2019 B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree 2018 Wishing Shelf Book Awards Finalist When you talk to yourself, there’s only one voice. When you picture something, there’s but a single mind’s eye. Recently graduated psychologist, Dr. Sam “Doc” Price and his inexperienced team had always held those principles to be true…at least, under normal circumstances. But as they studied the work of Dr. Ned … circumstances. But as they studied the work of Dr. Ned Worthington, a brilliant but troubled neuroscientist, they began to wonder if he had created an electronic world that was anything but normal. He claimed it could rewire the brain, repurpose sections of it for new uses. And the man who had used it was capable of remarkable feats.
But as their awe of what might be possible grew, so did their unease about what was implied. Just beyond what they could prove, there seemed a dark side of the technology and perhaps, a man who had succumbed to it. Was he watching? Was he coming for them? And when Doc and his team finally secured the evidence they sought, only one question remained. Now that they knew, could they survive the truth?
This book is a comprehensive rewrite of a story first published by the author as Half A Mind in 2015.
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I read the first version of this book (titled Half a Mind) and thoroughly enjoyed it in spite of the fact that I’m not usually a fan of techno-thrillers. It was loaded with technical descriptions of scientific research into the mind, most of which was in the first two-thirds of the book and was followed by some amazing action scenes nearer the end. Like I said, I usually wouldn’t like that type of book, but I think what drew me in was that the science it was based on had a basis in reality. And when I thought about that, it gave me the creeps.
So when I saw that Bruce Perrin had written a new version of this book, I had to give it a try. I’m glad I did. He did a fantastic job of blending the thrills with the science all through the book—not just at the end—and at no point does it bog down in too much scientific detail. He often leads the reader down a suspense-filled path that makes you sure you know what’s about to happen—and then something else does.
The basic story is the same in that the protagonist, Sam Price, works for a company that assesses research projects as the “disinterested third party.” He and his team, Sue and Nicole, are assigned to a project that started as a way to find relief from phantom limb pain in amputees but morphed into a study of how blocking brain waves in one hemisphere of the brain led to the other hemisphere compensating, which allegedly increased a person’s ability to learn.
When the scientist responsible for the study becomes violent and throws them out of his office, they become worried about their safety. The admittedly non-conclusive evidence leads them to believe he’s used the device on himself—and not to his benefit.
As I said, the basic story is the same as the earlier version, but some new characters have added more layers to the story, increasing the suspense and the chills. And there are quite a few chuckles, thanks to the character of Sue. The author has done a really good job of improving on what was already a good story, and I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a thriller based on scientific fact.
A team of a psychologist, a bio-engineer, and a social psychologist are tasked by the VA to ascertain whether a new technology called the “Blocker” could help deal with phantom limb pain and possibly PTSD. (The “Blocker” can redirect brain linkages.) If it does, then the creator, Dr. Ned Worthington and his company, would receive additional funding into further research. But oddly enough, Dr. Worthington is resistant to the inquiries. All is not what is seems in this intelligent techno-thriller.
A well-written thriller, the first half is a bit slow and you really have to pay attention to the intricacies of the technology and it’s larger implications, but the second half takes off. The characters are well-developed and it is obvious the author knows what he is talking about. This is not your traditional thriller due to the pacing and the large amount of time spent explaining the tech. I also wondered how one character was able to get a gun past airport security so easily. Though the ending was emotionally satisfying it seemed too easy. But that could just be me.
Nevertheless, I’d definitely recommend this to thriller and techno lovers alike.
Top-notch technothriller.
Skilfully written so that a reader unfamiliar with neuroscience will have no difficulty in comprehending the ideas. Perrin also adeptly avoids the “info dump” trap as information is woven seamlessly into the dialogue and action as events unfold.
Intriguing, compelling story that gave me goosebumps! The characters are likeable, the science is intriguing and the twists unpredictable.
Hmm, I’ve already read and enjoyed the next book in this series, Mind in the Clouds, so I’ll now patiently (not so much) await the next chapter in “Doc” Price’s rather challenging career path.
Of Half a Mind by Bruce M. Perrin is an interesting science fiction book. While sci-fi is not my usual genre to read, the storyline sounded intriguing so I thought I’d give it a try. The book certainly kept my interest. It reminds me of the TV series, Fringe, which my husband and I have been watching recently. Technology that can change brain function, or at least the hope is that brain pathways can be changed to alleviate pain. Will it work? The ‘mad’ scientist is doing his best to find out. Dr. Sam Price and his team are investigating the research project and are finding themselves in danger. Will they find the answers they seek in time? Murder, mystery, thriller, sci-fi, Of Half a Mind seems to have it all. Readers who enjoy technothrillers will not want to miss this one. Denver C. Risley did a great job narrating the book which made for an enjoyable listening experience. I was given a complimentary copy of the book and was not required to write a review. The opinions are my own.
Received an audio review copy of this book narrated by Denver C Risley, this is an honest review. This story is bone-chilling as it’s brilliant because you’re pulled into the complex world of understanding the brain. “The Experimenter” character left me spellbound in his haunting abuse of the homeless male subjects he torments in his journey for scientific achievements. The author amazingly crafts characters that are “gray” in their morals and secrets that you believe in yet disgusted at the same time. The narrator Denver C Risley delivers a wondrous journey that leaves you thinking about you heard through the audio book. Highly recommended.
Loved the unraveling of the mystery and the “mad” scientist. Fun and captivating.
This book was very descriptive regarding brain function. It was written with great intelligence and forethought. I found it to be thought provoking and scary as it reflected technological advances that could change the way that man thinks and hints at what costs there might be to this advancement. I do want to add that some of the scenes depicted in this story are not pretty. Denver C Risley’s narration is good. His voice is pleasant and easy to listen to and follow as he delivers the story. I was given a free copy of the audiobook and I have voluntarily left this review.
This review is for the audio book.
On wow. This book is slow to start with lots of techno babble that somehow made sends when you were listening to (but don’t ask me to explain it now) but you quickly found that you were drawn into the story and was guessing who AT was right along with the characters. The author has you suspecting everyone but with the twist in the story and despite the clues I never saw the ending coming or who the experimenter was. There is a very bodies but as nobody knew they were dead the investigation isn’t into there death’s but rather does some new technology work. The story is told mainly by the main character Sam ‘Doc’ Price but every now and again you are given the perspective of the experimenter/killer, this works well as get you more clues or red herrings and explains the two different points of views. This is a serious book (and very possible scary, if we start to think how far people are willing to take things) but I liked the jokey banter between the characters as they carried out there investigation. I would recommend.
Sam and his team Sue and Nicole are called in to investigate a claim that Dr. Ned Worthington has created a device to rewire the brain, a project the VA is very interested in to help there members deal with phantom limb pain. They are met by resistance making there job a whole lot hard but just what is he hiding? Side effects from the machine? Or the fact that he could be using it himself? According to his wife he has certain changed but is that the cover up or is it something a lot more dangerous going on. Will digging through endless paper work on his experiments of the subject only know as AT give them the answer they need before it’s too late?
I liked the narrator. He had a deep gruff voice that I wasn’t sure about at first but he soon had me convinced he was perfect for the story.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
I received a copy of “Of Half a Mind” by Bruce M. Perrin in exchange for my honest review. And here it is. The first book in The Mind Sleuth Series and let me tell you wow. This is the first book I read from Bruce M. Perrin and I’m hooked, I will be reading the rest of the series. This is a very good written book, with a great plot that keeps you guessing to who and what else might happen in the story. You get the mystery what happening and the thriller to who is doing it. It is a must-read book that will keep you guessing and on the edge of for seat.
Wildly imaginative! Wonderful characters. Interesting plot. Vivid descriptions. Simply a GREAT read!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.
This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: Of Half a Mind
Author: Bruce M. Perrin
Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 17
Stats
Editing: 8/10
Writing Style: 8/10
Content: 8/10
Cover: 7/10
Of the 17 readers:
15 would read another book by this author.
14 thought the cover was good or excellent.
14 felt it was easy to follow.
15 would recommend this story to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 5 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 12 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
12 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
15 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
‘A strong thriller written to a high standard. The mystery in the story was the weakest element; the characterisation was the strongest.’ Male reader, aged 56
‘If you enjoy techno-thrillers, this is for you. Tightly written, rather technical with lots of science. I did spot the odd typo, but nothing too bad.’ Female reader, aged 38
‘Good, solid story. A little too technical in parts which killed the pacing for me. Bu the author attempts to work it into the plot and speech of the characters. It seemed well-researched. Most techno-thriller readers will enjoy this.’ Male reader, aged 69
‘Interesting plot with a focus on scientific dilemmas. The writing style works for the thriller genre with interesting characters. All in all, a fascinating read.’ Female reader, aged 55
To Sum It Up:
‘A cleverly plotted techno-thriller with powerful characterisation. A FINALIST and highly recommended.’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
Of Half a Mind, by Bruce Perrin, is the first book in “The Mind Sleuth” series, starring research psychologist Sam “Doc” Price. This is an intellectual mystery, filled with plot twists and puzzles and interesting characters. It’s a well-written page-turner that will keep you guessing, and keep you wanting to keep guessing, to the very end. It’s also a learning experience for those of us not well-versed in the science of brain function, which the author weaves into the story very effectively. It’s not a perfect book, but it’s enjoyable and well worth the time and price.
In this story, a young Doc, in his first job after getting his PhD, is assigned to review a proposal for research to be funded by the Veteran’s Administration that started out as a way to deal with phantom limb pain, but morphed into a technique for improving cognitive brain function, and in particular memory. The research is interesting because it involves using an electro-magnetic device to suppress brain function in one hemisphere of the brain, forcing the other parts of the brain to compensate and thereby strengthening total brain function when both halves are reunited and not “blocked.” But, it turns out that there are side-effects to this blocking technology, which leads Doc and his team – the wise-cracking colleague Sue and the attractive consultant from another company, Nicole – on what turns out to be a chase to uncover a mystery and solve a murder.
Throughout the story, the author gives us a narrative from the perspective of “the Experimenter,” who is the villain of the story. The Experimenter is using human guinea pigs to test the limits of the brain blocker technology, and he doesn’t mind if they suffer or die in the process. The Experimenter has no morals, and we learn that this is due to his own use of the brain blocker, which has heightened his abilities in the left hemisphere functions, while suppressing right-brain functions, including sympathy and guilt. The big mystery for the reader is figuring out who the Experimenter is, while following Doc’s process of following the trail of scientific bread crumbs. The author gives the reader some clues, but also a few false leads along the way, but the technique keeps you guessing until shortly before the big reveal. If you’re paying attention, you will figure it out, but not so soon that it will spoil the plot.
There is a lot of explanation about the science involved here, and the author weaves that into the conversations between the characters and in exposition about the action in a way that makes it palatable and not a boring textbook. At times there may be a bit too much technical material, but I found it fascinating and it’s easily glossed over if you’re not interested. The plot really gets going when Doc and his team meet with the scientist who is developing the brain blocker and who has applied for the VA grant. The developer behaves in an erratic manner – and then ends up dead. The police are not really investigating it as a murder – and this is not a police-oriented murder mystery by any stretch – because there is no conventional evidence of foul play. But Doc, Sue, and Nicole think that murder is in play, as does the doctor’s widow, who watched him deteriorate under the effects of the brain-blocker device.
The plot moves along at a steady pace as the heroes focus in on the villain, known only as “A.T.” from his initials in the early experiments with the blocker. Meanwhile, Doc tries to spark a romance with Nicole in his clumsy scientist way, which is endearing. There are plenty of twists and turns in the plot, and while there are a few too-convenient coincidences that play into the reveal of the Experimenter’s identity and a few leaps of logic and unexpected facts that suddenly come to light, the final sequence is still surprising and compelling. One particular fact mentioned several times earlier in the story becomes critical at the end, which was nicely woven together and unexpected – but then also “of course” it was there all along.
For baseball fans, the author includes many references to his (apparently) beloved St. Louis Cardinals, and the story is set in and around St. Louis. There are not so many local references that the book becomes a travelogue, but if you are familiar with the area you’ll appreciate the detail. If you’re a baseball fan, there’s also a small Easter egg in one of the minor character names that I found fun.
The book is extremely well edited, and while I personally thought the author overused ellipses as punctuation, the flow of the story was never interrupted by bad copy editing. The author’s language and writing style save us from what could be a quagmire of scientific detail and make the story into a thrilling adventure. The characters are well-formed, each with a very individual personality and speaking style, which makes for an easy read. (At one point Sue’s character is referred to by her last name, which I had forgotten since she was generally referred to as “Sue,” which threw me for a few pages, but that’s my own failure of memory and I figured it out pretty quickly.) There’s a small throw-away legal issue in the wrap up at the end that could have been handled better and a few plot gaps that could have been bridged more elegantly, but overall this was a fun read with an intriguing plot and a very original premise. I will certainly be on the lookout for the next installment of the Mind Sleuth series to find out what happens in Doc’s next adventure.
EXCELLENT read, particularly if you’re a science/medical/psychology nerd- yes, I unashamedly confess to all three!!! The plotline may seem implausible to many… BUT, you are living with your head buried in the sand if you think the technology does not exist here and now. It does.