An Even Chance Of Violence By Jethro Wegener

Jethro Wegener brings back 70’s pulpy action-packed fiestas in retro awesomeness with An Even Chance of Violence.

Hard-Hitting Straight-Talking Duke Gibbs can’t stand bullies. So naturally when he sees some picking on someone, Gibbs dispenses justice with a hard iron fist. That’s when he gets caught up in a cycle of violence aimed at a small community deemed hippie by the unruly racist folks occupying the nearby area. With disappearances racking up and innocent people getting murdered, Gibbs steps in because no one else will.

Wegener veers deep into the mystery and intrigue with this latest thriller, taking readers on a suspense-filled adventure through a historical and dark time in US history. That’s where Duke Gibbs shines more than ever in this environment as he grapples with his propensity for violence while understanding the need to balance out the scales of justice with an even chance of violence (wink-wink). Adding to the suspense-heavy narrative of Gibbs trying to figure out what the fuss is all about are some killer action sequences, particularly one where Gibbs wreaks havoc on the bad guys with his Colt Python and a classic M-14. The gritty and cinematic action sequences alone are worth the cost of admission. 

With such a larger than life protagonist, it’s easy to lose track of what makes such a character tick. However, Wegener maintains a laser-focus on further fleshing out Duke Gibbs as a resonating and engaging hero, despite his almost invincibility, and he does this by showing readers what makes Duke the man he is, through trials of kindness, compassion, and a thirst for justice when all seems to be hopeless.

An Even Chance of Violence is a fast-hitting thriller that pumps you full of adrenaline and excitement with its cool action and sublime storytelling.

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The Twilight Town By Terrence McCauley

Terrence McCauley writes a lean and compelling thriller taken straight from the history books but made so much more alive and tangible. You’ll be bound to look at certain events very differently after reading The Twilight Town.

It’s 1963 in Dallas and Dan Wilson, a Dallas PD Detective, is working undercover with the FBI to uncover a dirty captain in cahoots with the Dallas mob. With growing evidence of corruption that spans the biggest names in history, Dan must navigate a labyrinth of danger and misdirection before he himself becomes a target.

What stands out most in McCauley’s stellar writing is how real The Twilight Town feels. It becomes less like reading a story and more like reliving events of the past that were so beyond our initial comprehension. The lifelike and engaging characters each have their moment in the spotlight that make for a devastating spiral into destitute, or a motivational rise from the bottom. At its heart, The Twilight Town is a crime thriller that is filled to the brim with twists and turns that guarantee a riveting read.

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Supreme Justice By Eric Bishop

Supreme Justice is an enthralling ride through unbridled violence and high-tier suspense that’ll have you finishing this book in a single sitting.

Merci de Atta makes her triumphant return as a highly skilled and unrelenting assassin. Her latest contract puts her right in the crosshairs of a conspiracy involving the possible blackmail of a Supreme Court Associate Justice whose vote on a landmark case would have rippling consequences for all powers. At the same time, Nick Jordan, the current Body Man serving the office of the US President, contends with a haunting discovery of a list of names tied to a powerful secret. As both parties work to solve their crises, they’re bound to cross paths once again, in very unexpected ways.

Eric Bishop rages forward with timely stories, impressive characters, and a pacing that makes it almost impossible to find a good point in the narrative to take a breather. The story advances at lightning speed with gritty action and taut plot twists and turns that feel right at home in this political and espionage thriller. Bishop continues to outshine himself with each book and this one is by far my favorite one in his series. Merci de Atta is easily one of the most distinguished and intriguing assassins I’ve read in recent literature. The balance between her vulnerability in solvent moments and her icy-demeanor in the face of trauma and danger make for a compelling combo to dive into. She stole the spotlight in this one and rightfully so.

Eric Bishop cooks with his signature recipe of unyielding thrills in Supreme Justice. Be warned, the ending will make the wait quite unbearable until Bishop comes up with the next book. 

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Ghost Cell By Zac Topping

Ghost Cell is an action spectacle that throttles ahead with cinematic sequences of sheer mayhem and beautifully grim neo-noir setting of a maybe not so distant future. 

Ander Rade is a super soldier on the run from his previous employers after a rogue operation. He’s slumming it with the Russian Mafia when he gets roped back into the field by an old friend to go undercover with a new outfit that’s sprung up, calling itself Ghost Cell. It’s composed of rogue individuals like Rade, making him the perfect operative to slip in and find out what the cell’s enigmatic leader is up to. Further propelled by the fact that one of Rade’s former comrades is part of the Cell, he sets off on a mission to right some wrongs. Not only must he stay safe from dangerous operatives but he must also outwit a grand scheme of politics and genetic manipulation to uncover the dangerous secret of the Ghost Cell.

It’s my first time reading Zac Topping’s work but I’m convinced I’ll read whatever he puts out next, because Ghost Cell is my kind of thriller. The scale of the action sequences is insanely impressive. He spares no expense at highlighting Rade’s modified abilities as a killer with well-crafted and high adrenaline skirmishes that will have you at the edge of your seat with grand shootouts and brutal close quarters combat. The action works in tandem with stellar characterization of Ander Rade as a protagonist you easily gel with. Even if you haven’t read the first book, you’re able to get a great feel for Rade as a man with a haunted past who wishes nothing more than to reconnect with his people. It’s this simple yet powerful desire that forms the crux of his character arc.

Come for the futuristic action, stay for the wild and addictive ride through awesome twists and thrilling escapades of enhanced human beings and cutthroat politics. Ghost Cell is an incredibly fun and exciting thriller that gives you all that you want to read in a fast-paced twister of a read.

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The Blue Horse By Bruce Borgos

The Blue Horse is Bruce Borgos’s hat trick in the Porter Beck thrillers. He continues to evolve not just the characters but the writing in general to a cohesive and dynamic third installment that feels like the best one of them all.

Porter Beck has his work cut out for him when he witnesses a helicopter crash into the mountains. The situation worsens when the cause is a bullet found lodged in the pilot. Then comes the gnawing politics and scrupulous double crosses, but more than that, it’s a threat that hits close to home for Beck in ways he could never anticipate.

Bruce Borgos takes the best of both slow-burn and fast-paced thrillers and finds the sweet spot in between where investigative thrillers thrive. He starts the narrative on a slope, rounds off as the story gets fleshed out with more clues and twists and keeps a steady pace to ensure readers have ample time to both appreciate and prepare themselves for the discoveries, and then picks up the momentum again at the end for a highly satisfying conclusion. Throughout this all, he never leaves a moment to fall off course; every page feels vital to the narrative and every character plays an interesting role to advance the story with surprise revelations that catch you off-guard.

The Blue Horse is an excellent thriller that hits all the right notes for the most avid thriller aficionados and then some. If you like your modern stories with a touch of western and a lot of thrills, The Blue Horse is a must-read.

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The Elias Enigma By Simon Gervais

Simon Gervais dials up the high-octane adrenaline rush in The Elias Enigma that reads at the breakneck pace of a tomahawk missile.

Caspian Anderson, the venerable assassin codenamed Elias, is coming to grips with the realization that he was used as a pawn in a nefarious game of deception where his handler was effectively using Caspian on unjustified hits. On a personal mission to tie up loose ends, he catches a glimpse of his partner, Liesel Bergmann, where she shouldn’t have been. Before he can find a good answer to his gnawing suspicion, he finds himself facing another global conspiracy, one that involves his own parents. With little time and heavy consequences, it’s showtime for Caspian to put his skills as Elias to lethal use once again.

Simon Gervais hits all the correct notes in the symphony of fast-paced action and a scintillating story that evolves superbly with each chapter. The action sequences are ripe for a big screen adaptation, catering to that sweet blend of cinematic visuals and tactical gravitas to get your hearts racing. It’s all the more better because the action compliments the high-thrills story with an emotional drive for the protagonists and an international presence with descriptions that’ll make you forget you’re reading and not actually experiencing the high-stakes thrills and twists of the conspiracy. 

It’s evident that Caspian Anderson is here to stay as a remarkable protagonist who isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty. Be careful you don’t sit too close to the edge of your seat because The Elias Enigma brings you to the precipice with its non-stop excellence and high quality storytelling where you’re pressed to keep flipping the pages to uncover one suspenseful plot after another.

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Welcome To Cottonmouth By Jay S. Bell

Welcome to Cottonmouth is the kind of thriller you dive into when you’re looking for a killer weekend read: something hardcore and enthralling with an old-school approach to kick-assery.

Welcome to Cottonmouth, a secluded town in Texas. The folks here may seem harmless on the surface, but if you look at their redacted and classified rap sheet, you’ll find they’re no strangers to the world of espionage and violence. In fact, they are retired agents relocated for their own safety under the watchful eyes of the US government. This group is led by Devlin Mahoney, a man with his fair share of secrets. When he runs across two women running from dangerous criminals, Devin must choose between securing his team and saving the women from a very unfortunate fate.

Jay S Bell packs a lot of firepower centered around an impressive emotional core that adds gravitas to the fun thriller. There’s darkness to the core as well as a sense of urgency and intensity that make for a page-turning read. Devlin and his team are a delight to root for, flawed in their ways but nevertheless inspiring and determined to fight for justice. The small-town setting works great to help readers get familiar with the characters in a close-proximity setting before taking the finale to grander locales. 

I found myself easily hooked in and catapulted into the fray with the characters, feeling the adrenaline coursing in me during the gritty and intense action sequences that align with the realistic setting and fast-paced storytelling. The dynamic between the characters is fun and compelling, with intrigue and tension that infuse the story with great momentum.

This seems like a promising start of a new series and I am so excited to get onboard at the very beginning of the ride. Welcome To Cottonmouth is a thriller’s thriller.

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Edge Of Honor By Brad Thor

Brad Thor kicks up the perfect storm with his nail-bitingly intense new thriller that jolts you stronger than a double shot of caffeine. 

When Harvath comes back to the US after a blissful few months of honeymoon with his wife, he expects to leave his old life behind. But trouble has a way of finding him. Caught straight in the crosshairs of growing dissent among the public and the newest administration, Harvath must quickly navigate the quagmire of turning loyalties and dangerous threats to the country that are more internal than external. With the clock ticking, Harvath must fight his way to the truth.

Thor leaves no stone unturned in his mission to entertain readers as the intensity skyrockets from 0 to a 100 within just the first few pages. The action flows smooth like a hot knife through butter, both tactical and cinematic in its execution as Thor nails the chaotic but controlled energy of the action sequences. The action neatly compliments the crisp and fast-paced storytelling as Harvath unravels a conspiracy-laden thread of political maneuvering and violations, the likes of which beckon that we have people like Harvath at the frontlines of fighting for justice and truth. Like a heat-seeking missile, the narrative doesn’t lose momentum in its build-up towards a wild and unpredictable finale.

Edge of Honor stands tall in the sea of thrillers as a worthy addition to the Scot Harvath saga and keeps you coming back for more.

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The Medusa Protocol By Rob Hart

Rob Hart dishes out another great round of kickass philosophical conundrums in the form of an action-packed high octane thriller that not only lives up to its predecessor but exceeds it in a lot of ways. 

The Medusa Protocol sees Astrid (formerly known as the assassin called Azrael) caught up in a mysterious experiment where the group that took her begins to unravel her carefully hidden past. At the same time, her sponsor for Assassins Anonymous, Mark, worries for her abrupt disappearance. The clock’s ticking for Astrid, Mark, and his group of former assassins-turned friends to get to the bottom of the mystery while evading trained killers on their trail.

Rob Hart punches straight in the gut with heavy emotions and fast-paced writing that gel together for a riveting experience without compromising the heart of the narrative. How do killers survive in their world of kill or be killed if they shall no longer kill? That’s the question Rob Hart answers once more in The Medusa Protocol with ingenuity and class. Even as a form of entertainment, the question of the value of a human life and what it means to take one is explored with beautiful subtlety and nuance throughout the story. 

If you’re worried that the emphasis on non-lethal combat may dim the action, you needn’t be concerned. Hart finds fun ways to amp up the action and there are some cool hand-to-hand combat sequences that will immensely please readers craving some hardcore action.

The Medusa Protocol is philosophy and fun-filled action and suspense all-in-one packaging meant to deliver the most out of your reading experience. I love that the story stands on its own with fresh ideas and clever execution.

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Dead Reckoning By Rob Sinclair

Rob Sinclair’s Dead Reckoning hit me like a surprise freight train where I went in blind and found myself reading through a riveting crime drama with tactical action and an exciting protagonist.

Simon Peake is looking for a job. Fresh out of prison for dishing out justice in a violent manner, he says he wants a quiet life but falls in with an Irish mobster. It doesn’t help that he’s also attracted to the mobster’s niece but he makes it work. It’s only when his past catches up to him that he must find a way to protect those he loves before he finds himself in a precarious situation as a prey of those who have a vendetta against him.

Sinclair writes an all-engrossing story that captures the high tactical features of a military/espionage action read and infuses them with the gritty crime drama spectacle that I found very compelling, especially as a fan of Don Winslow’s work. This all rides on the perspective of Simon Peake as an underdog hero who tries to live a simple life after a lifetime of violence but just can’t catch a break. His dilemmas are meaningful and handled with messy and frustrating realities of life where the protagonist doesn’t get to play the hero and come out unscathed. 

Dead Reckoning brings you the perfect blend of drama and action with a captivatingly flawed but root-worthy protagonist of whom you’ll want to read more, as soon as possible.

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Blunt Force By Aiden Bailey

Blunt Force is an action-driven narrative that hits hard and fast like its name and dazzles you with cool and creative action sequences that you wish would be adapted for the big screen in the near future.

Aiden Bailey kicks off this new entry with an exciting action sequence much like a Bond movie where Mark Pierce battles a Russian assassin on rooftops and enclosed trenches in a fight to the death. Pierce is then assigned to do a deeper investigation of a leak that has powerful entities on the hunt for the material, killing any and all journalists associated with it. Can Pierce get to the surviving journalists and prevent the material from falling into the wrong hands? 

If nothing else, Bailey’s stories are full of adventure and adrenaline-pumping scenarios fleshed out for an immersive reading experience. Luckily, we’re treated to a lot more than action with stunning locales, high suspense, and intriguing characters, particularly the protagonist who continues to remain a mystery but with some new clues revealed to his enigmatic past. Fans of the series are in for a marvelous treat as Bailey takes the characters on the road across volcanic scenery and urban centers with bursts of energetic action. 

Blunt Force is an action fan’s thriller with just about everything you crave to read when you’re jonesing for an adrenaline rush. 

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Blood Feud By Martin Rooney

Blood Feud is a broiling tale of murderous rampage and unfiltered chaos. It’s these dark qualities that make Martin Rooney’s fiction debut a real killer.

Lee Cain is nobody’s idea of a hero. Abrasive, mean, maybe even a little bigoted, these are not necessarily heroic qualities. But he’s a fighter. Whether it’s cancer, drunks, assassins or a shadowy organization hell-bent on protecting their secrets of immortality, Cain will beat the heck out of anyone in his path. Bring it on for Lee Cain, the man’s a killer.

One of the most mesmerizing qualities of the narrative is its hard-knuckled action. You don’t really feel Cain’s ever in mortal danger, but that doesn’t prevent the amount of thrills delivered per page as Cain takes out his adversaries with brutal efficiency. The fight scenes are meticulously crafted with a punch-by-punch breakdown of each grapple, choke, and lock, powered by Rooney’s own skillset of MMA fighters. 

Lee Cain’s personality is a very bold and intriguing choice by Rooney. It’s not an easy decision to have a lead that doesn’t speak to the best of your qualities, but maybe that’s why the narrative works. The pulpy characterization fits the dark and violent core and works as a cautionary tale of a man subject to abuse and violence as a child who grows up to embody evil and hatred. That much is conveyed hauntingly well by Rooney through troubling flashbacks into Cain’s childhood.  

Blood Feud is just the beginning of what is shaping up to be an enthralling series and I am pumped to see this story fleshed out further with its set of very flawed and human characters and situations.

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The Palace Of Sinners And Saints By Ammar Merchant

The Palace of Sinners and Saints is a brutally fun time for action readers who like their protagonist to be unabashedly awesome and badass. Ammar Merchant shows great talent in crafting powerful and feral action sequences that make a lasting impression, an impressive feat given that it’s his debut.

Irfan Mirza is a freelance operative who lends his violent and aggressive skillset to the cause of helping those in trouble. He was kidnapped as a child and indoctrinated into becoming a fearsome assassin who ultimately broke out of the mold to fight for the right reasons. When a despotic king in a Middle Eastern kingdom, known for suppressing his opponents by making them disappear, sets his sights on a woman, he is not aware that would be his undoing. For that woman is Irfan’s foster sister. Spiraling into a personal rampage, Irfan kicks off a mission to infiltrate a 12th-century Middle Eastern castle turned black-site prison with a small band of specialists. Never count Mirza out, especially as long as he breathes.

Irfan Mirza’s introduction goes down as one of the most smashing and captivating moments I’ve read. Suave and cool yet so feral and wild, it sets the tone for Mirza as a character. Merchant builds up the foundation for Mirza as a force to be reckoned with through showing us these character-making sequences as opposed to simply dropping anecdotes. It goes a long way in establishing this debut protagonist as one of the most compelling characters in the thrillerverse.

Merchant takes the road not taken by setting Irfan Mirza as a man hailing from Pakistan and a practicing Muslim. But these are far from brownie points to write a distinctive character. Ammar Merchant takes full advantage of this cultural shift in the genre to help flesh out Mirza as a complex and layered character who is flawed enough to actually exist yet has admirable qualities and principles from his culture that make him someone to root for, a gentleman in an ungentlemanly time.

There’s plenty of fuel in this action-packed ride with bike chases, hand to hand combat, shootouts, and after all, a full-blown infiltration into a castle with tons of explosions. However, my favorites have to be the bike chase being one heck of an adrenaline rush and all of the close quarters combat sequences where Irfan’s fighting style can only be described as that of a giant who simply tramples his opponents. 

Ammar Merchant made an immediate impression on me with The Palace of Sinners and Saints that not only kept me energized with action but also made me crave to know more about Mirza’s past as well as what he’ll be up to next. This is an exciting thriller that stands on its own unique takes on the fundamentals of the genre and I can’t wait to read what Merchant follows this up with next. 

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Tom Clancy's Line Of Demarcation By M.P. Woodward

M.P. Woodward flexes his prowess at creating kinetic and tense escalations that feel both inspired and fresh. Line of Demarcation is action-packed and engaging to the core.

Jack Ryan Jr. finds himself in Guyana when a US Coast Guard cutter on mission to open a sea lane between an oil field off the coast of South America and the refineries of southern Louisiana is destroyed. While Ryan is working to get a deal going for his company, Hendley Associates, he digs into a plot hatched by Russia’s Wagner Group and Venezuelan narco-terrorists that tie directly into the destruction of the US Coast Guard cutter. With stakes rising and conflicts running rampant, The Campus and its operatives must decode the secrets of the conflict before the United States of America finds itself in another war.

Line of Demarcation is a bona-fide Clancy thriller. Woodward captures the grand scope, the multi-character narrative converging on a single resolution, and the gritty action with what seems to be supreme ease on paper as every page reads so smoothly. There are some interesting throwbacks to classic Clancy moments that will have fans reminiscing about the golden days while appreciating the high standards of the modern continuation of this long running series. 

I love that Woodward tackles a fresh locale for Ryan Jr.’s latest mission, venturing readers into as much of a new environment as he does with his characters in this story. The renewed energy does wonders for the whole narrative as you learn new things while getting thoroughly entertained by the fast-paced taut chain of events that engage all your senses. 

Line of Demarcation is one of the most interesting and exciting Ryan Jr. stories I’ve read in the recent run and I am confident that the series is in safe hands with M.P. Woodward’s stellar direction.

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Tokyo Black By Andrew Warren

Andrew Warren is my go-to author whenever someone asks me to suggest a thriller series where action is cinematic, breathtaking, and plentiful while driving the story. I remember eagerly reading the first paragraph of Tokyo Black without any idea of what I was getting into. I just had a feeling this was going to be something special. Fast-forward to the re-release of his debut, and I stand by my words.

Thomas Caine works in the shadows. As a former CIA asset, he was trained to be unstoppable. When he’s set up by local criminals in Thailand, he has to bargain with the devil, his old spymasters, and undertake a dangerous mission that leads him to Tokyo where he gets on the hunt for a fanatical terrorist cult hellbent on seeing their propaganda flourish.

Andrew Warren consistently captures the cinematic vibe of spy thrillers. His attention to detail with the environment and atmosphere not only adds gravitas to the intense situations but also gives the locations their own genuine personalities as much as the characters in the narrative. This plays out wonderfully as Warren takes readers through the brightly-lit streets of Tokyo through the eyes and ears of Thomas Caine. Couple this with fast-paced crisp action sequences that leave an indelible mark on your memory and elevate the narrative, and you’ve got Tokyo Black. It’s the beginning of one of the best spy action series you’ll read and Thomas Caine will quickly become your go-to CIA operator.

There’s no going wrong with Andrew Warren’s stellar writing and Tokyo Black is definitive proof of this fact. Follow Thomas Caine on a death-defying adventure that neatly balances cinematic action and realistic characters. 

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Shot Clock By Andrew Bourelle

Andrew Bourelle puts the pedal to the metal in this riveting sports-centered action thriller with a suspenseful core and engaging characters. Shot Clock is an interesting read with a cinematic flair.

Caitlin Glass lives a somewhat active life as a cop in her small-town with a husband and kid, reminiscing about her athletic days when she used to live for the hoops. Still bittersweet about the injury that got to her, she reacquaints with a face from her past, now a basketball star, Garrett Streeter. His brother’s been kidnapped and the kidnappers want to control the spread over the games. With time running out, Caitlin steps into the murky underworld of sports to find Garrett’s brother before he slips up in the game of his life.

Andrew Bourelle springs up the narrative with intense bouts of energy, with emotional resonance interspersed in-between the action and suspense to give the story a heart as well as brain. Her motivations feel both inspiring as well as deeply humanly complex that drive the action as much as the criminal investigation. The twists hit you in the face and the non-stop pacing leaves you breathless from the ride. It’s a sight to behold, reading how Bourelle interweaves kinetic scenes of basketball between gritty shootouts and combat, instilling a sense of urgency that does justice to the race-against-time trope. 

Shot Clock is one of the most engaging and fresh crime thrillers you’ll read this year and you’ll be wanting to read more of Bourelle’s stories as soon as you’re done with this one.

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A Thousand Natural Shocks By Omar Hussain

A Thousand Natural Shocks is psychological suspense at its finest, tingling with unsettling paranoia and fear of both the ailments affecting the protagonist, and the protagonist himself.

Omar Hussain weaves a complex and layered story about a news reporter, Dash, who is desperate to forget his past. He finds himself in a cult that promises to help him be reborn without the burdens of his past. As Dash begins to lose parts of his memory, he also starts to lose his grasp on reality, unsure if he’s chased by a serial killer or a face from his past. At the same time, he finds that the cult has its own selfish and immoral reasons for wanting to give people a fresh slate. With time running out, can Dash make sense of all that’s happening to him or will his intense desire to forget his past overpower him into oblivion?

The narrative is chock full of surprises and misdirects that grow so authentically that you’re caught completely off-guard by the gut-punches that make their way off the pages. This thriller is best described as a poignant exploration of trauma and grief in the guise of a character-focused thriller where you are following a very flawed, human, and compelling character on a very personal journey into the depths of hell unlike what you’d expect. There’s subtle social commentary about the world we live in, particularly about the extent we’d go to to not feel pain and hurt and sadness, all wrapped neatly underneath the simmering suspenseful atmosphere of trying to make sense of what’s the real deal with the protagonist. Omar Hussain times his reveals superbly for the maximum payoff and even if you somehow saw them coming, the resonating nature of the twists will still hook you in after the fact.

A Thousand Natural Shocks is a brilliant debut that slowly builds a momentum capitalizing on the emotional pain, paranoia, and unpredictability of the protagonist to engage all your senses as you dive into a dark and disturbing world of darkness where we run away from our emotions instead of facing them. It’ll leave you doing some soul searching. 

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The Ratcatcher Of Berlin By James Stejskal

Journey into the electrifying past of espionage at the height of the Cold War with James Stejskal’s The Ratcatcher of Berlin.

Moscow Rules were something the spies had to accept operating behind enemy lines. But one murder lights the keg for unrest among the intelligence circles in the streets of Berlin. Pursuing the killer, a Special Forces team must take the fight to the enemy while navigating the treacherous path of spycraft. 

Stejskal paints an incredibly vivid portrait of life in the late 50’s in East Berlin. Every shadow, every secret meet, every tread of unknown footsteps, all play out like a memory you’re remembering rather than simply reading about it. The atmosphere is rife with palpable tension and simmering chaos tinged with paranoia and terror. Stejskal focuses heavily on realistic espionage tradecraft and emotional stakes for the characters that elevate the targeted action and high intensity of the plot. 

The Ratcatcher of Berlin is a dark thriller that captures the quintessential vibe of realistic espionage with heroic characters in a race against time. 

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Nightshade By Michael Connelly

Michael Connelly introduces a new hero for our times with a plethora of twists and turns in a riveting narrative. Nightshade is the type of police procedural that embraces the taut pacing that comes with being a bit rogue. 

Detective Stilwell enjoys the low-key post policing rustic Catalina Island after a tumultuous outing in the mainland that drove him out to the relaxing waters. That serenity is broken by the discovery of a dead body weighed down at the bottom of the harbor. This comes in while Stilwell the theft of an artifact from an exclusive club on the island. As Stilwell investigates his original case, it quickly bubbles up to reveal a conspicuous connection to the recently discovered body. Not one to sit on the sidelines, Stilwell launches his investigations on both fronts, following the dangerous threads of the cases to the point of intersection marred by danger.

Connelly aptly builds this narrative as a slow-burn with ample time for readers to get a great feel for Stilwell as a charming protagonist. He’s the right blend of a rule-follower and a rule-breaker for the right and admirable moments that are explored wonderfully in both the small and big moments throughout the narrative. The efficiency of each plotline to advance the story with a simmering pace, woven expertly by Connolly to intersect at the most impactful moments.

A blistering thriller that keeps the police-procedural and suspense genre kicking with gritty twists, exciting sequences, and a kickass new hero, Nightshade is a must-read for all fans of Michael Connelly and those who like to kick back with smart and gritty thrillers. 

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(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

Rogue Frontier By Jason Kasper

Rogue Frontier is the most explosive and action-packed tale by Jason Kasper. There’s so much to unpack in this latest entry in the series but the story never loses its momentum in keeping you hooked in from the opening action sequence. 

Shadow Strike team finds themselves on a simple reconnaissance mission in Pakistan when the stakes rise to the point of an all-out war brewing between Pakistan and India. Having gained knowledge of a plot by a nebulous organization pulling strings from the shadows, the team must uncover the actual threat before the warring nations go past the point of no-return.

Kasper continues to evolve his characters as they take on different challenges in their missions and lives and fleshes out strong and immersive emotional arcs for each of the leading heroes even while they are immersed in pedal-to-the-metal action. There’s so much to say about the hardcore action, tactical to the very core. Whether it’s vehicular combat, overcoming ambushes with pistols, or a full-blown door-kicking battle, you’re guaranteed to read this book in a single sitting.

That’s not to say that Rogue Frontier is only about the action. The unsettling suspense that there’s something more to the story than what’s playing out initially keeps pinging at you until the ending where you connect all the dots for an epic setup for the next book. The stakes are higher than ever as the narrative takes a personal turn for the Shadow Strike team in a way you wouldn’t see coming. I’m terrified for what comes next but equally excited and counting down for the next entry.

Rogue Frontier is the book you want to read when you need to feel the adrenaline coursing through your veins. The action is second to none and the plot continues to twist and turn and pays off handsomely while setting up an even more intense plot for the next entry. 

Follow Kashif on Twitter or contact him via the site.

Purchase Rogue Frontier
(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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