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DCI Sean Bracken #2
Think Twice
As the end of the year draws to a close, Detective Chief Inspector Sean Bracken is called to a murder scene near the Writer's Museum. The body of a woman is sitting on a bench in the square, her frozen hand holding a paperback.
The book is by famous American professor of psychology and crime writer, Edwin Hawk. Who has just ended a book tour, culminating in Edinburgh.
Hawk doesn't know her and thinks she may be just a fan of his.
Knowing he is the number one suspect, he sets out to convince Bracken of his innocence. But Bracken has dealt with people like Hawk before. Is the man telling the truth or using psychology to get away with murder?
Bracken discovers the real reason the professor is still in Edinburgh, and it's not for Hogmanay. And when he discovers the secrets he's been keeping, not only could his own life be in danger, but those around him.
Bracken will have to deal with not only a vicious killer but somebody who doesn't like to lose. But Bracken has played these games before, and one of them has to lose.
And for the loser, life will never be the same again
The book is by famous American professor of psychology and crime writer, Edwin Hawk. Who has just ended a book tour, culminating in Edinburgh.
Hawk doesn't know her and thinks she may be just a fan of his.
Knowing he is the number one suspect, he sets out to convince Bracken of his innocence. But Bracken has dealt with people like Hawk before. Is the man telling the truth or using psychology to get away with murder?
Bracken discovers the real reason the professor is still in Edinburgh, and it's not for Hogmanay. And when he discovers the secrets he's been keeping, not only could his own life be in danger, but those around him.
Bracken will have to deal with not only a vicious killer but somebody who doesn't like to lose. But Bracken has played these games before, and one of them has to lose.
And for the loser, life will never be the same again
- GenresMystery
256 pages, Paperback
First published February 11, 2021
478 people are currently reading
97 people want to read
About the author
John Carson
103 books158 followersJohn Carson is the author of the DI Frank Miller detective series. He was born in Edinburgh, Scotland and lived there most of his life. In 2006, he emigrated to New York State with his American wife and two daughters. They now live in a small town in the Hudson Valley where his wife was brought up, with a German Shepherd, a Beagle mix and four cats.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
October 3, 2025
Think Twice is book two in the DCI Sean Bracken series by John Carson. Detective Chief Inspector Sean Bracken and his team were looking forward to the end-of-year celebration when they caught a case of a young woman found sitting on a bench near the Writer's Museum. Who was this woman, and why was she targeted and booked by a well-known author at the scene? Was the American Author Edwin Hawk the murderer or something more sinister? Readers of Think Twice will continue to follow DCI Sean Bracken and his team as they uncover what happens next.
After reading Think Twice, the second book I have read by John Carson, I am eager to read more of his books. I enjoy John Carson's writing style, which ensures that I engage with his stories and characters. Reading Think Twice will learn about another side of law enforcement officers who are injured while performing their duties.
I love John Carson's portrayal of his characters and the way they intertwine with each other throughout this book. Think Twice is well-written and researched by John Carson. I appreciate John Carson's description of the settings in Think Twice, which enabled me to envision myself as part of the book's plot.
I recommend this book.
After reading Think Twice, the second book I have read by John Carson, I am eager to read more of his books. I enjoy John Carson's writing style, which ensures that I engage with his stories and characters. Reading Think Twice will learn about another side of law enforcement officers who are injured while performing their duties.
I love John Carson's portrayal of his characters and the way they intertwine with each other throughout this book. Think Twice is well-written and researched by John Carson. I appreciate John Carson's description of the settings in Think Twice, which enabled me to envision myself as part of the book's plot.
I recommend this book.
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October 12, 2024DNF.
February 20, 2021
Wow!
What a roller coaster ride this is! Book starts one week after the first book in series so read them in order! This is nonstop adventure with many diverse areas. It does not become cohesive until the exciting finale! I read straight through because it grabs the reader until final paragraph.
What a roller coaster ride this is! Book starts one week after the first book in series so read them in order! This is nonstop adventure with many diverse areas. It does not become cohesive until the exciting finale! I read straight through because it grabs the reader until final paragraph.
May 29, 2021
Not the best. Too mumbo jumbo of characters and depended too much on previous books. I would not recommend.
July 23, 2022
DCI Sean Bracken has been back in Edinburgh for only a few weeks and already he’s drawn into another murder investigation. A woman is murdered and left holding a book – the author of whom she was a strong fan of and had been to a small soiree for just hours before her death. The more DCI Bracken investigates the deeper and more complicated the mystery – and everyone’s motives – become.
This is the second book featuring Sean Bracken and I really enjoyed it. I’m a big fan of this author’s DCI Harry McNeil’s books but while the tone of the author’s voice is similar in a “more-ish” manner I was really pleased that the actual feel and structure of the story was quite different for this series. Sean Bracken is a fair bit harder and grittier than Harry McNeil and there’s a noticeable amount of more force and swearing in this series. The whole feel to the story rather than a fun romp through a police investigation is a lot harder and sharper. Readers who enjoy the darker edge many British based stories tend to lean towards should really enjoy this series and this book in particular.
I strongly feel readers can pick this book up as a standalone. The entire events of the first book were all crammed into a little over one week of story timeline – so quite a bit of explanation and background/character history was parceled out in this story. This should help keep fresh readers completely aware of what’s going on and the plot itself is very well written and completely contained in this book.
With a small cast of vibrant characters and a solid plot that kept me turning the pages and guessing well into the story this was a good book and an exceptional new series I plan to thoroughly enjoy.
This is the second book featuring Sean Bracken and I really enjoyed it. I’m a big fan of this author’s DCI Harry McNeil’s books but while the tone of the author’s voice is similar in a “more-ish” manner I was really pleased that the actual feel and structure of the story was quite different for this series. Sean Bracken is a fair bit harder and grittier than Harry McNeil and there’s a noticeable amount of more force and swearing in this series. The whole feel to the story rather than a fun romp through a police investigation is a lot harder and sharper. Readers who enjoy the darker edge many British based stories tend to lean towards should really enjoy this series and this book in particular.
I strongly feel readers can pick this book up as a standalone. The entire events of the first book were all crammed into a little over one week of story timeline – so quite a bit of explanation and background/character history was parceled out in this story. This should help keep fresh readers completely aware of what’s going on and the plot itself is very well written and completely contained in this book.
With a small cast of vibrant characters and a solid plot that kept me turning the pages and guessing well into the story this was a good book and an exceptional new series I plan to thoroughly enjoy.
July 27, 2021
Brilliant, Comfortable Entertainment
Carson is a wonderful writer. The characters. The dialogue. The setting. The feeling of belonging, of being a guest at that very boarding house. Plotting, however, while effective and sufficient, is not the author’s main strength. A moves to B moves to C, but it all boils down to (pardon the pun) Bracken (a terrific character) rushing off to the scene of yet another building soaked with petrol. There seems to be one central INCIDENT, that any number of (likely) characters hold pretty much everyone in Edinborough responsible for, and thus, they all must all be punished (always via a fire, one that’s never set prior to the detective’s arrival on scene). But, the “Killer-Of-The-Moment” ALWAYS has to do, for Bracken, that hackneyed, happens just after the big reveal, “Explanation-To-Bracken-Bond-(Whoever)-Exactly-Why-He’s-Doing-This-To-These-Peripherally-Involved-Persons” monologue, allowing just enough time for the seemingly imperiled detective et al to escape uncooked. Enough! The day’s baddie’s explanation may well have a certain Third-Cousin-y demented logic to it, but even the author seems bored with this tired cliche at this point, making the final petrol-soaked scene (and the vaguely-connected victims getting away from it un-scorched), both rushed and perfunctory. Then… on to the next casually dropped cliff-hanger (this time, I’m assuming, it’s Bracken’s daughter’s boyfriend)! But, frankly, this well-used device seems merely a wee distraction when the majority of the book is so smart, otherwise, so nerve-wracking, so involving, and such a BLAST to read! So, onto Book Three! Cannot wait!
Carson is a wonderful writer. The characters. The dialogue. The setting. The feeling of belonging, of being a guest at that very boarding house. Plotting, however, while effective and sufficient, is not the author’s main strength. A moves to B moves to C, but it all boils down to (pardon the pun) Bracken (a terrific character) rushing off to the scene of yet another building soaked with petrol. There seems to be one central INCIDENT, that any number of (likely) characters hold pretty much everyone in Edinborough responsible for, and thus, they all must all be punished (always via a fire, one that’s never set prior to the detective’s arrival on scene). But, the “Killer-Of-The-Moment” ALWAYS has to do, for Bracken, that hackneyed, happens just after the big reveal, “Explanation-To-Bracken-Bond-(Whoever)-Exactly-Why-He’s-Doing-This-To-These-Peripherally-Involved-Persons” monologue, allowing just enough time for the seemingly imperiled detective et al to escape uncooked. Enough! The day’s baddie’s explanation may well have a certain Third-Cousin-y demented logic to it, but even the author seems bored with this tired cliche at this point, making the final petrol-soaked scene (and the vaguely-connected victims getting away from it un-scorched), both rushed and perfunctory. Then… on to the next casually dropped cliff-hanger (this time, I’m assuming, it’s Bracken’s daughter’s boyfriend)! But, frankly, this well-used device seems merely a wee distraction when the majority of the book is so smart, otherwise, so nerve-wracking, so involving, and such a BLAST to read! So, onto Book Three! Cannot wait!
April 16, 2021
This was a really good book but it finished with an open ending and I hate books that leave things unanswered, it's my one pet hate and criticism of the second in the DCI Sean Bracken series.
Still staying at his ex-colleague's B&B we meet his new boss Kara Page who's transferred from Inverness back to Edinburgh where she had previously worked and had still kept her home there.
A famous crime writer and psychiatrist from New York Edwin Hawk is giving a talk and signing his new book for 12 selected guests at a Museum in Edinburgh. They've also been bidding on being a character in his next book. After the talk everyone leaves but a young man on his way home finds a young woman dead on a bench in the grounds where the museum is located. Bracken and Kara and their team are thrown headlong into an investigation where the body count keeps rising but no one seems to have a motive and everyone has an alibi. Will hey manage to crack the case? You'll have to read the book to find out.
Still staying at his ex-colleague's B&B we meet his new boss Kara Page who's transferred from Inverness back to Edinburgh where she had previously worked and had still kept her home there.
A famous crime writer and psychiatrist from New York Edwin Hawk is giving a talk and signing his new book for 12 selected guests at a Museum in Edinburgh. They've also been bidding on being a character in his next book. After the talk everyone leaves but a young man on his way home finds a young woman dead on a bench in the grounds where the museum is located. Bracken and Kara and their team are thrown headlong into an investigation where the body count keeps rising but no one seems to have a motive and everyone has an alibi. Will hey manage to crack the case? You'll have to read the book to find out.
February 23, 2021
Good and Fast
I enjoyed the first in this series, so I decided to give this second installment a whirl. There was one spot early on, that I did not mark, that was difficult to know who the speaker was. That's really annoying. Other than that, two typos which can be found in my Goodreads page.
I have taken a liking to Scottish detective stories, and Mr. Carson's stories don't disappoint. If you're looking for an afternoon's read, then this book if for you.
Bracken is interesting though I take issue with the stereotypical old dad. His type of character shows up too often in these type of stories to be unique or engaging. If Ed Bracken is going to make another appearance in future books, I hope for more character development.
I enjoyed the first in this series, so I decided to give this second installment a whirl. There was one spot early on, that I did not mark, that was difficult to know who the speaker was. That's really annoying. Other than that, two typos which can be found in my Goodreads page.
I have taken a liking to Scottish detective stories, and Mr. Carson's stories don't disappoint. If you're looking for an afternoon's read, then this book if for you.
Bracken is interesting though I take issue with the stereotypical old dad. His type of character shows up too often in these type of stories to be unique or engaging. If Ed Bracken is going to make another appearance in future books, I hope for more character development.
March 6, 2021
The second book in the DCI Bracken series doesn't disappoint. The book moves along at a good pace as DCI Bracken goes looking for the serial murderer, killing victims linked to a book club and psychiatric hospital. What I particularly like is the dark humour that runs through the characters and the banter that goes on between them, making this not only a dark fast paced crime novel but one that will make you laugh as well. looking forward to book 3.
April 9, 2021
Great Book!
John Carson is one of my favorite authors. I have read the Frank Miller series twice. DCI Sean Bracken is going to be another winner! I love the characters and the interaction between them. I had two suspects for the killer. And for the first time, I was right! I hope there are many more books to come. (And please give Frank Miller more stories!)
John Carson is one of my favorite authors. I have read the Frank Miller series twice. DCI Sean Bracken is going to be another winner! I love the characters and the interaction between them. I had two suspects for the killer. And for the first time, I was right! I hope there are many more books to come. (And please give Frank Miller more stories!)
May 18, 2021
Don’t like police procedurals without solid endings! There are TWO hanging threads.
This book was 3.5 stars and verging on a bump up to 4 stars, until the ending came and went—leaving two hanging threads. Obviously, the threads are important enough TBC in the next book. I won’t drop spoilers, but I prefer police procedurals with clean endings.
This book was 3.5 stars and verging on a bump up to 4 stars, until the ending came and went—leaving two hanging threads. Obviously, the threads are important enough TBC in the next book. I won’t drop spoilers, but I prefer police procedurals with clean endings.
September 3, 2021
Interesting Follow-up to Book 1
I started reading the Sean Bracken mysteries out of order and found them a bit confusing. So I went back and read Book 1 which helped understand who the various players are. I like these mysteries but take my word for it--read them in order? You'll like them.
I started reading the Sean Bracken mysteries out of order and found them a bit confusing. So I went back and read Book 1 which helped understand who the various players are. I like these mysteries but take my word for it--read them in order? You'll like them.
October 5, 2021
Crisp lively and well done
This series is very refreshing and enjoyable. It is written much better than a lot of British police crime novels. Possibly I prefer Scottish over English background. I love stories with dogs too. Am waiting for the next novel in the series! Thank you for a good read!
This series is very refreshing and enjoyable. It is written much better than a lot of British police crime novels. Possibly I prefer Scottish over English background. I love stories with dogs too. Am waiting for the next novel in the series! Thank you for a good read!
February 7, 2022
Fast paced crime thriller
Fast paced, many twists and turns, kept me wondering what was coming next. I love the dry sarcasm throughout. The only downside for me is I wish it was a longer read. I get through them so quickly. But they are addictive and I'm moving on to book 3 in the series!
Fast paced, many twists and turns, kept me wondering what was coming next. I love the dry sarcasm throughout. The only downside for me is I wish it was a longer read. I get through them so quickly. But they are addictive and I'm moving on to book 3 in the series!
July 21, 2023
The dialogues were better than in the previous book. The rest was odd. A lot of banter between characters, no real suspense, and suddenly the book is finished. One major thread unresolved and another one may or may not become important in the future.
I might try another series by this author, but this one isn't for me.
I might try another series by this author, but this one isn't for me.
June 23, 2021
you have to wonder if the author based the very start of this book on his own experiences and if the ladies who are at the meeting are real and did actually bid to be in the book
another good who dunnit?
good pace and good back up characters
another good who dunnit?
good pace and good back up characters
July 11, 2021
Brilliant
Wow, what another fast paced, all action book by this brilliant author. I seriously couldn't put it down. I really enjoying reading about all the characters and getting to know them better.....already downloading the next book in this series.
Wow, what another fast paced, all action book by this brilliant author. I seriously couldn't put it down. I really enjoying reading about all the characters and getting to know them better.....already downloading the next book in this series.
October 20, 2021
great read
I have just found these books and I love the way they are written, serious crime stuff but with a touch of humour that makes me laugh out loud! Loving Sean Bracken can’t wait to see what happens next….
I have just found these books and I love the way they are written, serious crime stuff but with a touch of humour that makes me laugh out loud! Loving Sean Bracken can’t wait to see what happens next….
October 29, 2021
Good story
This story follows on the heels of the first. There are some links but if you read this one first, no problem. The author does good in seamlessly pairing the story. His characters are becoming more developed in this second book. The next should be as good.
This story follows on the heels of the first. There are some links but if you read this one first, no problem. The author does good in seamlessly pairing the story. His characters are becoming more developed in this second book. The next should be as good.
March 16, 2022
3.5/5⭐: it was good a read but it seemed to flow a little too fast to the point I felt I was missing something a few times. SPOILER: hopefully he'll answer the question about who burned down Page's house in the next book.
July 13, 2022
Great reading and great characters. I wish all of his books were200 extra pages
This author really knows people and how to show the reader a great time. He is funny as hell and he's descriptive and big and
This author really knows people and how to show the reader a great time. He is funny as hell and he's descriptive and big and
March 10, 2024
Great read, so full of suspense and thrills
Loved the book, can’t wait to read the next one in the series. Lots of action that you can’t put the book down. You keep thinking you know who is up to know good, but you don’t. A great book full of surprises
Loved the book, can’t wait to read the next one in the series. Lots of action that you can’t put the book down. You keep thinking you know who is up to know good, but you don’t. A great book full of surprises
April 14, 2024
I wish I were Scottish
I enjoyed my first Bracken/Carson novel, but spent 10-15% of my read “translating” the Scottish vernacular. Not so much of a criticism as it was a learning curve
I enjoyed my first Bracken/Carson novel, but spent 10-15% of my read “translating” the Scottish vernacular. Not so much of a criticism as it was a learning curve
February 20, 2021
Great
Fun read with lots of twists. Well edited. I’m looking forward to the next book. The foreword was interesting too.
Fun read with lots of twists. Well edited. I’m looking forward to the next book. The foreword was interesting too.
February 22, 2021
Bring on number 3!
I read both books in 2 days, loved them. All John Carson books are great, cannot wait for the next in each series.
I read both books in 2 days, loved them. All John Carson books are great, cannot wait for the next in each series.
February 25, 2021
Brilliant
Always can’t wait to know what happens from the minute I start reading, I can never put the book down.
Always can’t wait to know what happens from the minute I start reading, I can never put the book down.
February 26, 2021
Too short!!
I really enjoyed this book. Kinda guessed whodunnit but it doesn’t matter, still liked the plot. Read it way too quickly - looking forward to the next one.
I really enjoyed this book. Kinda guessed whodunnit but it doesn’t matter, still liked the plot. Read it way too quickly - looking forward to the next one.
February 27, 2021
Can't wait for the next book!
I really enjoyed the details and the characters! Looking forward to many more books about DI Bracken and Chaz. Thank you for these stories!
I really enjoyed the details and the characters! Looking forward to many more books about DI Bracken and Chaz. Thank you for these stories!
February 27, 2021
Great Book
I quite enjoyed thIs book. Some unexpected twists kept my interest up. Just had to finish to see exactly what happened
I quite enjoyed thIs book. Some unexpected twists kept my interest up. Just had to finish to see exactly what happened
March 8, 2021
Looking for the next one.
All local to me, so got my initial interest. Would like to see real locations used in Fife but still , can't have eveything. Well worth reading
All local to me, so got my initial interest. Would like to see real locations used in Fife but still , can't have eveything. Well worth reading
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews