The Elias Enigma By Simon Gervais

Action-packed, suspenseful and anxiety-inducing, The Elias Enigma is a full throttle thrill ride filled to the brim with fisticuffs, shootouts, chases and international intrigue.  Simon Gervais proves once again why he’s one of the best in the genre, delivering a well-crafted cinematic story that will make you hold your breath with every pulse-pounding moment.

After an unsanctioned operation to Kenya to eliminate a personal threat that raised more questions than answers, Caspian Anderson (code name: Elias) is back in action in France surveilling the CEO of an important defense technology start-up.  However, this operation goes sideways as multiple factions with different agendas collide in their operations targeting the same individual.  With no clarity on who’s who in the zoo and an inability to trust anyone, Caspian and his team must work alone to untangle this complex web and stop foreign powers from completing their mission to acquire game-changing technology that would put the US at risk of deadly attack.

The Elias Enigma is just a damn good book that you can’t put down.  It’s got action, it’s got emotion, it’s got conflict, it’s got multiple international players with different agendas, and it’s got heart.  In addition, as the second book in this series, it does a great job of using the plot as a vehicle to add depth and development to the main characters, providing more insight into their motivations, emotional states and capabilities.  Furthermore, Gervais does a brilliant job of taking these extraordinary individuals and making them relatable, forging a connection with the reader that makes them live and die with every action, rooting for our valiant protagonists to win the day. 

In short, this novel is well-written, contains fantastic characters, and is tons of fun to read.  All of which is completely unsurprising for a Simon Gervais thriller.  He always delivers and I can’t wait to see where he takes this series next.

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Edge Of Honor By Brad Thor

Gripping, explosive and adrenaline-fueled, Edge of Honor is a timely thriller with nothing less than the fate of the country hanging in the balance.  Brad Thor’s latest novel ignites your patriotic spirit while delivering hard-hitting action and high-stakes intrigue within a masterfully-written package.

Scot Harvath and his wife Sølvi are back in the United States after traveling abroad for the last 6 months.  On their way to the Norwegian embassy, they witness a violent attack on peaceful protestors outside the Vice-President’s residence and immediately jump into action, neutralizing the threats.  But that’s only the beginning, pulling them both into a deadly conspiracy aiming to permanently damage the country.  With no idea who he can trust, Harvath pulls together a small but mighty team to determine whose behind the violence and to take the fight to their front door.  Hoping like hell he’s not to late to stop the carnage that threatens to send the US into chaos.

Last we saw our hero, Harvath was retiring to enjoy married life with Sølvi.  Leaving readers anxious that we’d seen the last of our beloved character kicking ass and taking names.  However, fear not my friends, because it turns out Brad Thor has crafted a highly engaging story that blends elements of our current political and social climate with a fictitious attack that thrusts Harvath back into the hot seat, slinging lots of lead downrange and taking out a bevy of bad guys involved in a massive conspiracy to reshape America. 

Well, at least let’s hope this story is fiction.  Because let’s be honest, Brad Thor’s track record of predicting future events is cause for concern.  They don’t call him the “King of Faction” for nothing.  So maybe keep your heads on a swivel just in case.  And in the meantime, sit back, relax and enjoy this entertaining novel while relishing the latest display of Harvath’s deadly awesomeness.

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The Medusa Protocol By Rob Hart

Rob Hart has done it again!  The Medusa Protocol is another stunningly unique and bad-ass thriller that combines brutal action and perilous circumstances with heartfelt moments and commitment to self-improvement.  It’s the most fun you can have watching assassins trying to not kill people.

Astrid has missed several Assassins Anonymous meetings and the group is concerned, not knowing if she’s still alive.  When a pizza covered in olives is delivered to their secret location, they know Astrid is still above ground and in need of help.  Then the pizza delivery is immediately followed by a kill team looking to eliminate these dangerous former assassins who have taken the pledge never to kill again.  After finding a way through this dangerous situation, Mark, Booker and the others set out to locate Astrid and enact a rescue plan.  But infiltrating a black site on a remote island covered in poisonous snakes to save a member of their “family” without taking a life will test their skills and their resolve like never before.

Most thrillers put the protagonists in an untenable position surrounded by enemies with blood lust in their eyes, then have the good guys kill everyone as they make their escape or stalk their prey.  But The Medusa Protocol is not like most thrillers.  First, the main characters are former assassins who were addicted to killing and are now trying to reform themselves through putting their lethality behind and making amends to the living relatives of those they dispatched.  With so much blood on their hands, it’s hard to say they’re the “good guys.”  Second, because they’re in recovery they cannot kill again and still maintain their sobriety.  So when Mark, Astrid, Booker and the others are put into incredibly dangerous situations, they must fight their way out by hurting, disabling, neutralizing and maiming, but not killing.  A less than ideal situation that takes a lot of skill and dedication to the program to avoid caving to temptation and relapsing into their murderous ways. 

The result is fantastic action sequences filled with creativity, fisticuffs and thoughtful violence with a purpose that is spawned from a moral clarity of those who are trying to be a little bit better every day.  So when vicious predators interrupt their attempts at salvation and a peaceful existence, they act like the rest of us and just do the best they can with the hand they’re dealt.  It just happens to be that their best is a lot more physically punishing and potentially incapacitating with higher risk of death than what the general population experiences on a daily basis.  But growth is in the learning and attempting to do better, right?  And if a few bodies drop in the process, who’s going to put up a fuss?  I’m certain thriller fans will be quite alright with it.

Two books into this unique series and it’s already one of my favorites in the thriller genre.  And the great news is Rob Hart’s got the chops, storylines and characters to continue entertaining us for many books to come.  I can’t wait to see what’s next!

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King Of Ashes By S.A. Cosby

Dark, deep and devastating, King of Ashes packs an emotional punch by exploring powerful dualities–brutality vs. tenderness, good versus evil, loyalty vs. treachery and virtuousness vs. criminality.  It’s another magnificent thriller with intricate and layered characters emanating from the prolific pen of literary master S.A. Cosby. 

Roman Carruthers returns to his hometown of Jefferson Run, Virginia after learning his father is in a coma.  That’s when he discovers his brother Dante owes a big debt to a vicious local gang and his father’s car accident was a message being sent.  Roman, a smart and talented financial guru with a track record of making his clients lots of money, strikes a deal with the gang leaders to make them more money than his brother owes them.  But these are merciless gangsters who quickly show Roman he is in over his head and one false move will result in the death of everyone he loves.  Using every bit of his intelligence and, along with the help of a ruthless fixer, Roman enacts a plan to turn the tables on these gangsters to get his family out of the crosshairs.  But achieving victory may mean damning his soul to an eternity in hell.

What would you do for your family?  Would you give up your life of luxury and risk everything you’ve worked tirelessly to build in order to save a family member who gets sideways with dangerous people?  Would you adopt an “us or them” mentality, even if it means breaking the law and crossing lines you can never uncross?  These are some of the deep questions at the heart of King of Ashes that propels the story forward towards an explosive conclusion.  Setting Roman on a dark journey that is fueled partially by unconditional loyalty and love, and partly by unyielding guilt and pain.  Descending deep into hell in an attempt to find salvation for his brother and forgiveness for himself.

King of Ashes has everything you would expect from a Cosby novel.  Beautiful prose.  Exceptional storytelling.  Multifaceted, well-developed characters.  Complex relationships.  Savage violence.  Gut wrenching moments of truth.  Conflicting emotions.  And blindsiding twists.  With an ending that will stick in your mind for a long time.  It’s gritty, haunting and outstanding.  A worthy addition to Cosby’s brilliant crime fiction catalog.

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The Palace Of Sinners And Saints By Ammar Merchant

Unapologetically brutal, batshit crazy violence packed into insane action sequences, The Palace of Sinners and Saints goes hard from page one and doesn’t stop until the pile of dead bodies is sky high.  Ammar Merchant has crafted a viciously entertaining thriller with a protagonist who’s a bull in a China shop with only one goal – total destruction of anything in his path.

Irfan Mirza has been trained as a killer since he was a child.  Now a freelance mercenary, he’s travelled to a wealthy Middle Eastern kingdom on a personal mission – find and liberate someone close to him whose been taken captive by an autocratic King who silences his critics without mercy.  Along with a small team, Mirza sets off on a suicidal rescue mission to infiltrate a heavily fortified medieval fortress in the middle of the desert, rescue his target and get the hell out of there with his life.  And if he maims and kills a large number of enemy combatants along the way, even better.

There’s nothing subtle about this story or Irfan Mirza.  It’s in your face, smash mouth, direct action.  No tricks or gimmicks.  The author lays bare exactly what needs to happen and what Mirza is capable of, then then proceeds in a straight line of aggression and ruthlessness towards an outcome that will result in the annihilation of one side or the other.  No compromise, no negotiation, no partial victory.  Either Mirza succeeds or he dies.  And he’s ok with that given he has no fear of death.  Which partially stems from his incredible physical gifts and impressive skillset but also comes from his experience and his faith.

It’s incredible to watch Mirza work.  Fist fights, motorcycle chases, knife work, gun battles, explosions and more fill the pages of The Palace of Sinners and Saints.  And while it delivers exciting, pulse-pounding action from start to finish, it also simmers with emotional depth, humorous moments, and undercurrents of romance that need further exploration.  Which will be exciting to watch develop if/when this turns into a series.  And it should.  Because Mirza is a great character, and Ammar Merchant can really craft a story.  Whatever comes next will be an automatic must read.

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Nightshade By Michael Connelly

Nightshade is a propulsive, engaging and suspenseful thriller by one of the absolute best crime writers in the business.  Michael Connelly delivers yet another winning book featuring a hard-nosed detective involved in solving hard-hitting crimes.

LA County Sheriff's Detective Stilwell runs the station on Catalina Island, a post he’s been exiled to because of past actions and department politics.  Despite the usual lack of excitement that goes with chasing petty crimes, Stilwell is making the best of the situation…until a dead body is found submerged in the harbor.  Combined with an investigation into buffalo mutilation on the island, Stilwell finds himself in the middle of the action once again.  At first partnering with his colleagues on the mainland, then ignoring protocol and investigating on his own, Stilwell is determined to close these cases and bring those responsible to justice.  But what he doesn’t count on is the revelation of the evil that lurks on the island and the personal ramifications his crusade will cost him.

This may be the start of a new series, but it delivers the signature gritty, raw intensity that makes Connelly’s crime novels so compelling.  Stilwell is a strong character with a clear moral compass, an indefatigable work ethic and the tunnel vision required to be a great investigator, even if it puts him at odds with his peers and superiors, and impacts his personal life.  He also likes Jazz music.  Sounds like another beloved Connelly detective, doesn’t it?

By moving the main setting to Catalina, Nightshade provides a distinctive setting, new characters and fresh storylines to pursue that differs from Connelly’s Bosch and Ballard books.  It’s a great move to open this new avenue for Southern California crime exploration.  Something that feels familiar to old fans but also provides an entry point for new readers.  There are numerous possibilities for where this series can go, which should excite crime thriller fans.  And who knows, maybe there’s potential for a Connelly universe crossover in the future. 

Anyone who loves a good crime novel will seriously enjoy Nightshade.  It’s a strong, intriguing, intense thriller that moves with pace and purpose.  And if you happen to be a Connelly fan already, this one is sure to impress.

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Kaua'i Storm By Tori Eldridge

Kaua’i Storm is an intriguing, layered and suspenseful story that educates as much as it thrills.  Tori Eldridge does a masterful job blending historical context and Hawaiian traditions into a traditional mystery that engages the reader’s brain from start to finish.

National Park Ranger Makalani Pahukula is back on Kaua’i after spending the last decade on the mainland.  Back for her grandmother’s birthday celebration, she’s thrust into a search for two of her cousins who have gone missing.  Fearing something nefarious is at play – a feeling that’s only heightened when hunters find a dead body in a forest reserve – she desperately investigates and searches the island she grew up on, bringing up difficult feelings of being disconnected from the land and the struggles of her family.  Undeterred by those who resent her help and the increasingly dangerous weather conditions, she will stop at nothing to solve this mystery and hopefully return her cousins safely to her family.  And in doing so, maybe she will be able to reconnect with her homeland and find a new level of love and peace with her family. 

Kaua’i Storm expertly takes the reader on a journey through the Hawaiian culture and the critical importance of ‘ohana (family) and 'āina (the land).  It’s part history lesson and part love letter to Hawaii that educates the reader and serves the story well, patiently setting the stage for what’s to come in the thrilling conclusion of this book and future installments of this series.  By understanding the lives and struggles of Makalani’s family and others like it, it brings a deeper connection to the characters and elicits stronger emotions as conflict arises and the outcomes remain uncertain. 

Interwoven in the family drama is a suspenseful thriller that showcases Makalani’s impressive skillset as a Ranger.  Her strength, intelligence, resiliency and stubbornness are on full display as she attempts to track down her cousins and spare her family from a potentially heartbreaking situation.  She’s a strong, but flawed and conflicted protagonist with a lot of potential.  Someone whose journey is only beginning and will be fun to watch her development in the future.

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Tom Clancy Line Of Demarcation By M.P. Woodward

Fast-paced and action-packed, Line of Demarcation is a dynamic geopolitical and covert action thriller that blends business and bullets, integrity and deceit, and good versus evil.  M.P. Woodward constructs another engaging and entertaining Tom Clancy novel that keeps readers on the edge of their seat.

Jack Ryan Jr. travels to Guyana to secure a strategic partnership for the “white side” of Hendley Associates following the discovery of a significant offshore oil field.  At the same time, a U.S. Coast Guard cutter is mysteriously destroyed while establishing a vital sea route between the new oil reserves and Gulf Coast refineries.  As Jack Jr. delves deeper, he uncovers a complex web involving Russian mercenaries and Venezuelan narco-terrorists, all intent on destabilizing the region.  Amid shifting alliances and hidden threats, Jack must navigate this treacherous landscape to prevent a potential conflict that could escalate into war.

Line of Demarcation starts as an intriguing real-world business trip before transforming into a kinetic action thriller, with both parts being equally fascinating.  Witnessing Jack Jr. conducting legitimate business and trying to navigate the complexities of another country’s political system – feeling the highs that accompany the expectation of completing a lucrative deal and the lows of disappointment when the deal is on the brink of collapse – is a relatable feeling that reminds us that he’s no superhero.  And then he gets thrust into the action, along with a few friends from the Campus, to save innocent people, expose a conspiracy, extract a friend and colleague from a dangerous situation, and stop a cartel kingpin and foreign operatives from starting a war with the United States.  Which is when the fun really begins with tensions flaring, bullets flying and a day in need of saving.  Throw in a connection to events that occurred in Clear and Present Danger, and this book delivers everything long-term Clancy fans could want in a current-day continuation of this beloved universe.

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Into The Gray Zone By Brad Taylor

Gripping, tense and adrenaline-charged, Into the Gray Zone brings that classic Pike Logan magic to the other side of the world in a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat.  Brad Taylor delivers another compelling and explosive mission in the latest installment of this outstanding series.

Pike Logan and his Taskforce team are providing security for a clandestine meeting between the head of the CIA, members of India’s intelligence agency and an Indian Billionaire, when terrorists attack their location.  After the attack is thwarted, it is shrugged off as a minor incident by the meeting principals, but Pike believes there’s more at play.  Getting authority to check it out, Pike and team become entangled in an international power struggle for political and economic control that crescendos with a race-against-the-clock hostage rescue mission and shootout between multiple factions.  With innocent lives hanging in the balance, Pike will stop at nothing – including releasing the beast within – to ensure mission success and the safety of those he’s committed to rescue.

This is another stellar Pike Logan novel with everything you would expect – kinetic action, dangerous situations, Pike pushing the limits of his Taskforce authority, Knuckles charming the pants off a beautiful woman, and Jennifer being the voice of reason.  It also contains Taskforce team members shedding blood and signs of Pike losing the battle against his inner beast and going apeshit in ways that scare the others.  Combine all of that with an intriguing plot about rare earth metals and geopolitical maneuverings with India and China in the mix, and you get a fast-paced, action-packed, realistic plot that will have you holding your breath and sweating the outcome. 

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Cold Burn by AJ Landau

Provocative, sobering and potentially prescient, Cold Burn is a compelling combination of thrilling action, Native American culture, and climate science.  A.J. Landau (pseudonym for the writing team of Jon Land and Jeff Ayers), delivers a thought-provoking and heart-pounding novel that exercises your mind and your nerves in equal measure.

Theft of Native American artifacts.  Suspicious deaths in the Everglades and Alaska.  The mysterious deaths of a submarine crew.  A billionaire with designs on getting to Mars.  A Russian general with grandiose plans.  It’s all connected, and only National Park Service ISB special agent Michael Walker and FBI special investigator Gina Delgado can put the pieces together and stop catastrophic events that would reshape the world…and possible end life on Earth as we know it.

On its own, the murder and theft investigations and military action storylines would hold their own against any traditional thriller.  However, Cold Burn differentiates itself by interweaving those elements in a bigger story about humanity’s connection to nature and how ambitious pursuits that don’t consider the consequences can kick off an irreversible chain of events that could have dire long-term consequences.  And adding in the juxtaposition of modern military operations and aerospace pursuits versus indigenous worldviews and sacred relationships with the land, result in a book that carves out its own unique, intriguing niche in the genre.

This is the book for readers looking for something more than just a thriller.  It’s pensive, spiritual, scientific and suspenseful.  An exciting and frightening adventure that you’ll hope isn’t a glimpse into our future.

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Fever Beach By Carl Hiaasen

Wild, highly entertaining and immensely gratifying, Fever Beach is American sociological and political satire at its finest.  Carl Hiaasen has crafted a no-holds-barred, over-the-top, laugh out loud story that grips you early and propels you forward at high speeds with an insatiable thirst to see how it all unfolds.

Dale Figgo, a hapless extremist so incompetent he was kicked out of the Proud Boys, whose misguided antics – including defacing the wrong statue during his participation in the January 6th storming of the Capitol – set off a chain of absurd events. His already disastrous life collides with Viva Morales, a resourceful woman recovering from a brutal divorce who reluctantly rents a room from Dale, and Twilly Spree, a millionaire with a short fuse, difficulty letting things go, and a penchant for putting people in their place. As Viva and Twilly unravel a scheme involving dark money, corruption, shady dealmaking, and right-wing extremism, they encounter a bevy of crooked, bumbling and inept people that are out to shape the political landscape in their image.  Can they pull it off?  It’ll take a miracle.

Fever Beach is a character driven story, and whoa boy there are some amazing characters introduced in the pages of this novel.  White supremacists who don’t know their ass from their elbow.  Wealthy eccentric philanthropists with hidden agendas.  A congressman who can’t stop stepping in the shit and who keeps asking daddy to clean up his messes.  A rich man with an anger management problem who easily gets restless and seeks to teach others a lesson.  A woman in the middle of it all who is just trying to put her life back together after her ex-husband ran off with all her money.  And that’s not to mention an underage prostitute, a Jewish hitman, a corrupt local politician, child construction laborers, and a bevy of Floridian racists.  It’s a dash of the good, with a smorgasbord of the bad and the ugly, with most characters not getting the results they desire but receiving the outcome they certainly deserve.  Which makes for a straightforward yet twisting novel that builds anticipation to high levels before delivering a satisfying conclusion that makes the journey through the Floridian underbelly totally and completely worth it.

It’s witty and fun.  A riotous ride through Florida’s uniquely bizarre culture and citizenry that takes deadly serious and polarizing issues and lampoons them in a way that elevates the Florida Man meme to an artform.

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Hidden In Smoke By Lee Goldberg

Gripping and intense, Hidden in Smoke is a combustible story that moves at a scorching pace and will ignite the thrill of the hunt in readers’ minds.  Another fantastic book by Lee Goldberg, one of the most bankable authors in the genre for engaging, fun, smooth novels containing great characters and intriguing plots.  All he does is churn out one great story after another. 

An arsonist is setting fires at apartment buildings across Hollywood.  Then a massive fire shuts down a major Los Angeles freeway.  And just like that, arson investigators Sharpe and Walker are in the middle of the action, charged with finding those responsible.  Could it be the same person causing havoc across the city or is there something more diabolical at play?  Meanwhile, an old acquaintance of the two investigators is back in the fold and doing what he does best.  Namely scheming and thieving.  But this time, it could come back to burn them.

This third installment in the Sharpe and Walker series is as compelling and absorbing as the prior two.  The banter between the two investigators is entertaining, their strengths are perfectly complimentary, and their investigative approaches are vastly different.  But they form a brilliant team that gets the job done, usually with Walker having to make nice for all the people pissed off at Sharpe.  It’s the interplay between the duo that makes this book, and this series, so much fun to read. 

It also helps that the storylines are fire (pun intended) and the books well researched and written.  I mean, it’s not often that someone throws together a serial arsonist, a world class cat burglar, delicious BBQ, big pharma, street artists, and the craziest museum you’ve ever heard about into a single book.  But Goldberg pulls it off, seamlessly weaving it all together – and throwing in a few surprises and fan favorite characters – to construct a story that is equal parts amusing, anxiety-inducing and satisfying.

If you’re not reading Goldberg’s stuff, what are you waiting for?  Get on it.  Because I promise you a good time.  And whatever he writes next, I’ll be first in line to grab a copy.

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Strangers In Time By David Baldacci

Both heart-wrenching and uplifting, Strangers in Time explores the devastating realities of war, the enduring strength of the human spirit, and the unexpected bonds of friendship forged in the most unlikely circumstances.  David Baldacci has crafted a painful, yet beautiful story set in WWII England that will wreck and inspire you in equal measure.

It’s 1944 in England.  Charlie Matters is a fourteen-year-old kid from London’s East End who has no parents, dropped out of school, steals to make ends meet and has no prospects for a better life.  Molly Wakefield is a child of privilege coming up on her 16th birthday, who has just returned to her London home after spending the last 5 years safely tucked away in the countryside, only to find her parents are missing.  Ignatius Oliver is an educated man, the widower owner of a book shop and volunteer air raid warden, helping to keep people safe during German bombing runs over the city.  These three strangers are each dealing with heavy loss in their lives, but when they find each other and form an unexpected friendship, their lives all change for the better.  However, they each have secrets and a past that might catch up to them at any time.  And the only way for them to survive is to trust one another, face some hard truths and take things one day at a time.

This book is an emotional roller coaster, filled with a constant barrage of gut punches that you would expect to knock out these characters.  But they keep getting back up and forging ahead.  Showing how resilient and strong people can be when being strong is their only choice.  And despite the ugliness of the world around them, they refuse to dwell in a state of bitterness and instead choose hope and seek to make new human connections that give their lives meaning.  It’s a beautiful and inspirational thing to witness, especially since it would be easier to yell at the sky about how unfair life is and give up.  But they don’t.  They dust themselves off, acknowledge the pain and then find the best path forward.  Which happens to involve transforming the serendipity of these strangers meeting and turning it into the foundation of a new family.

This is another home run novel by the great David Baldacci.  And I’m loving the direction he has taken his writing.  From last year’s brilliant A Calamity of Souls to this year’s fantastic Strangers in Time, his books are deep diving into history, exploring the human spirit and forcing readers to contemplate the lives we lead.  Entertaining, emotional and thought-provoking stories?  Sign me up every time!

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The Long-Ago Dead By Jason Bovberg

Dark, gritty and filled with a sense of impending doom, The Long-Ago Dead is noir fiction at its fatalistic finest.  Jason Bovberg brilliantly delivers this well-written ruthless narrative straight, no chaser.

Sydney Fleet is good at his job.  Namely making problems – and people – disappear.  But the past he has been trying to outrun for years has reared its ugly head and beckons him for a final, epic, deadly showdown.  Spanning from San Jose to Denver and places in between, Fleet will have to summon superhuman levels of tenacity, fortitude and conviction to protect those closest to him, face his demons head on, eliminate every threat and end this very personal clash on his terms. 

The Long-Ago Dead feels like a cinematic classic shot in black and white – or perhaps more fittingly, like a retro 70s/80s Kodachrome film complete with scratches.  It’s a cold and calculating thriller that contains no wasted movement, just perpetual motion towards an ominous and inevitable conclusion.  Containing wonderfully constructed characters, everyone serving a specific purpose to form the dark tapestry of the overall saga.  And Fleet is the undeniable center of gravity – a complex character who contains multitudes and, despite his sinister profession as an agent for malevolent forces, remains someone to root for.  Which brings emotion to the brutal, no-frills action that professionally yet quite personally spills blood in virtually every chapter. 

This is a book that sticks with you long after completion.  You won’t easily shake The Long-Ago Dead.

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The Maid's Secret By Nita Prose

Captivating, delightful and quirky, The Maid’s Secret is a heartwarming mystery about haves and have nots, love versus responsibility, following your heart, and how it’s never too late to do the right thing.  Nita Prose delivers another immensely satisfying edition to this engaging series.

Molly Gray is very happy.  She’s added the role of special events manager to her duties as head maid at the Regency Grand Hotel, she’s about to marry the love of her life and a hit reality art appraisal TV show is about to film at her hotel.  As part of the show, hotel staff can bring in items for appraisal and Molly is shocked to find out she possesses a long-lost Fabergé egg that’s worth millions.  As the episode airs, she goes viral and is getting more attention than she ever wanted.  And when the auction to sell the egg ends up with the valuable art piece going missing, with clues to this mystery residing in Molly’s late-grandmother’s diary, it turns Molly’s world upside down.  Teaming up with friends and law enforcement, Molly must confront her family’s past to secure her safety in the present and allow her to pursue the loving future she dreams of. 

Molly is undoubtedly the star of the show, her idiosyncratic behavior and goodhearted nature taking center stage.  However, in The Maid’s Secret, it’s her beloved Gran who brings life to this novel.  Yes, there’s a heist that drives the present-day narrative, but the real intriguing aspects of this story are the entries in Gran’s diary that tell her life story and provide the missing context on where Molly comes from.  And it’s a complicated saga filled with situations that will make you cringe and moments that will tug on your emotional heartstrings.  And in the end, it brings clarity and appreciation for how Molly has become the person she is today. 

This is the perfect book to pick up and read while getting cozy in a comfy chair by a fire.  Time flies by as you whip through the pages with an urgent desire to put this puzzle together and see Molly get the happily ever after she so deserves. 

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Gothictown By Emily Carpenter

Gothictown is a novel that starts off hopeful but quickly turns dark, chilling and sinister.  A thriller that charms and captivates before alarming, unnerving and frightening readers.  A well-constructed story hellbent on freaking you the hell out.  Enthralling stuff by Emily Carpenter. 

Billie Hope seizes what seems like the chance of a lifetime: the opportunity to trade her tiny New York City apartment for a sprawling Victorian home in a quaint Georgia town, all for just $100.  The offer comes with a business grant to open her dream restaurant and the promise of a fresh start for her family in the picturesque community of Juliana.  At first, everything appears idyllic as Billie throws herself into her new life.  But beneath the charm and Southern hospitality, something feels unsettling.  As unease creeps in, Billie begins to question the town’s true nature—and whether escaping Juliana will be as easy as arriving.

Gothictown explores the themes of finding purpose in your life, how judgment can be impaired if you’re in a seemingly desperate situation, navigating relationship difficulties, how far you’ll go for your family, the problems with consolidated power wielded by a few people, and that if a deal seems too good to be true than it probably is.  And the exploration of these ideas is superbly done within the context of a thrilling psychological and horrifying tale that slowly builds in intensity, suspiciousness and body count.  But despite the disturbing and creepy vibes that ooze off the pages and make you scream at Billie to get the hell out of there and run like her life depends on it, you keep racing ahead to find out what will happen next.  Because while the plot is chilling, it’s also fascinating and entertaining as hell.  A story that you can try to put down, but it will then beckon you like a ghostly whisper in your dreams.

One last thing.  The next time you come across one of those news stories about small towns around the world offering insane deals on cheap homes or piles of cash to move there, I promise you’ll view them with a completely different mindset after reading Gothictown.  And if you do decide to take them up on that offer, well, do so at your own peril.

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The Other People By C.B. Everett

Frightening, perplexing, gruesome and engrossing, The Other People will challenge your mind with intricate twists and keep you on edge as you unravel the mystery of both the culprit’s identity and the escape from the old, locked mansion.  A devilishly conceived and skillfully executed blend of Agatha Christie and Dennis Lehane by author C.B. Everett.

Ten people find themselves trapped inside a mansion with no way out and no memory of how they arrived.  They’re told that the only way to secure their freedom is to solve the mystery of a missing young woman within 12 hours.  But this house harbors a killer, and one by one they are picked off in brutal yet intimately personal ways.  And the closer they get to the truth, the more danger they find themselves in.  Why are they here, how were they selected and who wants them dead?  That’s only the beginning of the myriads of questions that pop up within this suspenseful thriller.

This book fucks with your head in a big way.  From the jump you’re tasked with figuring out multiple mysteries without sufficient information while hearing the story from multiple points of view, which further muddies the waters.  Then, as the slow drip of reveals are disclosed, you get some answers and even more questions, making you feel like you’re no closer to the truth than before.  But in reality, you are progressing towards an outcome that will both shock you and feel inevitable at the same time. 

This is anything but a cozy murder mystery.  The Other People is a locked room psychological thriller with horror elements infused throughout that will have you muttering to yourself as the bodies drop and the tension ratchets up.  An entertaining and terrifying read that will keep you riveted from start to finish.

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Witness 8 By Steve Cavanagh

An intense psychological legal thriller that keeps you on edge throughout, Witness 8 is a riveting tale of murder, secrets, contract killers, organized crime and deceptive cons.  Steve Cavanagh delivers another smash hit of a story that puts a bright spotlight on Eddie Flynn’s humongous brass balls and sharp legal mind.

Once a privileged member of Manhattan’s elite, Ruby Johnson now cleans the homes and watches the kids of those in her old wealthy neighborhood.  Quiet, observant and smarter than anyone gives her credit for, Ruby is taking notes on her client’s secrets.  And when Ruby witnesses a murder, she decides to exploit this opportunity for her benefit.  This leads to Eddie Flynn, the former con man turned successful defense attorney, taking the case of the man accused of the murder Ruby witnessed.  Meanwhile, Eddie has a contract out on his life for his actions on another case and has to navigate the dark underworld of New York’s organized crime and assassins to stay alive long enough to defend his client in court.  All of which put Eddie’s unorthodox methods and dedicated team on full display to solve the case, get his client acquitted and find a way to get the contract on his head reversed. 

Having an apparently innocent man charged with murder and his lawyer trying to find a way to defend him when the evidence is overwhelmingly stacked against the defense would be enough of a compelling story.  But then add in the lawyer being targeted by a corrupt organization looking for revenge, a young woman adept at deflecting attention from her schemes, a hit man with an interesting moral code, a gangster falling in love with a legal secretary, and several other intriguing characters/storylines, and you have a novel that is incredibly thrilling from start to finish. 

Oh yeah, then this book lands a haymaker of a twist near the end that sends you reeling while also tying up all the loose ends in a neat little bow.  It’s fantastically executed from concept to final product.  A non-stop white-knuckle journey to the truth.  Once again highlighting Steve Cavanagh’s world-class storytelling and character development abilities through the continuation of this tremendously fun and exhilarating series.

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The Summer Guests By Tess Gerritsen

Suspenseful, unpredictable and dynamic, The Summer Guests is the most fun you can have following retirees as they try to solve crimes in a small Maine town.  Tess Gerritsen has delivered another compelling thriller in this charming and promising series.

During a family summer vacation to Purity, Maine, a teenage girl goes missing and local police chief Jo Thibodeau is short on leads and focused on a few possible suspects.  But the Martini Club, a group of friends all retired from the CIA and led by Maggie Bird, join the investigation to help find the girl and prove the innocence of Maggie’s friend.  Forming an uneasy alliance with law enforcement, the gang of retirees seem to be one step ahead of the police, leveraging their years of intelligence experience and intuition to untangle a web of deceit, coverups and unsolved crimes that go back decades.  And in the process, they just might save the life of a young woman and others who dare to expose dark secrets that some people will do anything to keep buried.

The Summer Guests isn’t an overly emotional book in the traditional sense of bringing readers to tears, but it still does a tremendous job eliciting strong feelings.  Anxiety and dread for the girl who has gone missing.  Despair and angst for the mother who’s desperate for the police to find her daughter alive.  Inspired and in awe of the elderly ex-CIA agents who realize their purpose and what keeps them feeling young is to continue deploying their skills to help those around them.  Disgust and anger at the despicable actions of some characters.  Empathy and optimism for the police chief to solve the case and to find balance in her life.  Disturbed and unsettled by a certain familial relationship.  And ultimately satisfied and triumphant upon the conclusion of the story and one budding romance. 

Just two books into this series and it’s become a must read.  It’s engaging, intriguing, twisting, entertaining and contains characters of an advanced age that you don’t normally see in espionage thrillers/murder mysteries.  It’s simply an enjoyable reading experience.

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Where The Bones Lie By Nick Kolakowski

Dark, gritty and raw, Where the Bones Lie is a twisty noir thriller that locks you in its grasp and begs to be read in one sitting.  Nick Kolakowski has delivered a captivating novel that’ll have you surrendering to the emotional stakes of every moment.

Dash Fuller knows Hollywood’s dark side better than anyone, having made his living burying the misdeeds and secrets of LA’s rich and famous elite.  Cynical, broken and trying his hand at standup comedy, Dash is in need of some redemption.  Which he thinks presents itself in the form of Madeline Ironwood, who hires Dash to find out who killed her enigmatic and absent father in San Douglas.  Together, they navigate a dangerous maze of crime, corruption and ruthlessness that unravels a long-term conspiracy that puts their lives in danger and makes them wonder if learning the truth was worth it.

At its core, this book is about wrestling with your demons, letting go of the past and finding your purpose.  The vehicle for those narratives is an investigation that propels forward with a fiery sense of urgency and reveals treacherous situations one after another.  Testing Dash’s resolve and resilience over and over, presenting multiple opportunities to give up and walk away.  Given he’s starting off as a broken man due to his prior occupation, it could be seen as cruel to put him in this pressure cooker.  But by doing so, it provides Dash the opportunity to rise to the occasion, bury the past, make amends and forgive himself.  And it gives readers a reason to root for him to succeed.  Especially given the malevolent forces he’s up against. 

Fans of Lou Berney’s Dark Ride and Jordan Harper’s Everybody Knows will love this book, finding similar themes and dark storylines within Where the Bones Lie.  It’s a fantastic noir thriller that’ll stick with you for a long time.

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Purchase Where The Bones Lie
(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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