My goal is to post more book reviews, so I am continuing with another book, “The Mind Breaker,” that has a psychological bent. (The last one I reviewed was a psychological thriller, “The Girl in Cell A,” by Vaseem Khan) This one is a mystery by D.D. Black, the author famous for the Thomas Austin series and the S.W.O.R.D. FBI series, both set in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
The Mind Breaker features main character, retired military psychologist, Silas West. He’s working on his memoir in his apartment on the Kingston, WA waterfront, when a body washes up right by the ferry dock outside. The local NCIS investigator recognizes him, knows his expertise, and pulls him into the investigation. The body is marked with strange symbols that trigger West’s memory, and the investigation quickly turns dark.
For D.D. Black fans, I found this novel more literary in tone. Black leverages his main character’s psychology background to delve deep into the trauma faced by soldiers and ultimately, the meaning of suffering. That lends some richness that is rare in the thriller genre, and makes me appreciate the literary bent Black gave the novel. One of my favorite quotes was: “I was writing about identity–how the language we use to define ourselves can trap us. How meaningless–not pain–breaks people.” This immediately made me think of Viktor Frankl’s work, “A Man’s Search for Meaning,” about his observations about survival in the WWII concentration camps. (And if you haven’t read Frankl, do that too.)
This book is deeper than Black’s previous works, without sacrificing what he’s known for. You still get the breakneck pace of an investigation on a timer, the haunting settings in Kitsap County, and the camaraderie of a team with unique talents, but you also get more introspection, thematic depth, and sharp analysis from the main character. Without giving away any spoilers, I was really struck by the climax of events. They had me tied in knots over what he put West through. It felt grittier and more intense than any of the Austin novels, and that is saying something, given some of what Austin faces. I love it when an author can outdo themselves.
My overall impression and recommendation: D.D. Black delivers again. If you’d love a dark psychological mystery with literary flavor set in the moody Pacific Northwest, you’re going to want to grab this right away.
