L.A. Mental

Critically acclaimed writer Neil McMahon firmly establishes himself as one of today’s top thriller writers with this dark and mesmerizing story that weaves together Hollywood and a cult, old money and futuristic technologies—a powerful tale of suspense sure to catapult him to bestsellerdom.A respected judge goes berserk, destroying his home. . . .A wealthy celebrity widow is found floating unconscious in her pool. . . .A brilliant young astrophysicist is killed when he runs onto a busy freeway. . . .To psychologist Tom Crandall, the residents of Los Angeles seem to be going insane. Over the past few months, people have randomly become unhinged, exploding in violent, self-destructive rampages. Now Tom’s younger brother Nick is lying in a hospital bed after narrowly surviving a fall off a Malibu cliff. But, as Tom soon finds out, the accident is only the latest in a string of alarming events involving his troubled sibling. Nick has been blackmailing members of his wealthy family, including his brother Paul—a would-be Hollywood mogul whose latest project involves a film-production company headed by a charismatic scientist who holds some disturbing theories about power and human behavior.Concerned about Paul’s dealings, Tom heads to the film set, where he meets a physicist turned filmmaker, the brilliant and enigmatic Swede named Gunnar Kelso. Soon Tom is caught in a terrifying scheme that threatens his sanity and his very life, and he must race to uncover the truth before it’s too late.A tightly plotted tale of twisting suspense and paranoia, of cutting-edge science, a diabolical conspiracy, and family betrayal, L.A. Mental is a roller-coaster ride from the first page to the last.