MIND SCRAMBLER

MIND SCRAMBLER
Author: Chris Grabenstein
Minotaur Books
St. Martin’s Publishing Group
2009
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-38231-5
ISBN-10: 0-312-38231-6
$24.95
342 pages
Fiction, Mystery

“I bumped into my old girlfriend Katie Landry this afternoon. Six hours later, she was dead.”

John Ceepak and Danny Boyle are the detectives you would want to investigate if you were murdered. They are determined to discover the truth and won’t give up. Ceepak is the typical ex-Marine with values of black and white. His clothes are always pressed. Ceepak does not smoke, drink, or curse. The man has no vices, except for being perfect. Boyle is the young inexperienced young detective who is fortunate to be partnered with a man of intense values and commitment to do the right thing.

When Danny’s friend Katie is murdered, naturally he is considered to be a suspect at first. With Ceepak’s assistance, the two-some investigate the murder and discover numerous suspects and further crimes.

Katie was hired to be a nanny for a famous casino magician’s children. Why would anyone murder a nanny? Added to the death, Katie was dressed in an ill-fitting costume that implied her involvement while possibly kinky sex. This wasn’t the Katie who grew up with Danny and was a kindergarten teacher. Danny felt responsible to discover the true story. Ceepak, naturally, realizes, the importance to assist and volunteers to assist the Atlantic City police with this investigation.

Ceepak also has his own imperfections in his life, especially with his father being a murderer. John Ceepak planned to visit Atlantic City to have a conversation with a former cellmate of his father, to whom he admitted the murder. Unfortunately, his father has his own unfinished agenda for John.

The characters are vivid, believable, and definitely alive. The realism makes you feel as if you are a part of the investigative team. Perfect pacing makes this story memorable.

Chris Grabenstein was an improvisational comedian and has worked for advertising agencies writing commercials. He became a writer by taking a Writing Aptitude Test and James Patterson recognized his brilliance instantly hiring him. He has written screenplays, made-for-TV movies, Muppet scripts, and a variety of other texts. Winning the Anthony Award for “Best First Mystery” given at Bouchercon 2006 for TILT A WHIRL was the beginning of his successful writing career.


MIND SCRAMBLE is the fifth-book in the John Ceepak series following TILT A WHIRL, MAD MOUSE, WHACK A MOLE, and HELL HOLE. He has also written the thrillers SLAY RIDE and HELL FOR THE HOLIDAYS and for younger readers THE CROSSROADS and THE HANGING HILL.



Teri Davis August 9, 2009

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