In the FBI, there’s a little-known unit called PAR, which stands for Patterns and Recognition. It’s made up of misfits and oddballs --- brilliant misfits and oddballs. These agents aren’t the public face of the FBI. They work behind the scenes: decoding, solving puzzles, performing mathematical analyses, profiling and uncovering patterns. Obviously, their work isn’t flashy or glamorous, so they hum along quietly in the background.

But now a case so unbelievably rare has hit the scene and turned everything upside down, shining the spotlight on PAR. A serial killer is on the loose, but not just any serial killer. This one is stalking serial killers. And he murders them just like they murdered their victims.

"[HEAD CASES] boasts a cast of fresh faces with personalities never before seen joined together in an obscure unit of the FBI tasked with handling what no one else can."

One uniquely different way this case will be handled is that, instead of Frank Roberts (PAR’s boss), agent Gardner Camden will lead. Not used to being in charge, Gardner nonetheless embraces his new role. His team has never worked a case quite like this before --- indeed, the FBI has never seen a case like this before --- so they will need to approach it like no case before.

As he digs into emerging clues, Gardner discovers that no one, including members of his own team, is beyond suspicion. He quickly realizes that they’re up against a guy who believes he’s ridding society of the worst kind of scum. In fact, he might think he’s actually doing the world a favor. The problem is, there are many who agree with him. It’s hard to drum up sympathy for the victims, even from within the FBI, who’s supposed to be helping. And when politics are thrown in, things get even worse.

To complicate matters, there’s the issue of whether PAR is even supposed to succeed. Nasty rumors have been spreading that its existence is on the line. Is that why Frank ceded command so easily? Still, Gardner pushes on. He doubles down on his vow to catch the killer, regardless of how vile the victims are. Not only is their suspect escalating, now he has made it personal. And it seems that he has second-guessed PAR at every turn so far. How does he keep one step ahead of them? Do they have a mole? Or worse, is he one of their own?

John McMahon has created a team of FBI agents so wildly weird that they can only succeed spectacularly or fail miserably. Gardner Camden, nicknamed the ace, is the puzzle solver, decoder and pattern recognizer. Frank Roberts is the boss. Cassie Pardo is the analyst; while she comes across as somewhat immature, don’t underestimate her. Joanne “Shooter” Harris is the agent everyone wants watching their back. And then there’s the rookie, Richie Brancato. Gardner can’t seem to find out much about him. His file is sealed, and background info on him is scarce. That feels troublesome, especially in this particular case, because trust is a precious commodity right now.

HEAD CASES is the start of a series, which is welcome news for readers. Not just another crime novel, it boasts a cast of fresh faces with personalities never before seen joined together in an obscure unit of the FBI tasked with handling what no one else can. Their methods may be unconventional, but that’s what makes them so watchable. And the suspense never lets up. What more could you ask for?