Customer Reviews

Mind Scrambler: A John Ceepak Mystery (John Ceepak Mysteries)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This review refers to the Audible recording narrated by Jeff Woodman

I have to hand it to the author. Chris Grabenstein isn't afraid of the difficult issues. Just when I was thinking that this book was just another story, he brought out the real story. The private lives of sanctimonious famous people are always of interest to the general public, but as we have seen recently with our unlamented politicians, sometimes private actions can become public. AS Ambrose Bierce said, "Hypocrisy: prejudice with a halo."

I generally dislike the "holier than thou" attitude I occasionally see with acquaintances and more often see with politicians. In this book, the author takes this hypocrisy head on.

As usual, the story is told by Danny Boyle, Ceepak's young, naïve deputy. When Ceepak and Danny are in Atlantic City to take a deposition from a witness, Danny's friend Katy (from the first book) is apparently killed in especially unseemly circumstances. Ceepak and Danny are deputized to assist in solving the crime. Simple, right? Not so simple. In fact the story takes an ugly turn into areas almost more revolting than the circumstances of Katy's death.

I highly recommend this book and especially in audio format. Jeff Woodman has a great versatility (he also has narrated numerous other books including *The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time* and Gabaldon's Lord John series) that is well showcased in this book. Don't give up on it - it takes nearly 2 hours of the 8 hour book to really get into the meat of the thing. I can't say more without completely spoiling the book.

Ceepak and Danny are in Atlantic City. It's just supposed to be an overnight trip to take a deposition. But Danny runs into former girlfriend Katie Landry. Katie is now working for magician Richard Rock, and his show is in town. Katie manages to score them some nice tickets for that evening's performance. Later, she calls Danny asking to meet him as soon as the show is over. When he goes to meet her, he finds her brutally murdered. As more and more things about her death don't add up, Danny feels more and more confused. Can Ceepak sort through the lies to find the truth?

I love Sea Haven and was a little disappointed when I discovered this book wasn't set in Ceepak and Danny's normal stomping grounds. But I quickly got over that as I was drawn into the story. I remembered Katie from her earlier appearances in the series. That made me emotionally invested in the outcome. The book took a dark turn, even for this series, that left me feeling very uncomfortable.

The main draw for me in this series is Ceepak and Danny. I absolutely love their relationship. Since this case is so intensely personal for Danny, we see Ceepak step forward a few times and act like a friend. Yet Danny is taking his responsibilities seriously as well. They truly make a great team.

The darkness of this book bothered me more than the other books in the series. It is still well worth reading. Just go into it expecting a bit more than some of the others and you'll be fine.

#5 John Ceepak mystery set along the Jersey shore, told from the POV of Ceepak's young partner, Danny Boyle. Danny and Ceepak are off to Atlantic City to obtain the deposition of a former cellmate of Ceepak's father in hopes of obtaining testimony that will convict him. (Yes, Ceepak's father is a real scumbucket that he hopes to see locked away with the key melted down.) While there, Danny bumps into his former girlfriend Katie--a kindergarten teacher who moved to California, and who is now employed as the nanny for Richard Rock, a big-time magician and illusionist performing at a ritzy casino in AC. Katie says she wants to talk to Danny about something, but before that happens, she turns up dead--and not only dead, but dressed in a kinky S&M outfit and looking like the victim of erotic asphyxiation--of course, we all know that wasn't the case and that she was murdered. But why? And did Katie really have a secret life that is totally out of character for the sweet girl Danny dated? Danny's mind is a bit scrambled with his personal involvement in the case, but Ceepak keeps him on the straight and narrow as they are deputized by the local constabulary to help investigate, muddling through the hidden world of stage magicians.

I enjoy this series more with each book, as we get to know Ceepak and Danny better. The bad guy stuck out like a sore thumb for me right from the beginning, but I had no idea why or the how it was done details, so still made for a very interesting, enjoyable read. More, more!

Chris Grabenstein's John Ceepak mysteries have been popular from their inception. Set in a fictional but very realistic vacation community of Sea Haven, New Jersey, Ceepak is the mentor of series narrator Danny Boyle; the two are policemen, with the less experienced Boyle partnered up with the veteran and strongly upright Ceepak. Grabenstein manages to follow a general pattern from book to book without becoming formulaic; the characters change, seemingly in real time. Thus Ceepak, over the course of the few years since the beginning of the series, has gotten married and is raising a family, while Boyle has grown more seasoned and a bit more sure of himself.

In keeping with this practice, Grabenstein, after four excellent volumes set in Sea Haven, moves the setting of MIND SCRAMBLER, his latest Ceepak novel, to Atlantic City. This is a brilliant decision; one of the appealing aspects of New Jersey is how diverse the northern, central and southern sections of the state remain while sharing certain elements. So it is that the shift to Atlantic City makes for a challenging, but not jarring, change of scenery for the series. Atlantic City is a blend of the best and worst of New Jersey, and just similar enough to Sea Haven that Ceepak and Boyle are not fish out of water; rather, they are just swimming in somewhat unfamiliar territory.

Ceepak and Boyle are in Atlantic City on business (partially set up as the result of events occurring in HELL HOLE, the previous volume in the series). While new to the city as a team, a number of characters from previous books flit in and out of the narrative to ease the transition. There is nothing easy, though, about the presence of Katie, Boyle's former crush, who makes an all-too-brief appearance as the nanny for the children of Richard Rock, an immensely popular casino illusionist. Boyle had carried a torch for Katie, and there is still a bit of a flicker to it, as evidenced by Boyle's reaction when Katie makes arrangements to meet with him after Rock's performance one evening. But Katie never makes it to the rendezvous; she is found brutally murdered under scandalous circumstances. Grabenstein presents a neat and clever variation of a locked room mystery here, though the room isn't so much locked as under surveillance, and the only one seen entering it is Danny.

Things get sorted out in due time, but the issue of the identity of Katie's killer remains, and becomes even more important when others associated with Rock's performances turn up dead. Ceepak is his usual steady self, providing a calming presence for Boyle, who is understandably upset about Katie's demise. Ultimately, it is Boyle whose determination and developing powers of observation win the day, setting up an increasingly important role for him in future volumes.

As Grabenstein moves the series forward, Boyle can be seen maturing personally and professionally. He is coming into his own as a result, not quite losing his hero worship of Ceepak but instead focusing more on learning from him as opposed to the slack-jawed adoration of previous novels. But the most significant aspect of the book is that Grabenstein demonstrates he is not above removing sympathetic characters from the board (or the boardwalk, as the case may be), adding an extra layer of suspense not only to MIND SCRAMBLER but also to those installments of the series yet to come.

--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

I happened upon Mind Scrambler while looking through the library for something to read. Ceepak and Boyle are my new best friends! I plan to buy the series so I can read them all, then add them to my "lending library" at work. They are well written and funny, with fine attention to detail. I love the NJ references too!

Enjoyed this thriller. The book holds your interest and you don't want to put it down. The main characters are like old friends.

Although opposites in outlook, Sea Haven, New Jersey police partners John Ceepak and Danny Boyle are on leave in Atlantic City. They are not there to gamble, but instead are taking a disposition in hopes of helping Ceepak's estranged dad who has been charged with murder in Ohio.

Boyle runs into former girlfriend Katie Landry, who is the nanny of Richie and Britney, the children of Xanadu headliner magician Richard Rock and his wife. Katie is dating a Xanadu bouncer but agrees to go for drinks with Danny. Their case abruptly ends when Ceepak's dad pleads guilty. Rock's manager hires the two cops as extra security due to a rumor that the Milton Berle of magicians (due to stealing their acts) Lady Jasmine is attending. Katie and Jake vanish while Rock performs his final act geared to get people into the casino; Boyle goes backstage to find Katie murdered. The Atlantic City police deputize the two Sea Haven cops as more homicides occur.

The latest John Ceepak investigation (see HELL HOLE) is a terrific entry as the by the book cop and his breaking the rules partner may be off duty, but quickly become embroiled in a murder mystery. The story line is fast-paced from the onset, but it is the camaraderie between the two polar opposite cops that once again make for an entertaining tale.

Harriet Klausner

I think the best synopsis of my feelings toward the Ceepak mysteries is to cut-and-paste an e-mail I sent to Chris Grabenstein (to which I received a very kind and gracious response). This is generalized toward all 5 books in the series:


"Hi Mr. Grabenstein,

I just wanted to take a moment and tell you what a fan I am of your work, especially the Ceepak/Boyle mysteries. I'm an avid reader, but was never much of a mystery buff. In a spot of serendipitous luck, I randomly picked up Tilt-a-Whirl at my local library and enjoyed it immensely. When I found out there were several more in the series, I went straight to amazon.com and bought all of them, and couldn't be more pleased with my purchase.
I've lived my whole life at the Jersey shore, in a town called Lacey (exit 74) that is pretty much halfway between LBI and Seaside Heights. I've spent alot of time in both, and Sea Haven is an apt amalgam of these two places. I've had friends who were Class I officers in Seaside, and I feel like Boyle is someone I could have been drinking buddies with (were he real, of course). Reading these novels is like seeing a movie filmed in your hometown.
Of course, a familiar setting does not necessarily make for a compelling read. In addition to being mind-bendingly mysterious, often touching, and sometimes downright hilarious, these stories excel at what I consider to be one of the most important aspects of any narrative work - characterization. Ceepak and Boyle are well-rounded, fleshed out characters who you can really connect with. Their motivations and personalities are given depth, and over the course of the series, you see how they change (Boyle especially as he grows into a man) and learn from each other. This is my favorite facet of the novels.
Well, I won't take up anymore of your time. I just wanted you to know you've earned a loyal (and local) fan. I suggest your books to anyone I know who enjoys reading and is willing to listen to me nerd-out about how much I like them. Thank you so much for hours of entertainment during which I've laughed out loud, been taken aback, and had my eyes mist up. I look forward anxiously to reading many more of your books in the future (I've read your holiday thrillers as well, which were great - now I'll have to check out your younger reader stuff for my Grabenstein fix!)"

Grabenstein takes his cop duo - Ceepak and Boyle to Atlantic City. The boys are there to take a deposition, running into one of Boyle's old girlfriends when they hit town.

Danny Boyle is asked by his previous girlfriend, Katie Landry, to meet him after the show. Katie is currently a nanny to the children of a master illusionist and his wife who also joins him onstage.

Boyle and Ceepak take in the show and afterwards Boyle finds Katie murdered in her room. The scene is right out of a bad porn flick - S and M, torture and strangulation.

The book requires a suspension of belief when the Atlantic City Police Department deputize Boyle and Ceepak and ask them to help investigate the case. Ceepak is his usual high and tight self, Danny devastated by the loss of his friend and former lover.

The book gives you an inside look at magic and the people who entertain for a living, especially the seamier side.

Light reading, but fun.

Always good to read what is happening in the world of Ceepak and his side kick. Glad there will be more.