Head Case (Tom Mondrian #1) by Ross Armstrong

Head Case (Tom Mondrian #1) Reviews

• 
  Susan

  I enjoyed Ross Armstrong’s previous novel, “The Watcher,” and was interested to read this. Our main character is Tom Mondrian, a community support officer in London. When we meet him, Tom’s life is not really going to plan. A man who has spent his whole life in the same house, in the same community, he is suddenly going to see some huge changes in what has been, frankly, a fairly uneventful existence. First of all, his girlfriend is about to leave him. Secondly, he is about to be shot in the head, while directing traffic…
  
  The bullet in Tom’s brain causes him to experience some odd changes. He finds himself unable to recognise faces. He associates smells with colours. Unable to read without effort, he turns to audible books to fill his sudden longing for learning. Oh, and he unable to read social cues. Being a community support officer was not meant to be dangerous – shoplifting, petty crimes and community relations. However, Tom is keen to get back to work and is teamed up with a new partner, the long suffering Emre Bartu. Girls are going missing and Tom has a sudden urge to investigate and new skills, which enable him to make sense of clues that others may miss. Dragging Emre along with him, Tom is suddenly breaking all kinds of rules in his attempt to discover what is going on in the neighbourhood he loves.
  
  This is a funny and interesting mystery. Tom is a wonderful character and his quirky behaviour allows him to push all kinds of boundaries. Of course, some of Tom and Emre’s scrapes are a little unbelievable, but I was fairly happy to go along for the ride. I really hope that these characters appear in further books, as I think this could turn into a good series.
  
• 
  Liz Barnsley

  Really thoroughly enjoyed this story of Tom who after a brain injury finds he works on another level – a slightly convoluted, like the character himself, story but genuinely compelling and highly amusing.
  
  Tom is shot, after which his perspectives on life quite literally change – an inability to recognise faces, a highly analytical mind and a tendency to say exactly what he thinks the minute he thinks it makes for some truly hilarious moments and ultimately for a few edge of the seat ones as he see’s a pattern that nobody else is seeing.
  
  One of the huge strengths of this novel is the personal relationships – Tom has to build and rebuild these, I was especially fond of Emre who as Tom’s long suffering work partner has a beautifully calm yet ironic edge to him. The mystery element is intelligent and quirky, as we see things unfold through Tom’s eyes. This makes it a little disjointed in places with his tendency for no filter, but endlessly intriguing and often unexpected.
  
  I believe this is the first of a series from Ross Armstrong, whose previous novel, The Watcher, I thoroughly enjoyed. Head Case is a completely different but for me personally even better piece of storytelling – I like the books that bring a different edge and a new context to the crime genre and for me Head Case certainly did that. I can’t wait to find out what is next for Tom.
  
  Recommended.
  
  
• 
  Renita D'Silva

  Very unique protagonist
• 
  Sid Nuncius

  I enjoyed Head Case. It had an outstandingly good beginning which wasn't quite maintained throughout the book, but it's a decent crime novel with an interesting premise.
  
  Tom Mondrian has just begun work as a PCSO when he is shot in the head, apparently by a stray bullet. This disrupts his mental processes, of course: he cannot recognise or recall faces and his ability to behave normally in social interactions is limited, among other effects, but his senses work unusually acutely and he experiences synesthesia – all of which gives him an unusual and sometimes very acute insight into what is going on.
  
  The book is narrated by Tom himself, and the description of the shooting and his subsequent struggle to recover is quite brilliant, I think. I found this section fascinating and absolutely riveting. Then, as he returns to work, he begins to involve himself in the investigation of missing girls. Despite the unusual angle of Tom's account, I found this plot a little conventional, as well as having the implausibilities so often found in Maverick Investigator books: the failure to go to the proper authorities when it's the obvious thing to do, the deliberately putting himself in danger for the sake of a Tense Climax rather than make sure he has the obvious backup needed and so on.
  
  Tom's unusual perspective kept my interest throughout, but only just, to be honest. The book, especially in the middle, could have done with a good deal of tightening up and rather more attention to believability. However, I still enjoyed it and if there's another Tom Mondrian book in the offing I'll definitely give it a try. So, recommended with some reservations.
  
  (I received an ARC via NetGalley.)
  
• 
  Marshamariella

  3.9* I almost gave up reading this book it started off really slow and the book font was not helping my eyes at all but very happy I pushed through I liked the main character alot and his working relationship with his partner very quirky and comedic.
• 
  Kath

  I enjoyed this author's previous book, The Watcher, as it was a little bit different from the norm, so I was very interested in seeing what he would serve up next. From The Watcher, I knew that I was probably in for an interesting ride as I spent the majority of that book a wee bit on the confused side but, he came through for me in the end in that book so I was able to trust that he'd probably do likewise here. I am glad I had this foresight for this book as, to be honest, it was also a bit unique!
  So, Tom Mondrian is a Police Community Support Officer in London. He has only just finished his training and has been on the job barely a week before he is shot in the head. Instead of killing him outright, the bullet fragments and lodges in various parts of his brain causing damage to areas responsible for certain personality traits. The two most obvious and indeed important ones being that he now can't recognise faces, nor does he have that filter between brain and mouth. Basically bypassing the "What you think and what you say" filter. He has other quirks too but I will leave you to discover them in your own time.
  He is shocked and surprised when, instead of being cut from the force, pensioned off in the line of duty, his employment is continued. Something about disability quota and good publicity, being some of the reasons bandied about.
  He is partnered with fellow PCSO Emre Bartu and the two of them are sent to do the mundane work usually carried out by those in their position. On one such call, they dip their toes into the ongoing investigation of missing schoolgirls. Tom's interested is piqued and he uses his new found skills, born from his condition, to inveigle himself into the case; off the books of course, with Emre a reluctant but mostly willing participant.
  One of the things that made this book for me was the wonderful character of Tom Mondrian. In him, the author has created someone really rather special. Not just with his new skillset as there were glimpses to be found before the accident. I am not sure exactly what it is about him but I took to him from the off. Post-accident, with all his quirks established, he just blossomed into someone really quite unique. Told from his own perspective, it is at times challenging to follow but, as already mentioned, I have been here with this author before so I knew to stick with it. It's refreshingly good to be challenged as a reader, there's not too much of this about these days. We also go around the houses a fair bit to get to where we end up but again, this is within keeping of his condition. He's the one telling the story so we have to follow it from his perspective.
  I am not sure exactly how plausible / credible the story really is but, to be honest, I like Mondrian enough to really rather not care too much about this nitpicky stuff. It's a wild ride and one I am glad I took, holding on tight of course! Best thing is, it's a series opener which means that I get to do it all again in the future. I'm ready when you are!
  My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
• 
  Samuel Tyler

  Of all the genres I read, the most samey is Crime Fiction. Sometimes it feels that there are only so many ways that you can investigate a murder, but on occasion an author does come at things from a new angle. I have read a few altered narrator novels in my time, the most famous being ‘The Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime’ and often find them a little hard to follow. Balancing the mental gymnastics of the character with a narrative that makes sense is not easy. Ross Armstrong is the latest brave soul to try, but as the title of ‘Head Case’ suggests, this is a crime book that does not take itself too seriously.
  
  When Tom Mondiran becomes a PCSO he does not think that he will be in much danger, but within a week he has been shot. The bullet entered the brain and stayed, but rather than killing Tom, it altered the way he perceived things. Faces no longer make sense and smells give off a colour, this is detrimental, but when three school girls go missing it actually gives him an edge over his colleagues. Shame then that he is still just a PCSO and not only that, a token disabled PCSO that no one takes seriously.
  
  Without the central premise of Tom’s damaged brain, ‘Head Case’ would be an interesting, but standard slice of crime fiction. The kidnappings and various goings on are usual, but how they are perceived are not. Tom is a great narrator as he has a cold logic and dark sense of humour. The book is split between the actual investigation of a crime and Tom handling his new way of thinking. Some of the best parts of the book are the bluntness that Tom deals with people as he no longer has the ability to read social cues – or when he does, he ignores them.
  
  What lifts ‘Head Crime’ from a good book into an excellent one if Armstrong’s ability to create an interesting world around Tom. There is a black sense of fun when Tom returns to work as everyone in the police station knows who he is. They treat him with kid gloves as they see him as broken. Rather than being depressed by this, Tom uses their naivety to his advantage and gets away with far more than he should.
  
  Armstrong also does a great job of using limitations to enhance the story. Not only is Tom at a limitation socially, but also on the career ladder. The relationship he has with his PCSO partner is one of the highlights of the book. They are meant to direct traffic and visit schools, but instead Tom is constantly dragging them into danger. Giving them such a lowly role in the force makes the investigation that more interesting as rules need to be bent.
  
  For all the kidnapping, murder and being shot in the head, ‘Head Case’ is actually a fun read. Armstrong does not get too worried about the minutia of head trauma and makes sure that Tom is an odd, but coherent narrator. The book rattles along at a fast pace and has a good conclusion. Tom’s social quirks and ability to sniff out the solution means that he is a far more interesting central character than most crime thrillers have. I look forward to future outings.
  
• 
  Isla Scott

  I mostly enjoyed this book, particularly at the start but I found myself struggling to keep up with all the various plot intracacies/details towards the end. I got muddled with the various characters - who were related to the missing people and who had links to Tom's history, for example.
  
  I am curious about neurology and I liked the concept of a PCSO recovering from brain trauma. I recognised some of the conditions/afflictions he speaks of in the text, such as Synesthesia (a combination of the senses, for example relating colours to tastes) and the like but I couldn't help but think that there wasn't enough in the way of medical references. I suppose it could be a bit of a put off to some but I found myself thinking that if all thats said were really true, there's surely little chance such a person would be allowed to return to the police force, even if at a fairly low level such as being a PCSO (Police Community Support Officer). Something about it felt really quite far fetched and the combination of that and the number of sub plots put me off.
  
  However, its a somewhat easy read if you dont mind not keeping track of absolutely everything and its not got an excessively long pagination (350 pages). The protagonist isn't unlikeable I suppose - there are worse reads but it didn't overly appeal to me, so I'd say its an ok read overall.
• 
  Nick Brett

  Newly minted PCSO Tom Mondrian is shot in the head and undergoes significant personality change from brain damage. He is allowed to continue in his job, the Metropolitan Police wanting to be seen to be doing the right thing by one of their injured officers, but Tom is a very different person now. He has a changed perspective, no emotional filters and an inability to remember people or faces.
  The abduction of some school girls is taking the focus of his colleagues, but Tom’s different view of things enables him to see aspects that others are missing, but will anyone believe him?
  So, part abduction/murder story and part the personal journey of Tom, with some interesting perspectives on brain injury and personality change. Tom’s colleagues become a little irritated with him and I found myself in the same place sometimes, so that Tom’s perspective sometimes became challenging to understand and relate to. He is also kind of allowed to get away with a lot more than a normal PCSO would be!
  But this is different and does make you think a bit, along with an insight to how the brain works under different circumstances
• 
  Annette

  I liked the opening of this book which is about a detective who has been shot in the head who has had his whole outlook and detecting powers altered by his head injury. It is told in the first person and the description of the shooting and his subsequent struggle to recover is very good.
  His attempt to investigate The disappearance of some teenage girls with his partner starts well but then becomes very laboured. I read up to a third of the book but could read no further as I was not enjoying the style and the plot seemed very disjointed.
  I think that the book would require some judicious editing before publication in order to make it more compelling.
  Thanks to NetGalley for my arc in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  Hel Cruse

  This was an interesting read. The prospect of the PCSO with a brain injury which renders him with no filter and an inabiity to recognise face was intriguing. I loved the way the story fed along and reading the thought process of Tom Mondrian... I thought to myself, this would make a great series... and a great TV Show - and I see that on the Authors page it is listed as No 1 of a series. Yay
  
  The story was grand, I totally enjoyed it, as seen by my five day read... but oh so much more could have been made of Tom's inability to recognise faces and his lack of filter. The trait i love most of all in people is the ability to speak as they see, and Tom could be my new hero
• 
  Gemma

  You would think being shot in the head and surviving would give you a personality... I guess not.
  
  I was surprised when I found out Tom (main guy in book) is in his late 20's, he came across as much older. Did he have no friends or social life despite living in London and in the borough where he grew up???
  
  And he gets a cat at his doctors requests because it can help with recovery, then we barely hear about the cat again. Why put it in if you're not going to follow up on it?
  
  The relationship between Tom and Emre (Tom's work partner) is what saved this book from being a one star.
• 
  Michaela

  Lots of things factually wrong with this book. He claimed to have an advantage from the police due to the head injury and that he didn’t get disciplined or removed from duty due to this.
  
  I doubt if this happened in real life he would be allowed to return to active duty never mind do all the things he did secretly in this book.
  
  I didn’t enjoy it being written from his point of view as due to the head injury a lot of it didn’t make sense.
  
  Enjoyed the story. But felt it was drawn out too long.
• 
  Terri Nelson

  I enjoyed this story. It kept me guessing up to the end, although I had guessed little bits - not enough to put it all together, which I like. The writing style was difficult to keep track of sometimes, and I feel it would have been easier to read in one sitting rather than trying to remember who lesser talked of characters were each time I picked it up. Having said that, it does put you more in tune with the main character. Definitely worth a read.
• 
  Organ

  As this is my first book in years, I’ve not much to compare it too. I enjoyed this a bit but not enough that I couldn’t put the book down. I got easily distracted and often put the book down, i however really enjoyed the main character and his friend burts bromance, the main characters “new” mind was slightly funny and entertaining. (Not used to reviewing forgive me)
• 
  Jeni

  This was a quirky detective story that I wasnt sure I was enjoying for about the first third. I was intrigued though which kept me interested enough to keep going, and I'm glad I did. I was quite hooked by the end. :)
• 
  Tanyel

  Hmmm this one took me 7 days. A long time for me. In parts it grabbed my attention but then it just seemed to drag. Not sure if it was the writing style or storyline, but it just didn't keep me hooked but the basis of the story was alright.
• 
  Lauren

  3.5 stars Tom Mondrian is a great character.
• 
  Chris Bullock

  Written in present tense, which I don't like. Sorry.
• 
  Nicky Mottram

  Audio version of this book- highly original storyline, narrated by the author
• 
  Joanne Parkington

  A funny read, an interesting twist on a main character ... not too strong a plot though (you’ll prob guess half way through) .. I look forward to the next to see where this character goes ..
• 
  Linda

  Quirky but good. Will read more of these.
• 
  Heather Hardie

  I really wanted to enjoy this book as it has great ideas in it but I just found it implausible.
• 
  Megan Robinson

  Not sure if I enjoyed the style of this book, found it difficult to enjoy.
• 
  Tony Johnston

  Unfortunately I did not finish this book. Read about half but just found the writing style a bit fragmented and the plot line laboured. Sorry Ross!
• 
  Karen Makeham

  Worth persevering with, as it is a great story, unusual lead character
• 
  Mollie

  I actually really enjoyed this book. I loved how we followed the investigation and how it all came together in the end.