Trouble in Mind

Written by Michael Wiley

Narrated by Paul Woodson

Introducing maverick Chicago private investigator Sam Kelson in the first of a hardhitting new crime noir series.



Sam Kelson is a PI like no other. As a consequence of being shot in the head while working undercover as a Chicago cop, he suffers from disinhibition: he cannot keep silent or tell lies when questioned. But truth be told—and Kelson always tells the truth—he still feels compelled to investigate and, despite the odds, he's good at his job.



Hired by Trina Felbanks to investigate her pharmacist brother, whom she suspects is dealing drugs, Kelson arrives at Felbanks' home to make a shocking discovery. Arrested on suspicion of murder, he makes an even more startling discovery concerning his client's identity. Kelson would appear to have been set up . . . but by whom, and why?



As events spiral out of control and the body count rises, Kelson realizes he's made a dangerously powerful enemy. Will he survive long enough to discover who has targeted him—and what it is they want?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Highbridge Company
• Release date: Jan 1, 2020
• ISBN: 9781684577828

Michael Wiley

Michael Wiley was brought up in Chicago, and now teaches literature at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville. He is the Shamus Award-winning author of three previous novels in the Chicago-based Joe Kozmarski PI series

Reviews for Trouble in Mind

[joycebl · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The protagonist in Trouble in Mind by Michael Wiley is Sam Kelson, a retired police detective, turned private I. He has an interesting back story; he was shot in the head resulting in damage in the part of the brain that controls inhibitions. Sam says whatever comes to mind and answers questions with the truth no matter what the consequences. In a profession where truth telling may get one in trouble, this creates particularly difficult situations. So while the disinhibition generates interesting conflict, the situations he puts himself in are illogical and at times ridiculous. He is so often incompetent - after people break into his office 5 times due to an inadequate lock, he still doesn't change it to protect himself. I rolled my eyes at his ineptitude too many times to be interested in reading more about him.

[aussiegrl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this book. I don't believe I have ever ready anything with a main character quite like Sam Kelson. He truly had me on the edge of my seat by what would come out of his mouth next. There were times I thought to myself "No, Sam don't say that!!". I figured out the twist maybe a couple chapters before it was revealed, but it was still an exciting journey and I can't wait to listen to the next audio book in the series. I hope Sam continues his partnership with Rodman.

[belgrade18 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A noir detective novel set in present-day Chicago. The catch with the protagonist is that he has a traumatic brain injury from being shot in the head two years previously when he was a police officer and a drug bust went awry (the drug dealer was killed). This brain injury causes Sam Kelson to lack inhibition- he just says whatever's on his mind at the moment, including hitting on women in his vicinity or being unable to hide from a killer who asks where he is. This character aspect is reminiscent of the main character in Motherless Brooklyn who has Tourette's Syndrome and cannot stop interjecting non-sensical statements and phrases into just about any conversation. Both characters are social outcasts- in the case of Kelson, his wife even divorced him, and he has few friends. Trouble in Mind is decently written for a noir suspense mystery, with some good writing popping up frequently, however, the plot meanders and turns in on itself a few times as Kelton searches out the same people in the same spots over and over. Sam Kelson is an endearing figure, however, in a world of crazy characters. Recommended as a quick noir detective read, but probably won't win any awards (famous last words?).

[vnesting-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sam Kelson is a PI with a problem: since he was shot in the head during a drug bust gone wrong in his previous career as a cop, he suffers from disinhibition — blurting out the truth (or whatever is on his mind), often at very inconvenient times.

This is a very violent mystery novel, but Kelson’s personality and the group of friends and family around him make it an enjoyable and quick read. I listened to this on audio, and thought the narrator handled the quirky nature of the characters well. I look forward to reading or listening to the next book in the series.

[wdwilson3 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This review is for the audio book of Trouble in Mind as provided by LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

A whole lot of suspension of disbelief is required to accept that a man with brain damage, which makes him unable to lie, has made an appropriate career choice as a private detective. It takes more to understand why he's so obsessed with the question of whether he fired first at the drug dealer who put a bullet in his head. That's not all of the logical obstacles that the listener has to overcome in this novel, which is studded with characters that are consistently extraordinary. As in, “I've never met anyone like that.”

All that being said, there is amusement here, with our hero blurting out the obviously wrong things time after time. And it's entertainment, after all, not “true crime,” but the biggest flaw in the novel is that there's not much mystery in it. I knew the crime kingpin halfway through, and it becomes a thriller chase book soon thereafter.

Well performed by Paul Woodson, it's amusing enough for company on your commute, but not something you'll long remember.

[wildmaggie · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Trouble in Mind: A Sam Kelson Mystery is a modern noir mystery thriller featuring a damaged protagonist—brain damaged, that is—by a bullet to the head while undercover as a narcotics cop. Sam is left with a permanent inability to stop himself from saying and doing whatever crosses his mind, thus ending his career and his marriage. Retired from the police, Sam goes to work as a PI and quickly gets in over his head on a case that may be connected to the shooting that left him with a damaged brain and a damaged life.

Fictional detectives with disabilities are nothing new—think obsessive-compulsive Monk, wheelchair bound Ironsides, PTSD-afflicted Dex Parios, blind Sir John Fielding, agoraphobic Nero Wolfe, or the many alcoholic and drug addicted walking wounded. Even the great Sherlock Holmes is often portrayed (at least in derivative works) with autism spectrum characteristics. In this crowded field, Sam Kelson’s diagnose of disinhibition feels like an effort to find a new twist to differentiate the main character from the herd and a plot devise to jump-start the story.

Once jump-started, the story is very competently developed and presented. The focus of the action-packed plot shifts and twists. Connections are suggested but not all may be real or mean what we may think they do at first. I guessed the identify of the main villain before it was revealed—but not so far before that it spoiled the story.

The author includes the standard noir elements—a mysterious femme fatale, lots of gun violence and dead bodies, gangsters, and a clever villain. These traditional noir elements are lightened by the refreshing appearances of Sam’s young daughter and her kittens and by Sam’s loyal sidekick. I wish the ex-wife was not presented as such a stereotypical bitch. This did nothing to advance the story and seemed to be just an effort to increase the readers’ sympathy for Sam—an effort that was not needed.

I listened to the audio book edition. The narration is easy to listen to and enhanced the story. The voices of each character are differentiated without the narration becoming overly theatrical.

I rate this audio book with 3 ½ stars (out of 5)—a solid read.

[etxgardener · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Sam Kelson is an ex-Chicago narcotics cop who has been shot in the head during a drug bust gone bad. His partner saves his life, but Sam is retired from the force on disability because his injury has left him with a condition called disinhibitation which means he is now incable of telling a lie or even demurring from telling the truth. To keep body and soul together he becomes a private eye,

One day a good-looking redhead named Trina Felbanks appears in his office wanting him to investigate her pharmacist brother who she suspects is selling drugs. When Kelson arrives at Felbanks' apartment, he finds Felbanks dead from a gunshot wound and a SWAT team bursting through the door almost immediately afterwards.

Now Felbanks finds himself in a situation that any fan of Alfred Hitchcock movies will find familiar: the innocent man accused of a crime based on highly circumstantial, but damning, evidence. What follows is a wild chain of events spread out over a couple of weeks as Kelson both tries to prove his innocence and also find the real killer.

The author knows Chicago well and if needed I could have traced his peregrinations around Chicago on a map. The dialogue is authentic and the action is non-stop. Thanks to Library Thing who sent me this audio book in exchange for an honest review.

[pennsylady · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Trouble in Mind
by Michael Wiley

This crime novel introduces the former Chicago cop, Sam Kelson.

During an undercover operation, he took a bullet to the head and recovery left him with a disability called "disinhibition: he cannot keep silent or tell lies when questioned."

Now a struggling PI, relying on pain medication, therapy and living
a personally shattered life, he is surprisingly good at his labors.
There are the totally inappropriate personal comments that
make you feel bad for his lack of control.
But there are times, both professionally and personally, when you applaud his truthfulness.

I thought the novel was a fine introduction to Sam as the past and present were well explained.
I look forward to Sam's future with motives, causes and culprits.

My review copy was audio from Highbridge.
My only difficulty was that disc 2 was unplayable.

[kbranfield-837433 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

3.5 stars.

The first installment in the Sam Kelson Mystery series, Trouble in Mind by Michael Wiley is an intriguing mystery.

Private Investigator Sam Kelson  is a former narcotics officer whose career ended after taking a bullet to head. He continues to suffer from headaches from the injury and a condition known as disinhibition which leaves him unable to tell a lie or keep a secret. The condition also causes Sam to blurt out whatever he is thinking no matter how inappropriate his thoughts might be.  Now divorced, he is a devoted dad to his eleven year old daughter Sue Ellen, who finds his disinhibition quite amusing.  

Sam's life takes a troubling turn when his newest client, Trina, hires him to convince her brother, pharmacist Christian Felbanks, to stop dealing the drugs he is filching from his employer. Sam discovers Christian's lifeless body and homicide Detective Dan Peters arrests him for murder.  Sam knows Trina has set him up, but will he found out who is behind the plot before it is too late?

Sam is a quirky character whose disinhibition manages to irritate just about everyone he meets. He also has a tendency to talk a lot which people tend to find distracting and downright annoying. Despite his propensity for rambling, Sam is a likable man who is a little clueless but quite tenacious as he tries to figure out who Trina is working for.

There are a surprising number of suspects who might have it in for Sam. First in line is the family of the teenager who died in the same shoot out in which Sam was shot. Next is a surprising connection between a  real estate mogul and someone from Sam's past. As the bodies begin to pile up, Sam remains Peters and his partner Venus Johnson's main suspect. In order to get out from underneath the cloud of suspicion, Sam turns to a former police academy friend DeMarcus Rodman to help him uncover the truth about who is behind the deadly plot.

Trouble in Mind is a clever mystery with an eccentric cast of colorful characters. The storyline is engaging but the pacing is a little slow. With a few predictable twists, Michael Wiley brings this fascinating mystery to an over the top, slightly improbable conclusion.

Despite a bit of a bumpy beginning, I am looking forward to reading the next novel Sam Kelson Mystery series.