David Singer

A Paranormal Fantasy with an International Flavor

The Mind Reader is the debut novel of David Singer. Inspired by a real-life incident, the novel tells us of an aging dentist, Dr. Finker, who is miraculously cured of severe hand tremors by a Brazilian ‘witch doctor.’ The cure, however, has a surprising side effect. Now Finker can read minds. He wants to use his newly acquired ability to help everyone from old friends and neighbors to the United States government and the United Nations. show more The bad guys, of course, aren’t too keen on that idea.

The book has an international flavor. It provides a glimpse into how a man like Finker, a citizen of the United States and a long-time resident of Venezuela sees everything from international cuisine to American politics to the hotel policies of Hampton Inn. And the book clearly avoids the stereotype of the hyper-intelligent and/or hyper-athletic main character. Finker is an older, overweight dentist whose primary reactions to his new ability seem to be anxiety, fatigue, and in one case, a battle with his digestive system.

The book is a collection of his exploits – too many actually. In a 157-page book, many of the 46 chapters involve a problem that Finker solves using his mind-reading ability. And they aren’t trivial problems. They are things like infiltrating radical groups, negotiating political asylum for international leaders, or freeing an innocently accused rapist while capturing the guilty party. At such a pace, there is no time to develop a sense of tension or mystery. Focusing on two or three of these stories would have provided a much more compelling read. show less