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Head Game
Someone wants you dead. But he doesn't want to kill you...he wants you to do it for him. He watches your every move. He studies you like a mouse in a maze. He knows everything about you--every dream, hunger, weakness and strength. What you long for and what you fear most. What you live for, and what you cannot live without. He plans to take those things away from you one at a time, invisibly manipulating the events of your life until there is nothing left to live for. Then he wants you to take the final step. Or is it all in your head? Is he just a figment of your irrational fear, a face you've given to your terrible misfortune? Everything you love is slipping away. You want to fight back but who, or what, do you fight against? Let the head game begin.
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
10 people are currently reading
341 people want to read
About the author
Tim Downs
47 books271 followersTim Downs is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Indiana University. After graduation in 1976 he created a comic strip, Downstown, which was syndicated by Universal Press Syndicate (Calvin & Hobbes, Doonesbury, The Far Side) from 1980 to 1986. His cartooning has appeared in more than a hundred daily newspapers worldwide. Tim has written seven mystery/suspense novels: Shoofly Pie, Chop Shop, PlagueMaker, Head Game, First the Dead, Less than Dead, and Ends of the Earth. PlagueMaker was awarded the Christy Award for the best CBA mystery/suspense novel of 2006, and Less than Dead was a finalist for the 2009 Christian Book Award in suspense fiction. Tim lives in Cary, North Carolina, with his wife Joy. They have three grown children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
February 9, 2016
Scrolling down at the reviews, am I missing something?
So help me God, I wanted to like this book, and I did - at first.
But then it kept dragging and dragging. I mean, I took four months to read this. The premise sounded uber interesting and I love me a good psychological thriller, but this book grotesquely under delivered.
Summary:
He watches your every move. He studies you like a mouse in a maze. He knows everything about you--every dream, hunger, weakness, and strength. What you long for and what you fear most. What you live for, and what you cannot live without. He plans to take those things away from you one at a time, invisibly manipulating the events of your life until there is nothing left to live for. Then he wants you to take the final step.
Tis' is true.
Or is it all in your head?
Seemed to be in mine.
Is he just a figment of your irrational fear, a face you've given to your terrible misfortune? Everything you love is slipping away. You want to fight back but who, or what, do you fight against?
Let the head game begin.
But, but, HE FINDS OUT WAY EARLY ON IN THE BOOK.
I thought the psychological games would be long and torturous. It wasn't. Some things happened here and there: the protagonist's dog almost being "destroyed," but then the biggest event to occur that really almost sent the protagonist over the edge was a lie about his deceased wife. And he finds out the truth less than 10 pages later! AND he finds out that someone is trying to play him literally right after.
I love the message of the book. I love the biblical and spiritual symbolism behind it, but the book would have been better if it had a longer chain of events that were actually psychological. The background stories and character development over shadowed. The events should have been in the spotlight - not the background information.
I might try reading more of Downs, but this book didn't do it for me.
So help me God, I wanted to like this book, and I did - at first.
But then it kept dragging and dragging. I mean, I took four months to read this. The premise sounded uber interesting and I love me a good psychological thriller, but this book grotesquely under delivered.
Summary:
He watches your every move. He studies you like a mouse in a maze. He knows everything about you--every dream, hunger, weakness, and strength. What you long for and what you fear most. What you live for, and what you cannot live without. He plans to take those things away from you one at a time, invisibly manipulating the events of your life until there is nothing left to live for. Then he wants you to take the final step.
Tis' is true.
Or is it all in your head?
Seemed to be in mine.
Is he just a figment of your irrational fear, a face you've given to your terrible misfortune? Everything you love is slipping away. You want to fight back but who, or what, do you fight against?
Let the head game begin.
But, but, HE FINDS OUT WAY EARLY ON IN THE BOOK.
I thought the psychological games would be long and torturous. It wasn't. Some things happened here and there: the protagonist's dog almost being "destroyed," but then the biggest event to occur that really almost sent the protagonist over the edge was a lie about his deceased wife. And he finds out the truth less than 10 pages later! AND he finds out that someone is trying to play him literally right after.
I love the message of the book. I love the biblical and spiritual symbolism behind it, but the book would have been better if it had a longer chain of events that were actually psychological. The background stories and character development over shadowed. The events should have been in the spotlight - not the background information.
I might try reading more of Downs, but this book didn't do it for me.
September 1, 2020
it was a great book it was great all the way threw.
June 20, 2022
I absolutely loved this book! I don't even know what to say other than that. It had such good and interesting plot twists! And I loved the characters. I'm so glad I own this book, I can read it again whenever I want!!
January 12, 2018
47 chapters/307 pages
Start/Finish: 4/24/12
First let me begin this review by saying that I read this book back in 2012. However, after I read a book, I always try to write out my feelings on the story when I finish. Sometimes, I’m moved to write a great deal to type up later. Other times, I just feel up to writing a very basic review. I never intended for it to take me almost six YEARS to get it on my GoodReads account, but it has. Obviously, by now, I don’t really remember much about the story, though sometimes my notes help jog my memory. So, if the following review doesn’t really say much or deal too much with the story or plot, that’s probably because I wasn’t moved by one or the other or both to write more than I did. However, such as it is I give to you.
My Review—Excellent! Great suspense and drama and action. So many twists and turns, you’re kept guessing until the very end. I enjoy books such as these so much. I find I can (fairly quickly) spot the killer and clue and motives, etc., in mysteries—but books such as “Head Game,” even if you do figure out pieces of the plot, etc., you’re kept riveted, constantly getting those, “oh-my-gosh” moments of surprise because you just didn’t see that coming!
The best part for me? No annoying feminists! The only female, really, is a sad and lonely and angry teen, whose mother just died. A minor female character (minor in that she’s not the hero’s daughter, though she is featured pretty steadily throughout) is a prostitute who, I feel, is a sympathetic case because, even though she’s part of the “head game” being played on the hero, Cale Caldwell, and his teenaged daughter, Grace, she doesn’t really enjoy her part in it and feels a certain kinship for Grace.
And, as always, I so enjoy the depiction of men being men: their frat-like friendships and bonding and conversations and thoughts on women. Guys are so cute when they’re allowed to be what God made them to be: men. No feminists castrating them, emasculating them into becoming the dreaded “Metrosexual.” And no better group of men depict “masculinity” to me than manly military men. Though Cale and his buddy, Kirby, are more “desk jock” and “science geek” than Pug’s “locked-and-loaded” “in-the-trenches” fighter, but the three together portray that male camaraderie of joking and taunting and daring and teasing that best exemplifies Man as God made him. there’s a certain art form in the way guys razz each other. Too many Metros today freak about “bullying,” but that’s a lot of what guys do: pick on each other. It’s all about initiations, “survival of the fittest”—the “weakest in the herd” gets picked on the most but, actually, ALL guys within their circle get picked on. It’s a “right of passage,” and, when you come down to it, a demonstration of their “fondness” (for lack of a better “masculine” term). Guys pick on girls they like; guys pick on guys they admire. And Cale, Kirby, and Pug like each other and (greatly, mercilessly) pick on each other. Male bonding. It’s a beautiful thing, actually (it can be QUITE amusing), and it’s at the center of this book.
Grade: A+ (only because there’s nothing higher to give it!)
Start/Finish: 4/24/12
First let me begin this review by saying that I read this book back in 2012. However, after I read a book, I always try to write out my feelings on the story when I finish. Sometimes, I’m moved to write a great deal to type up later. Other times, I just feel up to writing a very basic review. I never intended for it to take me almost six YEARS to get it on my GoodReads account, but it has. Obviously, by now, I don’t really remember much about the story, though sometimes my notes help jog my memory. So, if the following review doesn’t really say much or deal too much with the story or plot, that’s probably because I wasn’t moved by one or the other or both to write more than I did. However, such as it is I give to you.
My Review—Excellent! Great suspense and drama and action. So many twists and turns, you’re kept guessing until the very end. I enjoy books such as these so much. I find I can (fairly quickly) spot the killer and clue and motives, etc., in mysteries—but books such as “Head Game,” even if you do figure out pieces of the plot, etc., you’re kept riveted, constantly getting those, “oh-my-gosh” moments of surprise because you just didn’t see that coming!
The best part for me? No annoying feminists! The only female, really, is a sad and lonely and angry teen, whose mother just died. A minor female character (minor in that she’s not the hero’s daughter, though she is featured pretty steadily throughout) is a prostitute who, I feel, is a sympathetic case because, even though she’s part of the “head game” being played on the hero, Cale Caldwell, and his teenaged daughter, Grace, she doesn’t really enjoy her part in it and feels a certain kinship for Grace.
And, as always, I so enjoy the depiction of men being men: their frat-like friendships and bonding and conversations and thoughts on women. Guys are so cute when they’re allowed to be what God made them to be: men. No feminists castrating them, emasculating them into becoming the dreaded “Metrosexual.” And no better group of men depict “masculinity” to me than manly military men. Though Cale and his buddy, Kirby, are more “desk jock” and “science geek” than Pug’s “locked-and-loaded” “in-the-trenches” fighter, but the three together portray that male camaraderie of joking and taunting and daring and teasing that best exemplifies Man as God made him. there’s a certain art form in the way guys razz each other. Too many Metros today freak about “bullying,” but that’s a lot of what guys do: pick on each other. It’s all about initiations, “survival of the fittest”—the “weakest in the herd” gets picked on the most but, actually, ALL guys within their circle get picked on. It’s a “right of passage,” and, when you come down to it, a demonstration of their “fondness” (for lack of a better “masculine” term). Guys pick on girls they like; guys pick on guys they admire. And Cale, Kirby, and Pug like each other and (greatly, mercilessly) pick on each other. Male bonding. It’s a beautiful thing, actually (it can be QUITE amusing), and it’s at the center of this book.
Grade: A+ (only because there’s nothing higher to give it!)
September 27, 2018
Plain and Simple: if you like James Patterson, NCIS, or Jack Reacher, you will love this novel.
This is the first Tim Downs book I have read and I really love his style of writing. Each chapter is written like a scene in a movie, not only with the use of clear descriptors that one could easily translate into director's notes, but the short choppiness of each chapter. Downs wastes no time in each chapter, quick, clear, concise. However, this does not leave you wishing for more, or feeling lost, just the opposite, Downs has made sure to choose each word specifically and stays away from the flare that most mystery authors use to disguise the mystery and the answer to the classic "whodoneit" question. However, in the case, it is not "whodoneit", but "what-is-going-on".
That is perhaps what I love most about this novel. The praise around most mystery novels center on the fact of how crazy the solution is to the problem. Meaning, in most novels, if you aren't able to prematurely guess who the culprit it, it is a good book; however, if you are, then it ruins the book for you. This not the case in Head Game. In Head Game, even if you are SOMEHOW able to guess the ending, the story itself is amazing and nothing is lost.
This is the first Tim Downs book I have read and I really love his style of writing. Each chapter is written like a scene in a movie, not only with the use of clear descriptors that one could easily translate into director's notes, but the short choppiness of each chapter. Downs wastes no time in each chapter, quick, clear, concise. However, this does not leave you wishing for more, or feeling lost, just the opposite, Downs has made sure to choose each word specifically and stays away from the flare that most mystery authors use to disguise the mystery and the answer to the classic "whodoneit" question. However, in the case, it is not "whodoneit", but "what-is-going-on".
That is perhaps what I love most about this novel. The praise around most mystery novels center on the fact of how crazy the solution is to the problem. Meaning, in most novels, if you aren't able to prematurely guess who the culprit it, it is a good book; however, if you are, then it ruins the book for you. This not the case in Head Game. In Head Game, even if you are SOMEHOW able to guess the ending, the story itself is amazing and nothing is lost.
July 4, 2017
Intriguing, well crafted story.
Hashim certainly "had" each of these guys and was out for revenge.
It's amazing how when things go wrong, we second guess so many of our innocent decisions.
Nonetheless, very captivating plot and it was great how T. Downs pulled the beginning back in and wove it all together; It was certainly a thrill wondering where everything was headed and how it was all tied together. Well done.
Hashim certainly "had" each of these guys and was out for revenge.
It's amazing how when things go wrong, we second guess so many of our innocent decisions.
Nonetheless, very captivating plot and it was great how T. Downs pulled the beginning back in and wove it all together; It was certainly a thrill wondering where everything was headed and how it was all tied together. Well done.
June 9, 2020
I kept this book on the shelf for months because I was afraid it might actually mess with my head and give me bad dreams, but I’m happy to say that it never went that far. I did figure some of the plot out, but there were still some surprises. It had a satisfying ending too.
September 28, 2023
I wasn’t expecting to like this book as much as I did. It takes a few chapters to really get into it and that’s what I struggled with but once the ball was rolling this is an amazing book. Very creative with perfect twists.
February 20, 2019
Somewhat predictable, but not so much that it wasn’t enjoyable.
July 26, 2025
I must say, the main character has an excellent first name
October 27, 2025
4.5 stars
I really enjoyed the book, especially the last few chapters.
I really enjoyed the book, especially the last few chapters.
June 17, 2016
I like Mr. Downs' style. I like his author's voice. I believe I'd like *him* if we met.
I'm very much the critic, always looking for plot holes, inconsistencies, factual errors. I may point out a number of troublesome spots, but that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the story. I did enjoy Head Game, and I most definitely want to read his other works. That means a lot.
Here are the major issues:
In daylight, I think it would be awfully hard, maybe impossible, to miss someone hiding in the backseat of your sedan as you approach. Wouldn't this particularly be true of someone who'd served in the military, who'd been taught to be ever-vigilant?
Bearing in mind my experience as a former breed rescuer and long-term advocate of pet adoption: 1) Shelters frequently do have purebreds available. I personally pulled a cavalier King Charles spaniel and three cocker spaniels from the city's kill shelter. I notified other breed rescuers of purebreds I saw, so they could pull them. 2) As soon as the worker ascertained that the potential adopter was seeking a large dog for defense purposes, he would have immediately called a halt to the interview. Shelters only knowingly adopt out companion animals, not guard dogs. 3) After the potential adopter was bitten, the shelter worker would most certainly have gotten his name and contact info and reported the incident to the higher ups who run the shelter. Like immediately. 4) Since this is a city shelter, I have a hard time believing just one worker is handling walk-ins and showing guests around. Not. Even in rinky-dink city shelters I've visited, there are multiple workers. And this is Charlotte NC.
In the instance of a missing child, there is no 24-hour waiting period for police involvement. Author indicated that there was. I don't think any character would drive three hours with his loaded Beretta on the passenger seat. He'd stow it in the glove box. Girls trying on clothes would have to remove said clothes before approaching cashier to pay for them. There's no mention of them returning to the dressing rooms to do this.
Ending had some surprises, but I accurately anticipated one of them and another I suspected. This story didn't feel as well researched as Plague Maker. I would have suggested that the author talk to cops and animal shelter workers before finalizing this manuscript.
All that said, this is an engrossing story. I read most of the book yesterday and today, and I work a full-time job. I'm generally too distractible to sit and read for hours, but this one held my interest.
I look forward to reading more of Mr. Downs' novels. Shame that my library has only two of his though I live in the 25th largest city in the U.S. I stand by my earlier statement (see my review of Plague Maker): I would be honored to meet Mr. Downs in person, and that's something I don't desire of just any author. In fact, I'd love to be one of his beta readers!
I'm very much the critic, always looking for plot holes, inconsistencies, factual errors. I may point out a number of troublesome spots, but that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the story. I did enjoy Head Game, and I most definitely want to read his other works. That means a lot.
Here are the major issues:
In daylight, I think it would be awfully hard, maybe impossible, to miss someone hiding in the backseat of your sedan as you approach. Wouldn't this particularly be true of someone who'd served in the military, who'd been taught to be ever-vigilant?
Bearing in mind my experience as a former breed rescuer and long-term advocate of pet adoption: 1) Shelters frequently do have purebreds available. I personally pulled a cavalier King Charles spaniel and three cocker spaniels from the city's kill shelter. I notified other breed rescuers of purebreds I saw, so they could pull them. 2) As soon as the worker ascertained that the potential adopter was seeking a large dog for defense purposes, he would have immediately called a halt to the interview. Shelters only knowingly adopt out companion animals, not guard dogs. 3) After the potential adopter was bitten, the shelter worker would most certainly have gotten his name and contact info and reported the incident to the higher ups who run the shelter. Like immediately. 4) Since this is a city shelter, I have a hard time believing just one worker is handling walk-ins and showing guests around. Not. Even in rinky-dink city shelters I've visited, there are multiple workers. And this is Charlotte NC.
In the instance of a missing child, there is no 24-hour waiting period for police involvement. Author indicated that there was. I don't think any character would drive three hours with his loaded Beretta on the passenger seat. He'd stow it in the glove box. Girls trying on clothes would have to remove said clothes before approaching cashier to pay for them. There's no mention of them returning to the dressing rooms to do this.
Ending had some surprises, but I accurately anticipated one of them and another I suspected. This story didn't feel as well researched as Plague Maker. I would have suggested that the author talk to cops and animal shelter workers before finalizing this manuscript.
All that said, this is an engrossing story. I read most of the book yesterday and today, and I work a full-time job. I'm generally too distractible to sit and read for hours, but this one held my interest.
I look forward to reading more of Mr. Downs' novels. Shame that my library has only two of his though I live in the 25th largest city in the U.S. I stand by my earlier statement (see my review of Plague Maker): I would be honored to meet Mr. Downs in person, and that's something I don't desire of just any author. In fact, I'd love to be one of his beta readers!
February 11, 2015
In the first Gulf War thousands of Iraqi soldiers surrendered after reading propaganda leaflets written and drawn by three men: Cale, Kirby, and Pug. 87,000 lives were saved--at least that's the way those men and the U.S. government saw it.
Iraqi Colonel Hashim doesn't see it that way. He considers the PsyOps trio his worst enemies. Because of them and their leaflets he was forced to abandon everything he'd ever held dear: his country, his sweetheart, but most importantly his honor. Fifteen years have passed, and it's time for revenge. Carefully watching and waiting, Hashim knows the men like the back of his hand--and he knows how to hit them where it hurts.
Veteran Cale Caldwell is a successful ad agency wonderboy who's storybook life couldn't be better. He has the job, the house, the beautiful wife and daughter. But it all crumbles when his wife dies in a car accident. Her death leaves an aching hole in his heart, and his thirteen-year-old daughter hasn't been the same since. What should draw father and daughter together is shoving them further and further apart. Clueless what to do, Cale isn't prepared for tragedy to strike again. Or to be drawn into the most intense psychological battle of his career. At least in Iraq he was the one creating the head games, and he knew who his enemy was.
Downs put a lot of effort into giving his readers a literary experience. Head Game isn't a fluffy action-adventure loaded with explosives and special effects---it's a well-thought out story full of intricate details. Some of the backstory could have been woven into the plot better, but readers will come away with a deeper understanding of the history of the first Iraq war and Middle Eastern thought (the concepts of honor and revenge). And he doesn't skimp on the novel's end, either. He takes the time to make it satisfying.
Tim Downs is creating a mark for himself in suspense fiction, and Head Game is a solid, compelling entry in his bibliography. Closer to Plague Maker than his quirky "Bugman" novels (there isn't a bug to be found in Head Game), Downs raises the bar with this psychological thriller. Right from the comic-esque prologue drawn by Downs himself, you know you're in for something a little different.
One of the trademarks of a Tim Downs novel is his ability to immerse you in a world completely different from your own, and that tradition continues with Head Game. There wasn't much to take away spiritually (even less than Plague Maker, which at least had at its core the theme of forgiveness), but that's obviously not what Downs was going for with this story.
With a unique premise and several hit-you-between-the-eyes twists, Head Game has all the elements of a blockbuster. What will Downs come up with next?
Iraqi Colonel Hashim doesn't see it that way. He considers the PsyOps trio his worst enemies. Because of them and their leaflets he was forced to abandon everything he'd ever held dear: his country, his sweetheart, but most importantly his honor. Fifteen years have passed, and it's time for revenge. Carefully watching and waiting, Hashim knows the men like the back of his hand--and he knows how to hit them where it hurts.
Veteran Cale Caldwell is a successful ad agency wonderboy who's storybook life couldn't be better. He has the job, the house, the beautiful wife and daughter. But it all crumbles when his wife dies in a car accident. Her death leaves an aching hole in his heart, and his thirteen-year-old daughter hasn't been the same since. What should draw father and daughter together is shoving them further and further apart. Clueless what to do, Cale isn't prepared for tragedy to strike again. Or to be drawn into the most intense psychological battle of his career. At least in Iraq he was the one creating the head games, and he knew who his enemy was.
Downs put a lot of effort into giving his readers a literary experience. Head Game isn't a fluffy action-adventure loaded with explosives and special effects---it's a well-thought out story full of intricate details. Some of the backstory could have been woven into the plot better, but readers will come away with a deeper understanding of the history of the first Iraq war and Middle Eastern thought (the concepts of honor and revenge). And he doesn't skimp on the novel's end, either. He takes the time to make it satisfying.
Tim Downs is creating a mark for himself in suspense fiction, and Head Game is a solid, compelling entry in his bibliography. Closer to Plague Maker than his quirky "Bugman" novels (there isn't a bug to be found in Head Game), Downs raises the bar with this psychological thriller. Right from the comic-esque prologue drawn by Downs himself, you know you're in for something a little different.
One of the trademarks of a Tim Downs novel is his ability to immerse you in a world completely different from your own, and that tradition continues with Head Game. There wasn't much to take away spiritually (even less than Plague Maker, which at least had at its core the theme of forgiveness), but that's obviously not what Downs was going for with this story.
With a unique premise and several hit-you-between-the-eyes twists, Head Game has all the elements of a blockbuster. What will Downs come up with next?
June 4, 2025
I've read some of Tim Downs' work in the past and thoroughly enjoyed it, so when I came across this standalone thriller, I picked it up with interest. I’d seen mixed reviews beforehand, so I went in unsure of what to expect.
The story follows Cale Caldwell, a Psychological Operations veteran who finds himself the target of psychological manipulation — a kind of "Psychological Operation" against him, if you will. The narrative shifts between his perspective and those of several other characters, which makes identifying the antagonist relatively straightforward (as some other reviews had noted). However, Downs’ pacing and chapter structure kept me hooked — I found myself eager to start the next chapter each time I finished one, and I ended up reading the entire 300+ page book over just three evenings.
Downs does a great job drawing the reader into the storyline and making you feel invested in the characters and stakes. While his descriptions of locations and scenes can sometimes feel a bit heavy-handed, the book remains a suspenseful and thought-provoking read overall.
The story follows Cale Caldwell, a Psychological Operations veteran who finds himself the target of psychological manipulation — a kind of "Psychological Operation" against him, if you will. The narrative shifts between his perspective and those of several other characters, which makes identifying the antagonist relatively straightforward (as some other reviews had noted). However, Downs’ pacing and chapter structure kept me hooked — I found myself eager to start the next chapter each time I finished one, and I ended up reading the entire 300+ page book over just three evenings.
Downs does a great job drawing the reader into the storyline and making you feel invested in the characters and stakes. While his descriptions of locations and scenes can sometimes feel a bit heavy-handed, the book remains a suspenseful and thought-provoking read overall.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 10, 2015
“Head Game” by Tim Down. Head Game was published on september 1st 2007. It has 47 chapters and 312 pages.The book Genres are Thriller,Mystery,Fiction,and suspense.
This book will make you guess until the end.
Cale Caldwell and his two companion, Kirby and Pug, worked in Desert Storm with America’s Psy Ops team.Years later, a defeated Iraqi commander named Hashim is out for revenge. Having lost his honor, family and home, He will not stop short of seeing all three men under a granite headstone.Cale’s Teenage daughter Grace used by a new girl named Jada in school who isn’t who she says she is.Jada works with Hashim to get revenge with Pug by stealing Grace and try to make Pug kill himself for her to get back to her dad.
I enjoyed this book so much because I kept guessing while reading it. I love mystery books and trying to find out stuff in the book.I would recommend this book to people who love Mysteries and Thriller books because its a really good book and if you share it with people it will be fun to read together.The part I mostly enjoyed was paragraph 1 on page 102 chapter 14 when Hashim was eating “Badhinjan bil laban” boiled eggplant with yogurt and Jada came in hungry.He told her what he was eating and it was a favorite dish in his country but she said “ Oh yeah?well you’re in america now.How about something I can eat?”
This book will make you guess until the end.
Cale Caldwell and his two companion, Kirby and Pug, worked in Desert Storm with America’s Psy Ops team.Years later, a defeated Iraqi commander named Hashim is out for revenge. Having lost his honor, family and home, He will not stop short of seeing all three men under a granite headstone.Cale’s Teenage daughter Grace used by a new girl named Jada in school who isn’t who she says she is.Jada works with Hashim to get revenge with Pug by stealing Grace and try to make Pug kill himself for her to get back to her dad.
I enjoyed this book so much because I kept guessing while reading it. I love mystery books and trying to find out stuff in the book.I would recommend this book to people who love Mysteries and Thriller books because its a really good book and if you share it with people it will be fun to read together.The part I mostly enjoyed was paragraph 1 on page 102 chapter 14 when Hashim was eating “Badhinjan bil laban” boiled eggplant with yogurt and Jada came in hungry.He told her what he was eating and it was a favorite dish in his country but she said “ Oh yeah?well you’re in america now.How about something I can eat?”
August 21, 2014
I really had no idea what to expect with this book. I had never read anything by Tim Downs before. The premise to Head Game looked gripping, so I picked it up.
I'm glad I did.
The first chapter is only a few pages long and in graphic novel format. It doesn't make sense until chapter three. When I read that, I looked at this short comic with new eyes. I'm really glad the author decided to put it in there. It helped tie the story together and it helped show what (I loved the character of Kirby. His
The story was as gripping as I allowed myself to believe it would be. It wasn't exactly what I thought it was going to be, but I couldn't quit reading it nonetheless. The end had so many twists I was left inwardly screaming to myself.
Well done, Tim. I'll be interested in more of your books in the future.
I'm glad I did.
The first chapter is only a few pages long and in graphic novel format. It doesn't make sense until chapter three. When I read that, I looked at this short comic with new eyes. I'm really glad the author decided to put it in there. It helped tie the story together and it helped show what (I loved the character of Kirby. His
The story was as gripping as I allowed myself to believe it would be. It wasn't exactly what I thought it was going to be, but I couldn't quit reading it nonetheless. The end had so many twists I was left inwardly screaming to myself.
Well done, Tim. I'll be interested in more of your books in the future.
May 21, 2011
The books starts out with a graphic novel format illustrated by the author, which is different. Although, I didn’t understand the meaning of it at first. Around chapter 3 it explains itself.
When I was a few chapters in 'Head Game', I got to where I wanted to finish it, wanted to know what happened, what really is going on. Is the guy (not going to name who as to spoil it) really dead…or was it all a hoax so he could live? Maybe he knew that if he was alive that he would be killed, so he faked his own suicide. What really is going on? All these question and I’m only on chapter 7...
Now that I've finished 'Head Game', I realize what was really going on. I really enjoyed reading it and though it doesn't seem to be a CHRISTIAN book (with minimal mentioning of God), it was overall a good read. A few things it said I didn't like, but if you are looking for a book that has suspense/mystery, this is a nice one to read.
The ending was dramatic and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
When I was a few chapters in 'Head Game', I got to where I wanted to finish it, wanted to know what happened, what really is going on. Is the guy (not going to name who as to spoil it) really dead…or was it all a hoax so he could live? Maybe he knew that if he was alive that he would be killed, so he faked his own suicide. What really is going on? All these question and I’m only on chapter 7...
Now that I've finished 'Head Game', I realize what was really going on. I really enjoyed reading it and though it doesn't seem to be a CHRISTIAN book (with minimal mentioning of God), it was overall a good read. A few things it said I didn't like, but if you are looking for a book that has suspense/mystery, this is a nice one to read.
The ending was dramatic and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
December 24, 2013
So, I wasn't blown away. Overall, the book is good and an easy read, but the villain is a little unbelievable. His resources are a little too vast and his planning a bit too orchestrated. Toss in a Shaymalan twist every two pages, and you're forced to look at the story's action from a distance. Because frankly, you're very aware that you're reading a fictional story.
With so many revelations packed into so few pages, I feel a bit like the old Scooby Doo cartoons. As the viewer, you're left out at the conclusion because the characters have been operating on information that you never got. That always rubbed me the wrong way, so too here, I feel like the author leaves the reader out at several turns, because his hidden machinations produce results we have no reason to expect.
With so many revelations packed into so few pages, I feel a bit like the old Scooby Doo cartoons. As the viewer, you're left out at the conclusion because the characters have been operating on information that you never got. That always rubbed me the wrong way, so too here, I feel like the author leaves the reader out at several turns, because his hidden machinations produce results we have no reason to expect.
July 17, 2013
Let's be honest, I picked this up thinking it was something a bit different. Not normally a genre I;m into and military isn't a favored subject of mine (although the military was background info to be fair).
Did I enjoy this book anyway? YES!
It was a very fast and engulfing read and played out very much like a Summer Action Blockbuster. In fact I wish it would become one, because I would be lining up in theaters to see it.
The pacing was well done, the various vantage points of different characters was quite enjoyable, and the thrills were fast and fun.
Did I enjoy this book anyway? YES!
It was a very fast and engulfing read and played out very much like a Summer Action Blockbuster. In fact I wish it would become one, because I would be lining up in theaters to see it.
The pacing was well done, the various vantage points of different characters was quite enjoyable, and the thrills were fast and fun.
July 17, 2019
Tim Downs has yet to disappoint me. I am amazed at the detail, research and character development that he pours into each novel. This book demonstrates the frailty of the human psyche, and the venom of bitterness and revenge to the human heart. You will love and hate Down's characters, and you will feel deeply as they do. Intensely frustrating, highly entertaining, and keeps you entertained with several unexpected twists.
January 20, 2009
Tim Downs offers another psychological thriller that does not dissapoint. Downs manages to drive home a deep spiritual point without ever preaching anything. In Plague Maker, Downs delt with forgiveness and Head Game he confronts pride. Down also avoids the increasingly annoying habit of leaning on gratuitous violence as a crutch for a good story.
Read
August 3, 2011I believe I have found another author to add to my list of "favorites". This book is simple, yet engaging, and will keep you on the edge of your seat until it wraps up....definitely a must read for anyone who is into psychological thrillers! There is also some awesome insights into spiritual and psychological warfare!
September 30, 2013
Was interesting and enjoyed the background around PsyOps used in WW2,Vietnam and the Persian Gulf. Interesting when a former enemy turns around years later and uses PsyOps on them. Otherwise story a little not up to Tim Downs usual high standards. I do always enjoys the facts of factual trivia that obtain from Downs books. He must have a good researcher
July 13, 2015
This is one of the best books I've read in a while. I couldn't put it down. I had to know what happened next and why. Before, I had only read Tim Downs' stories about Nick the "Bug Man". Now I must look for more of his other books.
Want to read
October 23, 2007I own it,but I haven't read it yet.
May 21, 2008
totally unexpected ending-- and i usually am pretty good at picking up clues. good mystery.
November 21, 2008
LOVE this author!!!!!!!! Kept me going until the end! Found myself playing my own head game.
July 25, 2009
Very good psychological thriller
September 20, 2009
This is a different character than Nick Polichak (the Bug Man). I was surprised at the twist at the end even though I should have expected it. War, terroism, and phychological operations.
July 26, 2011
I like his Bug Man series, and while this was a little more predictable, I enjoyed it too.
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