Mind Games: A Novel

Because every summer Thea’s parents – Cora and John – drive her, her 10-year-old brother Rem, and their dog Cocoa all the way from their home in Fredericksburg, Virginia to Redbud Hollow, Nebraska to spend two wondrous weeks with their beloved Grammie – Lucy Lannigan. Their carefree days and nights at their Grammie’s tranquil house nestled in the hollow surrounded by nature, are filled with joy, laughter, and music – hiking the hills to visit neighbours, walking the dogs in the trees, making soaps and candles, watching the stars while eating homemade sundaes on the back porch – even the chores are fun!

Meanwhile, back in Fredericksburg, Cora and John enjoy two blissful weeks alone together, acting like newlyweds – more in love with every passing year.

But a week into their stay at Grammie’s, tragedy strikes. Cora and John are murdered in their home – targeted by a sick monster named Ray Riggs.

Days later, with Thea’s unique assistance, Ray is captured by police, and sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole. How? Because Thea and her parent's killer are unwittingly connected. Both have psychic visions – can see and feel what others are thinking, including each other. Thea’s ability is a pure gift, born of light and hope, which she uses to help people, to save lives, and she never uses her power for personal gain. Ray reserves his for pure evil – to manipulate, blackmail, stalk, hurt, and kill. And when Thea dreams of Ray in his prison cell the psychic link between them is strengthened, and over the years Thea struggles to block him out. And all Ray Riggs wants is for Thea to pay for what she did to him – it’s his only reason for living.

Nora Roberts latest novel of romantic suspense, family saga, with a paranormal aspect was my favourite of hers since Carolina Moon (published in 2000). I think that one had a slight edge over Mind Games (although I think a re-read is in order to double-check that it has stood the test of time). Ray Riggs was a vicious, prevalent, psychopath, with no redeeming qualities, and the fact that he was psychic, made him even more terrifying, akin to Freddy Krueger. I’ve only seen this storyline (main character and killer connected by visions) done once before in the TV series Medium (2005 – 2011), so it was fairly unique to me, and just as chilling, particularly since Thea was 12 years old at the start. I wouldn’t go as far as to say that anything was overly graphic and gory, and I think the emotional slant that was always present helped with that, but there were violent scenes. But they remained as brief as possible and were minimal in terms of the overall plot.

However, thriller subplot aside my main takeaway from this is that it was a novel centered on love and family. Grammie was the ultimate Grandmother, supportive, encouraging, endlessly patient and giving. Her bond with Thea was so special – how she helped her understand, accept, and control her gift – a gift that all the women on Thea’s mother’s and Grammie’s side shared going back generations. The family unit made up of Grammie, Thea, and Rem was an unbreakable, tight-knit bond. Lucy referred to the three of them as ‘one big ball of wax’ which accurately summarises their closeness. Like all siblings, Thea and Rem would squabble, tease, and compete, but always had each others backs. Then there was the love between parent/s and children – Cora and John were only in the book for a short time, but it was obvious how much they loved Thea and Rem. As was Lucy’s love for her daughter and son-in-law (who she considered her son). Same goes for another parent/child relationship which needs to remain a secret. And, last but not least Thea’s romantic interest, who I’m also not going to reveal, because I spent the first nearly 50% of the novel thinking it was going to be someone else so let’s see if you fall for the same red herring as me! Oh, and I did enjoy who he turned out to be – wasn’t disappointed at all.

Another main theme throughout was the shock, anger, uncertainty, and grief associated not only with loss, but the violent senseless nature and suddenness of the manner in which Cora and John were ripped away, and the gaping hole, and lasting impact it left on family, friends, the community as a whole, and even strangers. I shed more than a few tears. Cora’s and John’s final moments on earth, their funeral, and Thea’s speech to detectives were heartbreaking. Kept tissues handy.

Just as important were characters relationship to their Grammie’s home – the way they were drawn to it, the sense of belonging, sanctuary, and safety it invoked (not only for them but everyone who visited) – and how they cherished and respected the land. I adored the farm to table lifestyle Thea, Rem, and others embraced, taught to them by their beyond talented Grammie – the herbal medicine, customs and traditions passed down through generations, using natural ingredients in creative ways (Grammie’s homemade soaps and candles), mouth-watering food, and best of all, the dear animals (with their ingenious names). I could taste the fried chicken, breath in the mountain air, smell the lavender, hear the chickens clucking.

As you can see, I had a lot to say as there was so much about Mind Games that I loved. I could go on, but I’ll leave it there, and let you experience every high for yourself.

I don't think I could ever have fully understood the scripture quoted, Proverbs 27:4, at the beginning of the book, if I had not read this extraordinary story. How does one get to the point that envy and greed justifies everything else that an individual does in their life... Even Murder... And yet it happens, even more often these days, it seems...

Roberts latest novel, Mind Games, is well worth your consideration... It is unique yet the majority of the book's setting is one very similar to mine--in the country, taking care of farm animals, and meeting neighbors... Yet, for the main character, it is sometimes a scary--a very scary place!

Thea, who was just 12 that year, and Rem, her younger brother have just arrived at their grandmother's farm where they spend a full two weeks of the summer each year... They travel from Virginia, which is not too far away, to RedBud Hollow, Kentucky. For these children, visiting the farm is the best part of each year. This year is different, however, they will not be going back home... And they would have been thrilled, under different circumstances... But Lucy, their grandmother had been contacted to let them know that her daughter and son-in-law had been murdered! Even before that, though, both Lucy and Thea had known they were dead... This supernatural "gift" was passed down through the women of their family. Lucy found that Thea was much more attuned to things than even she. And that was what had caused the beginning of her nightmare, which would last for years... Thea had actually seen the murder happening and could identify the man who killed her parents!

Fortunately, for readers, Roberts has built a fascinating tale around the kind of life that happens in rural areas... Neighbors were close, bartering goods, or just providing to those in need... Lucy was a true homemaker, creating candles, soaps and other medicinal articles that were sold locally. Lucy was often the only person who was able to help when somebody was "ailing..."

The major concern for the two children was getting started at a new school, but by that time, they had met neighborhood children and were helped through that sometimes difficult time when needing to meet new people, and hopefully become friends, came about. Thea and Rem were also from their city life, fully active in gaming. But here, too, Thea was ahead because of her strong creative storytelling skills. In fact, the very first game she created, got her into training and then her first game was sold...

Other than the book trailers above, I've decided not to reveal anything other than that Thea identified the man who killed her parents. Sufficient enough to allow police to make a quick arrest. What I'm "not" talking about is that portion of the book that moves into thriller mode, like no other I've ever read about. The imagination, plus the technical gaming study required by the writer to be able to tell this story, is outstanding--both exciting and a touch of horror moves this multi-genre novel to the best of the best of books I've read by Nora Roberts, and under her pseudonym, J. D. Robb (which had always been my favorite books from her.)

The merge of the country setting and all it entailed results in a fascinating, unbelievable story that will awaken you to hoping for the possibility of seeing more of Thea and Lucy, along with the main characters, in a series... Thea's, especially, development is compelling, extraordinary and worthy of...seeing more of her in action! Highly recommended.

GABixlerReviews

As they do each June, the Foxes have driven the winding roads of Appalachia to drop off their children for a two-week stay at their grandmother’s. Here, twelve-year-old Thea can run free and breathe in the smells of pine and fresh bread and Grammie’s handmade candles. But as her parents head back to suburban Virginia, they have no idea they’re about to cross paths with a ticking time bomb.

Back in Kentucky, Thea and her grandmother Lucy both awaken from the same nightmare. And though the two have never discussed the special kind of sight they share, they know as soon as their tearful eyes meet that something terrible has happened.

The kids will be staying with Grammie now in Redbud Hollow, and thanks to Thea’s vision, their parents’ killer will spend his life in supermax. Over time, Thea will make friends, build a career, find love. But that ability to see into minds and souls still lurks within her, and though Grammie calls it a gift, it feels more like a curse—because the inmate who shattered her childhood has the same ability. Thea can hear his twisted thoughts and witness his evil acts from miles away. He knows it, and hungers for vengeance. A long, silent battle will be waged between them—and eventually bring them face to face, and head to head…

My Thoughts:

Mind Games takes the reader to intriguing places as the characters follow the actions of other characters in their minds. Young Thea sees the murder of her parents and is able to describe the murderer’s actions to the police, leading to his arrest.

But all is not ended then. She and the murderer both have this “sight” and continue following each other’s actions from that day forward until Thea figures out a way to close the door on his mind games.

I loved watching the characters, and the love connection between Thea and a neighbor whose little boy becomes like her own. A beautiful story that earned 5 stars.

Nora Roberts hit another one out of the park. I started reading her books when we were both young. Every book is better and richer than the one before. She's such a wordsmith and paints with words. Thea and her brother Rem go to live with their grandmother after their parents' brutal murders by Riggs,a cruel sociopath. Thea's gift of sight, which runs in the women in her family, allows her to witness the murder. It also allows her to provide information to the police that enables them to arrest him. He is convicted and sentenced to life in prison. Riggs also has a gift that allows him to infiltrate Thea's mind. Thea and Rem grow up, go to college and start their adult lives, always living with or near their beloved grandmother Lucy. Musician Ty is Thea's rock star teenage crush. He and his young son move into the home left to him down the road from Thea and her family. Ty is ready to leave touring, settle down and give his little boy a normal, stable home life. As the neighbors lives become entwined, love slowly burns between Ty, Thea and young Brayden. However, both Thea and Ty have trust issues. In the midst of learning to trust and thinking that trust is broken, Riggs mentally invades Thea's life more and more. As they learn to communicate and trust each other, Thea realizes to have the life she wants, she has to get Riggs out of her life. Nora Roberts wraps up the story in a way you would never anticipate and that only she can do.

sweet, melancholy, real but relatively low stakes - this is roberts at her best, when the prose leaps off the page and you really root for the characters. did i totally buy the romance between the main two? maybe not. it was a little rushed compared to the length of the book, and i could have had a lot more fleshing out of the town and people in it and been happy. but i loved thea, loved her family, teared up at the depictions of grief and resilience. overall, a great read once again.