Red Tide By M.P. Woodward

Red Tide is an explosive, emotionally powerful, and frighteningly realistic military thriller that should alarm readers with how plausible its events feel.  Blending traditional warfare with innovative technologies, M.P. Woodward delivers an epic saga filled with strategy, combat, covert ops and heroic acts of valor.  It’s phenomenal!

China makes their move on Taiwan to secure the world’s most important semiconductor manufacturing factories and thwart a deal that would have sent the most advanced chips to the United States.  China goes a step further and lays claim to a large portion of the South Pacific, setting up a naval blockade and threatening action against anyone who approach them.  So, when a US Navy submarine pops up in Taiwanese waters, all hell breaks lose and kicks off naval and arial hostilities between the Americans and Chinese.  At the forefront of this conflict is retiring Rear Admiral Will Cole and his family of “fighting Coles” who all have a critical role to play in turning the tide of the war.  Because if they don’t succeed in destroying the Chinese fleet and retaking Taiwan, the world order will be changed forever. 

What makes Red Tide stand out versus other top-notch military thrillers is how multifaceted it is.  At its core this book is about a vicious and bloody war between world superpowers.  But it’s so much more than that.  First, it dives deep into economics by exploring the criticality of the semiconductor industry and the world’s ever-increasing demand for compute power and AI microprocessors, as well as examining how venture capital investments play a crucial role in defense programs and military innovation.  Second, it’s a study on knowing your opponent, avoiding being tethered to old ways of doing things, and how outside the box strategic thinking will keep you from being too predictable while giving you an edge against your adversary.   Third, it shows that everyone, no matter what their station in life, can make a difference and play a big part in achieving something extraordinary.  Whether you’re an admiral, active duty or reserve military, a military spouse, an investor, a private sector employee, a hospitality proprietor or a vacationing pensioner, every single one of us can help change the world if we speak up and act when we see something. 

All these concepts come together to add tremendous depth to a story filled with some of the best war gaming and hostilities you will come across, conducted by a masterfully crafted cast of characters who understand their mission with complete conviction and will not be deterred from victory.  Resulting in action that elicits a strong emotional response while you fervently root for a successful outcome, even while you intellectually understand not everyone will come through unscathed. 

This is THE military thriller of the year and storytelling at its finest.  Absolutely not to be missed by fans of the genre.  A brilliant piece of (hopefully) fiction from M.P. Woodward. 

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The Proving Ground By Michael Connelly

An enthralling and engrossing legal thriller, The Proving Ground puts you in the jury box to adjudicate a tragic murder and the perils of unchecked technology.  Michael Connelly once again delivers a brilliant, emotional and timely story that will make you ponder the ethics and applications of AI as it comes barreling down the tracks with unstoppable momentum.

Mickey Haller moves from criminal to civil law as he files a suit against an artificial intelligence company alleging their negligently trained generative AI product led to a teenage boy murdering his ex-girlfriend.  Joined by his usual team and journalist Jack McEvoy, Haller must dig through an avalanche of discovery documents, uncover key witnesses and convince them to testify, and overcome roadblocks and setback as he battles a powerful entity with everything to lose.  And when it seems it’s all too much to overcome, Haller still has a few tricks up his sleeve from his criminal defense days he hopes will turn the tide.  That is, if those tricks don’t land him in contempt of court first. 

While moving into the civil court arena is something new for the Lincoln Lawyer, Haller’s relentless approach and antics are unchanged and on full display.  However, his mission to hold a tech company accountable and win favorable judgment for his client can be seen as more righteous than defense law.  Allowing readers to unapologetically root for him to stick it to the 800 pound gorilla who’s claiming no wrongdoing in the face of a grieving mother.  So when Haller is playing in the gray areas and stepping over the line, it feels more than ok because the forces of corporate greed are stacked against him and that’s not something most of us can abide.  Because we all love an underdog story.

All told, it’s another virtuoso performance by the Lincoln Lawyer that adds something special to this already brilliant series.  You’ll stand up and cheer for Haller as he maneuvers, cajoles, jumps over roadblocks, dodges haymakers and fights with everything he’s got to win for his client.  Incredibly well done by the great Michael Connelly.   

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The Art Of A Lie By Laura Shepherd-Robinson

The Art of a Lie will keep you on your toes as you navigate the twists and turns of an intricate battle of wits between the sexes.  Larua Shepherd-Robinson’s tale of love, fortune, deceit and regret in 18th-century England is completely engrossing, seductively tantalizing and deliciously scandalous. 

Hannah Cole’s husband has been murdered, and she is struggling to keep her life from falling apart.  Her confectionary shop is barely making money, she’s in debt and unable to access her dead husband’s frozen funds, and the local magistrate considers her a prime suspect in her husband’s murder.  Enter William Devereux, a handsome and suave gentleman claiming to be a friend of Hannah’s late husband.  He steps in to help her with legal and business matters, giving Hannah hope for a prosperous future.  But not all is as it seems with William, and Hannah will have to figure out whether to follow her brain or her heart. With devastating consequences awaiting if she makes the wrong decision, Hannah must act carefully.

Thriller fans, don’t let the prospect of a drama set in 1700’s England keep you from picking up a copy of this book.  It’s charming, fast-paced and fascinating.  A crime novel disguised as a romance story that is more cons and mystery than it is love and lust.  The plot is fantastic, the writing superb and the uncertainty of the final outcome drives everything forward at top speed.  But it’s really about the characters.  Individuals who are so intriguing and engaging that you connect deeply with them and care about their fate, knowing they possess both good and bad intentions and continuously rooting for their better selves to prevail.  Rooting for love and redemption while fearing heartbreak and tragedy. 

The Art of a Lie is a suspenseful emotional rollercoaster that ropes you in and gives you a hell of a ride before leaving you spent in the end.  A tasty tale of love, loss, crime and cons.  It’s fantastic!

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Declared Hostile By Jack Stewart

Gripping, explosive and intricate, Declared Hostile gets your heart pumping with intense action sequences wrapped around a frightening scenario that will give you chills.  Jack Stewart has once again crafted a high-octane story that oozes authenticity in the sky and bleeds intrigue on the ground. 

NCIS Special Agent Emmy “Punky” King is doggedly investigating a conspiracy that possibly links Russian operatives with a curiously obscure corporation and the President of the United States.  Meanwhile, Colt Bancroft and his team are sent into Ukraine on a desperate mission to thwart the Russians from retrieving long lost suitcase nukes and selling them to terrorists.  Despite the distance between them, Punky and Colt’s missions are interconnected, and their success is critical to avoiding a catastrophic event from thrusting the world into disarray. 

Combining covert operations, conspiracies, compromised politicians, Russian aggression in Ukraine, and kinetic action featuring investigators, fighter pilots, and special forces into one exciting narrative results in one hell of a compelling novel.  The stage is patiently set, the characters developed with care, and every detail meticulously placed before a flood of action and anxiety propel the reader forward towards a payoff that’s both satisfying and exceptional.  It’s political/military thriller storytelling at its finest.

Jack Stewart’s fourth Battle Born book delivers the goods with another well-written, entertaining, been-there done-that legitimacy that thriller fans will love.

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Departure 37 By Scott Carson

Departure 37 reads like a spooky episode of The Twilight Zone.  Twisting and turning, exposing the audience to an extremely unsettling and improbable scenario that scares you enough to make you wonder if it’s more feasible than you realize.  Scott Carson has crafted a gripping, mysterious and chilling historical sci-fi novel that will leave you uneasy and reflective.  

Hundreds of commercial pilots receive calls from their mothers, begging them not to fly today.  While that’s concerning on its own, it’s even stranger considering that the mother’s deny making the calls…and some of the mothers are dead.  While the powers that be in the US government search for answers, a teenage girl in Maine finds a balloon at a famous B-52 crash site.  The balloon is carrying a strange note and an old watch that belonged to a brilliant physicist named Martin Hazelton, who worked on top secret projects for the US military over 60 years ago.  Now, everyone involved must play their part to figure out exactly what is going on…and stop a long dead cold war program from starting WWIII.

This story builds suspense and tension by moving between characters and timelines that are more than 6 decades apart.  With this approach, readers get a slow and steady drip of past and present information that converge at precisely the right time to illuminate the full truth and provide an emotional weight to what has transpired.  And while you’re trying to comprehend some crazy concepts you wouldn’t possibly imagine in your wildest dreams, you’re also feeling a strong connection to the tragic nature of almost every character contained within the pages of Departure 37. 

It’s a bit disorienting, but in the way that only good books can achieve by making you think and feel at the same time.  Especially if they leave you with a few questions in the end that keep you awake at night trying to parse out the answers.  And rest assured, Departure 37 will certainly stick with you long after you finish it. 

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Final Strike By Jason Kasper

Final Strike is timely, intense and devastating.  A thriller that makes you hold your breath, fearing the worst from start to finish.  Toying with your emotions through explosive action, high-stakes drama, relentless tension and gut-wrenching results.  Jason Kasper crushes this tenth edition of the Shadow Strike series with a story that will leave you in pieces. 

The CIA is disbanding Project Longwing, but first David Rivers and his team must infiltrate Iran to locate and take out the world’s most wanted terrorist.  The mission goes awry early with catastrophic consequences and requires Rivers and team to adapt on the fly, putting them in mortal danger and pushing them to their limits.  And in the process, they uncover a plot that is larger and more nefarious than their intelligence had suggested.  Requiring them to throw caution to the wind and make a desperate attempt to thwart these evil plans, understanding it likely means not all of them will make it out alive.  But this team has never played it safe and will go to extreme lengths to finish their mission.  No matter the cost. 

The timing for releasing this novel could not be more perfect.  It features several aspects of current events – Iran, terrorism, B-2 bombers and clandestine missions.  And while the storyline is not the exact same thing as what’s happening currently in the Middle East, it makes for a surreal and more vivid reading experience when you compare and contrast it to real life events happening in parallel.

Additionally, with this book potentially being the last in this great series, Kasper holds nothing back.  Testing the team like never before.  Slinging led with desperate abandon, defying orders more than normal and fighting like hell for their brothers.  It’s powerful stuff.  A journey into hell and back.  Certain to leave you shattered in the end.

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The Persian By David McCloskey

Thrillers don’t get timelier than The Persian, an intensely suspenseful high-stakes espionage chess match between the intelligence agencies of Israel and Iran.  David McCloskey delivers a dramatic and surreal reading experience during this movement in history, and it wouldn’t surprise anyone if this story contains more fact than fiction.

Kamran Esfahani, a middling dentist in Stockholm, agrees to work with Israeli intelligence and returns to his home country of Iran, opening a dental clinic while secretly carrying out covert missions for the Mossad.  As his involvement deepens from moving weapons to orchestrating abductions, he walks an increasingly dangerous line.  After orchestrating a complicated recruitment of a woman with a vendetta against Israel, Kam gets exposed during a daring operation and is thrown into a notorious prison under the control of a ruthless figure known only as the General.  Now, after years of torment, Kam is forced to write a final confession.  But he’s still clinging to one buried truth.  One that he is prepared to take to his grave.

The Persian is a masterfully constructed espionage thriller.  The characters are fantastically crafted, the plot patiently developed, the tension consistently building, the little details perfectly placed and the ending befittingly emotional.  Despite the story starting with the knowledge that Kam is in an Iranian prison, there is so much of the story that needs to be revealed.  Taking readers on a journey that starts as a slow burn before accelerating to top speed and exploding with adrenaline-fueled action and emotional fallout.  And just when you think you know how the story ends…bam!  You’re hit upside the head with shocking revelations that leave you reeling.

This is another novel soaked in authenticity and dripping with realism from the pen of David McCloskey.  A fantastic and complex tale of violence, vengeance and the no holds barred world of international espionage.

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Fallen Star By Lee Goldberg

Fallen Star is the most fun you can have while being immersed in a murder investigation.  It’s a deadly serious and dangerous investigation juxtaposed with sarcasm, humor and tasty cuisine.  Lee Goldberg delivers once again, crafting an unputdownable police procedural containing wonderfully constructed characters engaged in deception and political maneuverings within a pulse-racing plot.

LASD homicide detectives Eve Ronin and her partner Duncan “Donuts” Pavone are called to Malibu to investigate a dead body found in a fifty-five-gallon drum on the beach.  They quickly recognize the victim as a key player in an ongoing bribery and corruption scandal involving local politicians and businessmen.  And if that’s not enough, a helicopter crashes on the hillside behind Eve’s home that is connected to both the corruption case and Eve’s past.  Leading Eve and Duncan on a twisting and turning investigation that will have far reaching ramifications.  Including putting Eve’s life in mortal danger.

All Lee Goldberg does is churn out exceedingly entertaining books that you plow through like Duncan Pavone at a Las Vegas buffet, leaving you full, satisfied and with a smile on your face upon completion.  Fallen Star is just the latest example.  It’s chock full of intrigue, politics, crime, shady characters, misdirection, investigative twists, ethical dilemmas, and food.  Oh, and Eve continuously ignoring the sage advice of her partner, Captain and everyone else around her, resulting in putting herself in harms way time and time again. But while her actions are questionable, her instincts are undeniable and she gets results.  Along with some scrapes and bruises.

This has been a fantastically fun series and there are no signs of it slowing down anytime soon.  It will be exciting to see where it goes next.  In the meantime, if you’re not already reading about Eve Ronin’s exploits with the LA Sherrif’’s department, you need to rectify that immediately.  And if you have, then do not miss this latest installment.  It’s excellent!

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Crooks By Lou Berney

Crooks is a riveting tale of a one-of-a-kind crime family’s forty-year run of corruption, scams, transgressions and business dealings.  Lou Berney delivers an extraordinary tale that is unlike anything you’ve ever read.  It’s engaging, sinful and wickedly entertaining.

This is the story of the Mercurio family.  The patriarch is Buddy, a Vegas mob guy, and the matriarch is Lillian, a charming woman with criminal proclivities of her own.  After fleeing Vegas to avoid their imminent demise, they surface in Oklahoma City and start a disco that seemingly prints money through legitimate and illegal activity.  And their five young children are all involved. Which sets each one off on a different path to either embrace or escape their family’s dark history.  Kicking off a trip through four decades that checks in on each member of the family at different times, showing how their past has shaped their future…for better or worse.

The structure of Crooks storytelling is fascinating.  It starts with the parents, then shows the family together in their early years, before transitioning to focus on each one of the kids individually at different points in time.  The story builds chronologically, but through the actions and exploits of each individual character before moving to the next one at a later date.  Allowing for a deep dive into each character, developing their story and showcasing their life choices without interruption or distraction from what the others are up to at that moment.  And while there is some overlap of the characters in some of the sections, this book can be viewed as 7 separate short stories that come together to form a complete novel through the common thread of exploring a single family’s life through the years. 

It’s a unique method to keep the intrigue levels high and to create a sense of urgency for the reader to want to move forward in order to learn each character’s story.  Kudos to Lou Berney for coming up with this concept and executing it so well.  It makes for an absorbing and exceedingly interesting reading experience.

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Apostle's Cove By William Kent Krueger

Poignant, evocative and completely engrossing, Apostle’s Cove is a corkscrewing mystery that will exercise your brain and stir your emotions.  William Kent Krueger has done it again, delivering another impressive and moving story in this incredible series.  From the littlest details to the big picture, everything is crafted with precision and purpose to achieve storytelling perfection.

Cork O’Connor receives a call from his son Stephen, who tells him that while working for a nonprofit dedicated to freeing wrongfully convicted prisoners, he has come across a murder case involving an Ojibwe man whom Cork helped imprison.  A man who now appears to be innocent.  Cork is compelled to reinvestigate the case but must do so without the help of the very convict he put away, who has found purpose and peace behind bars.  As he digs deeper, old feelings that something was always off about this case arise and are further stoked when he becomes a target by those in Tamarack County who want to leave the past buried.  However, Cork will not be deterred in his quest to find the truth and defend his honor as a law enforcement officer and as a person with a strong moral compass.  Even if there are others who would do him harm to keep him from finally figuring out what happened 25 years ago.

Apostle’s Cove is structured in two parts:  part one is an uninterrupted flashback to the crime and the initial investigation and part two is the current day reexamination of the case.  Which makes this feel like two stories in one book that each provide an undisturbed narrative of the events as they happened, rather than a slow drip of info that goes back and forth between past and present.  Both methods can work, but in this case, it was the perfect choice to grab the reader’s attention and hold it throughout, essentially having us ride shotgun during both investigations and asking us to continuously theorize what really happened and who was involved. 

And it is one hell of a well-written story that has everything you would expect from a Cork O’Connor novel.  Crime, investigations, a divided community across Native American and Caucasian lines, tremendous character development, dangerous situations, gruesome and lewd descriptions balanced out with moments of love and tenderness, and the truth finally revealing itself after a twisting and turning examination where Cork seeks the help and wisdom of others. 

And of course there’s a healthy dose of family, spirituality, emotion and life lessons that make your heart feel full and your soul feel free as you close the back cover.  Marking the twenty-first example of William Kent Kruger’s literary brilliance in telling Cork O’Connor’s stories.  And resulting in the annual confirmation that this is the best, and my favorite, series in print today.

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Washington Field By F.X. Regan

Washington Field goes hard from start to finish, ramping up the intrigue and danger throughout the frenetic-paced and action-packed plot that keeps you guessing until the rousing finish.  F.X. Regan has delivered another exhilarating thriller filled with authenticity and suspense. 

A lobbying firm with deep ties to the Republican National Committee experiences a data breach of their systems followed by one of their IT specialists found murdered in a Washington DC alley.  The potential ramifications to the current President are huge and the FBI won’t touch the case, having been accused of being too “political” and impacting past elections.  But the Assistant Director of the Washington Field Office knows there’s more to this story and pulls in CJ Hawk, a former special agent turned PI, to investigate under the radar.  But Hawk doesn’t do anything quietly and quickly finds himself running and gunning in the middle of a clusterfuck of politics, foreign intelligence services, and unsavory individuals.  And one thing is clear; the truth will only come out if Hawk can find it.  He’ll just have to dodge bullets and protect those he cares about first.

CJ Hawk is the star of the show and one of the more interesting protagonists you’ll find.  He’s driven by mission and morality but has no problem working in the gray areas and dropping bodies when necessary.  However, he’s filthy rich and doesn’t need to be inserting himself into dangerous situations.  Yet he can’t help it, maybe because he’s addicted to the adrenaline rush or possibly because he’s making up for getting booted out of the FBI.  Or it’s just in his blood to thwart evil doers and use his substantial finances to his advantage to do good. 

Regardless of his motivation, he’s the central figure in this non-stop thrill ride that propels readers forward at warp speed with a burning desire to find out what’ll happen next and who’s the ultimate villain in this story.  Washington Station is stimulating, engaging and entertaining from start to finish.  

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Tom Clancy Terminal Velocity By M.P. Woodward

Tom Clancy Terminal Velocity is all gas no breaks.  From the Pacific Northwest to the Indian subcontinent, the intrigue is high, the action is hot, and the consequences of mission failure are dire.  M.P. Woodward has delivered another absorbing Clancy-verse thriller, creating a sense of urgency to fly through each suspenseful page in a desperate attempt to see how it all unfolds. 

A wave of brutal killings across the U.S. leads the FBI to a startling connection: the victims were all tied to a past mission that crippled a dangerous terror group, the Umayyad Revolutionary Council. Now, a new leader has emerged, seeking revenge.  Director of National Intelligence Mary Pat Foley authorizes the Campus to strike. John Clark sends ex-Delta operative “Midas” Jankowski on a mission to eliminate the threat deep in the disputed hostile mountain territory of Kashmir.  But when the mission goes sideways, Jack Ryan Jr. must ditch the Indian wedding festivities he’s attending with his fiancée, cross the Himalayan wilderness with a battle tested Mujahadin fighter, save Midas and stop a global crisis before it ignites.

As you would expect, this latest Jack Ryan Jr novel is filled with kinetic action and covert ops that bring some of our all-time favorite characters into the mix to save the day…again.  But it also feels timely and relevant with the disputed region of Kashmir in play and how a terrorist organization can thrive in that environment to create chaos between India and Pakistan, as well as the rest of the world.  Throw in some relationship drama, deception, and life-or-death decision making and you’ll find yourself fully engaged and invested in the characters and the outcome.  And the ending leaves a bit of a cliffhanger that provides multiple avenues for the future direction and development of Jack Ryan Jr.  Leaving us readers eagerly awaiting the next book in the series and contemplating the many possibilities of what could happen next. 

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The Grave Artist By Jeffrey Deaver & Isabella Maldonado

Captivating and intense, The Grave Artist is a suspenseful thriller that grips you by the collar and won’t let you breathe until it concludes.  Jeffrey Deaver and Isabella Maldonado have crafted a second straight banger with great characters, a gripping plot, sinister mystery and emotional attachments.

A newlywed is found dead in what appears to be a tragic accident but later discovered to be the result of foul play.  As agent Carmen Sanchez and her partner Jake Heron investigate, they find other similar crimes that point to an intelligent and methodical serial killer at large.  Dubbing him the Honeymoon Killer, they find the killer revels in the grief of the survivors more so than in the murder itself.   Now, Sanchez and Heron must use every tool and resource at their disposal – blurring the lines of legality – to quickly determine who this individual is before more innocent people are targeted and killed. 

Fast-paced with no wasted movement, The Grave Artist moves with purpose towards the inevitable showdown between good and evil.  Even though the reader knows who the killer is early on, there is plenty of intrigue and twists to keep the story exciting and far from predictable.  The enjoyment is derived through the process of being on the hunt for a serial killer…and having a front row seat to the will they/won’t they romantic undertones of Sanchez and Heron’s relationship.  Throw in a sentient AI program that helps accelerate the investigation and you have a bit of everything you could want in a thriller.

The first two installments of this series have been action-packed, anxiety-inducing and fun as hell.  The result of two great authors teaming up to create something new and entertaining.  Don’t sleep on this series!

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Cry Havoc By Jack Carr

Jack Carr knocks this one out of the park!  Cry Havoc is an explosive and emotional thriller with elements of historical fiction that pulls no punches and leaves you shaken as the brutally unforgiving events of war unfold.  It’s a masterclass in blending storytelling with real-life events, expertly blurring the lines between fact and fiction. 

It’s 1968 and the Vietnam War rages on.  The USS Pueblo has been captured by the North Koreans.  The Soviets are supporting the North Vietnamese and recruiting spies everywhere.  And Tom Reece is a Navy SEAL attached to a highly classified group named MACV-SOG, running operations across Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.  And Tom is convinced there’s a leak that is giving the enemy key information that puts his team at risk every time they operate.  Thrusting him into the middle of the action on multiple fronts that involve intelligence and military operations, all of which put those he cares about in harm’s way and could get him killed. 

What makes Cry Havoc a special thriller is the amount of care Jack Carr put into crafting this compelling narrative.  It’s obvious that an incredible amount of research was done to get every little detail exactly right, which serves to honor those brave men and women whose sacrifice and heroism inspired different parts of this story.  Giving off a feeling that writing this book was much more than just writing a novel, rather it’s a deeply personal and important mission for Carr.

The result is a highly engaging saga that captures your attention and keeps you hooked throughout, turning you into an addict who can’t flip pages fast enough to get your next fix.  It’s an emotional rollercoaster filled with moments that will make you gasp, exclaim expletives, fist pump and shed tears.  Taking you from the jungle to the streets, waterways and hotels of a war-torn Vietnam to experience the conflict from different perspectives while you cheer on our heroes and pray for the demise of the enemy.

They say war is hell and in Cry Havoc you will see why that is, as you get a front row seat to the underworld of bloody combat operations. 

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The Whisper Place By Mindy Mejia

 

The Whisper Place starts as a slow burn, constantly building pressure and intensity before erupting in a panic-induced race to the finish that will have you reading at warp speed with a frantic need to learn the outcome.  Mindy Mejia has crafted an emotionally gripping and severely unsettling thriller that will fray your nerves and exercise your heart. 

Charlie walks into the office of Celina Investigations and drops a large bundle of cash on the desk, asking Max Summerlin and Jonah Kendrick to find his missing girlfriend.  But there’s a catch – he doesn’t know her real name.  It’s the type of case that Max, a former police officer, and Jonah, a psychic detective, are perfectly suited to explore.  As they investigate and learn about the missing woman’s past, their concern and sense of urgency explode and create a desperate need to find her immediately.  Before it’s too late.

The third book in this series, The Whisper Place does a good job of continued character development to advance the narratives from the two prior books while also representing a good starting point for new readers to jump in.  It’s a thriller that thrives on the actions, emotions and relationships between the individuals in the story, using their relatability to build strong connections with the readers that gets them fully invested in the outcome.  So, when the story kicks into high gear, increasing the danger and the possibility of multiple characters not surviving, you’re all in and have a visceral need to rocket ahead to get to the conclusion.  Hoping for the best but fearing the worst.  A feeling that only the best thrillers can pull off.  And this thriller is one not to be missed.

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Denied Access By Don Bentley

Mitch Rapp is Back!!!  And all is right in the world.  Except it isn’t.  Which is, of course, why Rapp is once again let loose to deploy his lethal skillset.  Taking readers on a white-knuckle, violent journey to defeat a worthy adversary with visions of vengeance on their mind.  Don Bently has delivered a masterful espionage thriller with a relentless pace, ruthless impact, and razor-sharp execution.  A tale where spycraft and intense action collide on every page, with every decision laced with brutal consequences.

With the recent collapse of the Soviet Union, the CIA finds itself in the crosshairs of a US Congress that is considering shutting them down.  As interim CIA director Thomas Stansfield fights for his organization’s future, a Russian intelligence leader is running a multi-pronged operation that paralyzes the CIA’s Moscow Station, imprisons the wife of an American case officer, and assassinates old adversaries.  Meanwhile, Mitch Rapp’s vacation is cut short when he and his girlfriend are targeted by covert operatives, which thrusts him into the middle of an escalating espionage battle between the US and Russia.  Now Rapp, with the help of his Orion program colleagues, must pull off an audacious life-threatening mission to stop the Russians, settle old scores, and thwart an all-out war from breaking out in Europe. 

Denied Access picks up after events of Kill Shot, completing the Mitch Rapp origin trilogy that starts with American Assassin.  Going back to that timeframe is a brilliant choice by Don Bentley for a couple of reasons.  First, it’s a target rich environment from a historical perspective with the recent fall of the Berlin Wall, the collapse of the Soviet Union, and remnants of the cold war still present.  All of which provide a fertile ground for intriguing storylines and chaos for our hero to navigate.  And besides, who doesn’t love a United States vs. Russia Spy vs. Spy tale?  That never gets old.

Second, it provides new insights and early character building for Rapp and friends, something you wouldn’t expect for characters that have been in our lives for over 25 years.  In a stroke of genius, Bentley gives fans the gift of going back in time and witnessing a young Mitch Rapp develop as he tries to figure out who he is as an operative and as a person, attempting to reconcile his desire for a long-term romantic relationship with being an assassin.  But it’s not just Rapp whose development Denied Access explores. Readers also get a glimpse into Thomas Stansfield’s WWII exploits and a front row seat to his current-day maneuverings that lead to his ascension to DCI.  We get to witness Irene Kennedy’s incredible intellect on display as she blossoms into Stansfield’s primary confidant, as well as her fearlessness going into the lion’s den that is Moscow Station.  And then there’s the chance to learn more about Stan Hurley’s cold war exploits, which serves to add more depth and intrigue to an already fascinating man.

In addition to the memorable time period and the impressive character development, Denied Access provides one hell of an espionage story with multiple moving parts that tie past events from WWII and the cold war to the book’s current setting in a way that suspends you in a constant state of tension.  And it goes beyond the agent running, violent action and high-stakes operations, which are naturally intense.  Even the political theater and intelligence game-planning discussions are loaded with urgency and friction that adds to a sense of foreboding.  Which is further enhanced by an excellently created, cold and calculating enemy that is not to be underestimated.

Add it all up and Denied Access is a masterful tale that adds depth and excitement to one of the most important thriller franchises in print today.  A phenomenal addition to this beloved series that long-time Rapp fans are sure to savor, while also providing an easy on-ramp for new readers to discover why Rapp is on the Mount Rushmore of thriller protagonists. 

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The Glass Man By Anders de la Motte

Suspenseful, intriguing and propulsive, The Glass Man hooks you early and keeps you riveted until the very end.  Anders de la Motte delivers another well-written, multi-perspective mystery with tremendous characters and a compelling plot that urges you to race to the finish to learn the truth.

Detective Leo Asker is a brilliant and dedicated cop whose been exiled to lead the Department of Lost Souls by a bitter rival.  Out of the blue, she hears from Prepper Per, her father, who needs her help figuring out how a dead body has turned up by his farm/doomsday compound.  Despite her very complicated relationship with Per, Leo feels compelled to help to ensure the right person is brought to justice.  Meanwhile, Associate Professor Martin Hill has traveled to Astroholm, the estate of famous business leader Gunnar Irving, commissioned to write a biography about Gunnar, his inventions and his company.  But Martin quickly suspects something dark is being hidden behind the shiny facade.  As Leo and Martin dig deeper to find answers to their individual questions, they’ll find there’s much more at play and that danger is lurking in the shadows.

As the second installment in this series, The Glass Man does a wonderful job of developing Leo, Martin and the supporting characters around them.  Diving deeper into Leo’s past and her strained relationship with her parents takes center stage, showing how resilient and strong she is while also providing insight into how she developed her keen skills of observation, preparation and tenacity that make her such a good detective.  And her investigation, rife with hard feelings, office politics, and personal potholes, is the perfect avenue for exploring who she is as a person and what she’s capable of.

It's also the interplay between Leo and Martin that adds depth and emotion to the novel.  They clearly care for each other and lean on one another for support and help in their individual pursuits, yet they are restrained and careful about being vulnerable in front of each other.  So, while they have mutual respect and a personal connection, there is also some tension and reservations that seem to be holding them back just a bit.  Which adds an undercurrent of “will they/won’t they” storyline to an already suspenseful tale.

Blending law enforcement investigations, academia, business pursuits, scientific advancements, urban exploration, survivalists and family drama into one thrilling novel, The Glass Man provides hours of gripping entertainment that’s sure to be as thought provoking as it is anxiety inducing.

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The Devil's Advocate By Steve Cavanagh

Intense, unsettling and mesmerizing, The Devil’s Advocate is an electrifying legal thriller with the pace of a runaway freight train that demands you keep reading as fast as possible to uncover the truth.  Steve Cavanagh has crafted a world-class story that is insanely engrossing while feeling horrifyingly plausible.

College student Skylar Edwards is found murdered in her rural Alabama hometown and the Sheriff arrests Andy Dubois, a young black man who worked with Skylar at a truck stop bar.  The evidence is overwhelmingly stacked against Andy and everyone believes he’s guilty.  Proving his guilt is the job of district attorney Randal Korn, who happens to have the most death penalty convictions of anyone in the history of the United States…and it’s not even close.  Eddie Flynn usually doesn’t take cases like this but is persuaded that something fishy is going on in Alabama and flies down from New York to defend Andy.  And the more Flynn and his team dig into the case, the more they are convinced that not only is he innocent, but that there’s a dangerous conspiracy at play that they must stop before many more innocent people die. 

This is pedal to the metal storytelling at its finest.  The Devil’s Advocate is full throttle from start to finish, powered by the emotional dread of an innocent man being put to death by a corrupt system manipulated by powerful people with an agenda.  And only a knight in shining armor, with a relentless will and balls of steel, can mount a challenge that maybe just maybe can thwart the inevitable.  That’s Eddie Flynn.  Along with a few of his ethically principled and integrity-driven colleagues, Flynn shows tremendous courage and virtuousness, unwilling to flinch in the face of mortal danger, to do what’s right and help the little guy stand a chance against a stacked deck.  Making him a character that you connect with and root for with your entire being.  Especially as he sticks it to those who think they’re too smart to be foiled.

The Devil’s Advocate will fill you with anxiety and foreboding before concluding in immensely satisfying fashion and restoring a smidge of faith in humanity.  A book that begs to be read in one sitting and will take you on a rollercoaster of emotions.  A masterclass in storytelling by the great Steve Cavanagh.

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Dead Line by Marc Cameron

Intense action and extreme weather fill the pages of Dead Line, a thriller you feel as much as you read.  Marc Cameron has crafted a high-stakes novel that’s chilling in more ways than one. 

Deputy US Marshals Arliss Cutter and Lola Teariki are pursuing a dangerous fugitive and his associates across Alaska, with the goal of arresting him and sending him back to Missouri to stand trial for the capital murder of his pregnant wife.  Simultaneously, a vicious mob boss hellbent on revenge has sent a team of killers into the frigid Alaskan wilderness to track down and kill the witness – and her former lover – who put her father in prison.  Cutter and Teariki are tasked with checking in on the witness, who hasn’t reported in as scheduled.  Which they quickly discover is not a breach in protocol, but a deadly serious situation with the man in witness protection at risk of being found and killed.  Leading to a race against the clock through ungodly freezing temperatures to stop the hit squad, resulting in an explosion of lethal violence.  And if the bullets don’t kill you, exposure to the elements surely will. 

Cutter’s manhunting and tactical brilliance are again on display as he thrusts himself and his law enforcement partners into the middle of treacherous operations with the single objective of bringing criminals to justice.  But his emotional side is explored more in Dead Line than perhaps any other book in the series due to his emerging romantic relationship with his brother’s widow Mim, as well as having to reconcile his feelings about his long-lost mother who finally returns to his life.  It’s this exploration of his emotions and psyche that takes this superhuman hero and gives him a soft, relatable side that connects with the reader.

But make no mistake, the star of this show is the Alaskan weather.  Tracking down killers in the middle of the wilderness during winter is hard enough. Try doing it when it’s possibly too cold for an airplane to transport you without the fuel freezing solid midair.  Or while riding a snowmobile when the temperature is -72 degrees Fahrenheit.  And that’s before the wind chill puts the real feel closer to -130 degrees.  Yes, the Alaskan landscape and unimaginably flesh-freezing elements take center stage and impact every action taken by every character.

It's another exciting and bone-chilling adventure in the great Arliss Cutter Series.  But maybe read it on a warm, sunny day to take the edge off.  Because you will definitely feel the cold in your bones as you immerse yourself in this frosty story.

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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.)

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Murder By The Book
Once Upon A Crime
The Book Dragon
The Poisoned Pen

Fade In By Kyle Mills

Fresh and incredibly relevant to today’s geopolitical landscape, Fade In is a slow-burn thriller that meticulously sets the scene and challenges your view of global power before exploding with violence that leaves you stunned.  Kyle Mills has delivered a powerful novel with a unique protagonist that will keep you riveted while asking you to ponder moral quandaries between bursts of action. 

Salam al-Fayed, aka Fade, wakes up in the hospital after taking a sniper bullet to the spine.  Unable to move and a shadow of the formidable Navy SEAL he used to be, he wishes for death.  But then he’s resurrected, receiving the best rehabilitation money and technology can provide, as long as he signs on to the paramilitary unit of a shadowy organization run by a billionaire with designs on changing the world order.  Now recovered, Fade joins a team hunting a reclusive Chinese scientist who has announced the imminent release of a virus that will wipe out over 10% of the population.  Up against the clock and facing an unknown enemy force, Fade locks in and gets down to what he’s best at – succeeding at impossible missions where others will certainly fail. 

Fade is a tremendous character, matching an elite tier one skillset with a nihilistic attitude that allows him to operate with freedom and a lack of concern for personal consequences because of coming back from near death on multiple occasions.  He has a moral compass that seems to have some flexibility to it. He’s an independent thinker who doesn’t blindly follow orders and he’s also unafraid to challenge those in who sign his paychecks.  So, while a powerful entity will want to use him as a tool to further their agendas, Fade will not do so without serious consideration first.

Additionally, this novel makes you think about significant topics in today’s world.  Things like the vulnerabilities of an aging population and the desires/frustrations of younger generations who inherit the world for better or worse from their elders, the traditional power of sovereign nations vs. the emerging power of wealthy and influential individuals, and the grand possibilities of technological advancements in the field of human performance and lifespan elongation in relation to the ethical usage of such technology.  Don’t worry, there’s plenty of bullets flying, hand to hand combat, and explosions contained within the pages of this book to excite an action junkie.  But it’s a thinking man’s/woman’s thriller.  Pensive and exhilarating.  The best of both worlds. 

Thriller fans will enjoy Fade In on its own merits but will also be excited for the potential of where this series can go in the future.  It’s set up for more intriguing plots, ethical inquiries and exhilarating action.  Can’t wait to see what Kyle Mills delivers next.

Follow Steve on Twitter or contact him via the site.

Purchase Fade In
(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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