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Psych #1
A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Read
Based on the hit usa network TELEVISION series
A tie-in readers will be totally psyched �about...
Shawn Spencer has convinced everyone he's psychic.
Now, HE HAS TO either clean up--or be found out…
After the PSYCH detective agency gets some top-notch publicity, Shawn's high-school nemesis, Dallas Steele, hires him to help choose his investments. Naturally, their predictions turn out to be total busts. And the deceptive Dallas is thrilled that he has completely discredited and humiliated Shawn once and for all--until he's found murdered.
But the police have a suspect found--at the scene with a smoking gun. And she says Shawn took control of her mind and forced her to do it. After all, he is a psychic...
A tie-in readers will be totally psyched �about...
Shawn Spencer has convinced everyone he's psychic.
Now, HE HAS TO either clean up--or be found out…
After the PSYCH detective agency gets some top-notch publicity, Shawn's high-school nemesis, Dallas Steele, hires him to help choose his investments. Naturally, their predictions turn out to be total busts. And the deceptive Dallas is thrilled that he has completely discredited and humiliated Shawn once and for all--until he's found murdered.
But the police have a suspect found--at the scene with a smoking gun. And she says Shawn took control of her mind and forced her to do it. After all, he is a psychic...
288 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
186 people are currently reading
2732 people want to read
About the author
William Rabkin
42 books77 followersWilliam Rabkin is a two-time Edgar Award nominee who writes the Psych series of novels and is the author of Writing the Pilot. He has consulted for studios in Canada, Germany, and Spain on television series production and teaches screenwriting at UCLA Extension and as an adjunct professor in UC Riverside's low-residency masters program.
William Rabkin has written and/or produced more than 300 hours of dramatic television. He served as showrunner on the long-running Dick Van Dyke mystery series “Diagnosis Murder” and on the action-adventure spectacle “Martial Law.” His many writing and producing credits include “The Glades,” “Monk,” “Psych, “Nero Wolfe,” “Missing,” “Spenser: For Hire,” “seaQuest 2032,” “Hunter” and “The Cosby Mysteries”. He has also written a dozen network TV pilots. His work has been nominated twice for the Edgar Award for best television episode by the Mystery Writers of America.
He has published two books on writing for television, Successful Television Writing (2003), with Lee Goldberg and Writing The Pilot (2011) and five novels. He is the co-creator and co-editor of “The Dead Man,” a monthly series of supernatural action thrillers published by Amazon’s 47North imprint.
Rabkin, adjunct assistant professor of screen and television writing at the University of California, Riverside-Palm Desert’s Low Residency MFA In Creative Writing and Writing for the Performing Arts, has lectured on television writing and production to writers, producers, and executives in Spain, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Belgium, The Netherlands and Brazil. He also currently teaches “Beginning Television Writing” and “Advanced Television Rewriting Workshop” for Screenwriters University.
William Rabkin has written and/or produced more than 300 hours of dramatic television. He served as showrunner on the long-running Dick Van Dyke mystery series “Diagnosis Murder” and on the action-adventure spectacle “Martial Law.” His many writing and producing credits include “The Glades,” “Monk,” “Psych, “Nero Wolfe,” “Missing,” “Spenser: For Hire,” “seaQuest 2032,” “Hunter” and “The Cosby Mysteries”. He has also written a dozen network TV pilots. His work has been nominated twice for the Edgar Award for best television episode by the Mystery Writers of America.
He has published two books on writing for television, Successful Television Writing (2003), with Lee Goldberg and Writing The Pilot (2011) and five novels. He is the co-creator and co-editor of “The Dead Man,” a monthly series of supernatural action thrillers published by Amazon’s 47North imprint.
Rabkin, adjunct assistant professor of screen and television writing at the University of California, Riverside-Palm Desert’s Low Residency MFA In Creative Writing and Writing for the Performing Arts, has lectured on television writing and production to writers, producers, and executives in Spain, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Belgium, The Netherlands and Brazil. He also currently teaches “Beginning Television Writing” and “Advanced Television Rewriting Workshop” for Screenwriters University.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 249 reviews
November 25, 2010
I'm going to repeat this review for all of the Psych books that I've read, since they're essentially all the same.
If you like the TV show, and it is one of my favorites, then the books aren't bad. Unfortunately, they're not very good either. I expected them to read more or less like an extended episode of the show, but they don't, really. Instead they almost entirely ignore the characters of Detectives Lassiter and O'Hara and focus pretty much exclusively on Shawn and Gus. Mostly Gus, actually, as the books are written almost entirely from his point of view. Shawn, of course, is the lead character on the show, and in my view, the most entertaining and interesting. In the books, he is almost a minor character at times. Worse, the author has made Gus very whiny and insecure; very different than on the show, and definitely a change for the worse.
But there are good points, too. The mysteries are mostly decent and the trademark humor, particularly the pop culture references, is there.
I'd recommend them if you REALLY like the TV show and have nothing better to read. Otherwise, pass.
If you like the TV show, and it is one of my favorites, then the books aren't bad. Unfortunately, they're not very good either. I expected them to read more or less like an extended episode of the show, but they don't, really. Instead they almost entirely ignore the characters of Detectives Lassiter and O'Hara and focus pretty much exclusively on Shawn and Gus. Mostly Gus, actually, as the books are written almost entirely from his point of view. Shawn, of course, is the lead character on the show, and in my view, the most entertaining and interesting. In the books, he is almost a minor character at times. Worse, the author has made Gus very whiny and insecure; very different than on the show, and definitely a change for the worse.
But there are good points, too. The mysteries are mostly decent and the trademark humor, particularly the pop culture references, is there.
I'd recommend them if you REALLY like the TV show and have nothing better to read. Otherwise, pass.
September 21, 2015
Thank god that's over. This book was more an eye roller than a good story of any kind. The character of Shawn was horrifying childish and whiny, and seemed to be the worst friend in the world. The story was sort of told from Gus's point of view (still in third person). The story and writing were on par with Supernatural: Bone Key— utterly ridiculous and not at all related to what dimensions the characters actually have on the TV show. (Now, I understand this was separate from that, but you'd think the author would have tried harder to make this an actual mystery rather than a trashy Mass Market airport read or such. Maybe that's just me. And to make this even sicker, the author apparently has writing credits for the Psych TV show.) There were a few funny lines, but for the most part the whole thing was a great big mess. Albeit, a fast read that was much lighter than the depressing Like Water For Chocolate, but if you're going to read it, here's a warning: Read it at your own risk.
October 29, 2011
Sheer fun, people!
Psych, for those who have been living under a rock till now, is an American whodunit comedy series wherein the wise-cracking protagonist, Shawn Spencer, pretends to be a psychic (long story) and solves crimes that baffles even the police, thanks to him being hyper-observant. He is aided by his best-friend-since-kindergarten, Gus, who also works as a pharmaceutical rep when he is not being coerced by Shawn into doing things he DEFINITELY did not sign up for. The show's awesome and hilarious. You should watch it.
This book is a tie-in for the show and William Rabkin, one of the show's writers, does a brilliant job of transferring the characters beautifully onto the printed page without losing any of their essence.
When Gus' car gets impounded while he and Shawn are out wrapping up a case, our story begins. They realise something's amiss when the guy at the impound lot whips out a shotgun and shoots at them, while they are trying to get Gus' car released. Right after that, they run into a beautiful woman, Tara, who claims that Shawn is giving her instructions "psychically" which she has no choice but to obey.
It is amusing for Shawn and Gus, at first, to play along with Tara and make her do their errands, but things take a serious turn when people start turning up dead around Tara and she claims that Shawn told her to do it. Shawn has to now clear his name before anyone else gets murdered. Meanwhile, there's a billionaire benefactor in town who may not be what he seems.
The book is a HILARIOUS roller-coaster ride from start to finish! The witty banter between Shawn and Gus is a delight to read (it's even better when you imagine the actors playing the scene out!). I really enjoyed the book as the plot was more detailed and fleshed-out here.
Very enjoyable even if you aren't familiar with the TV show!
Psych, for those who have been living under a rock till now, is an American whodunit comedy series wherein the wise-cracking protagonist, Shawn Spencer, pretends to be a psychic (long story) and solves crimes that baffles even the police, thanks to him being hyper-observant. He is aided by his best-friend-since-kindergarten, Gus, who also works as a pharmaceutical rep when he is not being coerced by Shawn into doing things he DEFINITELY did not sign up for. The show's awesome and hilarious. You should watch it.
This book is a tie-in for the show and William Rabkin, one of the show's writers, does a brilliant job of transferring the characters beautifully onto the printed page without losing any of their essence.
When Gus' car gets impounded while he and Shawn are out wrapping up a case, our story begins. They realise something's amiss when the guy at the impound lot whips out a shotgun and shoots at them, while they are trying to get Gus' car released. Right after that, they run into a beautiful woman, Tara, who claims that Shawn is giving her instructions "psychically" which she has no choice but to obey.
It is amusing for Shawn and Gus, at first, to play along with Tara and make her do their errands, but things take a serious turn when people start turning up dead around Tara and she claims that Shawn told her to do it. Shawn has to now clear his name before anyone else gets murdered. Meanwhile, there's a billionaire benefactor in town who may not be what he seems.
The book is a HILARIOUS roller-coaster ride from start to finish! The witty banter between Shawn and Gus is a delight to read (it's even better when you imagine the actors playing the scene out!). I really enjoyed the book as the plot was more detailed and fleshed-out here.
Very enjoyable even if you aren't familiar with the TV show!
July 10, 2025
Fun book that felt like watching a Psych episode. Shawn is a little bit more annoying in book form, but I could still picture every scene and the dialogue was believable.
I have some qualms about how gory it was and the mystery was a little convoluted.
If you’re a Psych fan I would recommend, but if you haven’t seen the show this would be a strange read.
Thank you.
I have some qualms about how gory it was and the mystery was a little convoluted.
If you’re a Psych fan I would recommend, but if you haven’t seen the show this would be a strange read.
Thank you.
April 16, 2025
Objectively… the book is not great. But if you like Psych it’s a pretty fun read!
June 18, 2016
Excellent. Told mostly from Gus' point of view, it was funny, even hilarious in places. Sometimes, I laughed out loud, it was that good. The mystery was intriguing, one of the best that I've read in a long time. Both Gus and Shawn were true to their TV selves - Gus was frantic most of the time, Shawn on the other hand was laid back to the point of acting like an airhead from time to time, but never missing a thing. The only thing that I didn't like much was the revelation of the murderer itself, that felt a overdone - too much craziness is just too much sometimes.
January 5, 2009
Based on the fake-psychic detective show on USA, this book reads just like you're watching an episode of the show. Which is snappy dialogue, funny pop-culture references, with some great twists and turns in the story. I enjoyed reading this book, it gave a bit more insight into the two main character's minds than you can gather from watching a tv episode.
March 20, 2016
Overall it's not bad. There are a lot of worse T.V. series to books, and I want to believe there is better.
Little things are off that you notice if your a big fan of the series but take it with a grain of salt......shot of whiskey.....
Would I read the next book? What are you not psychic?......
Little things are off that you notice if your a big fan of the series but take it with a grain of salt......shot of whiskey.....
Would I read the next book? What are you not psychic?......
March 10, 2009
Mock me not. Every brain needs a break.
March 16, 2010
If you like Psych you will probably like this book. It isnt super deep but then neither is the show. Fun spin off of the series.
Read
December 27, 2024This book needs a 2022 re edit (for terms you’d never say today) but it’s a fun mystery for fans of the show
Read
March 16, 2019I know I read this but I have literally no recollection of anything that happens in it
June 9, 2019
Rabkin nails the dialogue and characterizations of Shawn and Gus so well it was just like watching the show. In fact I'd say it's the best novelization of a movie/TV show I've ever read in terms of getting the characters right. Even if you don't know the show I guarantee you'll laugh at times. The mystery was pretty good too, perfect for anyone who likes a proper whodunit. I'm definitely going to read the others in the series.
December 8, 2021
Such a fun read after watching the show for so many years. Very reminiscent of the show!
November 18, 2023
This guy should not be allowed to write female characters.
July 19, 2012
I'd like to start off by stating that the reason I read this was because my wife, during the whole time she was reading it, kept saying how horrible it was. I was curious to find out just how horrible.
My verdict: not that bad.
For me, my main complaint was that the narration sucked (e.g., lengthy, pointless filer observations, that added little - if anything - to the story) An example from page 36:
Not the only example, but definitely the most egregious, and would probably win a Bulwer-Lytton award if it were the opening line of the book.
Also, this particular writer obviously has a penchant for emphasizing and dwelling on the physical assets of the female minor characters (while, ironically/hypocritically, criticizing Shawn for objectifying the main female characters in the show).
I did, however, enjoy most of the book, especially by challenging myself to read the dialogue as quickly (i.e., snappy repartee) as they do in the show. Unlike most episodes, it had multiple storylines/cases going on concurrently, which made it a little difficult to follow what was going on, but also served to divert attention long enough to make you wonder if any of them were red herrings.
Overall, it was not the most solid read, but it was a decent novelization of a TV show.
My verdict: not that bad.
For me, my main complaint was that the narration sucked (e.g., lengthy, pointless filer observations, that added little - if anything - to the story) An example from page 36:
"When Shawn shouted, Gus was at least thirty feet in front of him. Since sound travels at seven hundred seventy miles per hour, it took his voice at least one thirty-fifth of a second to reach Gus. Maybe a fraction more, since he was accelerating away from Shawn, and there was the Doppler effect to consider. Even after Gus heard Shawn's voice, it would have taken another .028 of a second for the meaning of the word to penetrate his brain..."...and on like this for 50+ more words! [Also, one thirty-seventh of a second would have been more accurate, but why not just say 0.0265 seconds or some other ridiculous split-second conversion of feet divided by the speed of sound in mph?]
Not the only example, but definitely the most egregious, and would probably win a Bulwer-Lytton award if it were the opening line of the book.
Also, this particular writer obviously has a penchant for emphasizing and dwelling on the physical assets of the female minor characters (while, ironically/hypocritically, criticizing Shawn for objectifying the main female characters in the show).
I did, however, enjoy most of the book, especially by challenging myself to read the dialogue as quickly (i.e., snappy repartee) as they do in the show. Unlike most episodes, it had multiple storylines/cases going on concurrently, which made it a little difficult to follow what was going on, but also served to divert attention long enough to make you wonder if any of them were red herrings.
Overall, it was not the most solid read, but it was a decent novelization of a TV show.
April 10, 2020
It was fun diving back to the world of Psych. I loved the absurd series and Shawn and Gus's adventures playing detectives and may be I will have myself another marathon of all the 8 seasons when I am done with these 5 little books. Out of those the first one goes down.
The main characters are down pat and Shawn is all bit brilliant and childish as the TV series same for Gus but I would say that the complain about the minimal roles for Jules and Lessiter are true. This book was mainly focused on Shawn and Gus. Mystery was good and it felt like that it would have easily covered couple of episodes if it was part of the series.
I haven't covered the story because you may read that in the book description and also in other reviews.
I liked it as it's a while since I finished the series but I still remember it fondly. So do give the series a chance and then read these books and Keep on Reading.
People who don't read generally ask me my reasons for reading. Simply put I just love reading and so to that end I have made it my motto to just Keep on Reading. I love to read everything except for Self Help books but even those once in a while. I read almost all the genre but YA, Fantasy, Biographies are the most. My favorite series is, of course, Harry Potter but then there are many more books that I just adore. I have bookcases filled with books which are waiting to be read so can't stay and spend more time in this review, so remember I loved reading this and love reading more, you should also read what you love and then just Keep on Reading.
The main characters are down pat and Shawn is all bit brilliant and childish as the TV series same for Gus but I would say that the complain about the minimal roles for Jules and Lessiter are true. This book was mainly focused on Shawn and Gus. Mystery was good and it felt like that it would have easily covered couple of episodes if it was part of the series.
I haven't covered the story because you may read that in the book description and also in other reviews.
I liked it as it's a while since I finished the series but I still remember it fondly. So do give the series a chance and then read these books and Keep on Reading.
People who don't read generally ask me my reasons for reading. Simply put I just love reading and so to that end I have made it my motto to just Keep on Reading. I love to read everything except for Self Help books but even those once in a while. I read almost all the genre but YA, Fantasy, Biographies are the most. My favorite series is, of course, Harry Potter but then there are many more books that I just adore. I have bookcases filled with books which are waiting to be read so can't stay and spend more time in this review, so remember I loved reading this and love reading more, you should also read what you love and then just Keep on Reading.
June 13, 2009
Mr.William Rabkin has done an excellent job at keeping Shawn as Shawn and Gus as Gus. To the very reactions, sayings and overall mannerisms were kept in tact as how it would be portrayed in the show by the actors of which I love dearly! xD
I couldn't stop laughing, scratching my head or stop my heart from beating so fast.
The storyline was very interesting, and i felt like I was actually watching the show(At which I try to figure out the mysteries).
Nothing was overdone, or underdone regarding the rest of the plot with it's twists and turns.
I felt that they were unexpected, and welcomed adding new elements to the story and keeping in place the general premise of PSYCH.
Overall I really enjoyed reading this!
I can't wait to read the next book!! =D
I couldn't stop laughing, scratching my head or stop my heart from beating so fast.
The storyline was very interesting, and i felt like I was actually watching the show(At which I try to figure out the mysteries).
Nothing was overdone, or underdone regarding the rest of the plot with it's twists and turns.
I felt that they were unexpected, and welcomed adding new elements to the story and keeping in place the general premise of PSYCH.
Overall I really enjoyed reading this!
I can't wait to read the next book!! =D
April 16, 2016
The mysteries were fine enough, but the characters were exaggerated versions of themselves. Shawn's recap of the crime was far grander and more annoying than usual (Typically I enjoy his prolongation of the summary, but in the book it was tedious).
My biggest complaint was the amount of misogyny. Shawn, Gus, and show more generally don't objectify women. Sure they fight over a girl or make a few comments here and there, but in this novel there was some very overt (borderline offensive) oogling and sexualization of female characters that made the men in the book creepy. And poor Jules was reduced to a side-kick who forgave Shawn after he spouted out some random, memorized feminist rant.
Overall, not a great representation of the show.
My biggest complaint was the amount of misogyny. Shawn, Gus, and show more generally don't objectify women. Sure they fight over a girl or make a few comments here and there, but in this novel there was some very overt (borderline offensive) oogling and sexualization of female characters that made the men in the book creepy. And poor Jules was reduced to a side-kick who forgave Shawn after he spouted out some random, memorized feminist rant.
Overall, not a great representation of the show.
March 27, 2016
I felt like I got to spend some secret extra time goofing off with SB's biggest goof-offs. Rabkin hit the mark. I was reliving episodes of Psych I had never even seen. was this high ranking literature? of course not. It was fun. And it renewed me to a peppy and relaxed state I sometimes lose as an adult.
August 27, 2025
Shawn and Gus Find Themselves in a Pickle
Though I've spent an inordinate amount of time discussing Lee Goldberg's Monk novels, I was also a frequent viewer of its fellow USA Network comedy-mystery program, Psych. And yes, this means I also amassed a stockpile of that show's disposable tie-in literature, which I now need to clear out! Compared to the Monk books, "A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Read" is a more accurate representation of its parent series, at least in the style of its humor. At times, the snappy dialogue and abundant pop culture references genuinely make this feel like an extended episode. On the other hand, Psych is – and I say this with plenty of affection – a deeply stupid show.
This book contains several different plot threads, but the title alludes to Tara Larison, who shows up one day claiming to be Shawn Spencer's "psychic slave". There's just one problem with this, as anyone familiar with the series knows: Shawn is a big fat phony, like all psychics! Nonetheless, he's willing to play along with her, since Gus' car has been impounded, and she's got a Mercedes ... which she hit Gus with in the first place, but that's beside the point. When Shawn's enemies start turning up dead, or at least horribly mangled, will he finally be forced to take responsibility for his selfishness? Or will it all be easily forgiven, because this is based on a goofy comedy show with a tenuous connection to reality? I'd hate to spoil the surprise!
(Oh yeah, did I mention that one of the victims nearly dies for the crime of putting pickles on Shawn's burger? Now you know that my clever title for this review-isode is, in fact, clever!)
If that premise didn't make it clear, this book has an icky attitude toward women. Clearly there was something in the water at Goldberg-Rabkin Amalgamated Tie-In Novel Industries LLC! Now, I'll concede that Psych isn't the most enlightened show to begin with. It's about two male best friends – just a couple straight dudes who spend every waking moment together, nothing weird about that – so I expect a certain degree of stupidity where the ladies are concerned. However, the relentless sexualization of a woman who's so obviously unwell puts this truly beyond the pale for me. Long after we've seen the full extent of Tara's mental illness, our heroes are still calling her things like "Satan's hot daughter". I felt like I needed a shower afterward, and not just because this particular copy survived an apartment flood and might be a bit moldy....
Perhaps the weird sexist vibe would've been easier to overlook if Mr. Rabkin had let it pass without comment. Instead, he explicitly draws attention to it with a half-hearted feminist moral! (Presumably to get his horrible wife off his back, so she'll let him golf.) Over the course of the story, Shawn's boorish behavior puts him on bad terms with both of the series' major female characters, Juliet O'Hara and Chief Vick. Then, after 200-ish pages of no visible character development, he wins them back simply by rattling off some feminist spiel he found on the internet. Something about "Victorian stereotypes of the madwoman in the attic". That's right, folks: there will be no writing off women as unstable figures who need to be locked away in this book about Shawn's self-proclaimed psychic slave who is ultimately locked away in a psychiatric hospital!
Speaking of insensitivity toward mental health, I should warn you that the R-word (you know the one) pops up as a punchline on two separate occasions. I can't say I'm surprised; this book came out in 2009, and that was sadly the style at the time. I certainly wasn't as floored as when I heard it pop up in an episode of Murder, She Wrote.
So, what about the other plot threads I alluded to earlier? The psychic slave nonsense is obviously the grabbiest part, but Shawn also contends with a vengeful DA convinced he let a murderer walk free, stumbles into a bizarre impound lot conspiracy, and still finds time to do a bit of freelance investment consultation work. THRILLING. These threads gradually become entangled, as one might expect by virtue of them being present in the same book, and it's all quite convoluted for a series that typically operates on a Scooby-Doo level of plotting. If nothing else, I found it more engaging than the barebones mysteries in the Monk novels. I was almost forced to admit that, massively problematic aspects aside, I thought this book was actually sort of good. Can you imagine how humiliating that would have been?
Fortunately, I was spared any further embarrassment by the denouement, or rather, the first of two denouements, which stands among the most surreal I've ever seen in a mystery. And not the good kind of surreal, either. The confusing, incompetent kind. While the TV show is no stranger to wild summations fueled by Shawn's over-the-top theatrics, we're also shown that he can rein it in when people are actually in danger. Here, he's willing to risk at least a dozen lives – including his own, several completely innocent bystanders, as well as the detectives to whom he's supposedly revealing the murderer in the first place – all for the sake of ... drama? I guess? He practically leads everyone right into the villain's clutches! Even in the heightened cartoon world of Psych, I have no idea how Shawn was let off the hook for this one!
Wait a second, didn't I start out by saying this was a better adaptation than the Monk books? What ever happened to that??? Despite my negativity, I do still appreciate Mr. Rabkin's dedication to capturing the vibe of the TV series. He even includes a cold open (or, as they call it in the world of books, a "prologue") featuring Shawn and Gus as kids, getting roped into unpaid child labor by Shawn's dad. I mean, um, learning a valuable life lesson. Yyyyeah. And, as I mentioned up top, his Shawn/Gus banter is basically spot on, to the point where I can easily imagine it in the voices of James Roday (Rodriguez) and Dulé Hill (not Rodriguez).
With that being said ... man oh man, 274 pages of Shawn and Gus is a lot to take! You really need the rest of the ensemble to take the edge off, but they're all sidelined here. Juliet? Too busy fuming at Shawn to interact with him. Lassiter? Surprisingly not all that involved with the case(s) he's supposedly investigating. Henry? Okay, I admit I thoroughly enjoyed his Adventures in Scrapbooking. But even that isn't enough to distract from Shawn and Gus, and the crushing realization that pop culture references are the laziest form of humor. Bryan Adams? He's definitely a person who exists! "Mannequin 2: On the Move"? Haven't seen it, but I have it on good authority that it probably exists too! Coca-Cola Blak? I desperately miss it with every waking moment and HOW DARE YOU TAUNT ME LIKE THIS, WILLIAM RABKIN
Though I've spent an inordinate amount of time discussing Lee Goldberg's Monk novels, I was also a frequent viewer of its fellow USA Network comedy-mystery program, Psych. And yes, this means I also amassed a stockpile of that show's disposable tie-in literature, which I now need to clear out! Compared to the Monk books, "A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Read" is a more accurate representation of its parent series, at least in the style of its humor. At times, the snappy dialogue and abundant pop culture references genuinely make this feel like an extended episode. On the other hand, Psych is – and I say this with plenty of affection – a deeply stupid show.
This book contains several different plot threads, but the title alludes to Tara Larison, who shows up one day claiming to be Shawn Spencer's "psychic slave". There's just one problem with this, as anyone familiar with the series knows: Shawn is a big fat phony, like all psychics! Nonetheless, he's willing to play along with her, since Gus' car has been impounded, and she's got a Mercedes ... which she hit Gus with in the first place, but that's beside the point. When Shawn's enemies start turning up dead, or at least horribly mangled, will he finally be forced to take responsibility for his selfishness? Or will it all be easily forgiven, because this is based on a goofy comedy show with a tenuous connection to reality? I'd hate to spoil the surprise!
(Oh yeah, did I mention that one of the victims nearly dies for the crime of putting pickles on Shawn's burger? Now you know that my clever title for this review-isode is, in fact, clever!)
If that premise didn't make it clear, this book has an icky attitude toward women. Clearly there was something in the water at Goldberg-Rabkin Amalgamated Tie-In Novel Industries LLC! Now, I'll concede that Psych isn't the most enlightened show to begin with. It's about two male best friends – just a couple straight dudes who spend every waking moment together, nothing weird about that – so I expect a certain degree of stupidity where the ladies are concerned. However, the relentless sexualization of a woman who's so obviously unwell puts this truly beyond the pale for me. Long after we've seen the full extent of Tara's mental illness, our heroes are still calling her things like "Satan's hot daughter". I felt like I needed a shower afterward, and not just because this particular copy survived an apartment flood and might be a bit moldy....
Perhaps the weird sexist vibe would've been easier to overlook if Mr. Rabkin had let it pass without comment. Instead, he explicitly draws attention to it with a half-hearted feminist moral! (Presumably to get his horrible wife off his back, so she'll let him golf.) Over the course of the story, Shawn's boorish behavior puts him on bad terms with both of the series' major female characters, Juliet O'Hara and Chief Vick. Then, after 200-ish pages of no visible character development, he wins them back simply by rattling off some feminist spiel he found on the internet. Something about "Victorian stereotypes of the madwoman in the attic". That's right, folks: there will be no writing off women as unstable figures who need to be locked away in this book about Shawn's self-proclaimed psychic slave who is ultimately locked away in a psychiatric hospital!
Speaking of insensitivity toward mental health, I should warn you that the R-word (you know the one) pops up as a punchline on two separate occasions. I can't say I'm surprised; this book came out in 2009, and that was sadly the style at the time. I certainly wasn't as floored as when I heard it pop up in an episode of Murder, She Wrote.
So, what about the other plot threads I alluded to earlier? The psychic slave nonsense is obviously the grabbiest part, but Shawn also contends with a vengeful DA convinced he let a murderer walk free, stumbles into a bizarre impound lot conspiracy, and still finds time to do a bit of freelance investment consultation work. THRILLING. These threads gradually become entangled, as one might expect by virtue of them being present in the same book, and it's all quite convoluted for a series that typically operates on a Scooby-Doo level of plotting. If nothing else, I found it more engaging than the barebones mysteries in the Monk novels. I was almost forced to admit that, massively problematic aspects aside, I thought this book was actually sort of good. Can you imagine how humiliating that would have been?
Fortunately, I was spared any further embarrassment by the denouement, or rather, the first of two denouements, which stands among the most surreal I've ever seen in a mystery. And not the good kind of surreal, either. The confusing, incompetent kind. While the TV show is no stranger to wild summations fueled by Shawn's over-the-top theatrics, we're also shown that he can rein it in when people are actually in danger. Here, he's willing to risk at least a dozen lives – including his own, several completely innocent bystanders, as well as the detectives to whom he's supposedly revealing the murderer in the first place – all for the sake of ... drama? I guess? He practically leads everyone right into the villain's clutches! Even in the heightened cartoon world of Psych, I have no idea how Shawn was let off the hook for this one!
Wait a second, didn't I start out by saying this was a better adaptation than the Monk books? What ever happened to that??? Despite my negativity, I do still appreciate Mr. Rabkin's dedication to capturing the vibe of the TV series. He even includes a cold open (or, as they call it in the world of books, a "prologue") featuring Shawn and Gus as kids, getting roped into unpaid child labor by Shawn's dad. I mean, um, learning a valuable life lesson. Yyyyeah. And, as I mentioned up top, his Shawn/Gus banter is basically spot on, to the point where I can easily imagine it in the voices of James Roday (Rodriguez) and Dulé Hill (not Rodriguez).
With that being said ... man oh man, 274 pages of Shawn and Gus is a lot to take! You really need the rest of the ensemble to take the edge off, but they're all sidelined here. Juliet? Too busy fuming at Shawn to interact with him. Lassiter? Surprisingly not all that involved with the case(s) he's supposedly investigating. Henry? Okay, I admit I thoroughly enjoyed his Adventures in Scrapbooking. But even that isn't enough to distract from Shawn and Gus, and the crushing realization that pop culture references are the laziest form of humor. Bryan Adams? He's definitely a person who exists! "Mannequin 2: On the Move"? Haven't seen it, but I have it on good authority that it probably exists too! Coca-Cola Blak? I desperately miss it with every waking moment and HOW DARE YOU TAUNT ME LIKE THIS, WILLIAM RABKIN
November 22, 2022
I know, you know, that I’m not telling the truth…
When I discovered there were novelizations of the television series, Psych, my husband and I were so excited over it that we decided to do a buddy read of this one.
This book reads exactly like an episode from the show, especially in the beginning. We get the story from Gus’ POV, which I enjoyed for the most part. Overall the characterizations of Shawn, Gus, and the rest of the crew were fairly spot-on. However, I felt Juliet O’Hara’s character was severely lacking and barely present.
While Shawn and Gus are known at times to make inappropriate comments on the show, the misogynic thoughts and comments in the book felt overboard and tacky. The general attitude toward mental illness and disabilities was also troubling. One of the characters uses the “R” slur, which was not only unnecessary but completely out of character. Had these things not been in the book, I’d probably give it a higher rating as they dampened my enjoyment of the story as well as the characters.
There were a lot of subplots going on, so many that it kind of made my head spin at times. I liked the plot involving Tara the best and found the subplot with Henry running a scrapbooking hustle to be fun, too. I guessed the identity of one of the killers but not the other, which seemed a little far-fetched, but that’s also exactly how some of the television episodes are. The overall ending was fantastic.
Overall, I’d give it 3.5 stars and am willing to read more in the future, though I hope there will be less misogyny and mental stigma going forward.
When I discovered there were novelizations of the television series, Psych, my husband and I were so excited over it that we decided to do a buddy read of this one.
This book reads exactly like an episode from the show, especially in the beginning. We get the story from Gus’ POV, which I enjoyed for the most part. Overall the characterizations of Shawn, Gus, and the rest of the crew were fairly spot-on. However, I felt Juliet O’Hara’s character was severely lacking and barely present.
While Shawn and Gus are known at times to make inappropriate comments on the show, the misogynic thoughts and comments in the book felt overboard and tacky. The general attitude toward mental illness and disabilities was also troubling. One of the characters uses the “R” slur, which was not only unnecessary but completely out of character. Had these things not been in the book, I’d probably give it a higher rating as they dampened my enjoyment of the story as well as the characters.
There were a lot of subplots going on, so many that it kind of made my head spin at times. I liked the plot involving Tara the best and found the subplot with Henry running a scrapbooking hustle to be fun, too. I guessed the identity of one of the killers but not the other, which seemed a little far-fetched, but that’s also exactly how some of the television episodes are. The overall ending was fantastic.
Overall, I’d give it 3.5 stars and am willing to read more in the future, though I hope there will be less misogyny and mental stigma going forward.
January 4, 2021
3.5 stars - A fun, easy read that captured the show's characters but sometimes gags went on a tad too long trying to fill the pages of a book, rather than the tight script of a show. Also, I kept wanting to actually see the characters say the lines rather than just envision them in my head. The strength of the show was not only the sappy dialogue but the delivery by the actors so it left me wanting. Still, it was a fun read and I will probably read the other books in the series eventually when I need a light, pick-up-me read. "You know that's right!"
July 13, 2023
If you have loved this sitcom, gentle reader, you would probably giggle enormously at the dialogue in this book. It's spot on, because the author is one of the show's writers. The mystery plot is also sweeping, elaborate, fun and interesting and will almost convince you that it's all brilliant until you remember the huge plot hole or two that are still in there. And this too will remind you of the show.
Reading this book is an act of homage to a great show. Proceed with gladness of heart.
Reading this book is an act of homage to a great show. Proceed with gladness of heart.
December 22, 2024
this 275 page book is single handedly going to prevent me from reaching my reading goal it was so uninteresting.
October 18, 2025
With these books, you know they’ll always get the guy, but it how they do it that you don’t see coming!!
January 1, 2021
2.75.
It was a 3.75 until the end...
It was a 3.75 until the end...
May 10, 2021
I did enjoy this, and it made me laugh outright a few times, but I'm not sure if I should rate it a 3 or a 4. (I probably won't re-read it, so it's not a 5.) Sometimes it was just too silly for me, so I'll call it a 3.
The Tara character was too absurd for me at times, but if you enjoy a light-hearted mystery read, and are fans of Psyche, you may enjoy it more.
The writing was good in that it portrayed the characters true to the TV show selves. I could almost "hear" their voices in the reading of it.
I had considered the murderer(s), but hadn't definitely settled on whom when the end of the story came. If anything, the story had too many criminals of various sorts for a straight-forward solution.
The most surprising thing was Gus's last line, considering his long character history.
One reviewer commented about how unrealistic this whole scenario was. Yes, it was, but that's true to the absurd nature of the series, too.
Several reviewers commented on Shawn's misogynist comments. I would've classified them as 1) crude and 2) sexually demeaning, while 3) still understanding/appreciating women's career competence and skills, but I would not have classified him as misogynist in that Shawn did not want to physically harm them, deny their career competence, or sexually assault them. He's completely inappropriate, and it would've qualified as verbal sexual harassment (which I never understood why Chief Vick puts up with; I wouldn't), but he doesn't actually hate women or wish them misfortune. He's supposed to come across as emotionally immature as a middle school boy, and unfortunately, that's pretty true to the TV series. He acts this way because he can get away with it, which is the same as it is for all the rest of his immature behavior. Whether or not it's misogynist, it's bad either way, and it's probably splitting hairs or semantics to try to discern exact definitions, statements, and motives. Either way, it should stop.
It's part of the unrealistic part of the show how far Shawn pushes the inappropriateness for a workplace without any consequences. I just ignore that part of the script. Sometimes it's worth the laugh from the rest of the show in general to ignore that level of mild inappropriateness in entertainment, but not, I would say, in real life.
Another reviewer didn't like that Shawn isn't more like Monk, getting straight to the point. First off, Monk didn't get straight to the point, either. He got sidetracked by something different - his OCD worries and behavior. Secondly, Shawn's rambling and rabbit trails were part of his TV character. He was always rambling about something unrelated to the case at hand. Often food, but other things as well.
The best review I saw had "Would I read the next book? What? Are you not psychic?"
The Tara character was too absurd for me at times, but if you enjoy a light-hearted mystery read, and are fans of Psyche, you may enjoy it more.
The writing was good in that it portrayed the characters true to the TV show selves. I could almost "hear" their voices in the reading of it.
I had considered the murderer(s), but hadn't definitely settled on whom when the end of the story came. If anything, the story had too many criminals of various sorts for a straight-forward solution.
The most surprising thing was Gus's last line, considering his long character history.
One reviewer commented about how unrealistic this whole scenario was. Yes, it was, but that's true to the absurd nature of the series, too.
Several reviewers commented on Shawn's misogynist comments. I would've classified them as 1) crude and 2) sexually demeaning, while 3) still understanding/appreciating women's career competence and skills, but I would not have classified him as misogynist in that Shawn did not want to physically harm them, deny their career competence, or sexually assault them. He's completely inappropriate, and it would've qualified as verbal sexual harassment (which I never understood why Chief Vick puts up with; I wouldn't), but he doesn't actually hate women or wish them misfortune. He's supposed to come across as emotionally immature as a middle school boy, and unfortunately, that's pretty true to the TV series. He acts this way because he can get away with it, which is the same as it is for all the rest of his immature behavior. Whether or not it's misogynist, it's bad either way, and it's probably splitting hairs or semantics to try to discern exact definitions, statements, and motives. Either way, it should stop.
It's part of the unrealistic part of the show how far Shawn pushes the inappropriateness for a workplace without any consequences. I just ignore that part of the script. Sometimes it's worth the laugh from the rest of the show in general to ignore that level of mild inappropriateness in entertainment, but not, I would say, in real life.
Another reviewer didn't like that Shawn isn't more like Monk, getting straight to the point. First off, Monk didn't get straight to the point, either. He got sidetracked by something different - his OCD worries and behavior. Secondly, Shawn's rambling and rabbit trails were part of his TV character. He was always rambling about something unrelated to the case at hand. Often food, but other things as well.
The best review I saw had "Would I read the next book? What? Are you not psychic?"
May 29, 2016
I am now on page 186, Chapter 16. This book is all over the place, the plot and storyline is so unrealistic. I was hoping to fall in love with this series, however the characters are over the top. You have Gus who has no spine and lets people walk all over him, so you have no regard for this character. Then you have Spencer who is so conceited, so self-centered you hate his character. I have never watched the show and maybe I should start there. I will not continue with the series. The author narrative is babbling on and on about situations that have no meaning to the plot, and I find myself have to go back and re-read to figure out the language. It is so obvious that the two characters are fake and phony in their psychic abilities which makes the storyline even weaker.
I assumed Spencer would be like a Monk, who could come on a crime scene and immediately solve it, however I don't see this in the book and feel very disappointed.
So I finally finished this book in hope it would turn around, however my feelings have not changed. I try my hardest not to abandon books because I want to give the author a chance, however this book left me confused, it tried to pull in through the climax of Spencer solving the murders, but his intense babbling is so annoying that you find it hard to focus on the storyline. I will probably not read book #2 because I really did not even find this book to be a true mystery crime solver. I could not get into the characters at all, not one character held my interest through out the whole book!
I assumed Spencer would be like a Monk, who could come on a crime scene and immediately solve it, however I don't see this in the book and feel very disappointed.
So I finally finished this book in hope it would turn around, however my feelings have not changed. I try my hardest not to abandon books because I want to give the author a chance, however this book left me confused, it tried to pull in through the climax of Spencer solving the murders, but his intense babbling is so annoying that you find it hard to focus on the storyline. I will probably not read book #2 because I really did not even find this book to be a true mystery crime solver. I could not get into the characters at all, not one character held my interest through out the whole book!
August 31, 2016
Love the show, and was prepared to be forgiving of this book series as far as continuity and whatnot. Dialogue was pretty good. I could hear Gus/Shawn's rapport in my head while reading.
But there is no way Juliet would allow some sexy young woman to kiss her at a crime scene. A good example of the misogyny mentioned by other reviewers. Shawn is also reduced to a walking hormone who constantly describes cleavage.
I tried to ignore it and continued reading until I was given firm reason to stop: Gus describes a former classmate who had thick glasses which "made him look like a 'tard".
Yep. They used the R-word.
I know these are fictional characters.
However, there is no way in hell an educated and empathetic individual like Gus would ever call someone 'retarded'! USA would certainly not air it, for one :) And for two, people do not throw that term around anymore. Not only is it hateful, it's dated.
Have you noticed its current usage on film? Nowadays, it's only used to show us that a character is an asshole since only a jerk would say that. Get a clue, Rabkin.
That was the last straw for me. I didn't finish the book and will not read the others in this series. I'm so disappointed, I really wanted to enjoy these.
But there is no way Juliet would allow some sexy young woman to kiss her at a crime scene. A good example of the misogyny mentioned by other reviewers. Shawn is also reduced to a walking hormone who constantly describes cleavage.
I tried to ignore it and continued reading until I was given firm reason to stop: Gus describes a former classmate who had thick glasses which "made him look like a 'tard".
Yep. They used the R-word.
I know these are fictional characters.
However, there is no way in hell an educated and empathetic individual like Gus would ever call someone 'retarded'! USA would certainly not air it, for one :) And for two, people do not throw that term around anymore. Not only is it hateful, it's dated.
Have you noticed its current usage on film? Nowadays, it's only used to show us that a character is an asshole since only a jerk would say that. Get a clue, Rabkin.
That was the last straw for me. I didn't finish the book and will not read the others in this series. I'm so disappointed, I really wanted to enjoy these.
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