characters well. I look forward to reading or listening to the next book in the series.
February 24, 2020
Thank you to LibraryThing, HighBridge Audio , and Severn House Pub for the free disc set of this audio book.
This book has such an interesting premise. A cop is shot in the head on a bust and therefore can no longer be a cop. He opens his own PI office, but is perhaps not the best PI because his brain injury leads him to always tell the truth, even when it’s not helpful or asked for. I was never sure where the plot was going to go. There were some good moments of levity amidst the heaviness of murder and drugs. I am unsure if I would pick up another book in this series, but this one did keep me entertained.
This book has such an interesting premise. A cop is shot in the head on a bust and therefore can no longer be a cop. He opens his own PI office, but is perhaps not the best PI because his brain injury leads him to always tell the truth, even when it’s not helpful or asked for. I was never sure where the plot was going to go. There were some good moments of levity amidst the heaviness of murder and drugs. I am unsure if I would pick up another book in this series, but this one did keep me entertained.
February 22, 2020
Too much violence for me. I received this as audio book free from Tantor Media. I enjoy mysteries very much and thought the premise was interesting for a condition “disinhibition” that I had never heard about previously. BUT I found too much unbelievable. It amazes me that someone can be beaten up and act as if nothing much happened. I am also not a fan of threats to children. It was well written but not for me. If you are looking for the indestructible PI, you would li,e this.
September 4, 2020
Very unusual and oddly sympathetic protagonist. He's an ex-cop who was shot in the head in the line of duty. He survived but the injury to his frontal lobe has "dis-inhibited" him so that he can't help but speak the truth. He also doesn't recognize his own face. At the beginning he's lost his job and is divorced and working as a P.I. Very action packed and gritty - at least compared to what I usually read! But also touching and thoughtful as he tries to function and find meaning.
July 29, 2023
It took me a minute to get into this. The writing style is pretty spare and I usually prefer a meatier prose, but I finally realized it just wasn't easy to get into the head of a brain-damaged former cop. I'm glad I stuck with it, though, because it was worth it. I like Kelson and I will follow the series.
February 14, 2020
Highly recommended. I don't usually go in for mysteries, but I enjoyed this. There is a not-too-complex mystery with several strands, but the focus for me was on the main character. The writing style set the tone perfectly, added tension, and fit the character's personality. A great read!
May 14, 2020
This one ticked a lot of boxes for me: broken protag, set in Chicago, Chicago cops & ex-cops, kittens.... Interesting to have a person with a traumatic brain injury with disinihibition as the investigator. I'll pick up the next book in the series just to see where Wiley takes it!
July 5, 2021
I’m not sure
I just don’t know if I like this book. I got tired of Billy the lead character talking to himself. The story was okay. The characters were okay. I probably won’t read the following books. There are to many other good books out there.
I just don’t know if I like this book. I got tired of Billy the lead character talking to himself. The story was okay. The characters were okay. I probably won’t read the following books. There are to many other good books out there.
May 20, 2025
With the audio version, the storyline seemed a bit chaotic at times and not particularly compelling. However, I’m interested to find out what happens with these characters so will likely read the next book in the series.
December 14, 2023
I got about 1/2 way into this novel and gave up. It just didn't work for me.
Read
June 18, 2025I did not enjoy this
August 6, 2025
Book 1 - Trouble in the Mind - 7/22/25 - 3.5 stars
Book 2 - Lucky Bones - 8/4/25 - 3 stars
Book 3 - Head Case - 8/6/25 - 4 Stars
Book 2 - Lucky Bones - 8/4/25 - 3 stars
Book 3 - Head Case - 8/6/25 - 4 Stars
December 14, 2025
Trouble in Mind captured my attention from the first sentence and never let go.
In the first chapter, we meet Sam Kelson, pre-injury, as he and the commander of the narcotics division discuss an undercover job. The dialogue's snappy and effective. It develops the plot, foreshadows Kelson's later affliction, and shows these characters doing what they do: planning to take down a drug dealer and his supplier. And in Kelson's case, it also involves a bit of straight-talking, mouthy bluntness.
Then Kelson's shot in the left frontal lobe. His close friend Tosellini saves his life, but Kelson develops autotopagnosia.
For those of you who (like me) aren't neurological experts, autotopagnosia is "loss of the power to recognize or orient a bodily part due to a brain lesion" (from Merriam Webster). Translation: Kelson looks in a mirror and his own face surprises him.
He also has disinhibition. He propositions the pizza delivery girl, says whatever is on his mind, and generally lacks any impulse control.
And he always tells the truth . . . as he sees it.
He also cannot shut up. At. All. Literally.
In other words, he's an introvert's nightmare.
This makes him an unusual private investigator. He can't promise his clients that he'll keep anything confidential. If asked, he'll always tell the truth. (When was the last time you met a completely truthful character in a crime novel?)
This is the premise that drew me to this novel. Whenever there's a premise that's unusual, I always fear that the promise of the blurb won't be fulfilled by the reality of the book.
Wiley wowed me.
Kelson's neurological issue is not a gimmick. Wiley uses it to develop a deep, intriguing central character caught in circumstances he doesn't understand. Despite his frequent inappropriate sexual overtures to pizza delivery girls, clients, shrinks, etc., Sam Kelson won me over.
I love that he talks to everyone. And everything. Minus a human audience, he shares his thoughts with the phone, the computer, the two kittens his daughter sweet-talks him into adopting, and even his empty office. It's always the complete blunt truth as he sees it and is simultaneously abrasive and endearing. (Though I'm glad I don't live with him!)
But he's not the only terrific character in this book. From the other police officers to Trina Felbanks to Rodman to Kelson's ex-wife and young daughter, Wiley creates a cast of well-developed, interesting, realistic people.
The story has plenty of twists, the dialogue's sad-funny snappy, and there's terrific use of language. But it was the people who kept me reading.
I devoured the novel in two days and enjoyed every minute of it. When I read the last page, I didn't want to leave Kelson and his friends. Thankfully, it looks like Michael Wiley has future plans in store for Sam Kelson. More, please!
Thanks to Severn House and Netgalley for a copy of Trouble in Mind in exchange for an honest review.
(This review will be published on my blog on January 6, 2020.)
In the first chapter, we meet Sam Kelson, pre-injury, as he and the commander of the narcotics division discuss an undercover job. The dialogue's snappy and effective. It develops the plot, foreshadows Kelson's later affliction, and shows these characters doing what they do: planning to take down a drug dealer and his supplier. And in Kelson's case, it also involves a bit of straight-talking, mouthy bluntness.
Then Kelson's shot in the left frontal lobe. His close friend Tosellini saves his life, but Kelson develops autotopagnosia.
For those of you who (like me) aren't neurological experts, autotopagnosia is "loss of the power to recognize or orient a bodily part due to a brain lesion" (from Merriam Webster). Translation: Kelson looks in a mirror and his own face surprises him.
He also has disinhibition. He propositions the pizza delivery girl, says whatever is on his mind, and generally lacks any impulse control.
And he always tells the truth . . . as he sees it.
He also cannot shut up. At. All. Literally.
In other words, he's an introvert's nightmare.
This makes him an unusual private investigator. He can't promise his clients that he'll keep anything confidential. If asked, he'll always tell the truth. (When was the last time you met a completely truthful character in a crime novel?)
This is the premise that drew me to this novel. Whenever there's a premise that's unusual, I always fear that the promise of the blurb won't be fulfilled by the reality of the book.
Wiley wowed me.
Kelson's neurological issue is not a gimmick. Wiley uses it to develop a deep, intriguing central character caught in circumstances he doesn't understand. Despite his frequent inappropriate sexual overtures to pizza delivery girls, clients, shrinks, etc., Sam Kelson won me over.
I love that he talks to everyone. And everything. Minus a human audience, he shares his thoughts with the phone, the computer, the two kittens his daughter sweet-talks him into adopting, and even his empty office. It's always the complete blunt truth as he sees it and is simultaneously abrasive and endearing. (Though I'm glad I don't live with him!)
But he's not the only terrific character in this book. From the other police officers to Trina Felbanks to Rodman to Kelson's ex-wife and young daughter, Wiley creates a cast of well-developed, interesting, realistic people.
The story has plenty of twists, the dialogue's sad-funny snappy, and there's terrific use of language. But it was the people who kept me reading.
I devoured the novel in two days and enjoyed every minute of it. When I read the last page, I didn't want to leave Kelson and his friends. Thankfully, it looks like Michael Wiley has future plans in store for Sam Kelson. More, please!
Thanks to Severn House and Netgalley for a copy of Trouble in Mind in exchange for an honest review.
(This review will be published on my blog on January 6, 2020.)
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