Mind games by Nora Roberts
Mind games is a compelling mixture of Roberts’ signature themes of mystery and suspense, family love and trauma, romance and the paranormal. Thea is twelve years old when a young man brutally murders her parents. She and her young brother are taken in by Lucy their maternal grandmother, with whom Thea shares the gift of the sight. This helps Thea identify the killer and have him put behind bars for life. But the murderer, Ray Briggs, also feels a connection with Thea and as she becomes an adult and wants to move on, he is unwilling to let her go.
The book is divided into three parts. Part 1, Tragedy, concentrates on the trauma of the murder of Thea’s parents, and is heart-rending, and often brings tears. Part 2 Living describes Thea as an adult, her gifts as an online game builder and her devastation when a boyfriend at college ridicules her gift. Here she returns to her grandmother’s country where she accepted and loved and meets Ty, a talented musician who has come with his young son to tie up his grandmother’s estate. Part 3 The Gift finds Thea coming to terms with her gift and what she must do to live a happy and fulfilled life.
As always, Roberts’ writing is addictive. Although I found the first part of the book heart-rending, it was over long and I was eager to see Thea grow up and find her role in life. I enjoyed the romance and suspense in the later sections. It was difficult to put the book down as the tension about the connection between Thea and Briggs grew. Would Thea be able to combat his excursions into her mind? How would she be able to do this? Would Ty accept her and her gift? The combination of thriller, romance and paranormal was great, and the reader will get to know the characters, including the minor ones, very well and will want the best for them. Ty’s role as a single dad and all the joy and hard work were brilliantly described and Bunk the dog was a main protagonist too!
Fans of Roberts’ books will not be disappointed in Mind games and will be sure to pick up any more future books that she writes.
Themes: Murder, Mystery, Romance, Paranormal.
Pat Pledger