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Mind Over Murder
When journalist-turned-therapist Janna Rose is called to identify the body of her old flame Daniel, she has a feeling that something doesn't add up.
Daniel's death came right after he led an eco-protest against a controversial development. As police drag their feet, Janna investigates the killing herself. Following a trail of cryptic clues from her last conversation with Daniel, she begins to uncover a conspiracy, which reaches all the way into her consulting room.
Digging deeper, Janna realizes that she and her dear ones are in peril. With lives at stake, she must risk everything to outwit her ruthless adversary and expose the truth.
A gripping mystery set in Oxford, MIND OVER MURDER is the first book in the Janna Rose Mysteries series by Jake Lynch and Annabel McGoldrick.
Daniel's death came right after he led an eco-protest against a controversial development. As police drag their feet, Janna investigates the killing herself. Following a trail of cryptic clues from her last conversation with Daniel, she begins to uncover a conspiracy, which reaches all the way into her consulting room.
Digging deeper, Janna realizes that she and her dear ones are in peril. With lives at stake, she must risk everything to outwit her ruthless adversary and expose the truth.
A gripping mystery set in Oxford, MIND OVER MURDER is the first book in the Janna Rose Mysteries series by Jake Lynch and Annabel McGoldrick.
286 pages, Paperback
Published April 6, 2025
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4 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 9, 2025
Big thanks for sending us a copy to read and review.
Hello to a new shining light crime sleuth Janna Rose.
The death of her ex leads her down a path where utilising skills from her journalist background and more recent therapist role sees her in the thick of solving the crime.
Daniel was an activist who believed in certain causes.
His last protest was anti development one.
Was he murdered for his views or potential to derail?
Janna systematically works through the clues.
An atmospheric Oxford backdrop really sets the visual imagination alive with its buildings, river and lanes.
As she nears closer to the truth inevitably danger lurks.
It takes a bit for Janna to find her voice and technique but like a bicycle ride she gets to her destination.
The spotlight was shone on EMDR therapy any exposure on treatments can and will help readers.
Activism is topical in our world today which gives this plot a fresh perspective. Janna will no doubt become a favourite as she sleuths through future stories.
Hello to a new shining light crime sleuth Janna Rose.
The death of her ex leads her down a path where utilising skills from her journalist background and more recent therapist role sees her in the thick of solving the crime.
Daniel was an activist who believed in certain causes.
His last protest was anti development one.
Was he murdered for his views or potential to derail?
Janna systematically works through the clues.
An atmospheric Oxford backdrop really sets the visual imagination alive with its buildings, river and lanes.
As she nears closer to the truth inevitably danger lurks.
It takes a bit for Janna to find her voice and technique but like a bicycle ride she gets to her destination.
The spotlight was shone on EMDR therapy any exposure on treatments can and will help readers.
Activism is topical in our world today which gives this plot a fresh perspective. Janna will no doubt become a favourite as she sleuths through future stories.
November 7, 2025
Journalist turned therapist Janna Rose finds herself embroiled in a community development scandal following the death of her ex partner in suspicious circumstances. She wades into the fray with no regard for her own personal safety and hits a few bumps on the way on her trusty bicycle, which by the time the book ends has developed a persona of its own.
Traversing the world of council lobbying and negotiation, vested interests, environmental activism, and questionable intentions and morals, Janna and her band of merry locals fight the good fight for justice and equality. There’s a strong sense in this book about building strong communities, where the interests of residents are quality of life, social capital within its members and economic opportunity.
It takes a little for Janna’s voice to establish a footing in the first third but she has a clearer presence once she starts teasing out the details.
Thank you to DMCPR Media for my copy of MIND OVER MURDER and inviting me to be a part of the social media release for the book in November 2025.
Traversing the world of council lobbying and negotiation, vested interests, environmental activism, and questionable intentions and morals, Janna and her band of merry locals fight the good fight for justice and equality. There’s a strong sense in this book about building strong communities, where the interests of residents are quality of life, social capital within its members and economic opportunity.
It takes a little for Janna’s voice to establish a footing in the first third but she has a clearer presence once she starts teasing out the details.
Thank you to DMCPR Media for my copy of MIND OVER MURDER and inviting me to be a part of the social media release for the book in November 2025.
November 11, 2025
When two people both with diverse and fascinating backstories decide to write a murder you can expect the unexpected and Mind Over Murder certainly delivers as the unconventional journalist turned psychotherapist Janna Rose, finds herself caught in shocking situation, the death of her once partner and friend Daniel.
Daniel is an investigative journalist looking into something that he considers could get him killed. When it does, in the most brutal manner, Janna is left grieving, but with a very cryptic clue or two Danel had passed on to her, just in case.
Janna has also been to a meeting that involves a somewhat controversial redevelopment plan by a large local building firm that is being hotly discussed at local council level and within the local community.
She senses that something is far from right as the development is set to remove important local playing fields and generally does not comply with anything environmental. There is also huge amount of protest from the local taxi drivers as they are against the idea of low traffic zones for any new developments.
A new client arrives at her practice, Emma, and as the days pass, Janna discovers she is the sister of the man driving the new development; a man who is noted for getting his way at all costs which sets off her journalist instincts from years previously, as she believes that something is seriously rotten about a few to many things!
As the pressure builds and the timeline for the approval for planning draws closer, Janna finds she needs to not only draw on her skills as a journalist but those of an Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapist to find a killer hidden in plain sight.
Whoever is behind Daniel’s murder is also the person who has put her family at serious risk, seen her accountant and friends house torched and whom she finds herself confronting in a most unfortunate and deadly situation, after following what she believes is the answer to the clue left by Daniel.
Wrapped around a backdrop of unscrupulous development, environmental activism, corporate conspiracy and the manipulation of public and political opinion through social media Mind Over Murder is a stand-a-lone must read as well as the first book in what shows very good signs of being a thoroughly enjoyable series starring the indomitable Janna Rose; a very modern-day environmentally conscious sleuth.
Daniel is an investigative journalist looking into something that he considers could get him killed. When it does, in the most brutal manner, Janna is left grieving, but with a very cryptic clue or two Danel had passed on to her, just in case.
Janna has also been to a meeting that involves a somewhat controversial redevelopment plan by a large local building firm that is being hotly discussed at local council level and within the local community.
She senses that something is far from right as the development is set to remove important local playing fields and generally does not comply with anything environmental. There is also huge amount of protest from the local taxi drivers as they are against the idea of low traffic zones for any new developments.
A new client arrives at her practice, Emma, and as the days pass, Janna discovers she is the sister of the man driving the new development; a man who is noted for getting his way at all costs which sets off her journalist instincts from years previously, as she believes that something is seriously rotten about a few to many things!
As the pressure builds and the timeline for the approval for planning draws closer, Janna finds she needs to not only draw on her skills as a journalist but those of an Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapist to find a killer hidden in plain sight.
Whoever is behind Daniel’s murder is also the person who has put her family at serious risk, seen her accountant and friends house torched and whom she finds herself confronting in a most unfortunate and deadly situation, after following what she believes is the answer to the clue left by Daniel.
Wrapped around a backdrop of unscrupulous development, environmental activism, corporate conspiracy and the manipulation of public and political opinion through social media Mind Over Murder is a stand-a-lone must read as well as the first book in what shows very good signs of being a thoroughly enjoyable series starring the indomitable Janna Rose; a very modern-day environmentally conscious sleuth.
November 15, 2025
3.5 stars.
When Oxford journalist-turned-therapist Janna Rose is called to identify the body of her old flame Daniel, she has a feeling that something doesn't add up. Daniel's death came right after he led an eco-protest against a controversial development. As police drag their feet, Janna investigates the killing herself.
First of all, how striking is this cover? I actually liked that Janna rode her bike everywhere in this book (she even gave her bike a name!) and managed to notice (and experience) the current affairs that way.
Not gonna lie, it took me a bit of time at the start to get used to the writing style and sentence structuring in this book. The fact that a lot of characters were introduced immediately (Janna’s son, ex, colleagues, and patients) also required me to focus to remember who was who. However, once the story started to flow, I managed to shift my attention to the mystery at hand and enjoy the sleuthing a lot more.
The concept of EMDR was super interesting. I went in without having any idea of what it was (I had to google it). I wished the concept was explained a bit more in the book especially as played a big role in the story.
All in all, this was a good start to a series. Now that the readers has been introduced to Janna, the next book can immediately focus on the mystery and adventure!
(Thanks to DMCPR Media and Next Chapter for a gifted review copy)
See my bookstagram review.
When Oxford journalist-turned-therapist Janna Rose is called to identify the body of her old flame Daniel, she has a feeling that something doesn't add up. Daniel's death came right after he led an eco-protest against a controversial development. As police drag their feet, Janna investigates the killing herself.
First of all, how striking is this cover? I actually liked that Janna rode her bike everywhere in this book (she even gave her bike a name!) and managed to notice (and experience) the current affairs that way.
Not gonna lie, it took me a bit of time at the start to get used to the writing style and sentence structuring in this book. The fact that a lot of characters were introduced immediately (Janna’s son, ex, colleagues, and patients) also required me to focus to remember who was who. However, once the story started to flow, I managed to shift my attention to the mystery at hand and enjoy the sleuthing a lot more.
The concept of EMDR was super interesting. I went in without having any idea of what it was (I had to google it). I wished the concept was explained a bit more in the book especially as played a big role in the story.
All in all, this was a good start to a series. Now that the readers has been introduced to Janna, the next book can immediately focus on the mystery and adventure!
(Thanks to DMCPR Media and Next Chapter for a gifted review copy)
See my bookstagram review.
November 1, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Review: Mind Over Murder by Jake Lynch & Annabel McGoldrick
Thank you so much to DMCPR Media for gifting me a copy of Mind Over Murder as part of the book tour — I truly appreciate the opportunity to read it!
Unfortunately, this one didn’t quite hit the mark for me. The premise is fantastic — a journalist-turned-therapist drawn into a dangerous investigation after the death of an old flame? Totally my kind of mystery. However, I found the pacing quite slow, especially in the first half. It took me much longer than I’d hoped to really get invested in the story.
Once I hit the last 100 pages, though, things finally picked up — the tension, the twists and the mystery all came together in a way that kept me turning the pages. I just wish that same energy had been there from the start!
I also think the book would have benefited from dual POVs. There’s a lot of information to process and several layers to the plot and at times I found myself lost trying to keep track of everything. The concept is strong but the pacing was uneven.
That said, Mind Over Murder has an intriguing setup and a solid foundation for what could become a compelling mystery series. If you enjoy slow-burn investigative thrillers with a cerebral twist, this might be worth checking out. It just wasn’t quite the right fit for me personally.
Thank you so much to DMCPR Media for gifting me a copy of Mind Over Murder as part of the book tour — I truly appreciate the opportunity to read it!
Unfortunately, this one didn’t quite hit the mark for me. The premise is fantastic — a journalist-turned-therapist drawn into a dangerous investigation after the death of an old flame? Totally my kind of mystery. However, I found the pacing quite slow, especially in the first half. It took me much longer than I’d hoped to really get invested in the story.
Once I hit the last 100 pages, though, things finally picked up — the tension, the twists and the mystery all came together in a way that kept me turning the pages. I just wish that same energy had been there from the start!
I also think the book would have benefited from dual POVs. There’s a lot of information to process and several layers to the plot and at times I found myself lost trying to keep track of everything. The concept is strong but the pacing was uneven.
That said, Mind Over Murder has an intriguing setup and a solid foundation for what could become a compelling mystery series. If you enjoy slow-burn investigative thrillers with a cerebral twist, this might be worth checking out. It just wasn’t quite the right fit for me personally.
April 22, 2025
Mind Over Murder is written in a highly engaging first person narrative, sassy style, pleasingly colloquial with flashes of humour. The heroine, Janna Rose, is super-relatable: clever, plucky, finds her courage when called on, while remaining all too human. And Oxford is gorgeously evoked - not just its famous historic buildings but the river, the backstreets, the dusty community centres and pubs. What really lifts Mind Over Murder is the original twist: that she is not a detective by trade but a former journalist, now turned psychotherapist. Janna practises Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing: a powerful treatment for unprocessed trauma. (Prince Harry did it to get over the death of his mum, Princess Diana). Anyway, this is no mere gimmick or adjunct: clues really do emerge from therapy sessions with clients. The whole is integrated seamlessly, as Janna unpicks a deadly conspiracy and strives to protect her loved ones. From a slow start - after all, as she's not a detective, the book has to establish what business it is of hers, this murder - it builds layer by layer to a pitch of tension that will have you gripping the pages and sitting on the edge of your seat. Truly outstanding - and as other reviewers are saying, it definitely, definitely should be on TV.
October 17, 2025
In Mind Over Murder, Jake Lynch and Annabel McGoldrick skilfully weave a compelling detective story around contemporary issues of development, protest, media manipulation and corruption in high places. The novel's Oxford is recognisable as the setting for my own novels: represented by gritty streets, dusty community halls and dimly lit pubs rather than the limestone walls and college gardens of legend. A further interesting and original twist is provided by the eminently believable and sympathetic heroine, Janna, being a practitioner of EMDR, a form of therapy popularised by Prince Harry. Not that she is a goody-two-shoes. But her flaws turn out to be as important as her insights and good intentions as she outwits a murderous adversary to deliver justice. The writing style is sparky and engaging, the plot gathers pace and the ending ticks all the right boxes. It's billed as the first of a series. We will await the sequel with a sense of impatient anticipation.
Peter Tickler, author, the Blood in Oxford novel series.
Peter Tickler, author, the Blood in Oxford novel series.
June 24, 2025
A gripping storyline with many twists and turns. Janna Rose, a journalist-turned-therapist adds criminal investigator to her rack of hats after her ex-partner is found dead after leading an eco-protest against a controversial development. Corporate conspiracy, social media manipulation, trauma, tension and social justice are combined in a novel that is engaging and thought-provoking. At the same time, the story is based in a delightful Oxford setting. It would make a great film. Looking forward to the next book.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews