Night Owl By Andrew Mayne

Andrew Mayne breaks ground on a fantastic new series that shows tremendous promise. From the protagonist to the suspenseful action sequences, everything gels to give you a reading experience that is worth your weekend with a sleepless night or two in there. Night Owl is aptly named in the sense that you’ll become one as you flip the pages in a reading binge, unable to put the book down once you get started.

Brad Trasker is a man who has seen some crazy and gritty stuff go down in his life as a counterintelligence specialist. Now a retired man, things take a turn for him when he is invited to attend the launch of a next-generation aircraft by the CEO of the cutting-edge company. That’s when someone takes a shot at her and puts Trasker in the middle of a nefarious conspiracy that will require him to sharpen his spycraft once more to take the fight to the unseen enemy before he and his new employer are taken off the chessboard.

What took me by surprise was how refreshing and satisfying it felt to read about Brad Trasker as a protagonist who’s so easy to bond with and get behind as he uses his wits and experience to untangle the knot of conspiracy and espionage hiding behind the scenes. The emphasis of the narrative lays with Trasker unmasking the boogeyman with nothing but his ingenuity and doggedness and occasionally help from a very fun and interesting family member of the Trasker household. It’s a grounded investigative-espionage tale with twists and turns that keep you hooked in. Up till the very last moment you find yourself contemplating over and over again who to trust in the web of lies and deceits as Trasker digs deeper and finds himself embroiled with assassins and nasty corporate scandals originating at the highest order to gain monopoly over the next-gen air superiority.

Night Owl is a thriller that snuck up on me with its elegant charm and suave storytelling that keeps you locked-on to the pages. I am counting down impatiently to the sequel.

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Assassin's Mark By Ward Larsen

Ward Larsen takes the David Slaton saga to greater heights with Assassin’s Mark, boasting a grand conspiracy reaching the White House and a fast-paced action narrative that has Slaton questioning his orders and his future.

When the President of the United States is left in a coma after an audacious attempt on her life, the Vice President -and now acting president- aims to retaliate against the mysterious cabal known as The Trident. His ultimate weapon is David Slaton; a scalpel who has had previous encounters with The Trident and now holds the best chance to take the key members of the group out. What Slaton doesn’t bank on is another assassin working against him in accordance with a high-ranking member in the White House.

Larsen runs a tight ship with Assassin’s Mark as he expertly weaves a deeply engaging narrative together with explosive action and jaw-dropping uses of up-and-coming technology, putting a lot of hurdles for Slaton to overcome in his mission. Larsen elevates the quality of the action-packed storytelling with moral quandaries that give both Slaton and the readers pause as our assassin’s sniper reticle zeroes in on a target while the bells go off to warn that something isn’t what it seems to be.

It’s always a delight to read David Slaton’s latest adventure, because Ward Larsen always one-ups himself with dynamic situations and exciting new stories. Assassin’s Mark is an absolute beast of a thriller.

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Devil's Own Day By Joe Goldberg

Joe Goldberg brings forth the most dangerous and personal mission for our favorite Spy Devils in Devil’s Own Day.

As Bridger and the Spy Devils zero in on those that had murdered Bridger’s mentor and launched a devastating attack on the team, they quickly realize the overwhelming force of adversity in their way. It’s not just the Mexican cartel, the CIA, the Chinese government, or the Chinese drug lord with a vendetta against the Spy Devils, but it’s all of them trying to one-up the Devils. But The Spy Devils are trained to look danger in the eye. As deals are made and broken, the narrative keeps you on the edge of your seats as you wonder who’s double-crossing whom. Can Bridger seek vengeance without losing someone else dear to him?

Joe Goldberg yarns an incredible web of plots and subplots all connected through a narrative that traverses beautifully through each major event with unwavering precision and power of storytelling that keeps you mesmerized and inspired to keep on reading and finish the entire book in as close to a single-sitting as possible. The book opens with pulse-pounding action sequences and quickly sets the tone for what’s to come, interjecting strong emotions, complex loyalties, and charging twists and turns that leave no room for dullness. Whether it’s the Spy Devils taking on the bad guys with guns, batons, and other cool gadgets, the pace is breathlessly satisfying.

Devil’s Own Day is also a classic spy thriller at its core. Whether Goldberg is describing the power play of the CIA against the Devils or the mole hunt for the American spy in the Chinese government, the narrative is ripe with spycraft and sweating anxiety of cat-and-mouse spy chess games as we’ve come to enjoy in classic thrillers.

Buckle up and hold onto your hats as Joe Goldberg takes you on a wild ride through gunfire, stun batons and crazy explosive showdowns that will absolutely satiate your desire for some adrenaline, but will drive you crazy as you anxiously anticipate the next one. Devil’s Own Day is a winner!

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The Doomsday Code By Sara Yager

Sara Yager taps into a timely-rich explosion of AI and biotechnology with an intense narrative, a hopeful message, and a scary what-if scenario that begins to feel too real for comfort.

On the heels of a major breakthrough of a tech giant focusing on General Artificial Intelligence, the lead AI scientist is found down in mysterious circumstances. With the lab’s system breached, the controlled AI now has the potential to usher in a new age at the cost of destroying the current. Ex-NSA hacker Adrian Pryor is roped into helping the investigation to locate and contain the AI and uncover the identities of those who are planning to utilize the algorithm in accordance with dreams of a new machine-age.

The Doomsday Code is a riveting tale that’s right out of the current developments in the world of technology, echoing both the potential and the concerns of meshing AI and biotech to a point of singularity where humans can outlive their biological clock by serving an AI power. The cautionary tale is woven into the heart of the story with action and suspense to spice things up and a scoop of hope for a future that embraces AI as a tool more than a god. Sara Yager injects modern technology and innovation that a geek would gobble up and an uninitiated would be enthralled to pursue and catch up on.

Sara Yager does a tremendous job of laying out the cynical predicaments of nations aiming to monopolize the capabilities of AI to fit narratives that may not always be the best for mankind as a whole. It is then surprising when the story warps to a more positive glimmer of future for harmonic integration of AI with humanity, all stated adroitly and powerfully through characters that reflect the most flawed and relatable of humanity. The Doomsday Code is a wake-up call for regulations and proper usage of powerful new technology as much as it is an intense fast-paced thriller set in exotic locales. You’re going to want to read this ASAP.

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The Helsinki Affair By Anna Pitoniak

The Helsinki Affair is a beautiful blend of old-school and contemporary espionage, embracing the charm of classic spy stories while boasting a fast-paced structure that all but ensures that you do nothing but read and read and read until you’ve reached the last page.

When a Russian defector walks into the US Embassy in Italy and warns of an impending assassination of a US Senator, the general consensus is to send him out on his merry way. But CIA Officer Amanda Cole intuits an impending doom from the warning and sure enough, the Senator dies. Suddenly thrust into the spotlight, Amanda becomes the lead on an investigation spanning decades into the past when notes from the late Senator contain the name of another CIA agent back before he retired, and that’s none other than Charlie Cole, Amanda’s father. Can Amanda connect the Kremlin conspiracy to the assassination and to her father, and more importantly, does she want to, when this puts everything she’s known at risk?

Anna Pitoniak has written a strong embodiment of female strength and intuition in the espionage genre unencumbered by filler romance. Amanda Cole is a terrific CIA officer whose analytical skills lead her to uncovering a bold conspiracy by Russian intelligence, putting her on a dangerous path that requires her to use all her wits. The wrench in her investigation is her father also plays a pivotal role in setting the tone of this story, continuously evolving with each chapter as the narrative switches between the past and the present to form the complete picture. The switching is done elegantly and doesn’t detract from the storytelling experience even a bit. You feel part of the intelligence apparatus in employing sneaky spycraft along with Amanda and her team.

The Helsinki Affair is an intelligent espionage thriller that will appease hardcore fans of spy stories as well as those more accustomed to the faster-paced modern narratives. There’s so much to enjoy, from the characters to their dilemmas, all tie in for a shocking finale.

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The Warmaker By Benjamin Spada

Benjamin Spada’s The Warmaker is a remarkable action-packed breath-taking narrative that guarantees a concentrated dose of adrenaline shot straight to the heart.

When a US Congressman suddenly combusts into flames in broad daylight, a thread of evidence points at dangerous and sophisticated weaponry working its way into hands of criminals and all sorts of bad guys. With no room for error, the United States employs the Black Spear organization to uncover the sinister forces working in the shadows to destabilize entire nation-states with bleeding-edge killing tools. It’s up to Cole West and his team of hardened operators to avert catastrophe. But before the end, West must answer a haunting question: how many people would he kill to stop a war?

The Warmaker reads like a big-scale cinematic action thriller reminiscent of Matthew Rielly’s action-packed wild rides with exotic weaponry and larger-than-life threats. Benjamin Spada keeps the pedal pressed firmly to the metal with gunfights, hand-to-hand combat, and cool chases. At the same time, Spada emphasizes the focus on character development of the protagonist, Cole West. As he goes through an unenviable and incredible journey in this narrative, one can’t help but wonder how will Spada top this one. However, I’m sure he will because I said the same thing about The Warmaker and it blew past the high expectations that Spada’s debut had set.

Come for the explosive action and stay for the moral quandary that is presented in The Warmaker, a fast-paced imagination of the scary idea of advanced cutting-edge weapons making their way into the hands of folks with agendas to rule the world by first destroying it.

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Unknown Rider By Jack Stewart

Unknown Rider is an adrenaline-filled debut worthy of blazing praise. From car chases to gunfights to aerial combat in state-of-the-art F-35 fighter jets, Jack Stewart has concocted a fantastic cocktail of swirling action and espionage.

The last thing TOP GUN instructor Colt Bancroft had fathomed as he catapulted off in his F-35C Joint Strike Fighter plane was that a series of mysterious lights near his aircraft carrier will somehow lead to his jet becoming unresponsive, almost as if being remotely controlled by a hidden combatant. Barely surviving the ordeal, Colt finds himself targeted by enemy spies and assailants working with a traitor towards a horrifying end goal involving the latest US jets. Colt pairs up with NCIS Special Agent Emmy King as she investigates clues leading not only to the nifty espionage happening on US soil but also to a direct threat on Colt’s life.

Jack Stewart infuses the action with such crisp and energetic detail that whether Colt is pulling G’s in an F-35 fighter jet or if he’s taking out bad guys on ground, you experience it all in a spine-tingling sensation. The fighter jet sequence in the climax in particular is breathtakingly stunning as every move Colt makes in the cockpit oozes coolness and authenticity. A major reason why the action sequences feel particularly powerful is that Stewart takes the time to ground the narrative in real-time so that you’re not just along for the ride but you’re actively engaged in the character foundations so much so that you’re petrified of what may happen to them. Every character embraces a depth to their personalities and motivations unveiling in layers which work in tandem with the espionage-laden story. You become quickly invested in seeing through the mystery and suspense, which thankfully stays consistent to the last page, ending the thriller in a cliffhanger that will make it utterly hard for readers to wait until the next book in the series.

Unknown Rider combines well-crafted action on both ground and in the air with edge-of-your-seat thriller-pacing with a heroic protagonist who makes following along his journey so instinctive that you’ll be reaching the final page before you even know it. Jack Stewart is here to stay and slay! Don’t be surprised if you find out you’ve got jet fuel in your blood after finishing Unknown Rider..

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Perfect Shot By Steve Urszenyi

Steve Urszenyi storms the thrillerverse with a debut that brings incredible action, a memorable and powerful female protagonist, and a killer story that opens up a lot of doors for highly-anticipated future adventures.

Perfect Shot introduces us to Special Agent Alexandra Martel, a formidable and lethal Army sniper now utilizing her skills in service to the FBI for kinetic operations. When she learns of the suspicious circumstances regarding the death of an old friend and MI5 officer, she’s catapulted into the shadowy world of espionage where she’ll need to sharpen her spycraft in addition to employing deadly force. Pairing up with an enigmatic CIA operative who’s trying to recruit her for his team that responds to timely threats, Alex finds herself in a muddled battlefield where failing essentially means changing the world order for the worse.

It’s not often that the thriller begins with a bang and offers one of the most badass introductions in the thrillerverse as we get action in abundance while falling in love with the protagonist. Urszenyi masterfully packs action and storytelling into a taut and lean narrative that progresses the story through gritty combat in a manner that also builds up and offers insights into Alex’s character. It’s a tough line to walk but it’s one that Urszenyi masters much more confidently than one would expect from a debut author. There’s no dull moment to bog the story down as we get to experience the characters through their actions more than lengthy backstories. The cherry on top is the vibe of a globe-trotting adventure filled with suspense and danger and mystery as Alex has to fulfill her role as an FBI agent as well as her loyalty to an old friend. The well-timed twists and turns keep the narrative exciting and ultimately result in an intense finale with a new side to Alex to be explored in the upcoming books which are all but guaranteed with such stellar writing. Perfect Shot is named quite aptly in this case.

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Day Of Wrath By Matthew Cricchio

Day of Wrath is the perfect marriage of tactical action with a gritty crime narrative that slingshots the readers into a compelling emotional tale of vengeance and violence with shocking developments.

Readers are introduced to Caleb and Krissy Rhoades, slowly coming to terms with rifts in their marriage. Caleb is an ex-Marine trying to keep his struggling tactical training school from drowning in debt whereas Krissy has left her military life behind completely for a domestic but spotlight-life. It’s a slow-moving disaster but the intensity flares up when Krissy is viciously attacked. With police investigation leading to dead ends, Caleb and Krissy take matters into their own hands. Packing up on hardware and a hankering for vengeance, they set off on seemingly different paths but all clues lead them down the same dangerous road with tons of shootouts, explosions, and sheer death. What makes this even more treacherous is the constant uncertainty of whether they can even trust each other to begin with.

Matthew Cricchio’s amalgamation of the Rhoades’ tactical background in the military with familial relations to the crime family and a dangerous war spilling from the headlines taking place on US soil elevates the reading experience and breaks down the barriers of being restricted to a particular niche in the thriller genre. The narrative succeeds at entertaining the reader not just with its fast-paced nature as Caleb and Krissy investigate the crime unhindered by red-tape, but also by the emotional resonance of the helplessness the characters feel being stuck in precarious and distressing situations. It’s a multi-layered narrative that examines not just the breakdown of their marriage but also the revival of their spark as bullets fly and priorities become clearer in the finality of combat. The action is immersive, deliberate, and precise in the machinations of the weaponry and the characters that wield them. Cricchio puts you right in the hot seat as the Rhoades switch places from prey to hunter. All of this is spiced with doubts regarding the true intentions of the characters as they find each other in their crosshairs. 

Matthew Cricchio is a tremendous writer with an eye for grounding great stories in the modern-day era with raw emotional resonance and crisp combat, his prose building towards an explosive finale that will keep that action fanatic in you satisfied as much as the general reading spirit searching for an overwhelmingly satisfying read.

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A New Game By A.M. Adair

A New Game is a bloody-knuckled relentless action-heavy thriller that is easily the best and darkest Elle Anderson adventure yet. It’s vicious, emotionally-charged, and determined in its mission to grip you with its icy tendrils to hold you steadfast as you follow Elle and her team down a darker path than you could have anticipated.

After the events of Shadow War, we were relieved to know Elle survived the worst that was thrown at her. Little did we know all that she faced in the explosive finale damaged her big time. Now she runs and guns around under the veil of having died, taking assassination contracts to exact her own brand of justice. Undeterred by her vengeful spree, her team continues to search for her. It’s only when they catch up to her when they realize their Elle is a ticking time bomb and as she undertakes an undercover mission unofficially sanctioned by her boss, it may be sending her down a path that will destroy both her and her team.

A.M. Adair takes a meaningful approach to the evolution of her protagonist, validating her trauma with a darkness that reeks of unhinged rage and terror. Where Elle Anderson could easily have been a superhero-like assassin, Adair takes great pains to root Elle in the harsh reality of what happens when one looks into the abyss too long. This makes for a powerful narrative that doesn’t shy away from putting its characters into a truly uncomfortable arena and it’s one of the essential elements that make make A New Game my favorite book in the series so far.

It would not be fair if I didn’t praise the brutal action sequences in copious amounts throughout the narrative which go a long way in keeping all the cylinders firing. Elle is a one-woman army and she continues to get more and more badass and I dare say scary when she makes quick and frightening work of her enemies. From handling firearms to bashing enemies in close quarters, Elle’s combat techniques and skillset carry a genuine weight of authenticity.

A New Game is a fantastic shoot-em-up thriller that makes you excited for tons of gritty action to follow as Elle continues her vengeful rampage but also gives you pause with the emphasis Adair places on the price of violence and betrayals that come with living a life of shadows. Beware, the cliffhanger will make it super hard to await the sequel but I can tell it’ll be worth it based on everything Adair has set up.

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Baltic Black Ops By Stephen Leather

I don’t know how he does it, but Stephen Leather always finds a way to add a new flavor to his thrillers. I thought I’d seen it all but then he comes up with Baltic Black Ops, a thriller that’s laced with all the horrors of war yet you can’t keep your eyes away because of the swift justice the good guys deliver that make you wish for more heroes like the merry-band team of Spider Shepherd and his warriors.

As Russian forces employ all sorts of dirty tricks in Lithuania and Kaliningrad, pillaging violently for access to the “Baltic gold”, MI6 decide to retaliate via a crack SAS team led by Dan ‘Spider’ Shepherd, with the sole mission to create chaos in the Baltic region through sabotage, assassination and black ops. As the team lands behind enemy lines, they’ll have to put all their years of experience and guerrilla warfare tactics towards systematically breaking down Russian incursion and operations before they reach fruition. Not everyone’s going to come out of this mission the same way they went in.

Stephen Leather brings to life the horrors of asymmetrical warfare and the dangers men and women face in the line of fire in this age of unregulated violence. Not only do you feel a knot in your stomach from the unflinching depiction of such horrors but you are compelled to see Dan Shepherd and his team take the fight to corrupt and truly evil beings willing to commit heinous acts for selfish gains.

Leather doesn’t just present the grounds for a morally-just mission, but also gives detailed insights into the technical aspects regarding the asymmetrical warfare Spider wages with his team on the Russians, explaining to the heart’s content of each thriller enthusiast the different battleground considerations, weaponry, and choke points of how to best attack an opponent that has outmanned and outgunned you. It’s best looked at as a playbook of outwitting the enemy in their own backyard.

Do yourself a huge favor and don’t miss out on this fast-paced, highly-addictive, and action-packed military thriller written with an elegance and straightforwardness that Leather embodies with a classy demeanor.

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The Secret By Lee Child And Andrew Child

The Secret takes readers back into the nostalgic blast of the 90’s as we meet Jack Reacher this time as a newly demoted Captain. He may be younger than we’re accustomed to reading him, but Lee and Andrew Child ensure he’s still kicking ass in sheer badass form and racking his inquisitive mind to uncover a dark secret.

After a handful of American citizens, inexplicably connected to a secret, start dying, the secretary of defense decides to form an interagency task force to uncover those responsible. Jack Reacher is one of the chosen few picked. While the task force is created with a bureaucratic approach towards casting scapegoats in case of a possible disaster, Reacher doesn’t stand for it. He’ll do what needs to be done, nothing more, nothing less. Maybe something more in the name of justice. He just doesn’t like sinister secrets.

I finished The Secret in a matter of a few hours and I thoroughly enjoyed every single page. It felt like a great blend of old-school pulpy thrillers crossed with modern twists and swifter pacing. Even with the narrative focusing back and forth between the antagonists and Reacher along with some other characters, the narrative never gets bogged down in unneeded drama. Reacher is better than ever as he takes down mean guys and bullies with almost effortless attack and defensive moves. Keeping his strengths in mind, the authors present a morally ambiguous conflict for him to process through, which balances out the action marvelously. It has the right tone and number of twists and turns to keep you engaged and motivated to uncover the secret at the end. It’s not that you won’t have a clear picture of the twists but you won’t expect them to go down the way you imagine. That’s the brilliance of The Secret.

You can’t go wrong with The Secret. Whether you’re looking for brutal action, suspense, twisty thrillers, or all of the above, you’re in luck!

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On The Run By Max Luther

Max Luther is a booming new voice in the thrillerverse with a killer action-packed can’t-miss narrative that cements him as an author you can’t miss.

On The Run takes private bodyguard Alex Drayce US where he’s guarding a wealthy businessman living under an active threat. After the job winds down following a spectacular action sequence, Drayce is asked by a teammate to help a father search for his lost daughter in Las Vegas. Keen to avoid the inquiries following the shootout, he takes the job with the silver lining of easy money. However, the moment he thinks his task is finished, a trap is sprung on him and he finds himself on the run hunted by authorities and powerful gang members. But what they don’t know is Drayce isn’t a newbie. He knows how to get answers and he won’t stop at any cost to exact justice. 

I loved On the Run immensely. It promises a sharp, entertaining, and an engaging narrative where the protagonist isn’t an all-knowing indestructible character. Alex Drayce deals with the ugliness in the world but still manages to hold onto some sliver of hope. When that’s attacked, his guilt and hesitation lead him down a dangerous path of violence and retribution. For nothing can undo his mistake but he can surely avenge. The story picks up heat as he not only evades the cartel but also a tenacious cop, DI Naomi Ocean, finding himself in precarious situations navigating the shadowy world of crime and corruption. Luckily for us, most of his predicaments require him to beat up and shoot bad guys in badass action sequences. The action is furious with copious amounts of shootouts and chases. Luther writes each sequence with high kinetic energy that slingshots the narrative even farther from the opening salvo of intrigue and trouble.

On the Run is a propulsive action-packed thriller that includes one twist after another with a good ol’ badass protagonist who goes to extreme lengths to seek justice for those who have been wronged. Alex Drayce is not a man to be trifled with and by the end of this book, you’re going to be trembling with anticipation of what’s to come.

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The Christmas Appeal By Janice Hallett

Christmas is around the corner, and one can’t deny it has a certain appeal. Janice Hallett captures the wintry vibe of Christmas in a small tight knit community with a little bit of twist to it; there’s a murder and one of the seemingly do-gooders is responsible.

Janice Hallett’s medium of conveying the narrative is a fun and engaging mechanism; all of it told through text messages, emails, and interview-styled discourses. While I had my reservations at first about how such a style could retain attention and keep readers hooked, I needn’t have worried. In fact, Hallett’s distinctive style makes for a much more engrossing storytelling experience as readers are encouraged to peek behind the curtains of words and feel, putting on their own detective hats to figure out the case along with the investigators in the story itself.

I wouldn’t want to give away more, for it is best to go into the book without knowing much about it. What I will say is that prepare to be delightfully surprised and shocked as the story goes from slow-burn to hot-seat in a matter of a few pages and that change is quite mesmerizing. Read the first 30 pages and you’ll know what I mean.

The Christmas Appeal is an invigorating and comforting crime thriller, an adjective I wouldn’t have thought would go with this genre but strangely enough, Hallett finds a way to fuse the light-hearted holiday spirit with a plausibly dangerous narrative. You’ll be wanting to solve more cases by the time you’ve hit the last page.

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Blood Lines By Nelson DeMille & Alex DeMille

Nelson DeMille and Alex DeMille are a force to be reckoned with as they author a narrative that’s both highly intriguing and disturbing. If you’re looking to get lost in the dark world of criminal investigation that’s entwined with exciting twists at every major turn, Blood Lines is for you.

Army Criminal Investigation Agents Scott Brodie and Maggie Taylor are brought together once again after their last traumatic adventure, this time when one of their very own is found murdered in Berlin. Initially suspected of as an act of terrorism, the investigation quickly delves into shadier corners, forcing Brodie and Taylor to not only navigate the turbulent waters of German politics but also the dark legacy of the Cold War and the Stasi secret police, all connected to a rising neo-Nazi movement. There’s a lot to unpack for the duo, and they do unravel the mystery in kickass fashion.

Nelson and Alex DeMille create a tense environment pulsing with palpable excitement and terror as Brodie and Taylor work through the investigation. The diplomatic aspect of the narrative puts an interesting spin as the investigators must work their way through grim and potentially violent situations unarmed except for their wits and courage. The cerebral focus keeps the cogs spinning on high gear as the DeMille duo imbue a strong sense of believability through vivid descriptions of situations, environments, and characters that form the complete package.

That’s not to say there isn’t a satisfyingly gruesome showdown at the end. All the lack of weaponry in most of the narrative is offset very well by an action-packed finale that packs heart with gunshots and shocking reveals that are no less impactful than bullets.

Blood Lines is a superb thriller that stands just as well on its own as it does as a sequel. Even unfamiliar readers will get a huge kick out of this time-crunching mystery thriller that puts you in the shoes of badass Army Criminal Investigation agents who, through some relentless and unorthodox legwork, break open a case that you as a reader wouldn’t see coming from a mile away.

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The Defector By Chris Hadfield

Chris Hadfield’s The Defector is a terrific blend of high-speed dogfights, cutthroat espionage, and historical insights into an era that fans of Top Gun will appreciate tremendously. You’ll feel the high-G turns in this thriller as deeply as you’ll feel that gnawing feeling in your stomach when you realize this feels too authentic to be just fiction.

When a state-of-the-art Soviet MiG Foxbat" MiG-25 with superior speed and altitude capabilities makes an emergency landing in Israel at the height of the Yom Kippur War, NASA Flight Controller and former US test pilot Kaz Zemeckis finds himself in a high stakes game of espionage when the Russian pilot wishes to defect to America. Under the guise of communicating details about his training and fighter jet to the Israelis and Americans, he’s planning to enact a sinister mission and it’s one that Kaz must sniff out before the plan comes to fruition.

Hadfield delightfully sets up a slow-burn narrative that takes its sweet time getting to the climax but it never feels like a drag. The story is driven forward through multiple POVs to emphasize a realistic vision of espionage on such a grand scale while seeming so innocuous. The gentle pacing in the middle evokes a sense of uneasiness as to what troubles the final act would bring, and rest assured the final act is an explosive resolution with a beautifully and deeply captivating and satisfying dogfight in high-speed fighter jets. Even with the glimpse of Hadfield’s superior depiction of aerial combat in the superb opening of the book, the finale just took my breath away just like watching a showdown out of Top Gun.

Packed with historical references that further bolster the plausibility of all events that take place in this thriller, The Defector is an intriguing story that reads more like non-fiction in an uber-grounded tone that resonates with reality as we’ve come to read about it.

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Ransomed Daughter By Eric Bishop

Fresh off his debut hit, The Body Man, Eric Bishop takes readers on a fast-paced journey featuring Captain Troy Evans, a kickass operative and team leader who’s tasked with leading an operation to rescue an American woman from captivity.

When an influential businessman reaches out to the Omega Group to help secure his daughter, Troy Evans must navigate the demands of the kidnappers by playing with his gloves off. When Troy gets a whiff of something off about his mission, his gut instinct will lead him to a disturbing truth that changes the entire nature of the mission.

Even in a novella, Bishop skillfully cements a solid foundation for the Omega Group and their leader, almost as if we’re reconnecting with lost friends rather than meeting them for the first time. With a bit of witty banter and character background conveyed through naturally flowing dialogue, the narrative quickly picks up steam for gritty and tactical action sequences that are backed by genuinely gut-wrenching emotions all packed in a taut and crisp story that doesn’t leave any room for wandering. It’s a stone-cold thriller with intriguing new characters and an enticingly dangerous vibe that you can’t get enough of. There’s a whole world to be explored with the Omega Group and Ransomed Daughter is a brilliant entry point into this exciting new series.

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The Last Guardian By Simon Gervais

Simon Gervais doubles down on breathtaking action and misdirection as he takes Clayton White on a mission like nothing before, battling Chinese Red Dragon Triad in cahoots with Mexican drug dealers for a nefarious end goal.

Even though President Alexander Hammond and Clayton White have been on rocky waters, tethered begrudgingly by White’s fiancée who happens to be the President’s daughter, there’s no one Hammond trusts more to uncover a startling conspiracy behind the fentanyl epidemic than Clayton White, especially when the conspiracy involves assassinating the FBI Director. White must put aside his reservations for Hammond and his own future as a soon-to-be-father and dive into a risky mission where the scope is unrivaled to any of his prior escapades.

Gervais breathes new life into the series with a change of storytelling, pulling in international politics on a grander scale and infusing it with timely domestic issues that elicit a darker side to Clayton White than what we’ve read prior. Not only must he grapple with his inner demons, he must also contend with the change of circumstances as a future father and husband. Gervais utilizes this dilemma marvelously as he prods inside White’s psyche to paint a stronger yet vulnerable persona, making him an even more remarkable and relatable protagonist.

The Last Guardian has no shortage of head-popping action and it’s rife with gritty moments that give pause to readers in the middle of the explosive fast-paced narrative. Simon Gervais just doesn’t miss.

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Artificial Wisdom By Thomas R. Weaver

Artificial Wisdom is a jaw-dropping debut that feels like a blaring wake-up call for the audience to appreciate the potential dire consequences of climate change and Artificial Intelligence. At first both subject matters seem to have their own gravitas but it’s the brilliance with which Thomas R. Weaver has connected the two trending topics to create a narrative that may seem to be some decades into the future but whose seeds are very well planted as you read this review. Throw in a murder mystery in the mix and you get a mind-boggling thriller that leaves you unsettled.

Journalist Marcus Tully is out to expose the truth wherever it may be. When a whistleblower reveals a sinister reason for the devastating heatwave that kills millions across the Persian Gulf, including Marcus’s wife, Tully goes digging for what really happened. When the investigation points at the heatwave having been geo-engineered by the then-President of United States who’s now running for the dictator of nation states to solve the climate issue, the stakes have never been direr. But it gets more complicated when the President’s opponent is the world’s first AI politician with skeletons of its own tied to the investigation.

I am pleasantly surprised by Weaver’s ability for speculative fiction. It’s no doubt an ingenious and constantly twisting thriller with machine-gun pacing that doesn’t need explosions or shootouts to keep you gripped but rather the turn of events that make it feel like every other chapter ends on a revelation that keeps you in the spiral of “just one more chapter before I put the book down.” Before you know it, you’re halfway done with the book.

Yet it’s more than a thriller. It’s a highly plausible future given the headlines of the world today. From people dying of intense heat waves to humanity’s propensity for meddling with dangerous technology without fully plotting out the consequences, Weaver capitalizes on each element to the fullest. It mesmerized me the same way 2001: A Space Odyssey did when I first read it, thinking of how fascinated the readers must have been to imagine the near future as Arthur C. Clarke and Stanley Kubrick presented. Thinking of the future as Weaver writes it fills me with awe as much as dread.

Artificial Wisdom is a must-read that transcends the barriers of genres to relate to different readers whatever their preference may be. It’s a thriller with a philosophical conundrum. The ending isn’t what one would expect and I sincerely hope we get a follow-up because the cliffhanger is too exciting to not be explored further.

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The Night House By Jo Nesbo

The Night House is one of the most mind-boggling, hair-raising, scintillating horror-thrillers and Jo Nesbo perfectly obscures the big twists that completely flip the narrative on its head for a finale that will shock you just as intensely as 10 electric prods, but in a much more pleasant manner.

Fourteen-year-old Richard Elauved lives with his aunt and uncle in the remote, insular town of Ballantyne after the tragic and mysterious death of his parents. A troublemaker, he finds it hard to get along with others. His predicaments take a turn for the worse when he swears he saw a boy get sucked into a phone receiver in a booth out by the edge of the woods. With no one to believe him, the suspicion falls solely on the troublemaker but he knows there’s evil at play that he can’t explain in conventional terms and he must dig deep into the town’s history. A quick thing to keep in mind, Richard may not be the most reliable narrator of his own story.

Jo Nesbo masterfully creates a disturbing environment where readers feel a palpable anxiety in their bones as Richard explores some dark and mysterious happenings buried under secrets and explanations that feel just a bit off as they do to Richard. In that regard, Richard and readers are together exploring the mystique that surely feels supernatural but yet there’s something even more sinister afoot that rears its ugly head in without fully revealing itself. It’s this aspect that’s perhaps the most horrifying once you become so emotionally invested in the narrative. The payoff is immensely satisfying because it’s only at the end you understand just how everything clicked and you’re left shook and trembling with chills.

It deviates from typical Jo Nesbo thrillers, at first, but hang in there for a truly memorable read that’s nothing like what you’d expect even half way in. Jo Nesbo is a master of misdirection and no matter what genre you’re attuned to the most, The Night House will find you and claim you.

Follow Kashif on Twitter or contact him via the site.

Purchase The Night House
(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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