Mind Kill [Paperback]

Richard LA Plante (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1999

Imprisoned for a series of murders, charismatic cult leader Justin Gabriel has spent years honing his mental abilities. He can travel through dreams and turn them into nightmares. Gabriel invades the dreams of those who put him in prison and terrifies them to death. One of the victims, a retired policeman, is driven to the brink of insanity and must find a new spiritual path if he is to survive.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A murderer who kills via mind control proves a formidable adversary for a Philadelphia medical examiner in La Plante's latest suspense outing, which turns from the author's normal martial arts motif (Leopard, etc.) to the dark side of ESP. Ex-cop Bill Fogarty's Long Island retirement plans are rudely interrupted when a strange nightmare brings on a psychotic episode and lands him in a mental hospital. The dream's author is charismatic Justin Gabriel, a Manson-esque cult leader whom Fogarty busted for murder several years earlier. Intent on killing everyone who helped put him away, Gabriel has been using his psychic powers to visit his enemies in their dreams and provoke deadly panic attacks. The task of stopping him falls to Fogarty's friend, medical examiner Josef Tanaka, who uses his own ESP to connect the dots in the case. But Tanaka soon finds himself a target of the diabolical Gabriel: Tanaka is forced to kidnap Fogarty from the hospital and make him mentally revisit the bust that led to Gabriel's quest for vengeance. La Plante props up a questionable conceit with an engaging cast of characters, writes believable "imaginary" murder scenes and makes a home for both paranormal and normal suspense in this briskly plotted tale. Agent: Nat Sobel.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews

The X-Files might be useful here as a kind of litmus test. For those who love the TV mega-hit, this fourth in La Plante's creepy-crawly series (Steroid Blues, 1995, etc.) stands a better than average chance of finding favor. X-File naysayers should probably look elsewhere. Because realityor whats commonly accepted as suchgives way here to a set of operating principles difficult to describe and even harder to define. This makes for a world in which anything is possible and nothingperish the thoughtrequires the anchoring of conventional science. ``We're all just one big mind,'' says a La Plante character who's got it figured out. X-File fans will no doubt know what that means, or at least be comfortable with not knowing. They'll also be prepared for Justin Gabriel, a heartless killer who commits his crimes while locked away in Philadelphia's Greaterford prison. By hiring hit men? Nothing so mundane. He dreams his wayit's a ``spontaneous transmission of energy `' thinginto his victims minds and frightens them into cardiac arrest. Bill Fogarty, retired cop and one of the series heroes, becomes a case in point. He's being driven to distraction by a terrifying Gabriel emanationan enormous black bird of prey. No one else can see it, but it haunts Fogarty, who obsesses over it, can't get free of it, and is being destroyed by it. Enter his pal Joey Tanaka, forensic pathologist, martial arts specialist, and co-series hero, who rids Fogarty of his demon. How that happensa kind of Pilgrim's Progress to a Zenlike never-never landforms the burden of La Plante's tale. Not for everyone, obviously: too strange, too surreal. Yet it's paradoxically true that the most affecting thing in the novel is the friendship between Fogarty and Tanakaindomitable, imperishable, and as traditional as David and Jonathan. -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 318 pages
• Publisher: Tom Doherty Assoc Llc; 1 Mass Mkt edition (July 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812584058
• ISBN-13: 978-0812584059
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,835,982 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great writer with a great story, August 26, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Mind Kill (Hardcover)

This is a rare jewel that I have found so far in summer98. The structure of this book is tight, the tension of the plot so unbearable that once you start, it'd never let you put down until the last page is flipped over. The scenario, well, quite convincing and believable. All the characters are also well crafted. A born writer with deep insight of human nature. This novel should be in the top 10 bestseller list; if not, a serious promotional marketing(or just totally non-exist?) problem must be corrected. Would like to get all his other books right away.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Midkill: A Fascinating Book!, March 11, 2000

By 

G.Chavez (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mind Kill (Hardcover)

Midkill must be the best kept secret in the publishing world. La Plante seems to have gone through these experiences himself, such is his detailed description and knowledge on mind control. This is a well weaved plot with a thrilling pace and a most enjoyable style. Each one of the characters has something valuable to contibute to the story in terms of motives and philosophical reasons. La Plante is a daring writer, one who is eager to explore what others are scared of even considering. I like his choice of a half American-half Japanese protagonist to illustrate the schism between the Western and Eastern thoughts. There's really an abyss between them both. If you are an exploring soul with an open mind, don't miss this book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A thrilling psychic adventure novel, July 27, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (New York, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mind Kill (Hardcover)

MIND KILL By Richard La Plante

This is an amazing and wonderful book. It introduces the idea of psychic warriors with two fascinating characters, pitted in a battle for not only life and death, but their eternal souls as well. LaPlante has moved from the world of martial arts which he depicted so excitingly in Mantis and Leopard, to the realms of higher consciousness, mystic teachings and the frontiers of human knowledge...bringing them into our normal lives in a chill-thrilling action suspense novel that delivers what the X-Files only hints at. His characters are real, his writing is compelling and carries you non-stop, and his ideas will open your mind and both terrify and uplift you. Don't miss it!