The Furies By John Connolly

John Connolly’s The Furies packs two insanely frightening short stories that are likely to haunt your dreams for many nights. In pure John Connolly fashion, the supernatural elements will surely scare the living daylights out of you.

Both stories maintain a dark and unsettling tone of loss and unspeakable horrors committed by human beings. In both events, Charlie Parker is faced with difficult choices where nothing is what it seems. From evil possession to spirits of dead children, the narrative gets creepier by the page and there’s never a clear indicator of where the stories might lead. The chills you’ll feel while flipping through the pages are more likely from the hair-raising and masterful descriptions of the scares than any external air source. 

A word of caution, these eerie tales will stay in the back of your head and mix with your deepest thoughts in the late-night glow of your bedside lamp. If you’re keen to celebrate Halloween this year with guaranteed goosebumps, make sure you’ve got The Furies in hand. 

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Oath Of Loyalty By Kyle Mills

Kyle Mills strikes again. Not only has he written a phenomenal rip-roaring action-soaked thriller, but he has also managed to top his previous work, making Oath of Loyalty his best and most badass Mitch Rapp thriller yet. 

After the game changing ending of Enemy at the Gates, Mitch Rapp and his team are deemed persona non grata by the White House. The devious President and the First Lady hatch a nefarious plot to take Mitch Rapp off the battleground by sending some of the most formidable assassins after his partner, Claudia Gould. Safe to say, they grossly underestimate the legend that is Mitch Rapp. What follows is a tremendously entertaining storyline that keeps you hooked and desperate to read more and more. Once you flip to the first page, there is no way you’re putting down this book until you reach the final sentence.

What makes Oath of Loyalty a one-of-a-kind thriller is the sense of sheer vulnerability when it comes to the protagonist even after 20 books in the series. Mitch Rapp is perhaps the most relatable thrillerverse protagonist I’ve read. After all his service to his nation, his disillusionment stemming from being pushed out of his life has been built up and explored magnificently by Kyle Mills in strong and lasting sentiments that aren’t typically found in thrillers of this vein. Seeing strong-willed Rapp and Kennedy shaken up to their cores is not something to be taken lightly and it goes a long way to show how Mills takes a non-orthodox and unique approach to this long running fan favorite series and keeps it fresh and prosperous. 

Cornering Rapp into a predicament that triggers painful memories of losing his first wife, Anna, puts him in full-action no-nonsense zone as he faces assassination attempts head-on in action sequences that are ripe for the cinematic landscape. Mills outdoes himself with the rampant shootouts and close calls this time, keeping the narrative firing on all cylinders. If you thought you’d seen Rapp unhinged before, you’re liable to change your mind after you read this one.

Oath of Loyalty takes the cake for THE thriller of the year; spectacular action, brilliant storytelling, excellent pacing, and a gloves-off war between Rapp and the President that retains your attention at all times. Even with the unfairly high expectations I bestow upon Kyle Mills, he continues to bulldoze through them in the most extraordinary fashion.

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Blowback By James Patterson and Brendan DuBois

Blowback is the kind of thriller that is seemingly set in an alternate universe until pieces start falling in place and it begins to feel like it may very well be happening behind closed doors in our world. James Patterson and Brendan DuBois’s team-up blends old school politics with cutthroat espionage and sociopolitical climate to give you an incredulous thriller that’s just the right amount of insane to be actually true.

When the US President blatantly orders CIA agents Liam Grey and Noa Himel to assassinate supposed enemies of state, Grey is excited to jump at the opportunity. Himel however feels a tingling discomfort at the breach of conduct. Soon however, both Grey and Himel find themselves at the crossroads of morality when confronted with undeniable proof of wrongdoing at the highest seat in the US power hierarchy. With an unhinged and paranoid Commander in Chief destroying the sanctity of the Constitution, both CIA assassins must smartly work their way out of the mess alive while putting an end to the catastrophe in-making.

Patterson and DuBois hit the ground running with a quick and brisk introduction to the characters before developing them gradually through actions rather than words. The narrative blasts out waves of paranoia from the very first chapter as the sense of impending doom swirls around the settings and dialogues. While the mission for both Grey and Himel remains mostly the same, the authors spend equal amounts of time building their foundations for readers to appreciate and enjoy them even when the going gets tough. Before you know it, the narrative erupts in a blaze of well-written shootouts that continue in one form or the other throughout the story. 

At the same time, the authors emphasize the political-thriller-intrigue of the story without siding with either faction. The political aspect is rooted in the abuse of power while underdogs go against the current to right the wrongs. You can’t help but cheer for the protagonists and bite your nails in tension whenever they’re cornered. That’s when the unexpected alliances and betrayals shock you more ferociously than you would anticipate.

Blowback has the essential ingredients to match up to great political thrillers with a little bit of craziness sprinkled in there to make it a notch better.

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The Hacker By Daniel Scanlan

The Hacker is a dangerously dark and magnificent look into the future of law enforcement and crime without veering off into the science fiction genre. Packed with realistic tidbits of crime-solving in the age of cyberspace and meta verse, it’s one of the most engaging and intelligent thrillers of the year.

FBI Special Agent Ericka Blackwood spends her days and nights engrossed in the glow of computer screens as she exposes cyber criminals who use the dark web to peddle depraved sexual acts to other dark web users. Fueled by a tragic past, she channels her rage into catching the most deranged and vile criminals. When she comes across a new breed of cyber criminals that uses cutting edge VR technology to embolden criminals to commit more heinous acts, she sets off on her last mission of bringing him to justice as she finally meets her match. 

For software geeks like me, this thriller hits the bullseye. Just as tactical authenticity elevates the reading experience in action thrillers, the genuine tech lingo and cyberspace tactics make the narrative all the more plausible and exciting to sift through with a fine-tooth comb for research topics later on. The virtual interactions and cat-and-mouse chases between Ericka and her nemesis give you pause with how scary, intimate, and awe-striking they feel as rendered in vivid descriptions by Daniel Scanlan. There’s no dull moment as the heat of the chase simmers until the inevitable climax that explodes in a fury of action and twists that leave you shook and battered as much as the characters. 

If you’re aching for a brainy thriller that deviates from the generic storylines, you’re going to love The Hacker. From the unconventional protagonist in her unhindered mission towards catching her prey all the way to the emphasis on realistic cyberspace depiction with a haunting insight into its usage for evil, The Hacker is a spectacular stand-out read. 

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Kingdom Of Spies By Bevan G. Roberts

Kingdom of Spies is one of the most darkly realistic espionage narratives I’ve read. Its unflinching portrayal of asset-handling and cloak-and-dagger operations chills you to your bones as you can’t help but vividly imagine the horrors of real-life spy work without the glamorization rampant in most fictional literature.

Australian Intelligence Officer Jordan Carter is ambushed during a joint Indonesian-Australian operation of subversion against the tide of Islamic extremism. The ambush signifies a united front by the divided terrorist groups now joining forces to push back against the counter-terrorism effort. To gain the upper hand in the fight, Carter goes off the reservation, teaming up eventually with a journalist, Ana Kovacevic, to investigate the brewing threat. With no room for adequate support, Carter must use his wits to recruit Ana in his unsanctioned mission for the right moral reasons.

Bevan G Roberts’s experience in the shadowy world of espionage greatly augments the quality of spycraft and ultimately the storytelling experience as delivered in Kingdom of Spies. It’s smart, solidly researched, and refreshing in its goal to present the war on terror with new faces. I can’t remember the last time I read an Indonesian-Australian perspective of counter terrorism operations in thrillers, if ever. With an emphasis on espionage tools like duplicity and double crosses, the action is more akin to games of chess between Carter and the terrorists as they both try to one-up each other through unsavory means. It’s a seemingly never-ending war with both sides playing dirty to achieve their goals, promising the ideology of ends justifying the means. It’s a thoughtful take on the subject matter with unbridled horror and fear inspired from real world situations and characters.

Light on action and heavy on tradecraft, Kingdom of Spies contains the words of authority from a writer who has been subjected to the true nitty gritty world of battling evil forces in unprecedented times with unconventional weapons. 

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Fox Creek By William Kent Krueger

From the very first page of Fox Creek it’s indisputable that William Kent Krueger doesn’t write ordinary crime thrillers. As you read further, you realize the book is a beautiful work of literature with unique characters and life lessons that speak in subtle and gentle tones, but have a shattering impact. 

In the serene natural outdoors of Aurora, Cork O’Conner faces a dangerous adversary when a team of mercenaries hunt a woman who is being protected by Cork’s wife and an ancient Ojibwe healer. Sniper rifles blasting off and danger nigh, the narrative goes 0-100 in a matter of minutes. 

The action sequences are crisp and grounded with an emphasis on logistical smarts, giving off an air of prey vs predator in the wilderness. The fun part is in the constantly switching roles of the characters between the two lethal categories in an unprecedented turn of events. 

The action is second to the smooth and swift prose of William Kent Krueger. Describing the situations and rich characters with elegance and panache, the storyline feels both fantastical yet grounded for an immersive storytelling experience. I was mesmerized by mystical elements that blended so artistically with Native American culture.

Treat yourself to this high caliber crime thriller with scenic visuals and remarkable characters on an adventure for the mind as much as for the soul. Fox Creek is a thriller, but it is also so much more.

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Narco Assassins By Jason Kasper

Jason Kasper is one of the most proficient writers when it comes to tactical and technical prowess in hardcore action-packed storytelling. Narco Assassins is wild, enthralling, and full of suave pulse-pounding action sequences. 

David Rivers and his merry-band of gunslingers are working up the food chain of a terrorist organization that planned and executed a devastating attack on U.S soil. Their latest target is unveiled to be a former FARC revolutionary-turned-assassin. What seems to be a clean kill mission ends up with unprecedented circumstances as the team finds itself facing drug cartels, sicarios, and double crosses. 

While the previous Shadow Strike thrillers certainly have had Rivers and his team in dire situations, none have felt as grim as this one. From the moment they step foot in Colombia, the pace is set to the highest setting of anxiety as the twists and shootouts keep on coming like unstoppable jolts of adrenaline shots to the heart. Imagine the buzz of consuming 3 cups of coffee in one go and you’ll have a semblance of how it feels to read Narco Assassins. The tactical details are second to none as we read the team fight all sorts of bad guys in realistic fashion. The realism however does not stop Kasper from exploring some wild and ingenious ideas such as introducing a narco submersible into the story for the team to use as their personal infil and exfil measure. The Colombian setting offers a fresh perspective to the series bursting with history about the region and its blood-soaked past. The change also provides clearer and deeper insights into the characters and makes you feel for them despite their rather dark personalities. 

With palpable tension swirling throughout the narrative, Narco Assassins is a love letter to action thrillers brimming with authenticity and gritty escapades featuring tense dialogue and unorthodox heroes. 

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Out Of The Blue By M.M.Harrold

Justice begins where the law ends. Perhaps this sentence best describes the roller coaster of events you’ll find yourself breathlessly enjoying in Out of the Blue. M.M Harrold introduces a peculiar world that seems familiar yet comes with its weird quirks that augment the Neo-noir storytelling experience with gritty action and well-handled humor.

Former Atlanta cop, Dan Stock, is in search of a quiet and tranquil lifestyle in a small town in rural Mississippi. The headlines are rocked with the murder of the paster at the local Baptist church supposedly committed by his wife. When allegations of a sadistic cult arise from the investigation, the going gets tough for the controversial attorney assigned to defend the wife. Dan Stock is pulled into the storm when Cherry is murdered shortly after Dan and Cherry become a couple. Short of the military, Dan is pressured and threatened by all sorts of forces from gangs to corrupt police officials to let sleeping dogs lie. However, Stock isn’t one to submit. Thankfully so because his dogged determination and quest for justice leads to some pulpy and badass action sequences that engage all sensory inputs and keep you on the edge of your seats throughout the narrative.

M.M Harrold takes a new spin on the sort of characters that take inspiration from Lee Child’s Jack Reacher. While there are some similarities in the way both protagonists keep an unwavering moral compass in the face of evil, Dan Stock is vastly distinctive in his paradoxical cynicism and actions that readers can not only relate to but aspire to in realistic fashion. His witty and dark sense of humor will have you giggling even in situations that don’t normally call for giggles. M.M Harrold’s irrefutably extensive research into the police procedurals and inner workings lend Stock a strong foundation in his experiences and his motivations that readers will easily get behind.

When Stock isn’t sleuthing, he’s shooting it out with bad guys. The shootouts carry a sense of vivid cinematic quality thanks to the gritty details of weaponry and the chaos of urban combat. These action sequences feel akin to reading The Punisher go to town on the bad guys, screaming bloody murder from town to town with a clear mission to bring the culprits to justice, minus the handcuffs and jail.  

Out of the Blue is a splendid hard-noir styled thriller to lose yourself in with gripping characters and frequent shootouts. It’s hard to believe this is M.M Harrold’s debut with the way he has established this new protagonist with a balance of hard-hitting gravitas and a charismatic pulpy sense of fiction.

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Firestorm By Taylor Moore

Taylor Moore follows up his debut with an even more action packed and jaunty narrative that further cements Garrett Kohl as a badass action hero.

Garrett Kohl spends his days alternating between working at his family ranch and undertaking dangerous missions for the CIA as part of the deal that helps him maintain custody of an afghani boy who has become like a son to Kohl. When an energy consortium with ties to Russian PMCs encroaches on Kohl’s land under the guise of harmless mining, Kohl surreptitiously works to undermine the operation and discover the corporation’s true intentions before innocents get caught in the crossfire.

Firestorm is peak entertainment for thriller aficionados with a thirst for a modern twist on Westerns. After a riveting and gritty opening action set piece, the story unfolds gradually with consistently escalating conflicts and drama between family and foes, ultimately leading to a climax where crime and espionage elements mingle together to set up an action-packed finale seeing Kohl go up against Russian special forces operatives. Taylor Moore effectively captures the wild and free-spirited vibe of Texan landscape and lifestyle with a charming disposition that easily immerses readers into his fleshed-out world of storytelling. The brisk pace of the narrative and the hard-boiled action are augmented by the gripping emotional resonance of Kohl and Aziz as they face the crisis of being ripped away from each other. The bond that further forms between the two father-and-son-like characters makes it harder to imagine the two apart, which in turn raises the ante on emotional investment and stakes.

Firestorm is the kind of thriller you’d want to see turned into a high budget movie/tv series; action, intrigue, betrayal, all with a charming protagonist in the driver’s seat.

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Dark Harvest By Will Jordan

Dark Harvest is concrete proof that zombies aren’t cliche if they’re done right. Will Jordan packs a marvelous punch with regards to storytelling and action sequences that work in tandem to create a riveting experience for thriller and non-thriller readers alike.

When a Russian businessman is abducted from the protection of ex-soldier-turned mercenary Cameron Becker in Iraq, Becker will stop at nothing to rescue his charge from unknown forces with a baleful agenda involving a mysterious biological agent that turns those infected into bloodthirsty zombies. With the future of the whole world at stake, Becker teams up with a WHO medic to put a face to the enigmatic antagonists and stop them from unleashing an apocalyptic plague. 

Will Jordan’s fast-paced but fleshed out writing perfectly encapsulates the chaotic mood of the story as the twists and turns keep coming at a machine-gun pace, never faltering from the bullseye aim of keeping you on the edge of your seat. Cameron Becker easily becomes a likable and distinctive protagonist who you feel like you’ve known for much longer than the length of the narrative. This pays dividends when the story calls for readers to follow Becker through the gates of hell in harsh, fantastic, and unforgiving situations from shootouts in Iraq to close quarter combat in the snowy mountains of Russia.  Ultimately, it’s the strong and emotionally resonant characters that help elevate the excellence of the story, augmenting the high-powered action along with the exciting uncovering of the mystery with intriguing breadcrumbs expertly set up at each chapter as readers get a horrifying glimpse at how the biological threat came to be, a plot unlike anything I expected.  

Dark Harvest is a fresh breath of non-linear storytelling with idiosyncratic characters and shocking turn of events that will have you glued to the book for a one-sitting read through and through.

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The Titan Protocol By David Scott

David Scott’s debut is a tremendous delight for thriller fans on the prowl for a new action-packed series with a rip-roaring storyline and charmingly deadly characters of nebulous shades.

The Titan Protocol introduces Isaac Northe as a former Marine now working at a private security firm, Peregrine. When he hears of the death of his best friend under suspicious circumstances involving an international arms-smuggling ring and a supposedly faulty state of the art artificial intelligence drone, he sets on a personal mission to uncover the truth and bring the culprits to justice with his team. His desire for revenge brings him face to face with one of the most exciting and intriguing female assassins that have blessed the thriller genre, especially with a kickass introductory action sequence in a club straight out of a John Wick movie.

David Scott writes steady and confident as someone who has been in the writing world for a long time. His prose is elegantly crisp without meandering away from the main goal of entertaining readers with a fast-paced story. His experience as a software developer makes the techno-oriented portions of the narrative easy to follow while augmented with sporadic shootouts and combat sequences of high caliber cinematic writing.

The grimly attractive characters are balanced in tones between aggressively dark and perfectly timed comical relief to keep the narrative both upbeat and intense at the same time. Isaac Northe is a violent man with a violent past who makes for a lean and mean protagonist whose path you would not want to cross. However, the aforementioned femme fatale, Marissa Diaz, gives Northe a run for his money in terms of the best character of the narrative. Diaz is witty and fun even as she effortlessly takes down bad guys with her Glock 19 as easily as she does with a meat cleaver. Her backstory is kept a secret with just bits and pieces revealed, keeping her allegiance and motivations in the shadows for a more intriguing persona. 

I finished the whole book in less than 24 hours because I couldn’t pull myself away from the constantly churning chain of events interspersed with action and humor at the right moments. The Titan Protocol works well as an introduction to a brand-new world of espionage and global conflict, ending with a cliffhanger that leaves you speechless. 

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Heat 2 By Meg Gardiner & Michael Mann

Hype can be a dangerous notion. Some books suffer from being hyped up beyond their true offerings. It’s the rare few ones that blow past the highest levels of hype to set new standards of excellence by which every subsequent reading experience is measured. Hand on heart, Heat 2 is undoubtedly a shining example of the latter. To not only match up to the first movie but also enrich the characters beyond it, takes insurmountable brilliance from the dynamic duo of Meg Gardiner and Michael Mann.

The precocious narrative shifts between 1988 and 1995-2000, alternating between character-focused spotlights on Vincent Hanna, Neil McCauely, and Chris Shiherlis as a violent thread of heartbreak and darkness links them all together, providing a strong origin foundation for each character as well as successfully resolving their story arcs after the events of the movie. Meg Gardiner’s flair for grizzled, intense, and charming characters is displayed in all its majestic beauty.  

Although each of the three main characters is an absolute delight to read, my favorite has to be Hanna. There’s no mistaking the influence of Al Pacino’s stellar acting in this further fleshed-out characterization of Hanna Vincent as his rogue and volatile nature makes for a somewhat hilarious and downright intense reading experience while he pursues a despicable criminal with a burning desire for justice and retribution, a gray area that Hanna crosses back and forth into. 

The dialogue is some of the most memorable and impactful I’ve read with gritty disposition and somber topics. The intensity flows through the pages,  relentlessly seeping into the reader, causing extreme perspiration even with the A/C on high.

In the vein of Michael Mann’s supreme cinematic action, Heat 2 exemplifies the realistic, heart-thumping, and blood-rushing shootouts that beautifully balance the fine line between tactical and technical details without overloading or skipping over any of the necessary elements in a firefight that action fans have come to appreciate and crave from top-notch action thrillers.  

Heat 2 is a dark and bold crime drama, grand in ambition and scope with subtle life lessons embedded and conveyed through engaging conversations, philosophical conundrums, and lifelike characters that push the envelope of grounded storytelling. It’s the book you don’t put down until you’ve read it cover to cover.

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The Last Sentinel By Simon Gervais

Looking for a fast-paced adrenaline rush? You’ve chosen wisely. The Last Sentinel continues the twists-filled story arc of Simon Gervais’s new protagonist, Clayton White, as he finds himself hunted by an old adversary from the Middle East. 

The Last Sentinel is a tried and tested story of one’s violent past catching up to the present day. Clayton White’s term as a pararescue specialist in Baghdad saw him assassinating a high-ranking Iranian Quds Force leader, whose son later vows revenge on all those involved in the murder of his father.  When simultaneous attacks commence on those involved in the assassination, White quickly sobers up to prospect of eliminating the threat to protect his fiancée.

From explosive shootouts on survey ships to carnage in downtown New York, Gervais keeps the pedal to the metal on intense action sequences that are presented with accurate weapons details and fluid descriptions of combatants to give you an immersive reading experience. Add some crafty and unexpected twists to the mix along with a jaw dropping cliffhanger ending, and you’ve got yourself a thriller that is designed to be read in one sitting with a fast and furious pace. 

The Last Sentinel is the perfect adrenaline shot to kickstart your weekend. The relentless pace will keep you flipping the pages until you realize there aren’t any remaining.

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The Neighborhood By Matthew Betley

Like most if not all thriller fans, I had been awaiting Matthew Betley’s return to the thrillerverse for quite some time, especially with the secrecy around his new book. The Neighborhood is a classic Betley powerhouse of a thriller oozing unrelenting action and badassery out of every single page. It’s not hard to see why this was auctioned off to Hollywood even before its release.

Matthew Betley introduces readers to a brand new protagonist, Zachary Chambers. Zack’s living the suburban life with his family and putting his dark and violent past behind him when his neighborhood is attacked by a group of former special forces soldiers with a mission to acquire a particular object of utmost importance from one of Zack’s neighbors. The plan goes awry and violent, forcing Zack to step up into his warrior persona and go commando on the bad guys, letting the beast out once again.

Betley supercharges the narrative with quite a few well-timed and unexpected twists that drastically crank up the mystique and intrigue in a matter of a few pages once the action gets going. In the midst of brutal and vicious combat, the shocking revelations keep the full plot unpredictable throughout the length of the book, achieving its goal of keeping you up past your bedtime. Zack’s affiliation with the three-letter agency introduces a beguiling espionage angle into the story.

The spotlight of The Neighborhood is undoubtedly much more intense on the trademark smooth and snazzy action sequences extensively found in Betley’s books. Zack utilizes state of the art weaponry to take out his targets in awesomely savage shootouts and fisticuffs written in detailed style and finesse for the hardcore action fans to soak up.  You can’t help but wonder how spectacular the action would look on the screen.

Matthew Betley puts you in the hot seat as the narrative cranks gears in the blink of an eye. From the adrenaline-high of action to the sheer terror of being caught in such a grave circumstance, you experience a barrage of emotions and feelings on this thriller ride. Aside from a slightly anti-climactic ending and a bit of an unnatural conversational dialogues, this is a hot launching-pad for a lethal and witty new hero with a heart of gold and a penchant for stacking up a high body count. I can’t wait for him to meet Logan West, if that is in the cards. Chambers and West would be unstoppable! 

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I Will Kill You By Halo Scot

Halo Scott is one of the most unorthodox writers I’ve come across. His work is tinged with disturbingly evil characters, none more so than his protagonist who will haunt you for days to come after you read his escapades. As surprising as it may be, none of this takes away from how much I enjoyed this unique thriller.

Alex Osman is a full-blown psychopath, running his business empire with ruthless efficiency. Any time he runs into a problem, he takes care of it with utmost brutality. Think Wolf of Wall Street but even more vicious. He uses this escape to cope with the loss of his wife and raising his two children. His life takes a trippy detour when he meets a witting woman who somehow sees straight into Alex’s twisted and mangled psyche. With a deadly game of cat and mouse ensuing, will Alex give into his desires of violence, or will this new lady in Alex’s life be more than he can face? 

One of the most distinctive aspects of this thriller is the unabashed and unapologetic writing style. It’s not so much a narrative as it is a long-standing conversation between you and Alex as he breaks the fourth wall to speak directly to you and engorge you in dark and gruesome imagery of his actions. You’ve never read a more twisted protagonist than Alex, I can guarantee you that. Yet it’s mesmerizing how Halo Scott puts such a vile character in the front seat and makes the experience weirdly enjoyable and addictive. 

The lack of information about the storyline serves an important purpose to send you blindfolded into the story so that you can be bombarded with bloody amazement. Not to mention the fact that you wouldn’t believe the insane plot unless you read it in its entirety. This book is not for the faint-hearted: the disturbing mental images will stick with you, yet you’ll probably enjoy them.  The best piece of advice I can give based on my experience is that I Will Kill You stands out. Read it with the important disclaimer that you may not be the same person upon finishing this book as you were before you dove in. 

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Killers Of A Certain Age By Deanna Raybourn

Killers of a Certain Age is a peculiar and novel approach to the assassin-thriller subgenre and it’s one that works hilariously well.

Deanna Raybourn tells a fascinating tale of a group of female assassins who’ve just reached retirement at 60 years of age. What starts off as a fun cruise to commemorate this achievement quickly turns murderous when they realize they’ve been marked for termination by their former employee, an organization codenamed The Museum. Underestimated by the younger assassins, the retired group of femme fatales take the fight to the Board of the Museum, utilizing decades of contacts and wits and experience to turn the tide in their favor and show the younger generation that youth doesn’t trump experience as easily as one might expect.

The female voice lends tremendous credence to the highly entertaining, charming, and multi-dimensional female leads in this witty thriller. Deanna Raybourn portrays characters with balanced personalities whom you can actually picture as believable. Each assassin comes with her own set of skills and they master their craft with utmost precision, some however weathered by tragedies and existential crises appropriate for their ages.

The narrative switches between the present-day first person POV of Billie, arguably the take-charge leader of the group, and a third person POV that paints a broader picture of the mess these lovely assassins have landed themselves in. This wonderful switch-up makes it much easier to follow along the storyline with the back-and-forth of the timelines. 

Even at the spry age of 60, the assassins don’t hold back on kicking ass. The action sequences are swift, powerful, and grounded enough to show the change of fighting tactics with age with grace and lethal efficiency and none of the flashy showboat-y martial arts moves that wouldn’t make sense. The emphasis, as rightfully so for the assassins, is to incapacitate targets quickly and smartly. 

Deanna Raybourn has created a fascinating brand-new world of killers existing stealthily in the modern world. Color me highly impressed! I can’t wait to read more stories with these hilarious batch of characters. 

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A Simple Choice By David Pepper

A Simple Choice reads like a straight-out-of-headlines account of a conspiracy. David Pepper brings deep-rooted authenticity, with his insider knowledge of the heart of American politics.

Amity Jones, an army veteran, and Palmer Knight, a tv news correspondent, cross paths in the most unexpected ways when a respected senator jumps off a cliff for unknown reasons. Unsubstantiated rumors fly off with fingers pointing at nations with grudges against the United States of America. Both protagonists have stakes in investigating the senator’s death, especially when they’re caught in the crosshairs of a meticulously crafted and profound deep state that ensnares powerful individuals in the government with a simple choice.

David Pepper keeps the reader engaged with crisp chapters that alternate frequently between different POVs to keep the momentum running on seemingly different subplots that wonderfully entangle down the line. While there is no traditional action in this thriller, the political conspiracy that may very well be playing out in the shadows this very moment works much better with a focus on investigative and deductive narrative. Pepper gives a genuine insight into the current socioeconomic climate while introducing an intriguing mystery with fascinating and timely bits of technological warfare for the WOW factor. 

If you’re looking for a brainy thriller with a dangerously plausible plot and lifelike characters, A Simple Choice is a fantastic summer pick. 

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Alias Emma By Ava Glass

Ava Glass writes a compelling and classy action-packed narrative sporting a memorable debut in the spy genre. Her protagonist, Emma Makepeace, is a force to be reckoned with and is sure to become one of the most entertaining action icons of the future. 

Emma Makepeace is a British spy trained to be the best in taking the fight to her adversaries. Like a proper spy, nothing about her is real, not even her name. When Russian defectors start dying at the hands of a nasty group of assassins, Emma is assigned to protect a doctor who is the son of a family of defectors in London. With the city’s CCTV hacked by the same group of assassins and the inner sanctum of trust presumably breached, Emma and the good doctor are relentlessly pursued throughout the city, racking up shootouts, car chases, boat chases, and much more as Emma struggles to protects her charge.

The action hits fast and hard, bursting with rigorous energy and crisp visualization. Sidestepping a cliched romance, Glass keeps the emotional tension high but with a realistic purview of the mortal danger ahead of the protagonists. The London setting goes hand in hand with a classic espionage vibe that’s balanced superbly with high adrenaline and lively fleshed out heroes and villains, none more so than the charismatic Emma Makepeace who is wonderfully easy to fall in love with due to her spunky personality. As much as the narrative keeps a blistering furious pace, Ava Glass sneaks in much-needed insights into Emma’s origins as a spy and her motivations, tying in neatly with the present day as well as enriching the heart and soul of this adventurous thriller.

Alias Emma is a bona-fide action-heavy spy lore that’s packed with the right bit of misdirection and twists to keep each and every chapter passionately addictive and entertaining.

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FNG By Benjamin Spada

FNG packs glorious action driven by a pedal-to-the-metal narrative hellbent on entertaining you without measure. Benjamin Spada knows exactly what cocktail of guns and explosives thriller fans need.

Cole West has no idea what’s in store for him when he joins a top-secret black ops program, the only information known to outsiders is its menacing name, Black Spear. His indoctrination is thoroughly immersive as his first day on the job has him and his new team racing to uncover a biological threat posed by a paramilitary group of renegade veterans known only as Terminal, their mission a deeply personal and vengeful one to strike the government they believed failed them. Thrust right into the chaos of modern warfare with car chases, brutal fisticuffs, and gun fu, West must quickly adapt to meet the challenge before Terminal deploys a weapon that is devastatingly terrifying and fatal.

Benjamin Spada instills the fear of the impending doom deep in your bones with harrowing descriptions of how the biological threat works. It amplifies not only the intensity of the narrative but your investment in seeing Black Spear make it out of close-shave situations even when the odds go against them. Fighting not only regular bad guys but feral-zombified soldiers without letting them bite you is just one example of the high-danger high-voltage action sequences that keep you holding on for dear life as Spada takes you on a mission that may have ventured into sci-fi if not for the grounded setting so exquisitely woven through the current socio political crises.

If you need to get your fix of adrenaline, that’s one more reason you must read FNG. The bare-knuckled heart-pumping combat sequences are a genuine delight to those who have high standards for cinematic action that retain a strong aura of realism. It’s the beginning of an incredible new series filled with lots of intrigue and excitement. I can’t wait to read where Benjamin Spada takes this narrative next. 

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The Bourne Sacrifice By Brian Freeman

Brian Freeman brings Jason Bourne back for a personal mission in a way that hardcore Bourne fans will deeply appreciate as much as the newer readers. The Bourne Sacrifice is by far Brian Freeman’s best and most action-packed Jason Bourne narrative.

Jason Bourne has left Treadstone and is now running all over the globe in hunt of his adversary and terrorist, Lennon, who claims to have the missing puzzle of Bourne’s memory. When Lennon teams up with a new terror organization called The Pyramid that specializes in employing social warfare as their major arsenal to achieve world domination discreetly, Bourne finds his love interest and journalist, Abbey Laurent, in the crosshairs of The Pyramid’s latest attack. Jason Bourne must grapple with his biggest challenge yet, starting a happy life with Abbey or chasing down his truth at the peril of losing all that he cares about.

The Bourne Sacrifice packs guns-blazing knuckles-busting action sequences literally from the first chapter. Brian Freeman’s eye for writing grounded and gritty shootouts and hand-to-hand combat sequences has improved drastically from the previous two books. The rivalry between Bourne and Lennon beautifully mirrors the classic Cain vs Carlos from Ludlum’s books. Freeman pits the two opposing forces against each other in a brilliant and successful maneuver to build up the momentous tense energy between the two without rushing the resolution.

Brian Freeman has wonderfully modernized Jason Bourne for the modern cutting edge technological era without detracting from his proclivity to handle spycraft and violence personally. The twists and turns are plentiful and thoroughly entertaining, many of which you won’t see coming. The foreboding and grim writing style is more reminiscent of Ludlum’s than ever, yet fresh and creative in its own right, presenting a stunning combination of the two to give the whole experience an ingenious vibe.

The Bourne Sacrifice’s unexpected cliffhanger ending will have you anxiously awaiting the next book in the series the moment you turn over the last page, such is the captivating aura of Freeman’s books. A must-read for all spy thriller aficionados.

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

Barrington Books
Chapter 2 Books
Murder By The Book
Once Upon A Crime
The Book Dragon
The Poisoned Pen

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