Head Games

Molly Burke #2

by Eileen Dreyer

Eileen Dreyer takes you into the dark corners and intense moments of the worlds she knows the ER and the Office of the Medical Examiner in St. Louis...

Molly Burke is a death investigator and trauma nurse for the city of St. Louis who has seen every type of atrocity and more than her share of heartbreak. And she knows that no good deed goes unpunished. For years she tried to save the abused children who came through her ER. She's learned that she can save some kids, but others will be lost to their horrific families. Now, a child she once tried to save is all grown up. His life was unspeakable. His deeds are now unfathomable. And he wants Molly's attention. A killer has been created and he will stop at nothing to make sure Molly Burke won't ignore him now. To make matters even more complicated, Molly's brother asks her to watch his sixteen-year-old son, who seems to have left a string of "incidents" in his wake, forcing her to face the fact that no family is without its secrets. Breathtaking, tightly plotted, and compelling, Head Games is a tour-de-force thriller that looks into the depths of the human heart and mind.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Suspense, Drama, Thriller Suspense, Novels

420 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

New York Times bestselling, award-winning author Eileen Dreyer, known as Kathleen Korbel to her Silhouette readers, has published 28 romance novels, 8 medico-forensic suspenses, and 7 short stories.

2012 sees Eileen enjoying critical acclaim for her first foray into historical romance, the Drake's Rakes series, which follow the lives of a group of British aristocrats who are willing to sacrifice everything to keep their country safe. After publication of the first trilogy in the series, she has just signed for the next trilogy, following the graduates of the aptly named Last Chance Academy, who each finds herself crossing swords with Drake's Rakes. Eileen spent time not only in England and Italy, but India to research the series (it's a filthy job, but somebody has to do it).

A retired trauma nurse, Eileen lives in her native St. Louis with her husband, children, and large and noisy Irish family, of which she is the reluctant matriarch. She has animals but refuses to subject them to the limelight.

Dreyer won her first publishing award in 1987, being named the best new Contemporary Romance Author by RT Bookclub. Since that time she has also garnered not only five other writing awards from RT, but five RITA Awards from Romance Writers of America, which secures her only the fourth place in the Romance Writers of America prestigious Hall of Fame. Since extending her reach to suspense, she has also garnered a coveted Anthony Award nomination.

A frequent speaker at conferences, she maintains membership in Romance Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and, just in case things go wrong, Emergency Nurses Association and International Association of Forensic Nurses.

Eileen is an addicted traveler, having sung in some of the best Irish pubs in the world, and admits she sees research as a handy way to salve her insatiable curiosity. She counts film producers, police detectives and Olympic athletes as some of her sources and friends. She's also trained in forensic nursing and death investigation, although she doesn't see herself actively working in the field, unless this writing thing doesn't pan out.

Get in touch: eileendreyer@eileendreyer.com

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is DARK and the evil is written so well it gave me chills.

Matty recommended it. It took me too long to read it, but I was going to finish it.

Molly is CHAOTIC and has major PTSD from Vietnam among other crucial events in her life. Her chaos is written as such … which was a little difficult for me to follow. I wish she was fleshed out more but that had to been on purpose - to keep me guessing.

I did NOT a guess the villain … And ladies n gents he is gruesome … but I did see “part” of the ending coming. I knew something was up with a certain character of the book… but I did NOT expect what happened.

The best part is the book is the ending … it’s worth get go there … the PROLOGUE and the LAST LETTER made my head spin!!!!!!

HOLY FUCK!!

You just can’t understand evil and all its forms. It’s chilling to know it’s imbedded most likely in childhood.

TW;
Literally Everything
If you’re squeamish it’s not for you

LOVED: Sam and all his Yiddish. He coulda been from here instead of STL

[Bev · Rating 5 out of 5]

Molly is a nurse who likes to just do her job, go home, and relax. Of course, after being sued she now has two jobs she has to do just to try and keep her head above water. She has been getting threatening notes, but the mystery person has upped the ante by including bones! They are decorated with gold paint and other things in gold paint. Then on top of that one of her nephews tried to steal some of the family heirlooms and got caught. He is now staying with her until her brother can come to get him. One thing is for certain -- this is something to take seriously as the bones are human and the notes are getting more threatening!! But who is doing this and why? I did NOT see this ending coming at all! Excellent work Eilleen Dreyer!!! I would give it more than 10 stars if I could. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book from Booksprout.

[robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book was full of twists and turns.
the amount of odd quotes from certain characters kept me wondering the whole time who the heck the second bad guy was, because there’s two. one is obvious because they are named outright, but following along as Molly tries to figure out who both of the bad guys are is entertaining. it kept me on the edge of my seat

[Jessie Paton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh.. slow burn. Took forever to read. To many characters introduced, predictable story line

[Melanie S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chilling, compelling, unforgettable crime drama

How much can one woman take? ER nurse Molly is about to find out. Her nursing career began with the military, in Viet Nam. She carries all the inner demons of PSTD, on top of a bitter estrangement from her family, two divorces, a suicide, her only child lost to a legal birth defect (Agent Orange exposure in Nam). Her nursing career is on the skids, she's moonlighting in the ME's office as a death examiner, and her twin triggers - Christmas and kids - are bearing down on her relentlessly. In a rough poverty stricken community she copes with sardonic humor, over work, social isolation, and vodka-laced tea. All she wants is to hang on to what's left of her humanity; all she needs is a good shrink. What she gets is a snarky lawyer who wants to date, an elderly neighbor who wants to befriend her, some ugly anonymous hate mail, and a special sneak delivery of some gruesomely decorated human remains, and an unwelcome visit from her borderline juvenile delinquent nephew. I think I bit my nails to the quick as I read through the book, watching from one appalling event to the next as Molly's life unravels under increasingly grim incidents and revelations. I found it hard not to sympathize with Molly, harder still to cope with the accelerating threat to her hard-won and circumscribed life, even to her very existence. The terrifying climax brings only temporary relief - Molly learns just how blessed she is to have survived her life, only to realize that others will never claim the humanity and the love which pull her through her ordeal. This isn't an easy book to read, with its overpowering sense of powerlessness and threat, but it is fascinating to witness one woman's uncrushable spirit, and heartbreaking to see others too badly crushed to survive. Ms. Dryer's writing is crisp, filled with the unvoiced emotions of her characters, and uncompromising in the depiction of the alterations in their potential resulting from the events of their lives. This is a voluntary ARC review.

[Matthew Dafoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up on a whim at a used bookstore. The title caught my eye. I haven't heard of the book or the author and wow, what a FIND! This is book 2 but reads perfect as a standalone.

Writing: 5/5 - Plot: 5/5 - Ending: 5/5

I loved her writing here and gave me some echoes of Karin Slaughter. Eileen was an ER nurse for years and it shows, as her medical knowledge is up to par and there is a lot of medical talk within here. That said you don't need to be in the healthcare field to read this one! If you've read Grant County by Karin Slaughter, this gave me those kind of vibes, especially with Molly Burke reminding me of Sara Linton (IYKYK). This is a dark novel, but has humor sprinkled throughout. I loved Molly's character and I loved the "letters" at the end of each chapter - absolutely chilling.

I knew this book was going to be a favorite when my jaw dropped in the PROLOGUE! It is a complex and layered plot, following Molly navigating her job at the ER and these gifts she is getting from this killer. Gifts including bones, skulls, hate-filled letters to name a few and each one ramps up the next. Time is running out for Molly.... Will she be next?

Any thoughts I had of "this book is starting to drag a little bit" went OUT THE WINDOW because of THAT ending. Talk about a shock of a final page. It's been a moment since I read a book with such a shocking ending/final page that my heart practically stopped. Omg! I did NOT see that coming at all and I loved it! Oh so twisted and oh so delicious!

This is likely a top 10 favourite for me of this year!

TW:
Most things

[Cath · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is set in St Louis, Missouri in 2004 and the main character is trauma charge nurse and part time death investigator, Molly Burke. She is also a Vietnam veteran, having served in the Medical Corps of the Army and suffers from severe PTSD because of things she saw there, but also what happened in her life afterwards. As a death investigator for the city, she goes to each of the deaths in the city, recording each of them and calling in the medical examiner as needed for any homicides. Her life has changed drastically in the last year of so, after she was caught up in a malpractice case at her previous job and ended up losing her well paid job and all her savings as well as her home. Now she has to work both jobs and live in her brother Martin’s house, which is full of works of art and being kept as an inheritance for Martin’s two sons, Patrick and Sean. She can’t make any changes to the house and can only use part of it.

She gets home from the hospital after yet another tough shift, where she had to play The Game, something the experienced nurses do when they have a child with what they consider injuries caused by abuse or neglect. The Game makes them question whether they can do anything to save the child, or if they have already been damaged too far and are beyond any help. She finds yet another death threat in her post and then notices something has been disturbed amongst the valuables in the house, the pattern of which is ingrained into her brain. A knock at the door brings a police officer, wondering if she was missing a Rembrandt painting, and with a boy in his car, who claims it belongs to him! The boy is brought to her door and it turns out to be her sixteen year old nephew Patrick! His parents are overseas in China on a diplomatic mission of some sort and had left both their sons in the care of their Nicaraguan housemaid. They are not even concerned about him, when she finally manages to get a hold of them. She ends up agreeing to let him stay with her, but has no experience with a teenage boy and especially one with issues with his parents and has been expelled from his fancy school.

To add to her issues, her dog Magnum refuses to come in from the garden and she finds him chewing on a flower box, which unfortunately contains a garishly decorated human thigh bone! Luckily the detective is still there and collects all of her death threats, five so far, and the bone is taken to the medical examiner’s office to be checked to see if it is human. A few days later, she receives another ‘present’ this time what should have been a pair of eyes, but unfortunately Magnum got to the box before her! A note also states that this was for Molly Burke, so no mistakes that this seems to be personal now. Somehow a serial killer has been targeting her with ‘gifts’ and she should know who he is, having seen him before. How Molly will figure that out with the number of people she sees every day, her large number of different work places, the army, and even in her personal life, there is a long list of men she needs to note down. The original investigator, Detective ‘Rhett’ Butler, is soon replaced by a downright rude detective Sgt Davidson, who doesn’t allow her to know anything that is happening, believing her to be complicit in the body parts found in her garden and considering her a suspect and even going through her financials.

Aside from the problems dealing with a teenage Patrick, who either has his nose far too close to her work and dead bodies especially, or acting surly and uncommunicative, she also has an extremely handsome lawyer called Frank Patterson, who likes to drop in at her house all the time. Only problem is that he is the lawyer that sued her in the malpractice case and made her lose everything, so why she even lets him in, is a mystery to her. The fact he is also a Vietnam veteran, who lost his wife recently and has three young children who she adores, and helps with another veteran called Joey who lives in a cave in the park, seems to hit her soft spot. He is always inappropriate to her, but never takes it too far, and usually makes her laugh. He has issues with caves and won’t even go into her basement, due to his time in Vietnam and even has to get her to check up on Joey when he doesn’t show one weekend.

She’s trying to save her nephew from whatever is happening in his life and set him on a proper path, without turning him against her, like he is with his parents apparently. She also has to review her past and try to investigate who could be targeting her this way. The FBI don’t have anyone spare and the county are short of money for a full blown investigation, but Frank comes through with a friend to help her, with FBI profiler experience. Someone leaks the information about the finds in her garden and she is suddenly surrounded by press vans, both at home and the hospital. She is a luddite when it comes to computers, but soon finds the wealth of information they can supply, to be of great use to her investigation. Finding out who Kenny is and who the victims are, is the main aim, so she can put a stop to this serial killer with a fascination about her. But what happens at the end, is far worse than even she could have ever imagined and she could end up as a killer’s ultimate experience.

A cracking thriller of a read and real medical experience that shows through in all the grisly settings. Molly is stuck in the middle of someone’s deadly game and a difficult situation. She has a few friends who look out for her, one at the hospital and also her elderly Jewish neighbour who has dealt with problems in his own past, having blue ink on his forearm to remind him, but seems to be a good influence on Patrick. I loved the nicknames some of the cops were called, Rhett, Fuzzy and even Baitshop! Some very realistic scenes in the hospital, especially with abused young children. Having never heard of the job role of death investigator, I was quite intrigued by what she did, and learned something new at the same time. This is a book that you may think is going one way, but has a wicked twist at the end, that I really didn’t see coming! Gripping tale, well told and kept my attention the whole way through. I shall certainly be looking for more books to read from this author and would recommend them to all. I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seriously creepy suspense-thriller about ER nurse Molly Burke who works a second job as a death investigator for the local medical examiner. She is having to deal with the ghosts of Christmases past, plus her PTSD from serving in Vietnam 20-plus years ago, when her nephew shows up, trying to steal art treasures from her house that are in trust for him anyway. Then somebody starts tossing decorated human bones over her back fence as presents. And the pressure keeps piling on while the cops (and Molly) try to find out what's going on. The killer in this story is Seriously Creepy, and if I didn't trust Eileen to lead me safely through the mayhem, I might have given up. But it's a good read. I liked the medical stuff. I liked the book, and if you like suspense-thrillers, you'll like this one.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

First time in reading this author with the kind of book it was calling my attention. Having a thirst for alot of thrillers and ghost stories I read them in between alot of other romances. The ER can be a hopping place with alot of drama. Molly has a new follower I do believe thanks to what I read in this one. She does have a interesting job that is challenging to say the least. Someone from her past is now evolved into something unthinkable. He is speaking loud and clear but in a brutal way. She also has a family obligation that also has some drama attached to it that pulls at you. This author knows how to keep you busy with the events as they unfold and take you over spilling all around you. Thrilling is mild to say the least but will be looking for this author again.

[Anita Fuhrmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! Just Excellent! I have read books by Eileen Dreyer before but in other genres and this is the first criminal suspense that she has written (that I know of) and she knocked it out-of-the-park! The plot twists will leave you baffled because you think you know where the story is going and wham! the twist takes you in a whole new direction and you have to stop and rethink what you thought you had all figured out! I look forward to more in this line of books from this wonderfully talented author!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

great writing style, molly has had a rough time lately, 2 divorces the loss of her child, her career on the line, so what is a girl to do moonlight as an medical examiner. Let the games begin and they do you are pulled in to a world that around every corner something new emerges and has you seconding guesing yor thought process. I am looking forward to more reads by this author. creepy but so well worth it

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had my suspicions about one of the characters but did NOT see the dramatic ending coming. OMG it was such a good ending! Too much detail in the body of the story and repetition of the most boring of the detail is what kept it from being a 5 star book for me.
I loved the main character and the minor ones too. Would love to see Frank and Molly get closer. Even the "bad guys" were fascinatingly evil.

[Sue Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Head games by Eileen Dreyer.
St. Louis death investigator and trauma nurse Molly Burke has seen just about everything, until gifts begin showing up on her doorstep—gifts like human eyes and painted bones—the signature of a twisted serial killer.
A very good read. Some good characters. I loved the cover. I liked Molly. I liked the child like writing at the end of each chapter. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author. 4*.

[Joe Esposito · Rating 3 out of 5]

Went downhill

As I started reading this I wa enjoying the story and kept wanting to make more time to read. But then the book got too long and I had to read the same passages over and over. I originally thought this would get 4 stars but it cannot.
ALSO, this is a terrible Kindle conversion. Wrong words. Bad punctuation.

[Jeanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

So this book is a bit creepy, but the character development is very shallow. It's difficult to relate to any of them so while I decided not to DNF the book, it's not one I would recommend. The author could have done a much better job of connecting the characters, explaining their relationships and the ending was just meh for me. If there are other books on your list, read one of those.

[Patricia Mccammon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enter the life of Death Investigator and ER nurse. Between gifts of bones, letters, and a car bomb, Molly is on the verge of PTSD again. Trying to find out who is doing it, she is in for a big surprise.
Great story line and characters

[Kevin G Mohrman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another “can’t put the book down”!

I read the prologue-almost decided not to read it. Overall, I am glad that I did. A lot of twists and turns, as well as surprises! However, the book’s plot was somewhat too gross for me. I wish the graphic was turned down. Noticed typos.

[Deanna Hubbard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having never read this author's work before, I didn't know what to expect. She had me until the predictable just-in-the-nick-of-time rescue.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stayed up late finishing it and then the surprise ending kept me awake! Wow!

[Angela Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read it in two days. So intense. Twists and turns. Love this book. We've passed it around the entire family has read it now.

[Mike Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book. Interesting and well-written.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can usually figure out "who dun it". But this time the ending came as a surprise. I won't say more because as my daughter says, "I tend to give away the ending."

[Jackie Flaum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eileen Dreyer is an author I discovered a year or so ago and WOW. She has the bona fides to tell medical stories. This is a winner.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Ange Ok · Rating 4 out of 5]

it's a really slow start but got me finishing it in 2 days. The ending was A BIT anti climatic, and left with a loy of questions. Nonetheless, a very good read in my opinion

[Kristy Marquez · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book however good or bad was not for me, I did not connect with the MC and that is part of the problem. But that is a me problem not the authors.

[Mellie melliesbookshelf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Molly is the weirdest MC. I didn't find any of the characters even remotely likable. 😆

The ending was wild, which definitely saved this one for me. The long chapters were a griiiiiind. 🫠

[Chris Kubica · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG

Normally I can figure it out but this one has twists I did not see coming! How can there only be 2 Molly Burke books!!! I demand more😃

[belles_bookishlife · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5
WTF was that ending?! I’ve only ever had one other book that the literal last page made me physically gasp and that was a Slaughter novel. Holy hell

[Alex · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn't finish this one