The premise is great- these types of books intrigue me due to my line of work (I’m an er nurse a see so many addictions ). But it fell flat with the back and fourth BD AD I understand what they mean but the time lines of 30 seconds later just threw me off

Interesting mix of crime + psychology, but the pacing was somewhat off with the back and forth timeline, before and after the murder. The premise of the influencer and the psych meds hooked me, while the rest of the story felt a little stretched. A decent read for psychological thriller fans, just not super memorable for me personally.

Talk is our key tool for moving forward in every aspect of our life. Yet how often do you feel you've missed an opportunity or failed to express what mattered most to you? Simple and easy to follow, psychologist Sarah Rozenthuler presents key strategies and exercises to help you improve your communication.

Headcase by Jennifer Oko is a humorous thriller that's a fun, engaging read.
It tackles some heavy topics with finesse and is well written overall.
While it had its moments, the story did get a little confusing midway, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment.
A great pick for those looking for a thrilling ride with a dash of humor.
Thank you Netgalley and BooksGoSocial for the opportunity to read and review this book.

One hell of a mystery! I thoroughly enjoyed this and finished it within a couple days. Thank you for the opportunity to enjoy an early copy

"Head Case" dives deep into the murky waters of the pharma industry with a twist of psychological thriller. The premise hooks you right from the start—a medical researcher, Dr. Jane Dixon, uncovers unsettling truths while investigating a new drug's side effects. Oko's narrative skillfully blends suspense with a peek behind the curtains of big pharma, making you question just how much we really know about the medications we trust.

What stood out most was the author's ability to blend scientific intrigue with personal drama. Dr. Dixon's journey isn't just about uncovering corporate secrets; it's also about navigating her own ethical dilemmas and personal challenges. The character development felt real, and you find yourself rooting for Dr. Dixon as she unravels the layers of deception.

The pacing keeps you engaged, with each revelation propelling the story forward. While some plot twists may be predictable for avid thriller readers, Oko manages to keep enough surprises up her sleeve to maintain the suspense until the end.

Overall, "Head Case" offers a thought-provoking look into the complexities of medical ethics and the consequences of unchecked corporate power. If you enjoy thrillers that make you think while keeping you on the edge of your seat, this one's definitely worth a read.

Great book! I really enjoyed this and the characters. The story reads at the perfect pace and kept me entertained.

Listen this book was crazy !! This book was quite interesting because I’m sitting her saying what did I just read I can’t explain it because it’s sad how people connect to drugs during certain times of their lives we never know why iand this book gives interesting insight of certain things

I didn't know what to expect with this book, I haven't read anything previously by the author but the front cover really drew me in. What I got was so much better than what I expected.
The writing completely drew me in, I was hooked from the start and engaged all the way through. The characters were so well developed and I found myself really invested in them and the story line left me not wanting to put the book down. Fantastic.

Olivia is a PhD candidate in neurochemistry doing biochemical research on emotions and psychopharmaceuticals. Her best friend, Polly, is a celebrity publicist with a demanding client in search of designer drugs for herself and her famous friends. Polly's father is a psychiatrist with a closet full of medicine samples, and the two friends decide to raid his supply to give to the celebrities, with Olivia giving her expert advice on which pills would be best in different situations.

Ultimately, Olivia is murdered and the story alternates between the past and the present where our main character is in a limbo state between life and death. She narrates the present as she tries to unravel the mystery of her current situation. She's a smart and funny character who is easy to root for despite knowing that nothing can possibly turn out well for her. The story is a great combination of mystery and chick lit as it explores the deterioration of a longtime friendship and the elements that led to its demise.

This author is new to me, and I am thrilled to have found her! I am very much looking forward to discovering more books from her. I believe this book will entertain readers who enjoy mysteries and tales of female friendships.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Diligently pursuing her PhD in neuroscience, Olivia Zack pours everything she’s got into her pharmaceutical research, particularly in the biochemistry of emotions.

She did, anyway. Now, Olivia Zacks is dead.

When her best friend Polly lets her celebrity client know about her psychiatrist father’s access to medication samples, and mentions Olivia’s savvy intel on the pharmacological effects of the drugs, an A-list entourage starts to become very friendly with the girls.

In this surprisingly lighthearted whodunnit, Olivia begins to descend a slippery slope that illuminates the dark side of pharmaceuticals, both within the industry and on the outskirts.

Thank you to BooksGoSocial for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Head Case was such a wild, unexpected delight. It’s part mystery, part satire, part chick lit, with drug dealing grandmas, Russian mobsters, pill-popping celebs, a corrupt pharma empire, and a rat named Raskolnikov (yeap. You read that right!).

The story kicks off with neuroscientist Olivia Zack already dead, and from there, we rewind through the tangled events that led to her murder, and a few that come after.

Olivia is witty, neurotic, flawed, and completely endearing. She’s the kind of narrator who can make you laugh even while recounting the worst mistakes of her life (and death). I loved how the story unfolded through her ghostly commentary. It felt like a behind the scenes documentary of a movie director’s cut of her own bad decisions. It added so much depth and humor, and gave her character a real sense of growth, even post-mortem.

The friendship between Olivia and her best friend, Polly, a celebrity publicist who’s just as mixed up in the pill pushing business, felt real and complicated. Their glamorous yet grimy world of prescription drug dealing is both satirical and scarily plausible. The author really goes after Big Pharma, therapy culture, media spin( you name it), with a sharp wit but also a lot of heart.

Now, I do have to say that this isn’t a gore fest all round. This book never gets too dark or gory, so even if murder mysteries usually aren’t your thing, this one’s safe for the squeamish. It’s weird and wild and a little unhinged, but also super witty and narrated by a character I genuinely found likable and rooted for.

A little bit sci-fi, a little dark thriller and quite a lot of a cautionary tale about the pharmacy industries,

While I am an old boring reader and don’t really enjoy sci fi, I found this very funny, very sharp and throroughly enjoyable.

I would suggest even boring readers like me give it a try. Absolute joy.

Reading this book to me was a very intense and powerful story. The messages of how dangerous the drug industry is (I could see the similarities between the fictional drug and other real world drug advertisements) which made this story more hard hitting for me. The humour in the book is really good and I loved these characters so much they felt realistic and I found myself cheering on them as they worked out this mystery.

Jennifer Oko’s Head Case is a razor-sharp, darkly funny thrill ride. With unforgettable characters, biting wit, and a twisted plot fueled by ambition, pharma, and betrayal, this book is both hilarious and haunting. A wickedly smart page-turner that’s equal parts satire and suspense—I couldn’t put it down. Five stars!

★★★.5

Olivia Zack has been murdered, but she isn’t exactly dead. It appears her spirit has left her physical body, and it’s out for revenge. Her new state of being, she quickly realizes, has several benefits. And as a neuroscientist, she is fascinated! She’s now able to rewind time, slip into other people’s minds, understand any language, and use what she calls “tricks” to let those who are still alive know that she is still alive.

So let’s rewind! Olivia is a smart and hardworking neuroscientist, quite nerdy in her educational and career path. But she is by no means a wallflower. She loves fashion, something she and her best friend Polly have in common. Polly is a publicist, but very unfulfilled. Perhaps she needs therapy, but growing up, she was exposed to lots of pills, so she chooses pills instead of therapy. Luckily, her father (a psychiatrist) has lots of pharma reps visiting and dropping off loads of “fun” pills, which she starts to distribute among her celebrity friends.

A wild tale of pill-popping grannies, big pharma, and even the Russian mob begins and ultimately leads to Olivia’s murder. Can she seek redemption from the afterlife?

The book started well, lost me a bit in the middle, and ended just as well as it started! I agree with Jennifer Oko, this rerelease feels timelier than ever. She did a fantastic job highlighting the generational shift both in mindset and in access to prescription drugs, as well as the challenges within the pharmaceutical industry. From focusing more resources on marketing than research, to purposely covering up side effects, and a general lack of accountability when it is finally exposed, Jennifer Oko used dark humor and some unhinged situations to show just how corrupt big pharma really is.