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Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite
In Joel Canfield's Brain Worm, as far as the world knows, former CIA officer Max Bowman is dead. Really, though, he's in Long Beach with a fake name and modest life as the private investigator, Hank Sinatra. That facade collapses when a client complains about objects moving inside his apartment, opening a path toward something far larger: a covert system capable of entering the human mind itself. As armed attacks erupt around him, old intelligence ties reappear, and every attempt to stay hidden draws him closer to the source of the violence. With his loyal dog Eydie beside him, and the few people he trusts put in increasing danger, Max follows a trail from a local case to the highest levels of government, where even a person’s own thoughts may no longer remain their own.
Joel Canfield’s Brain Worm is a comedic novel where Max's fake death leads him into an absurd war over his own body and public identity. The comedy turns brilliantly strange. Max’s televised White House address, collapsing into nonsense and repeated cries of “chocolate tuba,” is unforgettable, and his drugged dream featuring ventriloquist figures and surreal dismemberment pushes the book into boldly inventive comic territory. Max is highly likeable because, beneath the chaos, he remains deeply human. His devotion to Eydie, especially when he immediately arranges her chemotherapy from afar, shows real tenderness. An invitation extended to Angie also shows a man still reaching for connection after repeated loss. The humor is intelligent and witty, and the prose is polished. The settings are exceptionally well drawn, from the underground Davidson shelter that feels claustrophobic to an East Room broadcast scene that turns a seat of power into a stage for farce. Adult readers who enjoy satirical political fiction and offbeat comic thrillers will go nuts for this. Very highly recommended.
