Thank you Macmillan Audio for the ALC and Minotaur Books, #partner for the advanced copy of Inside Man in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Minotaur Books / Macmillan Audio
Published: January 13, 2026
Summary:
In this sequel to McMahon’s electrifying series debut, Head Cases, Gardner Camden and the PAR team return to investigate potentially connected cases.
FBI Agent Gardner Camden is an analytical genius with an affinity for puzzles. He and his squad of brilliant yet quirky agents make up the Patterns and Recognition (PAR) unit, the FBI’s hidden edge, brought in for cases that no one else can solve.
PAR’s latest case involves a militia group stockpiling weapons. When their confidential informant in the case is killed, it quickly becomes clear that the militia did not kill him.
As the squad looks into the evidence surrounding his murder, an unidentified man is caught on camera with their informant. This mystery man’s picture is connected to another case at the FBI, an unsolved series of murdered women, buried in the ground in north Florida. Could they have uncovered a serial killer? And if so, what is his connection to their C.I.?
As PAR juggles an investigation into both the dead women and the militia, they enroll a new informant, only to find the case escalating in dangerous ways. How will PAR handle a case that increasingly looks like a terrorist plot? And in the serial case, with no puzzles or witnesses, and few leads, how will a group set up to decode riddles be successful?
My thoughts:
The second in the Head Cases series, I was so glad to be back with the PAR team…they really are a unique group of individuals who work so well together to solve crimes others cannot.
I do highly suggest reading Head Cases first, though. While this one does stand on its own, there are some spoilers that I think would ruin that book, plus it does do a great job introducing the team.
This one jumps right into action and I found myself completely engaged start to finish. It’s a fast-moving plot, with many moving parts, but there is also a thread involving Gardner and his mom that continues from the first book. I loved seeing Gardner trying to balance his work and personal life…something we all strive to do.
This book has a little of everything — a militia group with too many weapons, a potential serial killer and more. It sounds complicated and complex, but it’s nothing for our team of puzzle-loving misfits.
Audio thoughts:
Once again, Will Damron is back narrating and he does such a brilliant job bringing the story to life. His pacing is spot on and his consistency with the voices was perfection!
Books in this series:
- Head Cases
- Inside Man
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