Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published in USA
Sep 2011
304 pages
Genre: Thrillers
Publication Information
A respected judge goes berserk, destroying his home...
A wealthy celebrity widow is found floating unconscious in her pool...
A brilliant young astrophysicist is killed when he runs onto a busy freeway...
To psychologist Tom Crandall, the residents of Los Angeles seem to be going insane. Over the past few months, people have randomly become unhinged, exploding in violent, self-destructive rampages. Now Tom's younger brother Nick is lying in a hospital bed after narrowly surviving a fall off a Malibu cliff. But, as Tom soon finds out, the accident is only the latest in a string of alarming events involving his troubled sibling. Nick has been blackmailing members of his wealthy family, including his brother Paul - a would-be Hollywood mogul whose latest project involves a film-production company headed by a charismatic scientist who holds some disturbing theories about power and human behavior.
Concerned about Paul's dealings, Tom heads to the film set, where he meets a physicist turned filmmaker, the brilliant and enigmatic Swede named Gunnar Kelso. Soon Tom is caught in a terrifying scheme that threatens his sanity and his very life, and he must race to uncover the truth before it's too late.
A tightly plotted tale of twisting suspense and paranoia, of cutting-edge science, a diabolical conspiracy, and family betrayal, L.A. Mental is a roller-coaster ride from the first page to the last.
"Starred Review. McMahon (Dead Silver) easily makes a science fiction concept plausible in a pulse-pounding read that doesn't sacrifice intelligence for thrills." - Publishers Weekly
"The plot reads as if dashed off to meet a deadline, but the book is somewhat redeemed by decent writing." - Kirkus Reviews
"There's sex, murder, blackmail, and conspiracy, all made believable because they're seen through the eyes of the decent, down-to-earth hero, who is smarter and tougher than anyone realizes. A fine thriller." - Booklist
"L.A. Mental caught my interest immediately and held it until the last page. A very cool concept beautifully executed." - James Patterson
"With L.A. Mental, Neil McMahon heads into the territory of William Gibson in a fast-moving, compelling tale that's a blend of detective novel and might-just-be-possible science fiction, sure to leave readers hungry for more." - Michael Koryta, author of The Cypress House
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Photo by Michael Gallagher
Neil McMahon is the author of ten novels, as well as a collaboration with James Patterson, Toys, which was a New York Times #1 Bestseller. He has written two series: the Carroll Monks books (Twice Dying, Blood Double, To The Bone, Revolution No. 9), and the Hugh Davoren books (Lone Creek, Dead Silver).
McMahon was a Stegner Fellow at Stanford. He lives in Missoula, Montana, where his wife, Kim Anderson, coordinates the Humanities Montana Festival of the Book.
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