Head Wounds (Daniel Rinaldi Thrillers, 5)

Started reading this because I met the author when he had a program at a library where I worked. This is definitely not a cozy. The plot was very well thought out and outlined a truly insane but brilliant villain vs. a psychologist protagonist. I won’t tell the outcome because you’ll have to read it yourself.Many years ago I stopped reading psychological thrillers because they got inside my gut too much but I made it through this one. One can only hope this kind of madness exists only in the creative writer’s mind and not in the real world. This was well-written enough that I’ll probably go back and read the beginning of the series.

Dennis Palumbo brilliantly harnesses the power of pure psychological suspense in the fifth novel in his highly regarded Daniel Rinaldi series, and in so doing he delivers one of the most harrowing thriller reads I can remember. In his four previous Daniel Rinaldi books we had the pleasure of figuring out whodunit -- but in HEAD WOUNDS we know very clearly who Rinaldi is tangling with, and as the story unfolds before our apprehensive eyes we are totally inside Rinaldi's vulnerable, terrified and yet stubbornly courageous head. Intense evil and uncertain goodness are engaged in a terrifying cat-and-mouse game in these unforgettable pages, and the ultimate outcome will gratify you as much as it will astonish you. Those of you drawn to psychological suspense thrillers will never forget this disturbing ride through Daniel Rinaldi's nightmare labyrinth of depraved cruelty and icy vengeance. I calculate that I've read nearly 1,000 thrillers over the years and this may well be the very best of the whole lot. Don't miss HEAD WOUNDS.

Dennis Palumbo’s “Head Wounds” digs under Pittsburgh’s gentrification with a suspenseful and often terrifying mystery. Brilliant psychologist David Rinaldi careens through the city peeling away his adversary’s ruthless, clever, violent character. A great read. A hell of a ride.Michael Halperin"Fields of Poison: Migrant Farmworker to Crusading Physician""My Name is David: Search for Identity""Black Wheels""Jacob's Rescue"

Fans of the series won't be disappointed. The plot involves the killing of the hero's friends, revenge for something that never happened! Pretty good. A straight-ahead plot, mostly in the present, going from point to point. Notice the author's use of Pittsburgh as a character, and especially how the weather sets the tone, rain or sun. Knowing some characters from the other books will help the emotional charge, as they are threatened. And I've never known a book where the cell-phone rings so many changes. In the end I wanted to bury mine in a ton of cement. Hopefully our world won't become this scary with the use of technology. It did leave me wondering how much of the evil character actually part of the hero. I imagine, knowing the author a therapist, Jung's shadow must have been playing it's part. It will keep you going after the end.

Head Wounds invites readers back to the mysteries of Pittsburgh and the shadows unlocked by therapist Daniel Rinaldi. Rinaldi's skills as a psychological "detective" are put to the test as he and his friends become targets for a determined killer. Award-winning author Palumbo paints a vivid picture of a disturbed mind that builds to a haunting climax in the trenches of the Iron City. Be warned, you'll be up all night reading Head Wounds--you can't put it down. Make an appointment to consult with Dr. Rinaldi in Pittsburgh for thrills that will cure reader ennui, and ensure you'll eagerly follow up with Dr. Rinaldi and his cases evermore.

Great book. Fast read because it holds your interest. I am interested in reading the next book in the series.

Another great novel in the series, with clever characters and some emotionally painful moments for protagonist Rinaldi. And the climactic scene has an image that is chilling -- not gory, but visually and emotionally impactful for both the hero and the reader. Plus, it's a great if creepy metaphor!

Recommend all five Daniel Rinaldi mysteries!! Just finished the last one and can't wait for another.

It was my plan to ease in to reading Dennis Palumbo's 5th installment of his Daniel Rinaldi thriller series entitled "Head Wounds." I had read his previous four and loved them. But I had work to do and I'm not exactly a student of Evelyn Wood, so a nice leisurely pace was my goal. Well, that idea quickly went out the window from the very first page. Once I started reading this book, I couldn't put it down. When I finished the tome it was like I had been on an alcoholic bender. I had lost all track of time as I did nothing but read and when I was done it was literally a lost weekend! "Head Wounds" is riveting! It's the ultimate cat and mouse battle between Daniel Rinaldi a headstrong therapist who works with the police, and one of literature's best written deranged villains. As you read you wonder just how much more torture can the protagonist endure and you feel his pain with each passing page as you hurriedly seek to find out how this drama will unfold. I had to get to the end as fast as possible just so that I could breath again. Fans of this series will agree that this is the best one yet! And if you haven't tacked this series yet, then I urge you to start at the beginning so that you'll be able to savor "Head Wounds" even more when you get to it. I guarantee you won't be disappointed!

This one goes off the deep end in the final pages. Read it anyway...maybe after the Coronavirus has passed. It’s stressful.