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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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
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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