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Crack-Up
Argus Ward is a former U.S. Secret Service agent who runs a protection agency catering to the rich and famous. His best-kept secret--which he shares with lawyers and doctors and even psychiatrists--is his status as a high-functioning paranoid schizophrenic. One day, with little warning, he turns psychotic for the first time in twenty years. He lands in a secure psychiatric facility, charged with the murder of his most famous client, high tech industry billionaire John Helms, the wealthiest man in America.
Argus has no memory of the killing. A blood test suggests to him that some unknown enemy had switched his anti-psychotic medication with identical-looking dummy pills to purposely drive him insane.
A sign of lingering paranoia? His doctor thinks so. Even his wife.
Yet Argus escapes incarceration to prove his theory. With the law on his trail and a ticking time bomb in his head--due to a lack of medication--he discovers that his disease had been "weaponized" by a powerful group to secretly assassinate John Helms as part of a multiple assassination conspiracy of world-wide significance.
Or has Argus simply lost his mind again? What in the end is "real" and what is only imagination in his story?
And what is justice for the criminally insane?
Come lose your grip on reality. Read "Crack-Up."
Argus has no memory of the killing. A blood test suggests to him that some unknown enemy had switched his anti-psychotic medication with identical-looking dummy pills to purposely drive him insane.
A sign of lingering paranoia? His doctor thinks so. Even his wife.
Yet Argus escapes incarceration to prove his theory. With the law on his trail and a ticking time bomb in his head--due to a lack of medication--he discovers that his disease had been "weaponized" by a powerful group to secretly assassinate John Helms as part of a multiple assassination conspiracy of world-wide significance.
Or has Argus simply lost his mind again? What in the end is "real" and what is only imagination in his story?
And what is justice for the criminally insane?
Come lose your grip on reality. Read "Crack-Up."
217 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 14, 2009
46 people are currently reading
163 people want to read
About the author
Eric Christopherson
9 books12 followersEric is a former police officer and federal government consultant. His undergraduate degree is from the University of Texas at Tyler, and he has a graduate degree from Duke University. He was born in California, grew up in New England, and has since lived throughout the USA and a bit in Asia. He now lives in semi-rural Ohio with his wife, Seiko, and their children, Keith and Annabel.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
July 21, 2010
I was completely absorbed by this well-written thriller. Crack-Up tells the story of Argus Ward, the schizophrenic owner of a successful security firm. Argus manages to hide his disease from his colleagues until the voice of Darth Vader tells him to murder the billionaire he was hired to protect. The story moves along at a great pace and I finished it in two sittings. Definitely recommended!
October 4, 2010
Argus Ward has a medical problem. He's a paranoid schizophrenic. But as long as takes his medication, he can function as head of the successful security company he established and nobody need know his secret.
Then he starts seeing things - like a naked flight attendant on his plane. Then he starts hearing things - voices issuing strange and menacing commands. What's going on? Trouble, that's what, and Argus is soon knee-deep in it, charged with the murder of his most famous client.
Did he do it? If so, why, when he faithfully takes his daily medication?
Crack-up is by turns funny, exciting and scary - a truly original premise brilliantly executed. The action never lets up, with lots of twists and turns along the way. With a paranoid narrator, Christopherson has a lot of fun. Just about anything goes when you're in that mental state.
I have to say the behaviour of the cops (who were presumably meant to be sane) strained my credulity at several points. That didn't stop me enjoying this zany tale immensely, but it did cost the fifth star on the rating.
This is an exhilarating roller-coaster read, worth many times the dollar price tag.
One marketing point: I feel there are far too many plot details in the Amazon synopsis - 'self spoilers' if you will.
Then he starts seeing things - like a naked flight attendant on his plane. Then he starts hearing things - voices issuing strange and menacing commands. What's going on? Trouble, that's what, and Argus is soon knee-deep in it, charged with the murder of his most famous client.
Did he do it? If so, why, when he faithfully takes his daily medication?
Crack-up is by turns funny, exciting and scary - a truly original premise brilliantly executed. The action never lets up, with lots of twists and turns along the way. With a paranoid narrator, Christopherson has a lot of fun. Just about anything goes when you're in that mental state.
I have to say the behaviour of the cops (who were presumably meant to be sane) strained my credulity at several points. That didn't stop me enjoying this zany tale immensely, but it did cost the fifth star on the rating.
This is an exhilarating roller-coaster read, worth many times the dollar price tag.
One marketing point: I feel there are far too many plot details in the Amazon synopsis - 'self spoilers' if you will.
September 8, 2010
“Listen to me, son,” said the caller. My father? “Kill John Helms.” Then he hung up.
What happens when the lines between reality and delusion start to blur? Paranoid schizophrenic Argus Ward sees and hears things, but how much of it is real? What about the voices telling him to kill his most famous client…
Crack-up hooked me from the start. By the end, I was almost as paranoid as Argus. A fast-paced, excellently crafted thriller, gripping from start to finish. I look forward to reading more from this author.
What happens when the lines between reality and delusion start to blur? Paranoid schizophrenic Argus Ward sees and hears things, but how much of it is real? What about the voices telling him to kill his most famous client…
Crack-up hooked me from the start. By the end, I was almost as paranoid as Argus. A fast-paced, excellently crafted thriller, gripping from start to finish. I look forward to reading more from this author.
February 12, 2011
This story has a healthy dose of paranoia and conspiracy theories. The main protagonist has a history working as a Secret Service agent for the president and now works in security industry advising and protecting but now he finds himself in a situation where who exactly he should be protecting. You really get into the mind of his dual personality which adds to making this an interesting read.
" I’d left the Service ten years earlier, and not many agents last a full decade on protection detail. It’s the stress of being hyper-alert all day, listening to the constant flow of worry in your earpiece, eyes forever moving, scanning the high vantage points, sweeping endless faces in crowds, fretting about hands in pockets or the sight of a bulky overcoat on a mild autumn day. It’s the unspoken fear of dying."
"A close brush with death makes pensive philosophers of us all. "
"One in every hundred people is schizophrenic. That’s a lot, if you think about it. If you live in a city, you pass by them every day, on the street, though you probably don’t know it. If you work for a large company, you’ll have co-workers who are schizophrenic. Take a crowded commercial jetliner, there will be schizophrenics aboard. Take a train, or a subway, and every second or third time, at least, you’re sharing the compartment with a schizophrenic.”
" I’d left the Service ten years earlier, and not many agents last a full decade on protection detail. It’s the stress of being hyper-alert all day, listening to the constant flow of worry in your earpiece, eyes forever moving, scanning the high vantage points, sweeping endless faces in crowds, fretting about hands in pockets or the sight of a bulky overcoat on a mild autumn day. It’s the unspoken fear of dying."
"A close brush with death makes pensive philosophers of us all. "
"One in every hundred people is schizophrenic. That’s a lot, if you think about it. If you live in a city, you pass by them every day, on the street, though you probably don’t know it. If you work for a large company, you’ll have co-workers who are schizophrenic. Take a crowded commercial jetliner, there will be schizophrenics aboard. Take a train, or a subway, and every second or third time, at least, you’re sharing the compartment with a schizophrenic.”
May 16, 2011
89p...Bargain
3.75 star rating (started off as a 4)
Stated off as a real promising edge of the seat serious conspiracy thriller and I really did get into the world of Argus scary is it real or not and who do I believe. The illness described was terrifying but also put into some context when controlled.
However at about 60% it became clear it wasn't really in this genre but a little more tongue in cheek. I still enjoyed the style and the story it just lost a little plausibility for me that's all.
In summary, entertaining, humorous, paranoid, crime thriller !
3.75 star rating (started off as a 4)
Stated off as a real promising edge of the seat serious conspiracy thriller and I really did get into the world of Argus scary is it real or not and who do I believe. The illness described was terrifying but also put into some context when controlled.
However at about 60% it became clear it wasn't really in this genre but a little more tongue in cheek. I still enjoyed the style and the story it just lost a little plausibility for me that's all.
In summary, entertaining, humorous, paranoid, crime thriller !
July 18, 2013
I really enjoyed this book by author, Eric Christopherson. It was a fast and exciting read,and well written. The character's battle with his psychotic condition was extremely well done and I felt as if I was a part of him. I liked the character Argus Ward. He was a strong person who did not give up...
June 7, 2011
Having a hard time getting into this one...
February 27, 2018
Psychological thrillers are my favorite genre and i love unreliable narrators. This may rank up near the top in my opinion.
Argus is a former Secret Service agent who took a bullet for the president and now owns his own security firm. He’s also a high functioning paranoid schizophrenic. When Argus is arrested for killing one of his clients, it becomes a race against time to discover how much is the truth, and how much is his disease.
I am NOT a psychiatrist so I don’t know how accurate any of this is, but it definitely made a very suspenseful novel. As the saying goes, “just because you’re paranoid, it doesn’t mean they aren’t out to get you!” I felt Argus’ terror at not knowing what was real and what was a hallucination, and even though I’m usually good at guessing the endings, I didn’t predict this one.
Argus is a former Secret Service agent who took a bullet for the president and now owns his own security firm. He’s also a high functioning paranoid schizophrenic. When Argus is arrested for killing one of his clients, it becomes a race against time to discover how much is the truth, and how much is his disease.
I am NOT a psychiatrist so I don’t know how accurate any of this is, but it definitely made a very suspenseful novel. As the saying goes, “just because you’re paranoid, it doesn’t mean they aren’t out to get you!” I felt Argus’ terror at not knowing what was real and what was a hallucination, and even though I’m usually good at guessing the endings, I didn’t predict this one.
February 16, 2020
A great thriller
This novel has a great story line and delved into the minds of schizophrenic people on and off their medication. A definite thriller with a murder being blamed on a family man with a security business who happens to have paranoid schizophrenia. Someone switched his medication and he escaped from a psychiatric ward to find the real killer.
This novel has a great story line and delved into the minds of schizophrenic people on and off their medication. A definite thriller with a murder being blamed on a family man with a security business who happens to have paranoid schizophrenia. Someone switched his medication and he escaped from a psychiatric ward to find the real killer.
March 30, 2019
This book was just so out there but true to my policy of always finishing what I started, I stuck with it. A paranoid schizophrenic guy who once worked for the secret service and, by the way, saved the President's life is now running a successful security firm. He gets tricked into going off his meds and kills a billionaire businessman client. Now he is being pushed to kill the current President. O.K. I know it's supposed to be tongue in cheek but just not for me. Glad it was a freebie.
May 10, 2011
This book started off really good, but I'm about 70% finished and it's losing some of it's oomph. It's written well enough for me to want to keep reading it, but the story line is becoming more and more implausible, so I'm anxious for the book to end. This got 4 1/2 stars on Amazon, but I'm giving it a 3 star rating.
From Amazon: Argus Ward is a former U.S. Secret Service agent who runs a protection agency catering to the rich and famous. His best-kept secret--which he shares with lawyers and doctors and even psychiatrists--is his status as a high-functioning paranoid schizophrenic. One day, with little warning, he turns psychotic for the first time in twenty years. He lands in a secure psychiatric facility, charged with the murder of his most famous client, high tech industry billionaire John Helms, the wealthiest man in America.
Argus has no memory of the killing. A blood test suggests to him that some unknown enemy had switched his anti-psychotic medication with identical-looking dummy pills to purposely drive him insane.
A sign of lingering paranoia? His doctor thinks so. Even his wife.
Yet Argus escapes incarceration to prove his theory. With the law on his trail and a ticking time bomb in his head--due to a lack of medication--he discovers that his disease had been "weaponized" by a powerful group to secretly assassinate John Helms as part of a multiple assassination conspiracy of world-wide significance.
Or has Argus simply lost his mind again? What in the end is "real" and what is only imagination in his story?
And what is justice for the criminally insane?
From Amazon: Argus Ward is a former U.S. Secret Service agent who runs a protection agency catering to the rich and famous. His best-kept secret--which he shares with lawyers and doctors and even psychiatrists--is his status as a high-functioning paranoid schizophrenic. One day, with little warning, he turns psychotic for the first time in twenty years. He lands in a secure psychiatric facility, charged with the murder of his most famous client, high tech industry billionaire John Helms, the wealthiest man in America.
Argus has no memory of the killing. A blood test suggests to him that some unknown enemy had switched his anti-psychotic medication with identical-looking dummy pills to purposely drive him insane.
A sign of lingering paranoia? His doctor thinks so. Even his wife.
Yet Argus escapes incarceration to prove his theory. With the law on his trail and a ticking time bomb in his head--due to a lack of medication--he discovers that his disease had been "weaponized" by a powerful group to secretly assassinate John Helms as part of a multiple assassination conspiracy of world-wide significance.
Or has Argus simply lost his mind again? What in the end is "real" and what is only imagination in his story?
And what is justice for the criminally insane?
February 3, 2011
"Crack-Up" was a good little read. I don't read many mysteries, but the psychological aspect (and the 99-cent download!) attracted me to it. Without giving anything away... The protagonist is a highly-functioning schizophrenic, named Argus Ward. He is accused of murdering one of the most powerful men in the nation. The writer takes us on a twisting, turning search to find what's real and what's delusion. As Argus peels back the layers of an elaborate, and far-fetched, plot, he peels back the layers of his own psyche. We're also treated to an interesting jaunt through the many landmarks of Washington DC. Christopherson's style is very easy to read - a gifted story teller. He's concise enough not to wander off topic, but descriptive enough to add depth, and captivating enough to keep the pages turning. All-in-all, a decent read. (Point of reference: "3 Stars," to me, is an average book. I almost never give 5-stars!)
September 13, 2011
This was on okay read, not horrible, but not exhilarating either. The story is basically about mental illness and the stigma attached to that in the United States. It was well written in the sense of being able to understand the author's point, but not in the sense of a highly entertaining read. Argus, the main character, was memorable in his attempt to uncover the truth of his ordeal, while at the same time fighting his personal demons. I did like his character very much throughout the entire book. Sarah, Argus's wife, was pretty shallow in my estimation, considering she knew of his mental disorder when they married. The villain, when revealed in the end, was more of a let down given they had no more sinister reason than making a public statement basically in an extreme fashion. Again, it was a pleasant read, but would not be on my list of top 20 for the year.
August 23, 2013
I'm no expert on schizophrenia so I expect that some readers will object to how the condition of the protagonist is portrayed in Crack-Up. To me it came across as believable to a degree; at least enough to enjoy the story. The concept of a deadline to solve a mystery can be effective but is often so contrived as to take away from the story line. I felt that the progress of his illness could ultimately result in him not being able to resolve his conflict.
Crack-Up is a good story with characters that act in believable ways. My main downside is, in the back of my mind, was that the portrayal of the character's condition was so far off base as to be hurtful to readers who may have had to contend with it in real life.
Crack-Up is a good story with characters that act in believable ways. My main downside is, in the back of my mind, was that the portrayal of the character's condition was so far off base as to be hurtful to readers who may have had to contend with it in real life.
September 1, 2010
I thought this was a very well-written book. Told from the perspective of a schizo, it is natural that the story have some disjointed and fantastic elements. Reality and hallucination don't always meld together well. I was fascinated to speculate about what might or might not be real.
About the only complaint I had was that the Gardener character was completely abandoned when his active role was over. For a long time, I was speculating about his role in the story, but then he just disappeared.
I will read this author again.
About the only complaint I had was that the Gardener character was completely abandoned when his active role was over. For a long time, I was speculating about his role in the story, but then he just disappeared.
I will read this author again.
May 14, 2013
I like this book because: I like books written in the first person, I like espionage-type books, I like paychological thrillers, I like lots of surprises, I like stories where the hero doesn't know who to trust. In this he doesn't know who to trust or what's real and what's not. The plot idea is very unique, I've not read anything like it before and I like that too.
I intend to read more by this author and would highly recommend him to anyone who likes this type of boo
I intend to read more by this author and would highly recommend him to anyone who likes this type of boo
April 27, 2011
I really enjoyed this book by indie author, Eric Christopherson. It was a fast and furious read, but intelligently written. The character's battle with his psychotic condition was extremely well done and I felt as if I was right there with him. And it's less than £1 for the Kindle! Looking forward to reading his next novel.
January 17, 2011
Loved this book, a real page turner.
January 23, 2011
excellent little read for the kindle costing a mere few pence!
October 2, 2011
Well crafted thriller whose hero is a paranoid schizophrenic struggling to unravel a complex crime.
September 25, 2011
Excellent book! It was very well written and enjoyable all the way through. Eric Christopherson has a new fan! :)
February 3, 2014
Rather good thriller about the power of computers and mind control.
March 18, 2014
Good fun.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews