The Nameless Height By J.D.Narramore

J.D. Narramore has concocted a splendid espionage narrative that takes you back to the days of the Cold War with all the shaky alliances and constant secrets held between friends and foes alike. 

Audrey Davis, former spy, is settling back into a life of safety and security in the United States after a turbulent time working undercover in Russia. When a former foe seeks her out for retribution for the events of the first book, Davis must step back into the field one more time to not only stop a murderous operative, but also prevent a global conflict just when US and Russia seem to be undergoing the mutual disarmament accords.

The rich aroma of crisp and fast-paced storytelling with the Cold War background is immaculately rendered by J.D. Narramore’s strong characterizations and world-building set extensively in the grounded events of history. Audrey Davis is an exhilarating protagonist. From her analytical mind to her tactical training, she takes the fight to the enemies of the United States of America with gritty determination and courage while grappling with the emotional upbringing of her sons troubled by the violence of her past.

This book packs quite a few pleasant surprises and kicks for fans of hard-hitting action, particularly those who wish to read aerial combat sequences like something out of Top Gun. If you’ve wanted to read F-14 Tomcats engage in cool and dangerous dogfights with Migs, you’ve got to read The Nameless Height.

The Nameless Height is an elegant cold-war espionage thriller balanced with precisely the right amount of cerebral spycraft and adrenaline-gushing action. J.D. Narramore is making a dent in the Thrillerverse and I can’t wait to read more of his spy thrillers. 

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Dirty War By Stephen Leather

Stephen Leather has one-upped himself (a tremendous feat) with one of the most ingeniously captivating and timely action thrillers pertaining to the most recent shift of geopolitical climate in the Middle East. 

Dirty War stars Stephen Leather’s distinctive hero, Dan “Spider” Shepherd as he uncovers a major terrorist plot to assassinate the Prime Minister of United Kingdom. This time, the threat’s personal to Spider; he’s the one who got the terrorist into the country in the first place.

Stephen Leather’s economy with words is matched only by the elegance of the straight-forward prose with resonating situations and highly believable and distinctive characters. Dan “Spider” Shepherd is part detective, part gunfighter, and all awesome. With an eidetic memory, Shepherd packs a killer memory for everything he sees and hears, a weapon that comes very handy when he’s working undercover. His weapons prowess is no less, as his proficiency with firearms and combat is displayed vividly throughout the narrative. Perhaps the only one who might give Shepherd a run for his money would be Matt Standing, a hot-headed gunslinger SAS trooper and a fan-favorite character in Leather’s universe of badass characters. Good thing they’re both on the same side when they infiltrate Afghanistan to rescue an asset in the heart of the troop recall last year, running and gunning through insurgents and bad guys in style.

Another huge positive point I truly admire in Stephen Leather’s writings is the lack of any sort of propaganda. Characters are multi-layered and serve the purpose of driving the nuanced emotional stakes without falling into pits of cliches and stereotypes. The political grievances conveyed through characters mirror common-sense worldview of current situations, resonating with all readers. From the well-known Dan Shepherd to the newer characters that join him, each character is a joy to root for, except for the bad guys who are truly despicable.

If you’re jonesing for a hardcore and smart edge-of-your-seat thriller with a balanced worldview of characters and motivations with superb shootouts in nail-biting intensity, Dirty War is the perfect pick.

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The It Girl By Ruth Ware

Ruth Ware’s intricately plotted whodunnit is marvelous and breathtaking. Its ultra-realistic narrative will keep you up at night as you unsuccessfully try to wrench yourself away from this gem for a modicum of sleep.

The It Girl follows the story of Hannah Jones in two timelines, one before the horrific murder of her Oxford roommate, and the other years later. When a journalist ambushes Hannah with the possibility that the supposed murderer Hannah helped convict may have been innocent, her life unravels as she sets off on a mission to uncover the truth while wrestling with heart-shattering guilt of possibly condemning an innocent man to death. 

As a first-time reader of Ruth Ware’s works, I was thoroughly impressed by her ability to craft such a riveting slow burn that navigated brilliantly through the chapters alternating between past and present in a manner that enchanted me in the pleasant but dangerous “just one more chapter” frame of mind. 

Spending the perfect amount of time on setting up an emotional investment in each of the involved characters, Ware compels you to feel for Hannah’s predicament and join her, heart and soul, in her search for the truth while planting seeds through ingenious parallels between the two timelines for a satisfying denouement to the mystery.

The It Girl requires you to keep your game face on from the very beginning and undeniably till the last sentence, lest you miss out on subtle nuances that Ruth Ware excels at projecting in dialogues and situations throughout the narrative. Masterfully crafted storytelling laid bare for thriller fans to enjoy deeply.

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The 6:20 Man By David Baldacci

David Baldacci’s gift for writing fleshed out characters that feel larger than life and supremely entertaining makes The 6:20 Man a distinctive thriller set in cutthroat Wall Street setting with a charismatic and impressionable protagonist who has quickly become a favorite of mine.

Travis Devine is a character who speaks to all readers who feel lost in the constant hustle bustle of making money at the cost of their sanity. Trading in his Army uniform for a Wall Street suit, he rides the daily 6:20 train to work, joined by others like him on the constant prowl for success. What starts off like just another office day turns cruel quickly when a former flame of Devine turns up dead in the office storage room, supposedly having killed herself; only thing is that Devine receives a cryptic message that screams otherwise. With a megalomaniac at the helm of Devine’s firm making some unsavory decisions to make a quick and dirty buck, Devine finds himself embroiled in a financial conspiracy spanning global territories. He must utilize his army training as well as his street smarts to get to the heart of the conspiracy before the bullseye finds its way on his back.

The 6:20 Man is superbly paced throughout, starting off with a gentle ease to introduce Devine and his predicaments to gel well with the readers before the momentum picks up speed and propels readers and Devine alike into the mystery. The action is akin to the Reacher series, with powerful descriptions of hand to hand combat sequences and crisp shootouts. Devine’s physical prowess is a delight to read as he gets into skirmishes with antagonists and tackles his opponents with awe-inspiring moves.

Not only is Devine proficient at dispatching threats, he’s also a very convincing leading hero to have a whole narrative centered around him. Baldacci’s singular focal point on Devine in the entirety of the narrative immensely elevates the unpredictability of the plot and makes for a much more page-burning intense read as you can’t help but follow Devine into battle as a modern day knight in shining armor. Devine embodies the best of humanity in the worst of situations, from religious beliefs to general empathy towards his fellow peers, making him that much easy to root for.

The 6:20 Man offers a gleaming insight into the world of finance with technical details to spruce up the content aligned with the plot without becoming too overbearing for non-finance majors. The beauty of the narrative however lies in the experience that even 80% into the narrative, you won’t have all the pieces to solve the gut-wrenching mystery. It’s only at the moment of truth where the WOAH factor kicks in to paint the full picture that sparked the entire conspiracy. It’s a twist I did not see coming. 

Dark, visceral, action-packed, and at times disturbing, The 6:20 Man is an extraordinary kickoff to a brand new protagonist by an author who understands the essence of establishing an enchanting leading character with memorable moments and a distinctive storyline.    

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Dark Objects By Simon Toyne

From the get-go, Dark Objects distinguishes itself as something more than your ordinary murder-investigation thriller.  Written with an uncharacteristically beautiful prose that chills you deep down to your bones, this book is crafted brilliantly as a magnificent crime thriller that stands up to the best in the genre with more diversity and ingenuity than usually explored.

When a gruesome murder of a woman in a high tech secure house shakes the confidence of the elites in London, Forensics expert Laughlin Rees is pulled into the heart of the mystery when her book on how to process a murder is left by the murderer at the crime scene. Partnering up with the lead investigator, DCI Tannahill Khan, Rees must overcome her dark past with murderers to stop this one before she finds her daughter in the crosshairs of the unhinged murderer.

Dark Objects is not for the faint-hearted. Simon Toyne does not shy away from painting a vividly disturbing and ultimately realistic picture of horrifying crime scenes that carry the gravitas to propel the characters into action. Toyne’s insights into crime scene investigation make for one of the most shrewd and cunning works of literature I’ve read of recent. Coupled with a keen eye for introducing distinctive characters of both male and female genders, Toyne keeps the narrative fresh and engaging; Tannahill’s representation as an Irish-Pakistani is one I haven’t read in mainstream books, especially with the authenticity of Toyne’s indisputable research of the cultures. Rees herself is a very formidable and aptly written female protagonist with a heart of gold and the rage of a warrior. At no point during the whole narrative did she seem the least bit unnecessarily sexualized or overtly emotional for the sake of being a female character. Her martial arts training pays dividends during the climax.

The heart of this narrative is the art of processing a crime scene. Toyne walks readers through the grim and violent scenes with an expert hand, describing the scenes and emotions artfully. Every laser focused detail acts like an important puzzle piece to solve the mystery of the crime scene, leaving no single sentence wasted. Rees’s forensics mindset is a delight to traverse as she picks through the evidence smartly and energetically, amping up each chapter with vigor and enthusiasm. 

Dark Objects is a must-read for all those who enjoy dabbling in dark stories where gray subject matters persist more than the typical straightforward resolutions. Captured artistically against the cloudy skylines of London, this cinematic thriller is one that will stay with you.

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Upgrade By Blake Crouch

It’s a rarity to come across a thriller that I can describe as a beautiful and ruminative work of literature that’s almost poetic in the way words and events mesh together to form the big picture. Upgrade by Blake Crouch is a gem of a novel that speaks to you on a molecular level.

The first person POV narration puts you in the mind of Logan Ramsey, an agent for the Gene Protection Agency. In the near future, gene editing has become frequent and illegal, putting agents like Logan into harm's way of stopping dangerous gene manipulations. On a raid, a mysterious ambush leaves Logan upgraded with faster and better genes. With nebulous, bordering on sinister, forces in the shadows responsible for this act, Logan must quickly work his way to the truth before the fate of humanity is altered forever.

Blake Crouch broaches the topic of transcending intelligence at the cost of forgoing one’s humanity. You can feel the techno-noir colors and sceneries emanating from Crouch’s grimly poetic descriptions of the futuristic environment and characters, on par with the mastery of the futuristic noir-world of Blade Runner movies. Crouch’s detailed research on current technological trends leading into the not-so-distant future makes for a riveting storytelling world where no concept feels too far-fetched and every development and calamity mentioned in the narrative has a high probability of happening. The prospect of advanced but still not yet sentient artificial intelligence grounds the reading experience even more, as if glimpsing into the coming few years through a portal.

Logan Ramsey is one of the most well-written protagonists of recent. Developed from the beginning with inklings of shadowy past and tortured memories, Logan quickly becomes a highly relatable and rootable character whom you follow through some harrowing scenarios and adrenaline-pumping action sequences. His transformation on a cellular level is explored on a scientifically exhilarating platform as well as a more haunting train of thoughts where the prospect of changing a person’s DNA to the point of new identity is nail-bitingly intense to say the least, yet so beautifully and eloquently worded with Crouch’s colorful and flavorful prose. 

There’s no denying that an upgrade to Logan’s DNA makes for some brutal and fast-paced action sequences with awesome shootouts involving Logan emptying 12 rounds of FN 5.7 pistol at combatants in a span of 2 seconds. Add some throat-breaking fisticuffs to the mix and you’ve got heart-winning action with a keen eye for tactical and technical details. 

Upgrade is a big-brain thriller that not only presents a grim and dark vision of human evolution but also balances it with hopeful and heartfelt subtle commentary on the brighter side of humanity and how to achieve it. It’s a book we desperately need to read today and absorb in all its glory. Coupling intelligent lessons with mind-blowing twists and energetic action, Upgrade is essentially a super-thriller!  

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Into The Darkness By Charles Hack

Charles Hack’s exciting fusion of space sci-fi and military action is every bit as enthralling and wild as it sounds. From the thoroughly descriptive alien worlds to the more traditional style of cutthroat paranoia and action, Into the Darkness never falters in its goal to keep you hooked in for the entire length of the narrative.

The Space Warfare Group is an elite squadron of battle-hardened warriors responsible for enforcing galactic laws and security. When a princess of an alien race is abducted from her spacecraft by brutish space pirates that wear the bones of their victims, Major Malcolm Lambert must lead his warriors to rescue the princess after it’s revealed she possesses a secret of the galaxy that must not be divulged to the wrong people under any circumstances. What Lambert doesn’t know is that there are forces higher up the leadership ladder that are setting up a trap for him. With no one but himself and his team to trust, Lambert must navigate through space combat and nasty betrayals at every turn lest he be too late to save the princess from her breaking point.

While the premise may sound far too “sci-fi” for traditional thriller aficionados, Charles Hack keeps a heavy emphasis on military-styled narrative and action. Even with shiny new types of weaponry, Hack undeniably draws the inspirations from contemporary arsenal that thriller readers are more familiar with and augments them with awesome sci-fi inspired weapon designs in precise and vivid illustrations that go delightfully with the awe-striking action sequences using all sorts of firearms. 

Charles Hack has adroitly set up a fantastical new world of different civilizations with meaningful character developments and personalities that leap out of the page for an immersive reading experience. From the more familiar humans to surprisingly relatable extraterrestrial beings, the narrative gives essential insights into different aspects of the bigger picture beyond Major Lambert’s mission. It’s this world-building that sticks with you and makes you crave for more stories to be told in this bold newfangled universe. Luckily, the way this book ends with such a breathtaking cliffhanger promises more to come from this budding author. 

Into the Darkness is an adventurous and exquisite beginning of a new style of military thrillers with ingenious imagination, hardcore action, and healthy mistrust of the chain of command.

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Rising Tiger By Brad Thor

Brad Thor dazzles thriller-readers with a fresh backdrop and environment to the gun-toting action sequences fans have come to expect in abundance. This time, Harvath’s mission takes him deep into the heart of the exotic Asian subcontinent. Rising Tiger raises the bar for Scot Harvath.

Harvath is pulled out of the Afghan theater after rescuing an ally to investigate the murder of an American diplomat in India. With a deadly conflict brewing between India and China, Harvath teams up with a street-smart cop, Vijay, and a tenacious RAW agent, Asha, as their paths cross through raging shootouts and shady backwaters of the criminal frontier in India. Taking more of an investigator than operator role here, Harvath must solve the American’s murder before a deadly plan takes fruition and plunges America into another war.

Thor’s impressive research of Indian culture goes a long way to establish the authenticity and vividness of each experience described thoughtfully in the narrative. From the distinctive smells of Indian street food to the bright festivals, the details help readers clearly visualize Harvath’s escapades with a touch of humor and lightheartedness in an otherwise grave and intense storyline. Rising Tiger incorporates important topics pertaining to religious and political stability of the region and I was pleasantly surprised to see an informed approach to the subject matters without leaning into heavy bias for any one side of the equation. 

The hot and heavy action is another huge positive point in Rising Tiger. There’s no loss of momentum or interest in any way whatsoever throughout the chapters as Brad Thor keeps you entertained with non-stop shootouts and sticky situations handled with realistic purview. The urban and dense setting makes for some exciting showdowns with enemy combatants.

Rising Tiger benefits greatly from Harvath’s venture into a lesser explored region and Thor’s exquisite storytelling that catapults readers with sheer excitement into the spotlight of fast-paced twists and turns. Previously I had pegged Black Ice as the most fun I had with a Brad Thor thriller, but Rising Tiger has officially claimed that spot now.

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Armored By Mark Greaney

Mark Greaney strikes gold once again with a brand-new series that’s every bit as action-packed as the Gray Man series but with a fundamentally different protagonist to spice things up.

Joshua Duffy is a former Close Protection Agent who after a botched operation becomes a mall cop due to a grave physical injury. Strapped for cash to provide good-living for his family, he undertakes a contracting assignment to protect a convoy of UN officials cutting through the Mexican ganglands to meet with a feared drug lord. A seemingly simple protection detail takes a major detour when traitors and hidden agendas surface in the midst of constant shootouts and explosions. Duffy must overcome his demons and get back to his family before his enemies can outsmart and outgun him.

Mark Greaney’s tactical and technical knowledge is showcased big time in Armored with a plethora of facts and imagery for weapons systems and equipment in the vein of Tom Clancy’s detail-heavy writing. At the same time, Greaney maintains a clear spotlight on the driving force of the narrative; the rag tag group of characters with their realistic and hilarious strengths and flaws that add a touch of chaotic realism to the explosives-laden storyline. Josh Duffy is no Gray Man. As a husband and father, Duffy is a man with a lot to lose. His desire to provide for his family is a universal tone that hits harder and closer to home than perhaps any other, making him the ideal hero to cheer for as he navigates through the wildlands with his new team of mercenaries who grow on you as you make your way down the story. 

It’s a no-brainer that this book was picked up even before release for a movie adaptation. Greaney’s cinematic writing style effortlessly captures the thriller trifecta; extensive storytelling spanning multiple timelines, authentic characters, and spectacular action sequences from the very first chapter. You’ll find yourself in the thick of the battlefield with Greaney’s attention-to-detail in describing everything from the hot brass of ammo to the green of the forests. Armored is the perfect action-packed adventure to either get you out of a reading slump or make your reading streak even hotter!

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Outside By Ragnar Jonasson

Outside is a bone-chilling, hair-raising mystery that will have you making hot cocoa and curling up in warm sheets courtesy of Ragnar Jonasson’s haunting descriptions of the cold Icelandic setting. Beware, Jonasson’s manner of establishing a sinister and devious situation with relatable and deeply disturbing characters makes Outside the perfect story to read during nighttime.

Picture a dangerous and heavy snowstorm raging down upon a small hut in the middle of nowhere, trapping 4 friends in for a long haul. Seems pretty harmless, until the secrets start flowing into the open and suddenly nothing is what it seems and no one is who they say they are. Was it fate that they ended up in that hut, and do they have company, are just two of the many more burning questions you’ll have while breezing through this relentless mystery that turns darker by each page.

Jonasson excels at crafting realistic and resonating multi-layered characters that elevate the stakes to dangerously addictive levels for the readers, enchanting and destroying the readers simultaneously with horrible acts that are not too far from what we see in society today. There is a pungent aura of mystique and unsettling climax as the narrative progresses via POVs of each of the 4 characters, keeping your imagination running wild as you wrack your brain to figure out the mystery before its too late for the characters you’re rooting for.

Outside is a magnificent whodunnit story of grief, bad choices, and human nature that speaks to readers on a personal level. The resolution is sure to cause division among readers; Jonasson does not offer a clean ending but rather settles the major premise of the book, leaving the rest to the imagination of the readers. It caught me off guard but the more I think about it, the more it makes sense for a confined-setting story set completely in one location. I would not be surprised if this is picked up for a movie adaptation, it certainly embodies the cinematic charisma.

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China Hand By Scott Spacek

China Hand is an exotic blend of high-octane action, blooming romance, and realistic espionage. It’s hard to believe that such a refined thriller is indeed Scott Spacek’s debut; the attention to detail and extensive research to the socio-political climate in the narrative is indicative of a much more experienced author.

Andrew Callahan is an ambitious graduate of Harvard with the goal to work at one of the most prestigious financial institutions, going as far as moving to China for a year to teach at the renowned International Affairs University that caters exclusively if not explicitly to diplomats and spies. Suddenly, he’s thrust into a high stakes espionage game where he’s tasked with extracting a high value defector with secrets that hold dire consequences for US-China relations. Putting his life at risk, Andrew must step up to the challenge and improvise through deceptions and bone-cracking action in an intense and nail-biting race-against-time.

Scott Spacek has created a captivating and thrilling adventure with splendid focus on his highly relatable protagonist, adopting a first person POV to help readers explore China with experiences that seem so lifelike and authentic; from the smells of the streets to the political ideology of the dangers of a government that constantly surveils its people with an iron fist and limiting privacy, the bold narrative of China Hand is tremendously thought-provoking and exciting as you yearn to read more about the characters and their perspectives.

The action is raw and aggressive as Andrew Callahan makes use of any and all weapons at his disposal to gain an edge over his opponents. Given that Andrew has no background in violence except for martial arts training, you can’t help but root ferociously for him as he uses his wits and his gradually-improving skills of hand-to-hand combat to get out of sticky situations.

The crux of China Hand is ultimately a fresh and delightful tale of forbidden love against overwhelming odds with the intense backdrop of a spy thriller and a plethora of grand and diverse characters. In a nutshell, you won’t want to put the book down once you’ve started reading.

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Shadow Tier By Steve Stratton

Shadow Tier is a solid action thriller that takes readers on a vicious journey of gut-wrenching loss and action-packed retribution with a new take on the war on drugs.

Steve Stratton debuts Lance Wolf, a trained operative good with both tech and guns. When his parents are brutally gunned down by cartel members working for El Chapo, Wolf vows to utilize his military skills to use against the murderers of his parents. What follows is literally non-stop action with detailed weaponry and tactics as Wolf goes rogue with a team of soldiers operating under the radar to wreak havoc on the cartel on both sides of the border.

The characters are established in a relatable manner for readers to either root for or against, depending on their allegiances. Stratton drives the story with Wolf’s emotions at the loss of his parents and the contemplation of whether he has looked too long in the dark abyss, giving realistic gravitas to the idea of vengeance. Even the typical bad guys are imbued with layers of resonating traits that differentiate the story from a simple shoot-em-up narrative.

As mentioned, there is no shortage of well-executed action sequences throughout the narrative. Wolf utilizes a myriad of weaponry ranging from suppressed Russian pistols to M4 rifles on his unsanctioned path for revenge. The shootouts will catch you off-guard at times in ambush scenarios where Wolf and his team have to think on their feet to fight back. The author displays keen knowledge of military tactics and shootout techniques which color the sequences highly realistic. 

Shadow Tier tackles a largely unexplored territory of the thriller genre, the drug arena, albeit in a slightly different manner. Ordinarily, you don’t get to read a protagonist on a mission to capture/kill El Chapo in every action thriller. The story ends with the promise of more to come and further exciting developments to take place, and I am very excited to see where Stratton takes the characters next.

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Cold Fear By Brandon Webb & John David Man

I’m a sucker for Nordic icy thrillers that leave me in hauntingly somber thoughts for at least a few days and that is exactly what Cold Fear is about. It is everything I expect to read in sophisticated, gritty, and smart storytelling. 

On a cold Sunday morning, a young woman’s body is discovered underneath a frozen pond in the relatively crime-free Iceland. Detective Krista Kristjánsdóttir has a killer instinct for foul play involved, especially when the body suddenly disappears. At the same time, deadly Navy Seal, Finn, is out in Iceland to get some answers from his former teammates who hold a key to his past that he can’t remember. Hunted by a deranged contract killer and embroiled in a dark murder investigation, Finn must step lightly on thin ice, lest he make a fatal mistake.

Brandon Webb and John David Mann make a killer dynamic duo when it comes to writing as one unified form. The elegance with which the chapters flow is commendable to say the least. Rarely have I read a narrative that juggles this many different POVs so interestingly. There are no fillers in this thriller. From the investigative angle of Krista to the personal vendetta spotlight on Finn, the story progresses swiftly and smartly. Pay attention to the dialogues; a lot of key details are conveyed that help you crack the case as you marvel at Finn’s ingenuity to connect the dots through a haze of information, a trait remarkably similar to Jack Reacher’s high functioning reasoning mind with a new flavor.

I wasn’t sure about whether to expect action, but I needn’t have worried. Finn faces off against a vicious SEAL-turned-contract killer in brutal and aggressive action sequences. Shootouts, creative weaponry, and straight up no-holds barred hand to hand combat explode in a volcanic fury of emotions. 

I quite enjoyed Iceland as described in Cold Fear. Reading through the descriptions invoke each and every scene vividly in your mind so much so that you can feel the chilly breezes on your face. It’s evident the authors paid a great deal of attention to making the chilly Iceland a living breathing character as opposed to a simple backdrop for the story. The historical tidbits conveyed enthusiastically through energetic dialogues stay with you and compel you to add Iceland to your vacation list, minus the whole murder part.

Cold Fear is a remarkable blend of action and police procedural that highlights its characters and their distinctive personalities as they go about their own ways to crack the case, both with brain and brawn.

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Zero Hour By Don Bentley

Don Bentley continues his winning streak of stupendously thrilling adventures in the Clancy-verse. His take on Jack Ryan Jr. is peak entertainment and keeps you on the edge of your seat for the whole duration of the book.

This time we see Ryan Jr. in South Korea where he stumbles upon a plot by North Korean officials to wage war against its neighbor. With help from unlikely sources including two hilariously witty Special Forces operators, Ryan Jr. must protect a Campus asset and follow the breadcrumbs to uncover a devastating new weapon before Zero Hour approaches and kicks off the next major world conflict.

Ryan Jr. continues to evolve under the expert tutelage of Bentley’s meticulous writing with a distinctive charm that radiates freshness and excitement. His evolution reaches new levels due to Bentley’s well-placed patches of dark and sinister experiences that add to the gravitas of the scenario’s plausibility without taking away from the levity of the hysterical banters between characters in otherwise serious moments. 

The story comes locked and loaded with adrenaline-pumping action sequences ranging in diversity from stunning feats of aerial maneuverability in Apache gunships to good ol’ shootouts and martial arts as Jack Ryan Jr. takes a plethora of headshots with his MP5 and kicks butt with expert ease. Don Bentley writes vivid scenes of combat on all mediums that walk you through the high-octane situations with pitch perfect clarity almost as if you were honing your warrior senses to take out your enemies.

At the same time, the narrative also sheds light on a political conflict usually overshadowed in the thrillerverse. With all the focus going on Russian and Middle-Eastern conflicts, Zero Hour is a fresh change of scenery with the Korean backdrop. Not only does the story awaken a curiosity to find out more on that frontier, but it also keeps things unpredictable which immensely helps the narrative from going stale.

High on action and laughs in the midst of sheer chaos, Don Bentley’s Zero Hour is a no-brainer pick when you want to kick back with hot cocoa and a light read that aptly balances both the suspension of disbelief and the necessity of pragmatism.

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Snowstorm In August By Marshall Karp

Snowstorm in August couples the charm of an unflinching true-crime narrative with an ambitious new vision of America’s war on drugs unlike anything you’ve read or watched before. 

NYPD captain Danny Corcoran seeks to live a life full of danger and adrenaline after the untimely death of his wife. With a burning desire and motivation to protect his city from all sorts of threats, a syndicate of billionaires recruit him under the secret charter of taking the fight to America’s enemies when a vicious drug lord blankets the vibrant city of New York with bags of cocaine to suffocate and kill hundreds of people. Danny must put his tenacity and his skills to the mettle as he recruits and leads his team of cops and informants up against crime kingpins before more innocent lives are claimed.

Keeping a slick and smart approach to revamping the battle between law enforcements and the cartel, Marshall Karp grounds you in place with a smartly twisting and realistic turn of events. Terrifically fleshed-out characters with relatable dilemmas and personalities encourage you to feel the terrifying and heart-pounding situations with passion and vigor as the narrative takes you on a roller-coaster ride of gut-wrenching losses and roaring victories.

Snowstorm in August emphasizes a character-driven storyline with a distinctive non-fiction writing style, sporting a first person POV account with keen knowledge of the bigger picture. The action is crisp but with potential for improvement in terms of pacing and exploring the combat in a more detailed manner. I simply can’t wait to read more stories with the extraordinary characters Karp has debuted in this extremely enthralling and suspenseful smash-hit!

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Sons of Valor II: Violence Of Action By Andrews & Wilson

Sons of Valor II: Violence of Action is a hardcore action-embroiled narrative that is right up your alley if you can’t get enough of patriotic and tough characters wreaking havoc on bad guys.  Andrews and Wilson continue the lore of the brand-new Tier One team as they face a major threat that hits close to home.

Tier One leader Keith ‘Chunk’ Redman leads his tough as nails brothers and sisters in arms on a global manhunt from the war zone of Iraq to the modern landscape of Dubai chasing a formidable sniper with deadly plans for American soldiers. The narrative ushers in the age of psychological ops against American soldiers in Middle East by a new splinter group of terrorists with tremendous resources and diabolical agendas. 

Sons of Valor II comes equipped with the gritty adrenaline-pumping firefights and explosions that are guaranteed to keep the fans of the Tier One books entertained. The final showdown features a nail-biting game of snipers as they try to outshoot and outmaneuver each other to get the upper hand in a battle to the death. The hardcore action keeps the spotlight on the heroes with their tactical ingenuity and calm nerves under fire, invoking an awe-inspiring sentiment for the men and women battling such scenarios. 

With meticulous research into cultural and religious norms, characters with strong potential, and solid action, Andrews and Wilson expand the Tier One universe with an exciting story that sets up ominous future conflicts with the big baddie as well as crossovers with our favorite OG Team Ember.

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The Gatekeeper By James Byrne

A totally unexpected thriller with hearty amounts of subtle humor and brutal action introducing a wisecracking protagonist who would give Jack Reacher a run for his money when it comes to beating down racists with over-powered fists.

Dez Limerick is a man of mystery. A mercenary of sorts with specialized skills as a “gatekeeper”;  accessing even the most secure of locations, and an enigmatic past. Retiring in California, Dez is an amateur musician working gigs when he thwarts an organized team of trained operatives attempting to kidnap a woman whose father happens to be the CEO of a major military contractor. Taking out the team with a fire ax in smooth combat, Dez becomes embroiled in a major conspiracy with Neo-Nazis planning the most brazen coup with global political consequences. 

A newcomer in the thriller genre, Dez Limerick is far distinct from the usual silent-type protagonists. He’s as quippy as he is dangerous, disarming his opponents with wisecracks that have you laughing out loud before he busts out violent chops in a flurry of devastating punches and kicks, bending limbs in ways they were never meant to be bent. Described as a barrel-chested man with ridiculously big hands, his fight moves are reminiscent of Jack Reacher’s style; hitting once and hitting hard to drive home his articulation. The fight sequences keep a realistic bearing considering Dez’s physique and refrain from painting him with an all-invincible brushstroke. Dez’s mental acuity adds a cool layer to the combat sequences as he fashions the most banal and unexpected items into the deadliest weapons.  

As a character of English origins, his unorthodox dialect flows off with a tinge of proper humor as could be expected when American characters are dumbfounded by Dez’s use of English expressions not commonly used stateside. As such, the interactions between characters are refreshingly witty and exciting. Limerick’s character development is top-notch with a balanced focus on his empathy as a protagonist in tandem with his inclination to step into physical conflicts in the name of justice. 

The white-supremacist angle of the story is handled with a keen eye on today’s headlines without rehashing something already explored before. The conspiracy catapults Dez and readers alike on a wild roller coaster ride akin to a Guy Ritchie movie. Unyielding in its grip with plot twists and turns that turn the whole narrative on its head just when you think you’ve finally figured out what’s to come next. 

The Gatekeeper is a fresh hit debut of a hilariously charming hero with a mean uppercut dishing out justice in the most spectacularly creative ways. This action-packed thriller needs to be on your radar for 2022.

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It Dies With You By Scott Blackburn

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It Dies with You is a delightfully gritty southern crime thriller that drives home an optimistic message of finding your purpose in the unlikeliest of places.

Written in the first person POV narrative-style, the story infuses readers with 29-year-old Hudson Miller, a former boxing champion and now part-time bouncer and bartender. Working his way back to a boxing career after suspension, his world is turned upside down when his estranged father is murdered, surprisingly bequeathing Hudson with his dad’s junkyard business. Begrudgingly, Hudson steps into his childhood town to take reins of the sinking business, teaming up with his father’s trusted employee and Vietnam vet, Charlie Shoaf. Soon after, a body is unearthed at the junkyard. Is it linked to the murder of Hudson’s father? To uncover a sinister conspiracy hiding in the shadows of a town with skeletons in every other closet, Hudson, Charlie, and a tenacious teenager named Lucy will search for answers, woefully unaware of the dangers that lay on that road.

Scott Blackburn’s straight-forward and constantly engaging writing style help keep a consistent reading pace as the suspense builds up smoothly without rushing any important character or plot developments. The essence of the story are the charming characters whom you can believe and root for when their actions turn a shade or two of despair in ugly situations. The Southern small-town vibe is captured vividly along with the modern landscape of ripped-from-news topics like police brutality and immigration.

If you’re looking for an old-school good vs evil tale of retribution in a crooked town from the lures of old westerns, It Dies with You is a highly enjoyable debut that marks Scott Blackburn in the list of brand-new authors to keep an eye out for.

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Airside By James Swallow

James Swallow changes up his writing style with a relentless story of an ordinary man caught up in a high stakes situation that could cost him his life and everything he holds dear. Airside is THE thriller to read when you’re bored out of your mind and you wish you had an exciting story to let your imagination run wild.

Airside tells the story of Kevin Tyler, an engineer who has just been dealt a devastating business blow and is returning home empty-handed from Germany. His bad-luck becomes more apparent when he’s kicked off a flight and has to wait for a dangerous storm to pass. A chance encounter drops a bag full of money in his lap and as conflicted as he is, he does what any desperate man would; he takes it. Little does he know the money is part of a sinister conspiracy involving a despicable war criminal who will stop at nothing to get the money, even if it means killing Kevin’s loved ones. What follows is pure mayhem at a mostly deserted airport.

While most of James Swallow’s books are espionage laden narratives with tons of cinematic action, Airside hits much closer to home as the focus this time is on a character who could be anyone of us; no fancy gadgets, no spycraft training, and no global conspiracy. Just a man trying to deal with the crappy cards life hands out at times. The elegance of the story is that it’s delightfully and anxiously easy to see ourselves projected onto Kevin as a person trying to do right by his family under terrible conditions. Even the action sequences reflect Kevin’s uninitiated mindset towards violence as he gets beaten up more than he kicks back, but when he does, he packs the feral nature of a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders.

At the same time, James Swallow paints a brutal but multi-layered canvas of bad guys and gals in the story, presenting most of them as pure evil while giving some a hint of redemption to be fleshed out properly as the story progresses. 

Airside is equal parts grounded and fantastic, indulging the story of a common man caught in extraordinary circumstances. A highly enjoyable and quick read for you to breeze through while waiting at the airport lounge for your flight.   

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The Handler By M.P. Woodward

The Handler is a special new addition to the Thrillerverse. Not only is it written with a deft keenness for realistic dialogues and terrifyingly enthralling action but it also presents a truly memorable assortment of characters on both sides of a conflict that wonderfully highlights personal motivations and egos above the basic geopolitical climate. 

John Dale is a veteran CIA case officer, who upon escaping imprisonment and torture at the hands of enemy combatants, is suspended from the service on account of potentially treasonous behavior. After a short time of seclusion, he’s called back into the fold by his ex-wife and former handler, Meredith, to extract an Iranian asset working to subterfuge Iran’s nuclear efforts. From US to India to Iran, John races against time to take control of the escalating situation while evading Russian operatives hot on his tail. 

From the very first page, the story simmers with grounded and empathetic tones as it sets up strong and original characters. M.P. Woodward invokes a brilliant aura of exciting adventure surrounded by tense moments of conspiratorial actions and situations that keep you on the edge of your seats. There are genuine surprises and twists throughout the story that shock the narrative to its core. This is enabled by Woodward’s impressive and solid writing chops. His vast expertise in shadowy intelligence goes a long way to ground the story with necessary details to require minimal suspension of belief in even the wildest moments. 

Speaking of wild moments, The Handler has its fair share of high-powered and gritty-to-the-bone action sequences. John Dale isn’t simply a former intelligence officer; in addition to running assets, he’s trained in the deadly and formidable arts of long distance as well as close quarters combat. There’s no way you won’t feel the intensity of the gunshots and the punches and kicks.

At its core, The Handler is ultimately a conflict of man rather than nations. M.P. Woodward delightfully syncs up the story with ripped-from-the-news headlines but emphasizes the focus on plausibly flawed human beings that elevate the stakes and soul of the narrative. Out of all the upcoming books I have read for the year, this one may very well be THE hottest debut and it most certainly belongs in the Thillerverse Hall of Fame!

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Purchase The Handler
(Note: most indie bookstores can fulfill an order as quickly as larger retailers. Please consider contacting them for your next purchase.)

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