Customer Reviews

Head Game

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If I could put together a batting line-up for the best in suspense, I'd be sure to include some of my newest favorites: Harlan Coben, Joseph Finder, Robert Liparulo, and Daniel Silva. There is no doubt, though, that Tim Downs would belong on that list. From his quirky Bug Man series, to his international thriller "Plague Maker," to this newest head-to-head mind game between two Gulf War survivors, Downs continues to impress.

"Head Game" follows Cale Caldwell, a man trained in pyschological operations. He used his skills to convince thousands of Iraqi soldiers to surrender in the Gulf War, but now he's settled into more routine employment while trying to raise a teenage daughter and recover from the death of his beloved wife. Adding to the pressure, he finds out that a fellow vet has committed suicide by throwing himself off a bridge.

Cale and his old war buddy, Pug, find themselves pitted against an Iraqi with a view for revenge. There are no-holds barred in this man's twisted game, and Cale will be stretched to his limits as he discovers things about himself, his marriage, and his daughter. The book speeds along at a great pace, while never forgetting to care about its characters. Downs also makes a subtle, but very effective, comparison between the psychological warfare waged against one man and the spiritual warfare we all face--against depression, loneliness, and doubt.

Once again, Tim Downs hits one out of the park. If someone asks me who I want at bat on this team of suspense, I'll tell them, "Downs is up!"

This was the first time I read any of Tim's books, and now I've got to find the rest of them. This book was incredible from start to finish. It had the most original first chapter of any recent Christian novel I've seen (drawn by the author himself), and then followed up with a gripping story that kept me reading until the end. My reading time is limited, so I don't finish a lot of the books I start unless they keep my interest. This one did! The in-depth look into PsyOps and how it's really used in the military was fascinating. I highly recommend it.

Cale Caldwell is a veteran of the Gulf War who served in the Army's Psy Ops forces. Life couldn't be better for Cale with his beautiful wife and daughter and his rising career as an advertising genius. After the tragic loss of his wife, he struggles with the daunting task of raising his teenage daughter alone. When Cale gets word that his best friend has committed suicide, he suspects foul play and begins to investigate further. Soon he becomes the target of an unknown madman who will use any means necessary to see him suffer. As Cale looks deeper into the mystery of his friend's suicide he uncovers shocking revelations tied to his past that may have deadly consequences.

Tim Downs has delivered a powerful psychological thriller in his latest novel. The plot is perfectly paced with effective twists and turns throughout. Downs expertly places pieces to this unfolding puzzle throughout the story that draws the reader in with ease. Themes of good vs. evil are effectively explored through the backdrop of psychological warfare. Cale's relationship with his daughter is a roller coaster of emotions that will tug at the heart strings of parents. This is a suspenseful tale that will have readers holding on for the ride and guessing until the end. Head Game is highly recommended for fans of mystery and suspense. (From Christian Library Journal)

In the first Gulf War thousands of Iraqi soldiers surrendered after reading propaganda leaflets written and drawn by three men: Cale, Kirby, and Pug. 87,000 lives were saved--at least that's the way those men and the U.S. government saw it.

Iraqi Colonel Hashim doesn't see it that way. He considers the PsyOps trio his worst enemies. Because of them and their leaflets he was forced to abandon everything he'd ever held dear: his country, his sweetheart, but most importantly his honor. Fifteen years have passed, and it's time for revenge. Carefully watching and waiting, Hashim knows the men like the back of his hand--and he knows how to hit them where it hurts.

Veteran Cale Caldwell is a successful ad agency wonderboy who's storybook life couldn't be better. He has the job, the house, the beautiful wife and daughter. But it all crumbles when his wife dies in a car accident. Her death leaves an aching hole in his heart, and his thirteen-year-old daughter hasn't been the same since. What should draw father and daughter together is shoving them further and further apart. Clueless what to do, Cale isn't prepared for tragedy to strike again. Or to be drawn into the most intense psychological battle of his career. At least in Iraq he was the one creating the head games, and he knew who his enemy was.

Downs put a lot of effort into giving his readers a literary experience. Head Game isn't a fluffy action-adventure loaded with explosives and special effects---it's a well-thought out story full of intricate details. Some of the backstory could have been woven into the plot better, but readers will come away with a deeper understanding of the history of the first Iraq war and Middle Eastern thought (the concepts of honor and revenge). And he doesn't skimp on the novel's end, either. He takes the time to make it satisfying.

Tim Downs is creating a mark for himself in suspense fiction, and Head Game is a solid, compelling entry in his bibliography. Closer to Plague Maker than his quirky "Bugman" novels (there isn't a bug to be found in Head Game), Downs raises the bar with this psychological thriller. Right from the comic-esque prologue drawn by Downs himself, you know you're in for something a little different.

One of the trademarks of a Tim Downs novel is his ability to immerse you in a world completely different from your own, and that tradition continues with Head Game. There wasn't much to take away spiritually (even less than Plague Maker, which at least had at its core the theme of forgiveness), but that's obviously not what Downs was going for with this story.

With a unique premise and several hit-you-between-the-eyes twists, Head Game has all the elements of a blockbuster. What will Downs come up with next?

--Reviewed by C.J. Darlington for TitleTrakk

This is the first Tim Downs' title I've read, but it certainly won't be the last. Downs is definitely an author I will keep track of from now on.

The main character, Cale Caldwell, has more questions than answers when he learns of a friend's suicide. Comrade and friend Kirby has apparently jumped off a bridge into a watery grave. Cale and Pug, captain of their Desert Storm Psychological Operations team, discover a man bent on revenge, who won't rest until they're all dead.

This was a very original story line, one that interested me until the very end. A huge twist at the end added to the excitement, making for a very satisfying ending.

Kudos to the author for creating a suspenseful thriller with interesting characters and food for thought. Several paragraphs of unneeded backstory (happening several times throughout the book) slowed down the plot a bit too much for me, but that was the only downside.

I highly recommend this book for any suspense lover.

Head Game is a psychological thriller told by the talented Tim Downs of Plague Maker fame. The story begins with an impressive author-illustrated suicide note which immediately evokes interest.

Though not told at typical thriller warped-speed, this novel had the perfect blend of humor, pace and amazing character development.

Each intertwining storyline was well thought out and satisfying. We follow the lives of half a dozen characters, each unique, multi-faceted and engaging. The "head game" aspect builds slowly, as a good psychological thriller should, until the last few chapters which had me ripping back the pages in hungry anticipation.

Tim tells a compelling story full of three-dimensional characters and beautifully executed plot twists.

There was one minor disappointment for me: A section of the story where the antagonist explains in detail his motivations. Downs did such a great job at showing this that it became a case of show AND tell. I already got it and didn't care for the neon-sign.

Other than that one minor & subjective infraction, Head Game is one of the best written books I've read this year and I can't wait to get my hands on his next project. I enthusiastically recommend this book!

Having read Shoofly Pie, Chop Shop, and PlagueMaker, I have been eagerly awaiting Tim Downs' new book called Head Game. It does not disappoint! The first chapter depicts, in graphic format, a man driven to commit suicide. He leaves a graphic (comic book) suicide note, then jumps off a bridge. Cale Caldwell is left to pack up his Desert Storm buddy's effects. While he does not believe his friend would commit suicide, his own life is falling apart. His wife has been killed and he is left to raise his teen-aged daughter. He finds that all he believed in is a lie. His job during the war was to spread propaganda leaflets to the Iraqis so they would surrender. Will he surrender to the despair or find there is a real enemy to fight. Page-turning mystery!

In his absorbing thriller, HEAD GAME, the talented Tim Downs explores the power of psychological warfare, with excellent results.

Downs (PLAGUEMAKER) sets up his best novel to date by giving us a window into the Gulf War and three men who form a tightly-knit PsyOps unit. Cale Caldwell is an advertising executive whose fresh talents are put to work writing leaflets encouraging Iraqi soldiers to surrender. "The product the Army was selling was simply life: survival; continued existence; the chance to see your loved ones again; the chance to get your first decent meal in weeks...." "King" Kirby (born Alderson Dumfries) is an aspiring comic book illustrator whose talents are put to work in the PsyOps unit. Captain "Pug" Moseley is the wise Intelligence Officer who also does "market research" and is "the old warhorse" of the group.

Downs excels at intriguing the reader with his detailed account of how the trio puts together leaflets that will best appeal to Iraqi soldiers and cause them to surrender. His descriptions of the nuances of language and how a word used or deleted can affect the reader will capture fans from the opening pages. (For example, The Army changes a leaflet message from "Surrender" to "Surrender with honor" with significant results.)

But all of this is background to the story that unfolds in present-day Charlotte, North Carolina, where Caldwell, a recent widower, and his teenage daughter Hannah are caught in a downward spiral of unfortunate events. Caldwell is told that his former PsyOps buddy Kirby has committed suicide. Caldwell's dead wife's past may not be as squeaky clean as he imagined, and the mild-mannered and beloved family dog, Molly, has seemingly attacked an innocent passerby. Then Hannah, angry and bitter about her mother's death and her father's long absences, takes up with a hardened girl at school and plots revenge against what she sees as her father's misdeeds. But are these misfortunes really random events? Or the work of a brilliant enemy bent on revenge?

Fans who have followed Downs from his debut novel, SHOOFLY PIE, will be delighted to see that he isn't afraid to explore new genres (most previous novels have had a tie-in to forensics or biological warfare). However, they'll also wonder what happened to Downs's delightful sense of humor, which is part of what made his earlier novels (CHOP SHOP) so appealing. It's not in evidence much here. The death of Hannah by a drunk driver is also a stock plot element overly used in faith fiction. One publishing snafu: A discount sticker that the reader is supposed to peel away for instructions on redemption turned out to be a bust --- the instructions were illegible.

However, the success of this suspense novel lies in Downs's fresh approach to what could have been a tired plot in another author's hands (old enemy seeks revenge). One of the most interesting portions of the book is the opening chapter, which is done as a graphic novel illustration of suicide, penned by the author. It's wonderful to see some experimentation in faith fiction --- WestBow is to be commended for taking some chances here --- as should Downs for executing this well. One of Downs's stunning plot twists keeps the reader glued to the story until the last page is turned.

Downs is one of the most talented suspense novelists in the faith fiction genre, and keeps improving with each new book. Readers won't want to miss this one.

--- Reviewed by Cindy Crosby

After Tim Downs' failed attempt at whimsy with WONDERS NEVER CEASE, I pulled HEAD GAME off my bookshelf, hoping his thrillers would be more entertaining. Downs is the author of the successful Bug Man series, but HEAD GAME is a stand alone thriller about an ad executive Cale Caldwell that gets caught up in a battle of the minds with a villain whose motives date back twenty years. This novel is really good, a page turner with plenty of twists. This book answered all doubts I had on Downs and I plan on continuing to read his novels.

Caldwell was part of a unit in the first Iraq war that dropped leaflets on the Iraqis urging them to surrender. Cale's persuasiveness worked too, and thousands surrendered without firing a shot. Now, he's a successful ad executive raising daughter Grace on his own after his wife died in a car accident. Grace blames her dad for moving them away from Chicago and her friends and their relationship is struggling.

Cale's life slowly begins to fall apart. Grace turns against him, work problems arise, and he begins to doubt his wife really loved him. Downs makes a potentially poor choice halfway through the novel by revealing the source of all of Cale's problems. The revelation sucked some of the suspense out of the novel, but Downs overcomes this by taking the novel in a new direction.

The climax is rewarding and surprising and the father/daughter relationship drives the novel. I enjoyed this well-researched thriller. Downs is a rising star in Christian suspense.

Tim keeps you on edge and guessing from cover to cover with a great unexpected ending. Great read. Hats off to Tim !