Black Wolf By Kathleen Kent

Kathleen Kent presents a razor-sharp thriller that blends a cerebral espionage thriller with a dark atmospheric serial killer narrative in The Black Wolf. 

When Melvina Donleavy arrives in Soviet Belarus in 1990, her team of CIA undercover agents have no idea about her real mission that supersedes that of her team, for she is a “super-recognizer” and her abilities are put to the test to find out how nuclear weapons are being siphoned out from the Soviets to some dangerous parties in the Middle East. If contending with the brutal KGB was not enough to get her perspiring, she soon comes across a devious serial killer who goes around abducting and murdering young women in brutal fashion in the streets of Soviet Belarus. She’s committed to both the mission and her personal sense of morality to right wrongs in this gritty game of cat and mouse with unlikely allies and enemies.

What makes The Black Wolf such a memorable thriller is the brilliant authenticity that swings off the pages, no doubt from the author’s time under the US Department of Defense. The spycraft is both exciting and tense, glimmering with a smooth but edgy prose that keeps on coiling with bouts of nervous energy from all the dangers spies face behind enemy lines. The focus on cerebral espionage is key to the mind-boggling twists and turns that help drive the narrative ahead. At the same time, Melvina’s expertise in crime solving from watching her dad in law enforcement lends dangerous credence to her motivation in solving the murders perpetuated by a deranged serial killer who may be high on the political/espionage ladder. Melvina Donleavy is an outstanding protagonist who exudes the badassery of female protagonists in thrillers done right where romance does not step in front of the hard-hitting and unflinching reality of espionage tradecraft.

I almost didn’t want the story to end, only giving in because of the gravitating desire to find out who the killer is. That’s just one of the numerous proofs of Kathleen Kent’s mastery of suspenseful storytelling. If you’re looking for a sparkling read that’s distinctive yet familiar to your thriller-seeking mind, The Black Wolf is a no-brainer pick.

Follow Kashif on Twitter or contact him via the site.

Purchase Black Wolf
(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

The Last Orphan By Gregg Hurwitz

Right off the bat, The Last Orphan exhibits all indications of being Gregg Hurwitz’s best Orphan X experience yet. Hair-raising action sequences, warm and tender emotions, and a storyline that just keeps ramping up the excitement by the minute, this thriller is truly special.

The Last Orphan sees Evan Smoak on the run once again from the full force of the US President as he’s cornered to carry out an assassination that does not necessarily align with Evan’s moral commandments. Little do his adversaries know, a feral beast is most dangerous when cornered, and Evan is the most feral one. Orphan X sets afloat on a unique mission that rattles him like nothing before. Gregg Hurwitz superbly displays a chink in Evan’s armor; one that intriguingly grounds him in realistic storytelling and offers an inspirational message for all readers. 

The best part about the book is undoubtedly the fantastic action sequences with fun shootouts, martial arts, and foot pursuits as Orphan X outwits his opponents in spectacular fashion without being ridiculous. Teaming up with Candy, the fan-favorite femme fatale, Evan wreaks havoc of all sorts in a fun chaotic manner.

Orphan X stories are beloved by readers for keeping a clear and absolute focus on Evan Smoak’s emotional as well as physical prowess and The Last Orphan continues the recipe of infusing high octane momentum with impactful characters and dialogue that are second to none in the genre. In the simplest of words, The Last Orphan is a must-read! 

Follow Kashif on Twitter or contact him via the site.

Purchase The Last Orphan
(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

The Bullet Garden By Stephen Hunter

The Bullet Garden is an epic tale of war that is driven as much by genuine heartfelt emotions as it is by bolstering action with beautiful descriptions of weaponry that tactical fans will immediately fall in love with.

Set in the chaotic midst of World War 2, Allied soldiers are thrown in disarray and abject fear by German snipers picking at over a hundred Allied targets each day. When the situation reaches a tipping point, General Eisenhower tasks Pacific hero Earl Swagger, legendary for his war efforts and exquisite trigger finger with a sniper rifle, to lead the operation of taking the fight to the German snipers. The essence of the time-bound mission is exacerbated with the lingering possibility of a mole who seems to be providing the snipers with target packages. It’s up to Swagger to quickly study his shrouded-in-mystery opponents and take them out swiftly on the battlefield before they exact even more Allied casualties.

Much like how Swagger nails his targets, Stephen Hunter scores a bullseye with The Bullet Garden. The narrative is grand in scope, relentless in retention, and explosive in pacing. Hunter dabbles in giving readers exquisite insights into the main protagonists and antagonists in a manner befitting a proper work of literature, exploring the worldview from varying degrees to subtly convey the nuances of life and death on the battlefield. Hunter brilliantly builds up the momentum in an assured manner, taking the time to fully develop the battle arena along with Swagger’s keen deductions in his investigations that catapult readers into a deadly finale of sniper vs sniper that packs an emotional payoff in addition to the gritty pulse-pounding action sequence.

Even though I prefer to read contemporary thrillers more than historical, I will easily make another exception for Stephen Hunter if he chooses to write a follow-up to The Bullet Garden. It’s a thriller with a heart of gold, crafted with meticulous preciseness akin to a magnificent firearm.

Follow Kashif on Twitter or contact him via the site.

Purchase The Bullet Garden
(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

Shadow State By Andy McNab

Andy McNab branches out into a new division of modern espionage thrillers with Shadow State. Nathan Pike is a witty and brilliant cryptography and cyberweapons specialist with a background in espionage who, after landing himself in a Cambodian prison, is approached by an enigmatic woman on behalf of a secretive benefactor with an offer that promises to challenge Pike’s skills like nothing before. Andy McNab keeps readers in the dark as the characters stumble across the globe from El Salvador to Athens and all the way to Dubai in an exotic story packed with twists and turns that confound and contribute to the overall mystery. Only, Nathan Pike isn’t one to be underestimated. 

Shadow State is a hard-boiled caper that seals in the flavor of crime and danger in the modern age of cyberspace where anything and everything can be controlled using zeroes and ones, by those who know how to wield the unlimited power. While there’s still a healthy amount of old school subterfuge and thievery in the narrative that invokes a nostalgia of classics like Ocean’s Eleven, Andy McNab brilliantly injects the new threat of realistic cyberweapons such as Zero Day exploits all of which are explained in layman’s terms so that no reader feels out of sync with what’s going on in Nathan Pike’s head. If you’re a cyberspace geek, then it’s even more of a treat for you. 

At the same time, the narrative never gets too convoluted for its own good and is very much driven by the protagonist, Nathan Pike. Andy McNab phenomenally sets up his new protagonist with emphatic insights into his foundations that help cement Pike as a full fledged character in our heads without compromising the velocity of the fast-paced storytelling. Pike is not an action-man. He can throw a punch and take one but his expertise lies in infiltrating technical systems, giving the narrative an extra touch of realism as Pike and his minders sneak into high security locations in sequences of intense nail-biting fervor. 

Shadow State marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Andy McNab as he dabbles in the world of cryptography and cyberspace with the best attributes of a heat-seeking missile-paced thriller.

Follow Kashif on Twitter or contact him via the site.

Purchase Shadow State
(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

Still Standing By Stephen Leather

If you’re looking for a high-octane tactical action banger, Stephen Leather’s Still Standing is the one for you. Gun battles in the exotic jungles of Thailand have never felt more cinematically awesome.

When a SAS team member’s death in Thailand is hurriedly passed off as a suicide, alarm bells ring off on Matt Standing’s trouble radar. Knowing something must be afoot, Standing travels to Thailand with the brother of the deceased soldier to find out exactly what happened. It’s clear they’re in for a long haul because the moment they step off into the jungle, they’re pressured and attacked by the criminal syndicate and corrupt police officers. What they don’t know is that Standing is as mean as they come and he wages his own private war against the bad guys.

Stephen Leather evolves his protagonist such that we see a different side to the quick-to-anger war machine. Learning from his previous mistakes, Matt Standing takes a more Zen and tactical approach to matters this time around by dealing with trouble more like a scalpel than a blunt tool. 

However, when push comes to shove, Standing lays waste to his enemies without hesitation or remorse. Readers will revel in the visually-striking ballistic shootouts that you’ll find yourself reading again and again in a go because you don’t want it to end. From the trusty HK 417s and M-16s to double barreled AR-15s (codenamed Gilboa Snake), the shootouts are some of the most kinetic and jaw-dropping I’ve read of recent. There seems to be no wasted movements from Standing as he takes down enemy combatants in fluid non-stop bursts of gunfire. 

Treat yourself to an action extravaganza with a wild adventurous ride that keeps the pedal to the metal unapologetically. Still Standing is brutal, unrelenting, and darn entertaining for thriller fans who like their action swirling with technical and tactical authenticity.

Follow Kashif on Twitter or contact him via the site.

Purchase Still Standing
(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

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Dragonfire By James Swallow

James Swallow scores a lethal hit with Splinter Cell: Dragonfire that ramps up the awesomeness of the Splinter Cell games to a whole nother level and blows past the high bar set by its predecessor, Splinter Cell: Firewall. If you thought you’d seen all there is to know about Sam Fisher, you’re in for an action-filled treat that’s going to have you giddy and full of adrenaline.

Sam Fisher finds himself in hot waters when he’s set up and arrested in North Korea behind enemy lines. Declared persona non grata, he has to fight for his life any way he can. His only hope beyond his own training and survival skills is his daughter, Sarah Fisher, who will put her skills as a recent inductee of the Splinter Cell program to the test when she has to go dark in order to save her father’s life. Adding to the complexity of infiltrating enemy lines without backup is a new cabal of shadowy forces working in conjunction to bring an end to the Korean War in a rather explosive and destructive manner, having the means and reach to turn everyone against the Fishers.

An action-heavy synopsis as this merits gritty and smooth combat sequences. James Swallow captures the vibrant and fluid nature of the video games when it comes to the pulse-pounding shootouts and raw hand to hand fisticuffs. From the very beginning, the bar is set high for action when we get a glimpse of panther-like stealth combat followed by an all-out chaotic battle between Sam and his adversaries. Sam Fisher is revered by action-thriller fans as an iconic assassin with ‘tacticool’ gadgets and weaponry and this is an aspect James Swallow explores to the maximum without compromising the finality of danger that lies in every decision Fisher makes on the ground. Fans of the Ghost Recon video games will be pleased to see the titular team of operatives making a fun cameo in this entry.

What further makes Splinter Cell: Dragonfire a distinctive thriller in the modern narrative is the presence of fresh villains and a plotline both far from saturated topics in the genre. The cabal of antagonists is shown to be bigger than just a few players, hinting at a possible return in the sequels with something even more sinister. Drawing from his experience of the Nomad series, James Swallow is terrific at world-building as we see a whole universe of characters that not only live up to our expectations but also improve upon their 3D dimensionality to appear even more grounded and exciting.

Splinter Cell: Dragonfire is the best kind of book you can hope to read when you’re craving top-notch action and a refreshing roster of characters and motivations that fuel the narrative at breakneck speeds.

Follow Kashif on Twitter or contact him via the site.

Purchase Splinter Cell: Dragonfire
(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

Murder Book By Thomas Perry

Murder Book is a superbr thriller that hits on all the bullet points readers love to see in a suspenseful one-man-against-the-world story. Thomas Perry is going to kickstart 2023 the right way!

Harry Duncan, an ex-cop, is called upon by the U.S Attorney and his ex-wife to investigate the rise of a widespread criminal organization taking roots in small-towns. Initially reluctant to take part, Duncan gives in and sets off on a journey where he comes across a dangerous syndicate that puts a price on Duncan’s head when he starts putting the pieces together in his murder book of victims and criminals with damning evidence. Assassins, thugs, and businessmen, Harry Duncan needs to stay in tip-top condition to best his adversaries because he won’t see them coming until it’s too late. 

Duncan proves himself as a man of both wit and brawn. Thomas Perry brilliantly puts his protagonist in situations that seem to put him out of his depth but more often than not, it’s exactly where Duncan wants to be. His law-enforcement instincts keep him a step ahead of his adversaries with all that he uncovers throughout his investigation into the syndicate. There is no clear breakpoint in the narrative that you can safely put the book down at, so make sure you’re clearing your day before stepping into this addictive journey.

This also provides ample opportunities for Duncan to let loose with his fists and his firearms. Whether it’s Duncan stylishly taking out thugs in brutal hand-to-hand fight sequences or trying to escape a sniper in a car chase, or simply letting lead fly with his pistol, there’s enough action to keep the storyline firing on all cylinders.

If you’re looking for an incorruptible hero to take the fight to the criminals with a heavy hand and a locked and loaded Glock 17, you’re picking up the right Murder Book. There is no clear breakpoint in the narrative that you can safely put the book down at, not that you would want to put it down, so make sure you’re clearing your day before stepping into this addictive journey.

Follow Kashif on Twitter or contact him via the site.

Purchase Murder Book
(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

Amok By Barry Eisler

Barry Eisler is no novice when it comes to writing character-driven action thrillers with exotic backdrops that teach readers something new and intriguing about events in different parts of the globe. If you’re salivating for such a reading experience, Amok is the ideal action-packed adventure for you.

Set in 1991, Barry Eisler navigates readers through a turmoil time in Southeast Asia, particularly on an island called Timor that falls in the Indonesian Archipelago. At the time, the region was experiencing severe distress as a years-long conflict grew between the Indonesian army and guerillas. When a doctor, Isobel Amaral, is suspected of holding evidence implicating the local government, in cahoots with a rogue CIA officer, of massive corruption and sexual assaults, Dox, a former marine, is contacted by the agency to help track down the doctor. Once Dox lands on location, he quickly finds himself uprooted when he notices a lot of discrepancies between what he was told and what he sees for himself at the hands of the soldiers. It doesn’t help that he begins to fall for Isobel which leads to a nail-biting conflict between Dox and a vicious heart-eating megalomaniac in charge of crushing the resistance. There is no room for error when it comes to professionals dishing it out.

Dox is an unorthodox name awarded for the protagonist’s unorthodox techniques and measures in taking out his targets. With a rough upbringing, Dox is a conflicted character torn between two sides of his family. His very-grounded emotions help imbue the narrative with a personal touch and makes for a character-centric exposition that showcases his development over the course of the story. While the first half of the story focuses on his personal demons and setting up the conflict in Timor, the second half takes off the runway at lightning-fast pace with one shootout after another. From long-distance gun battles to close quarters combat, Dox takes on his enemies in a flurry of crisp and vivid action sequences tailored specifically to get you a genuine adrenaline rush.

Amok is a very personal story at its core. While the action and espionage elements certainly work together to create a fast-paced read, it is still a very heartfelt story of good vs evil with realistic dilemmas and gut-wrenching realities woven expertly into the characters. You get a taste of life in chaos as well as intermittent moments of bliss and peace that rip you apart when the characters you come to befriend are shattered beyond repair. The heart and soul of Amok make it much more than a simple story of guns and violence and transcends it to an emotional tale packing quite a punch.

Follow Kashif on Twitter or contact him via the site.

Purchase Amok
(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

Tom Clancy Red Winter By Marc Cameron

Marc Cameron writes a lean and mean genuine Clancy thriller wonderfully adapted for the modern audience with a deathly-fast pace and riveting action in keeping with an intense realism most often associated with Clancy-verse.

Red Winter takes us back to the days of the Cold War where a dangerous chain of events is set in motion by a defector in East Berlin requesting asylum in the US in exchange for secrets about his government’s espionage program. To authenticate the legitimacy of this new asset, Jack Ryan is hurried off to Berlin to help gauge the potential asset before all hell breaks loose. At the same time, a top-secret Airforce program with the stealthy F-117 Nighthawk aircraft hits a roadblock when the plane crashes, kickstarting a race to get hands on the secretive material used in the making of the sleek cutting-edge aircraft. Coincidence or not, US forces working abroad and at home must efficiently uncover the threat and put a stop to it. 

Cameron continues to display his prowess at writing multiple simultaneous plotlines without losing track of the big picture. The change in scenery serves a pivotal role in preserving the unpredictable nature of the narrative between a multitude of characters and situations. Whether it’s Jack Ryan in Berlin or FBI agent Dan Murray in Nevada, the excitement factor ratchets up by the page as we’re constantly suckered in for the ride. Each character gets his/her due in the spotlight with unique personalities and the narrative invokes a strong feeling of nostalgia as we go back in time to see our iconic heroes at the beginning before they crossed paths.

The fast-paced narrative is packed with crisp hard-hitting action, which is where John Clark comes in to the picture. After all, who else would take on bad guys in such a brutal and unforgiving manner in the Clancy-verse? With unadulterated sequences of precision shootouts and dirty hand-to-hand combat, Cameron keeps the pedal to the metal all the way to the last page.

Red Winter is a breathtakingly exciting throwback to the chaotic final days of the Cold War era. Marc Cameron truly transports you to another time with his engrossing writing through and through. One thing is certain; the Clancy-verse remains in the good hands of a writer with the panache of tackling fan-favorite characters and making them even more intriguing and human.

Follow Kashif on Twitter or contact him via the site.

Purchase Red Winter
BUY A SIGNED FIRST EDITION FROM VJ BOOKS

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

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

Judas 62 By Charles Cumming

Charles Cumming’s Judas 62 lives up to the high expectations that were promised by last year’s cerebral espionage thriller, Box 88. This time as well the narrative is divided into two timelines, one focusing on a younger Lachlan Kite, having evolved into a more confident operative sent on his first official mission with the transatlantic counterintelligence agency to extract a Russian scientist at the height of the Cold War, and the other set-in present-day timeline where the repercussions of the first mission have come to collect their due in the form of a hit-list with Lachlan on it. To combat the unseeable threat, Lachlan must first unravel his past, no matter how disturbing it gets.

Judas 62 immensely benefits from the singular focus on Lachlan Kite in the fleshed-out flashback plot. Charles Cumming displays an exceptional knack for nailing the foundation and evolution of characters with all sorts of nuances that make you forget you’re reading a work of fiction. The slow-burn of the story is utilized to the max as Cumming further builds Lachlan into a living and breathing character that may very well be existing right now as opposed to a fantastical protagonist. His experiences as a novice spy feel so gut-wrenching real and profound, you lose yourself in the pages and the authenticity of the grand yet gritty scope of storytelling. One particular highlight of Cumming’s genius is an intense back and forth between Lachlan and a Russian operative, which includes powerful and snarky dialogue.

In the vein of old school spy thrillers, Judas 62 deviates from the action-heavy espionage yarns and focuses more on the cerebral lure of spycraft. There is a constant feeling of impending doom and violence in every page that builds up to the very last moment for maximum effect before it combusts into a satisfying denouement. From intel dead drops to maintaining one’s cover even in the face of imminent death, the life of a spy has never felt so conflicting between exciting and depressing. Even when the shift of focus from Lachlan in the present day comes with its turbulent changes in pacing, the decision serves to ultimately shed more of an insight into his character and his role as a mentor for the new generation of spies.

I personally enjoyed how accurately Charles Cumming captured the unique vibes of each location and setting, particularly of Dubai where the climax takes place. There’s no doubt in my mind that Cumming spent extensive hours researching the busy streets and exuberant buildings of the Emirati city because it resonated quite well with my own memories of the city. 

Charles Cumming has struck gold with this new series that continues to give and give with extraordinary and uber-realistic scenarios and characters. The last page of Judas 62 leaves no room for misinterpretation of the fact that Lachlan Kite will be back with an even more ambitious adventure in the future.  

Follow Kashif on Twitter or contact him via the site.

Purchase Judas 62
(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

NYPD Red 7: The Murder Sorority By Marshall Karp

Marshall Karp’s first individual continuation of the NYPD Red series is pure bliss. An honest, smooth, and riveting edge-of-your-seat story that flows naturally and elegantly through the pages into your imagination. 

Written from the first person POV of NYPD Red’s Detective Zach Jordan, the narrative finds the serenity of New York City broken by a sniper’s bullet finding its target in a wealthy movie producer charged with sexual harassment and murder of Jordan’s mentor. When another murder on the same day linked closely to the sniper attack plunges the city in terror, the case becomes NYPD Red’s highest priority. Smart and swift detective work leads to an unorthodox and deadly group of highly trained and specialized assassins and it’s all up to Detective Jordan and his partner Detective MacDonald to crack the case before the assassins complete their assignments.

Marshall Karp nails the core of a gritty on-the-streets crime thriller that couples authentic police procedural elements with an unremitting pace filled with crafty and ingenious twists and turns. The prose itself is buttery-smooth and enjoyable as it guides you through the narrative at a dangerously high speed even as you do your best to slow down because you can’t imagine putting the book down for even a few minutes let alone putting it down for good. A notch above simply investigative thrillers, NYPD Red 7: The Murder Sorority comes packed with adrenaline-pumping action sequences that are stylish and realistic in both tactical and technical fortes. 

NYPD Red 7: The Murder Sorority is one of the most energetic and engaging thrillers of the year and it’s one you can’t miss out on. An indisputable must-read. James Patterson could not have passed down the torch to a more suited author than Karp.

Follow Kashif on Twitter or contact him via the site.

Purchase NYPD Red 7: Murder Sorority
(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

Little Black Crimes By Nathaniel Blackhelm

Little Black Crimes is a dark and vicious collection of gut-wrenching short-story-styled tales of hardships and violence that exude an ethereal quality rooted in reality as well possessing an illusion of a world running parallel to ours, lurking in the shadows.

Nathaniel Blackhelm zaps readers with shock and awe as he tackles disturbing but very real topics that speak to the evil nature of mankind. I was stunned at times as Blackhelm presented the banal nature of crime with a surprising twist and a poetic sense of ironic justice and horror that will haunt readers for days if not weeks after finishing the book.  Each story is presented in a unique style as if born from a distinct mind, speaking to Blackhelm’s seemingly endless pit of creative ideas to take inspiration from. The crux of the stories however stays centered on how the scariest and darkest monsters are those within us. 

If you’re looking for a blend of noir, horror, and suspenseful stories, Little Black Crimes is the perfect package for you. There is plenty in it to keep you engrossed and you’ll find it intimidating to read just one story a day when the absorbing nature of the narratives yank you further and further for more and more of the grim and dark stories.

Follow Kashif on Twitter or contact him via the site.

Purchase Little Black Crimes
(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

Rio Grande Night By Stephen Leather

Stephen Leather cements his mastery of churning out gritty writing as he tackles a thriller quite distinct from his usual espionage narratives. Witchcraft, demons, and a former cop with the tools to battle evil, both human and supernatural.

Rio Grande Night centers on Jack Nightingale, a witty and haunted man with a peculiar past, who’s asked by a wealthy benefactor to investigate the disappearances of young foreigners in Mexico. Initially pegged as a human trafficking ring, Jack digs deeper to find out that there are more sinister and disturbing forces at play involving a macabre cartel that practices witchcraft and devil-worshiping. Jack must use his experiences of the supernatural to stop the madness before more innocents are brutally murdered.

Stephen Leather creates a vibrant and dark world that mirrors ours but has a lot more going on beyond what we can see. The limelight stays on the gritty old-school crime-solving antics of Jack Nightingale as he employs realistic tactics in uncovering the cartel. The fantastical and supernatural elements wonderfully complement the real-world thriller aspect and introduce a macabre element of violent horror to an already intense narrative. The ultimate result is a hair-raising story that unwinds in the most engaging fashion, keeping you gripped in both fascination and terror with palpable tension due to Stephen Leather’s brilliant fusion of two separate genres that poetically complement each other with stellar writing.

If you’re feeling adventurous, you’re going to love staying up late with Rio Grande Night and its exotic flavors of action and supernatural horror. 

Follow Kashif on Twitter or contact him via the site.

Purchase Rio Grande Night
(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

Whispers Of A Gypsy by JT Patten

JT Patten tears down the divisions between horror, supernatural, and thriller genres to fuse a concoction that’s equal parts terrifying and thrilling.

Whispers of a Gypsy catapults a neurodivergent young boy, Dwight Skinner, whose perceived superpowers are all but treated as a figment of his mental state. It soon turns out to be something more sinister and powerful when they come across a whisperer going by the name of Mr. Mortimer. He’s on a vicious hunt for those who wronged him and that hunt puts young Dwight in his path, as his dark guardian angel. With a gruesome and scary history of experiments and abuse going back to the days of Nazi’s, it bears the mark of JT Patten’s gut-wrenching no-holds-barred writing that will captivate you from the get-go.

While most horror stories take a good chunk of pages to develop into something unsettling, JT Patten bypasses this tradition to get to the harrowing and disturbing themes almost immediately, tinged with a consistent sense of creepiness, conflicting you between reading one more chapter and putting it down when the night gets too grim for the bone-chilling narrative. If you dare to push the envelope, you’ll be in for a treat that ties this superb horror/ supernatural tale with elements of espionage with a mix of old-school and modern-day conflicts. 

Whispers of a Gypsy is one of the scariest and darkest horror thrillers I’ve read and it’s a magnificent experimental blend of genres to appeal to most readers. Tackling social issues with history, science, politics, and horror, JT Patten has something for all readers and it’s a book that you’d shudder at reading at night even under the comfort of your bedside lamps switched.

Follow Kashif on Twitter or contact him via the site.

Purchase Whispers Of A Gypsy
(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

One Of Those Faces By Elle Grawl

One of Those Faces is a keep-you-up-all-night chilling debut that twists the narrative sharp like a knife and places you at the mercy of the author to give you the long-anticipated answers, which will not be what you expect.

Harper Mallen is a timid young woman making ends meet as an artist in the bustling streets of Chicago after escaping her abusive childhood. When a gruesome murder takes place near her apartment, she’s disturbed to find that the victim looked eerily similar to her. When she realizes how often she’s stopped by grieving family members who confuse her for other recently murdered victims, she takes it upon herself to find out more, especially when it all starts to feel too convenient to be just coincidences centered around her.

Elle Grawl captures the mundane intricacies of day-to-day living in her protagonist with just enough limelight that we feel like we know who Harper Mallen truly is before she dives into the web of craziness that follows shortly. The pace is that of a slow-burn but it works in this case because of the realistic and grounded approach to the narrative that is much more character-driven and worth your emotional investment. Furthermore, the intimacy with the situations and characters makes it all the more enticing when we suddenly see Harper in a different light that we couldn’t have anticipated, throwing us all in disarray over what will happen on the next page. Just when we think we’ve nailed down a vague idea of how it will go down, Elle Grawl comes along to shatter our delusions in mind-boggling fashion.

Think of One of Those Faces like a rendition of Caroline Kepnes’s YOU but with an even more unnerving psychological element told from the perspective of the stalked instead of the stalker. It exhibits great potential for Elle Grawl and it’s one of the most intense what-the-frack thrillers I’ve read this year. 

Follow Kashif on Twitter or contact him via the site.

Purchase One Of Those Faces
(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

Rebellious Son By Joe Goldberg

Rebellious Son establishes Joe Goldberg as a must-read thriller author with consistent top-notch stories that are hilariously devious and action-packed. The Spy Devils is a tough act to follow but Rebellious Son not only matches up to the standards of the former, it also improves upon it to give you one of the most memorable action thrillers you’ll read this year.

Bridger and the Spy Devils are doing their usual work of hunting and killing bad dudes when a well-known bombmaker makes the headlines after blasting several members of a drug syndicate with no regards to collateral damage. Things start to get complicated when Bridger’s mentor and former spymaster Wes Henslow requests the leader of Spy Devils to help him capture and kill the one who got away from him all those years ago. Stuck between Bridger’s mother chewing off his ear about not helping Wes and wanting to pay off a lifelong debt, Bridger must constantly battle his inner storm in addition to fending off terrorists and Chinese agents with a handful of cool gadgets including the Devilbot and the Devil Stick.

This thriller is a hoot and a half when it comes to sarcastic characters with snarky comebacks to the most horrible situations. Even though Bridger is the leader, I can’t help but love Demon more. An old and mean kickass Devil who loves to torture bad guys and shoot them with his Kimber 1911. I call for a whole spin-off on him and only him taking on bad guys in cool action sequences which Joe Goldberg has clearly shown the aptitude for writing and showcasing with the right amount of tactical and technical details as he did in this one. 

At the same time, Rebellious Son is utterly devious when it comes to the twists and turns. Joe Goldberg brings out the big guns in the narrative that you won’t see coming until it’s too late. There are layers upon layers of storytelling that are brilliantly visualized by Goldberg’s easy-to-follow writing, adding to the intrigue of the golden spy thrillers with a flair for being plots within plots. 

Rebellious Son is your palette cleanser if you’ve read one too many same ol’ straight forward spy action thrillers. It’s a wild, witty, and wonderful all-in-one delicious action-packed ride.  

Follow Kashif on Twitter or contact him via the site.

Purchase Rebellious Son
Amazon
Signed Editions

The Survivor By Simon Conway

Simon Conway brings back his charm of full-fledged espionage narratives that capture the essentials along with some bonus nuggets to stand out in a sea of spy thrillers. The Survivor is a work of art. 

Set after the devastating events of The Saboteur where London fell into chaos, MI6 agent Jude Lyon is on the trail of traitor Guy Fowle who escaped with a weapon that lays waste to entire infrastructures with the touch of a button, courtesy of Russian hackers. With raging fervors of unrest back home, Jude puts his life on the line once more to finally track down Fowle and stop him. He teams up with his former lover, Yulia Ermolaeva, who works parallel to Jude in investigating Fowle’s breach into the weapons system with the volatile backing of the Russian president who seems to be losing his grip on power because of recent events. Before the story’s over, you’re going to see a lot more destruction and chaos and as much as you want to see Jude get the upper hand, Fowle just may be a tad bit too unhinged for Jude to defeat on his own. 

There’s so much to love in this exhilarating twists-filled narrative that constantly maneuvers at light-speed pacing. Conway packs a multitude of characters and subplots working in tandem to advance a singular agenda in clever unsuspecting ways. Politics, spycraft, raw bitter human emotions, all shine their impacts in a build-up that pays off big time with a no-holds-barred showdown between Lyon and Fowle that is unflinchingly brutal and unfiltered in its energy. 

The Survivor is a masterful concoction of grounded espionage with crisp action that’s crafted at the right moment with the right tools. Jude Lyon is the definite love-child of James Bond and Jason Bourne, one who sets a tremendously high bar to top.

Follow Kashif on Twitter or contact him via the site.

Purchase The Survivor
(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

No Plan B By Lee Child and Andrew Child

Jack Reacher is back with a new mystery to solve and more bad guys to beat up in the terrifically exciting and satisfying, No Plan B.

We find Reacher in Gerrardsville, Colorado exploring a historic museum when he witnesses a woman pushed in front of an oncoming bus. While some witnesses attest to the woman stepping out willingly onto the street, Reacher knows what he saw and it wasn’t a suicide, it was cold blooded murder. Reacher sets on the warpath of finding out who killed the woman and why. His unofficial investigation makes quick headway, with the breadcrumbs leading him to a prison facility where something sinister seems to be occurring behind bars. Soon enough, Reacher is way too deep in to back out and he must fight his way out the old-fashioned way. There’s no other way. 

No Plan B takes a somewhat derivative path to the finish line than most other Reacher stories. While the focus mostly remains on Reacher, Lee Child and Andrew Child also introduce parallel plots seemingly heading down different paths until they intersect in what can only be considered a wild coincidence planned out expertly by the authors. At first glance the parallel plots seem to slow down the pace a bit as they introduce new characters with unique motivations but in hindsight, this pays off big time to set up an awesome action-driven finale with classic Reacher fist-hammering moments along with a jaw-dropping shootout where we get to read Reacher showcase his prowess with firearms in a more vivid quality. 

It’s clear as day that Jack Reacher has more than enough fuel in the tank to keep on blazing ahead with his trademark charisma and a healthy intolerance of bad guys, elements that have made him iconic over the years. You’ll find yourself attracted to the strong foundation that is constantly built-upon by the authors as the narrative zooms ahead with Reacher putting his deductive reasoning and sharp mind to excellent use and occasionally, his fantastic combat moves that somehow manage to be both smooth and primal at the same time. No Plan B is a delightful treat for hardcore Reacher fans!

Follow Kashif on Twitter or contact him via the site.

Purchase No Plan B
BUY A SIGNED FIRST EDITION FROM VJ BOOKS

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

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

The Blackbriar Genesis By Simon Gervais

The Blackbriar Genesis is a marvelous addition to the new Ludlum-verse with intriguingly awesome guns-blazing protagonists that are sure to become one of your favorite duos. Simon Gervais has officially outdone himself with this superbly fleshed out narrative that walks the crisp line between hard-boiled espionage and adrenaline-pumping action. Gervais establishes each new face with a memorable selling point that makes you yearn for more of these exciting heroes. 

The Blackbriar Genesis takes readers for a wild ride with two operatives, Helen Jouvert and Donovan Wade, investigating the assassination of a Treadstone operative who was working unbeknownst to his handlers. With a sinister conspiracy brewing by enigmatic faces hiding behind proxies, Jouvert and Wade must follow the trail of murderous breadcrumbs through backalley shootouts and high-speed car chases to uncover the mystery before their lives are forfeit.

The Blackbriar Genesis grabs your undivided attention from the very first spine-tingling page of gritty paranoia and propels you through fast-paced high-energy action-boosted chapters that will surely satisfy that itch you’re having for some hardcore espionage-action fusion. Keep your eyes peeled for references and callbacks to Jason Bourne and Adam Hayes as the shared universe grows bigger and better. Jouvert and Wade are fantastic additions to the roster, each with the charisma to make you feel for them and root for them in dire situations augmented by well-crafted dialogue and fascinating backstories.

The supreme suspense keeps you biting your nails bare way past your bedtime. The Blackbriar Genesis opens up a treasure trove of storylines that can be explored in the most-certainly guaranteed sequels, perhaps even a cool team-up.

Follow Kashif on Twitter or contact him via the site.

Purchase The Blackbriar Genesis
(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

The Other Side Of Night By Adam Hamdy

The Other Side of Night is the best kind of reading experience you can ask for. Dive into the book with very little information about the plot and be prepared to be completely blown away by the beauty of Adam Hamdy’s thought-provoking prose.

The narrative begins with a harrowing question; what would you sacrifice for love? This question is the underlying theme of the book. We are introduced to Harriet Kealty, a cop who comes across a plea for help scrawled in a library book, presumably by the person who had last borrowed the book. Her dogged investigation unveils a connection to her former lover with a mysterious agenda involving a young child that will have drastic repercussions for her and life as she knows it. 

Rarely have I connected so strongly with a book on such an existential discourse. Adam Hamdy crafts magnificent and charismatic characters which beckon your complete emotional investment from the beginning. The emotions feel so raw that you begin to wonder whether this is a factual account cleverly disguised as a fictional thriller. By some unexplainable yet undeniable attraction, you are drawn to the book with a burning desire to know more about the characters and their underlying motivations. Adam Hamdy shrouds the big picture in a wonderful enigma, revealing clues here and there but holding off on the big gut punch until the opportune moment for mind-blowing reveals that will stun you for a good few minutes as you try to digest the shocking twists and turns. 

There’s something beautifully poetic about the discussions of the different aspects of life we don’t always think too much about. Rather than a simple monologue, these insights and subtle commentaries flow through characters and impactful dialogues that rival the best in all genres.  You’ll find yourself highlighting the passages for deeper contemplation as if it would be a grave sin to not absorb them completely.

It’s a fascinating crime thriller, with a healthy blend of procedural and grounded roots yet it is so much more in ways that would only spoil the full experience if I listed them. So, I will simply say this, The Other Side of Night is poised to be in the top contenders for Book of the Year.

Follow Kashif on Twitter or contact him via the site.

Purchase The Other Side Of Night
(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

Meet The Review Team