Nothing Tastes As Good By Luke Dumas

Deliciously dark, rich and raw, savory and sinister, Nothing Tastes as Good is a spicy and disturbing tale that satisfies and unsettles in equal measure.  Luke Dumas has crafted a cerebral and deranged thriller that makes you think while turning your stomach.  You won’t be able to put it down until you’ve cleared your plate. 

Emmett Truesdale is unhappy.  He has a low-paying job that he hates, has no love life to speak of, and despite multiple efforts is unable to shed any of his 300+ pounds of body weight.  Desperate to change his life, he comes across an ad for a weight-loss drug clinical trial and signs up despite warnings from his best friend.  Amazingly the drug works exceedingly well and Emmett sheds pounds at an accelerated rate.  But there are some major side effects like blackouts and cravings.  And when people he knows start showing up dead, the victims of a cannibalistic murderer, Emmett starts to wonder if he’s responsible.  But now that people are treating him the way he’s always wanted to be treated – just because he’s thin – he’s unsure if he wants to know the truth. 

Nothing Tastes as Good is a mystery/horror thriller wrapped around exploration of serious issues such as obesity, eating disorders, abuse, trauma, mental health and addiction.  Those issues shape who Emmett is as a person and frame his desire to find his “true” self, an aspirational better and more successful person he believes he can become if he just loses weight.  But he learns that happiness is elusive and isn’t guaranteed, even if you’re achieving the goals you so desperately desired. 

However, don’t let those difficult topics scare you away from this book. Because there is plenty of tension, suspense, intrigue and murder to propel the story forward with a bloodthirsty appetite to learn the truth and find out what happens to Emmett in the end.  And as more is revealed and the big twist hits you like a sledgehammer to the gut, you’ll find your mouth agape and muttering expletives while you process the creepy and thrilling journey through hell that is Nothing Tastes as Good.

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Two Kinds Of Stranger By Steve Cavanagh

Intense, emotionally excruciating and ultimately satisfying, Two Kinds of Stranger is a masterful thriller that’s completely mental in the best of ways.  Steve Cavanagh continues his hot streak of publishing amazingly addictive legal thrillers and he should be talked about in the same stratosphere as John Grisham and Michael Connelly when it comes to the best of the best in the genre.

Eddie Flynn has been retained by a social media influencer to defend her in the murder trial of her husband and best friend, who she discovered were having an affair while live on TikTok.  Meanwhile, Flynn’s ex-wife and her husband are also accused of murder when an ex-con, who has been stalking them after losing out on a big payday, winds up dead.  Stretched thin professionally and emotionally, Eddie must reach deep into his bag of tricks, and rely on his highly capable team of investigators, advisor and law partner, to ensure his client and his family are rightfully found innocent and the real killer is brought to justice. 

This is another magnificently crafted story in the enthralling Eddie Flynn series, which has become one of my favorites in the legal/crime fiction genre for consistently delivering high intensity, gripping, twisting and satisfying tales with tremendous characters.  One reason is because in between the legal maneuverings and tension-filled action, readers are confronted with the imperfections of the US justice system and must face questions about the morality of operating in gray areas and/or stepping over the line in pursuit of a not-guilty verdict for an innocent individual on trial for their life.  Making these books as thought-provoking as they are stirring and entertaining. 

In Two Kinds of Stranger, there’s a clear line of demarcation between the good guy and the bad guys, but the sociopathic villains hold the cards, and everything points to them getting away with literal murder while innocent people are likely to be found guilty of crimes they didn’t commit.  This drives a level of emotional agony and torment that propels readers through the story at lightning speed while wondering how we’d cope with being in such an untenable, desperate situation.  Driving an overwhelming desire for Flynn to figure out how to win these cases.  So, while most of us would hopefully never be on trial for murder, we can still forge a deep connection with the characters because they too should not be in this position.  Which is gut-wrenching.  And that’s where the brilliance in this book, and every book in this series, lies.

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She Fell Away By Lenore Nash

Gripping, intense and packed with all the feels, She Fell Away takes you on a ride through the darkness to find the light.  Lenore Nash delivers a strong mystery with thrills and emotion that keeps you engrossed and hopeful from start to finish.

Lake Harlowe is the American Citizen Services officer at the US embassy in New Zealand.  Any desire for a quiet tour after a hard two years in Cambodia is shattered when an American citizen is found dead and another mysteriously vanishes.  As she continues to dig for answers and fight powerful forces, she must face her own traumatic experiences while trying to find a missing young woman with whom she feels a strong connection despite never having met.  Now Lake must summon the courage to overcome her painful past to get the results she’s obsessed with obtaining…and avoid the lethal danger lurking in the shadows. 

She Fell Away moves along at a strong pace with intrigue, uncertainty and the search for answers driving the story forward.   No one can be trusted with hidden agendas abound and motives abundant.  Keeping readers in suspense for much of the book until it all comes to a head in a violent conclusion.  Throw in characters you connect with and others you want to see get what’s coming to them, and you have a winning formula for a suspenseful thriller.

But the heart and soul of this book is exploring trauma and how music can play a role in expressing your feelings and healing from the bad events in your life.  And it’s through this exploration and the inclusion of original music lyrics that the book provides the wonderful message of finding your voice, being brave, and living your life without fear.  A fantastic reminder for all of us and one you don’t normally get in a thriller, taking She Fell Away to another level.

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The Dark Time By Nick Petrie

Propulsive, intense and anxiety-inducing, The Dark Time is a cautionary tale that will give you heart palpitations as violence explodes on seemingly every page.  Kudos to Nick Petrie for delivering a novel that is equally entertaining and contemplative, exploring how technology’s impact on society can have a range of consequences.

June Cassidy asks Peter Ash to check in on her friend in Seattle – a reporter who has received threats to back off a story she’s investigating.   Showing up in the nick of time, Peter thwarts a would-be killer and makes it his mission to protect the reporter and her daughter while also getting to the bottom of who is threatening her and why.  As he digs deeper, he finds himself going from one violent situation to another, all at the hands of a shadowy organization planning a major event that would send the country into utter chaos.  With help from June and his highly capable/dangerous friend Lewis, Peter puts his life on the line to stop this organization and its charismatic leader from successfully implementing their plan.  But this time, Peter might have bitten off more than he can chew.

You know that when you open a Peter Ash novel, it’ll be exciting, explosive and violent.  The Dark Time is no different, delivering on all fronts with a story that puts you on edge from the beginning and doesn’t let you breathe for a moment.  It also explores how the world is changing and how different sets of people view innovation differently.  Some embrace it, others are resentful of what it means for them personally.  Making this a timely book as AI explodes across the globe, leading to amazing capabilities while also threatening the livelihood of regular people.

Tackling this topic results in a book that goes well beyond a pulse-pounding thriller.  It’s a story that produces a dichotomy of having empathy for those who feel the world is passing them by while also having animosity towards the violent actions they are willing to undertake.  With an especially high level of loathing towards those leading the effort by preying on the misfortune and fears of others and willing to wreak havoc on innocent people. 

It's quite a fascinating and fantastic thriller.  A straightforward narrative with complex emotions, making it a book that’s as thought-provoking as it is thrilling.  And it has plenty of Peter Ash and Co. kicking ass and taking names.  Which always makes for an enjoyable investment of your time.   

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The Hard Line By Mark Greaney

Intense, bloody and emotionally charged, The Hard Line is a masterful continuation of the celebrated Gray Man series.  Filled with enough action, danger and death to choke a horse, it will pump adrenaline through your body, elevate your heart rate and make you sweat as you become fully invested in the outcome.  It’s another smash hit by the great Mark Greaney!

The United States intelligence community is under attack as a wave of assassinations take place.  Court Gentry is part of a deep black, sub-rosa direct-action team tasked by the CIA to investigate and determine who’s directing the attacks, and interdict multiple kill teams loose in the Washington DC area.  But that’s not all the Gray Man needs to be concerned with.  A renowned assassin codenamed Whetstone has come out of retirement for one more mission – to eliminate the man who killed his son.  Which just happens to be the fabled Gray Man.  Setting up a showdown of epic proportions. 

Greaney dials up the violence and tension to eleven right off the jump and keeps it there throughout this insanely engaging novel.  And while thriller junkies will flip head over heals for the action sequences, what makes The Hard Line so fantastic is how it highlights the relatability, vulnerability and moral compass of the great Gray Man and his colleagues.  Which is an incredible feat given that the vast majority of us are not world class assassins/operators, and yet the personal nature of storylines in this book humanizes the exceptionals and makes it quite easy for us commoners to empathize with. 

This novel has all the hallmarks of a best-selling thriller, and you won’t be able to put it down.  And when you finish it your mind will be blown, and you will be jonesing hard for the next Gray Man adventure.  Which is certain to be unhinged in the best way as Court Gentry is unleashed to do what he does best.  Put bodies in the ground.

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Cold Zero By Brad Thor & Ward Larsen

Take your anxiety medication before cracking open Cold Zero because Brad Thor and Ward Larsen have teamed up to create an icy and intense espionage and military thriller that will chill you to the bone.

CIA operative Kasey Sheridan is escorting a defecting Chinese scientist and his innovative technology to the United States when their plane goes down on an ice floe above the Arctic Circle.  Trapped and freezing, Kasey teams up with the plane’s first officer Brett Sharpe to take care of the survivors.  Meanwhile, as the Americans launch a rescue mission, the Chinese are racing to beat them to recover their stolen technology and traitorous scientist.  But they’re not alone.  A Russian submarine is in the area and decides to get in on the action as well.  Creating a race between the three superpowers that will decide the fate of the free world in one of the coldest, harshest places on the planet.

If you’ve ever wondered how World War III could start, look no further than Cold Zero.  A thriller that highlights how far world superpowers will go to gain a technological and military edge.  Set in one of the most inhospitable locations on Earth, Thor and Larsen take readers on a frigid and desperate journey to survive the elements and enemy factions to deliver game changing tech to the US and simultaneously deliver a decisive blow to their foes.  Featuring planes, submarines, special forces, and a polar bear or two, the tension never ebbs as every action has a counter action with the stakes continuously getting raised.  Your pulse doesn’t stand a chance of staying at normal levels as you get a front row seat to a race against the clock to secure world supremacy for the foreseeable future. 

It’s exciting, entertaining, heart-pounding, cold-blooded stuff from two of the best thriller writers in the business.

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Antihero By Gregg Hurwitz

Dark, harsh and haunting, Antihero is Orphan X’s most infuriating and shattering mission to date.  It’ll rip you apart inside as it hits you with a barrage of emotional gut-punches.  Gregg Hurwitz delivers a masterful novel that threatens to murder the Fourth Commandment: never make it personal.

Evan Smoak, aka Orphan X, aka The Nowhere Man, is summoned to the East Coast to help the powerful Luke Devine get a grip on reality.  It’s upon arrival that he learns of a young woman who was abducted off a New Your City subway.  With little to go on, he and Joey get to work finding the woman, tracking her down and learning about what happened to her.  Evan vows to make her kidnappers/assaulters pay, but the woman makes him promise not to kill them.  An odd conundrum for a man who is used to meting out lethal punishment.  But she didn’t say he couldn’t do significant bodily harm to them.  If only he can find them first. 

Antihero is Orphan X as you’ve never seen him.  Combining lethality with mercy, rigidness with flexibility, brutality with tenderness, and reverting to his training while also showing personal growth.  It’s fascinating to witness the various incongruities he must navigate, especially given how foreign some of these things are to him and the emotions that this mission elicits.  But that’s part of the fun this time around.  Watching The Nowhere Man with his steadfast moral code accomplish his mission in a different way than we’re used to seeing.

Additionally, this is an emotional book, though it’s hard to describe the exact feeling that this book evokes.  Maybe because it’s not one feeling, but many.  Despair, anger, disgust and bloodlust stemming from how the lowlifes victimized an innocent woman and left her in shambles, combined with curiosity, hope, respect, and admiration at how she ultimately responds to her trauma and how it impacts Evan’s approach to functioning on and off mission.  Of course, there’s also the feeling of relief, vindication and schadenfreude as the bad guys get what’s coming to them at the hands of our hero (or antihero).

All of this makes for one hell of a novel that blends raw emotion with quiet reflection.  A story that mixes exhilaration with heartache in a way that’s impossible to shake.  Antihero is a book that cannot soon be forgotten and promises to stick with you for a very long time.  It’s a must read and perhaps Gregg Hurwitz’s best work to date.

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Project Darkheart By Benjamin Spada

Dripping with blood and piling dead bodies higher than Mount Everest, Project Darkheart is the perfect thriller for those who love intense action, unadulterated violence, and quests of revenge.  Ben Spada delivers another brutal thriller in the Black Spear series that isn’t for the faint of heart, rewarding those with an iron will and a strong stomach with an epic tale you won’t soon forget.

Cole West and his Black Spear team of clandestine operators are up against the most capable foe they’ve ever faced.  Hired by a shadowy organization called Legion, Damian Black is a fearsome assassin who is seemingly untouchable and leaves death and destruction in his wake.  Now his mission is to retrieve a devastating weapon…and to take out the entire Black Spear organization.  As bodies drop left and right, Cole West finds himself in the fight of his life that continuously becomes more personal as the inevitable final showdown draws near.  Whether fueled by revenge or something more altruistic, the only thing that matters is total victory.  Because failure will irreparably alter the world forever. 

Project Darkheart is unapologetically unhinged and viscous for the best of reasons - necessity.  It’s not gratuitous in any way, rather the violence contained within its pages is like an added character that is essential to telling the story.  Without it, something big would be missing.  It works incredibly well within the construct of this intricate story with twists and turns, death and destruction, and the fate of the world hanging in the balance.  Because you can’t have a story featuring servants of death without dismembering a few people along the way. 

Mostly exhilarating, sometimes squeamish, and always enthralling, you won’t be able to look away from Project Darkheart.  So if you like your thrillers bloody and littered with body parts, look no further.  This is the book you’ve been waiting for.

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Rifle Season By Pat Kelly

Rifle Season is a straight-shooting, violent and intense story about reckoning, retribution, and redemption.  Dark, ominous and unnerving in all the best ways.  Pat Kelly’s debut thriller hits the bullseye. 

Renowned game hunter Mace Winters is the most sought-after guide in Colorado until one tragic accident turns his world upside down.  Now his life consists of booze, weed and picking up trash on the side of the road.  As he journeys to rock bottom, including the prospect of his wife leaving him and taking the dog with her, a fellow guide throws some business his way to take a couple out to try capturing a photo of a mountain lion.  Which leads to the couple asking him to take them out on the opening day of rifle season.  But they are not interested in filling their tag.  They are seeking to assassinate an infamous war criminal.  And now Mace is caught up in a deadly game that seems certain to end in his death and the murder of his wife.  Unless he can clear his mind and once again become the man he used to be.

From the setting to the characters and the overall plot, Rifle Season hits upon a winning formula that engages readers early and keeps them anxiously on the hook until the end.  And even though there is a patient buildup to the explosion of violence, it never feels slow or drawn out because each action has the distinct purpose of dialing up tension and expectations.  And when you think you know what will happen next, you’re smacked upside the head with a twist that changes the game.  It’s excellent storytelling by a debut author.

Additionally, the redemption arcs included bring this book to a higher level.  Everyone can appreciate someone getting a second chance and setting things right.  Giving readers characters we can connect with and root for, offsetting others who deserve nothing but our disdain.  Adding humanity to offset the wicked.

Don’t miss Rifle Season.  It’s the debut thriller that everyone will be talking about in 2026.

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Adrift By Will Dean

Suspenseful, uncomfortable and with a current of ever-increasing intensity, Adrift is a psychological thriller that will make you anxious and put you on edge in a way that produces a burning desire to speed to the end in order to find out what happens to these characters.  Will Dean has delivered another masterfully intense and nervy tale that is disturbing and doesn’t give you a minute of reprieve, yet you cannot look away.  Providing the same feeling of dread and impending doom as Dean’s brilliantly haunting The Last Thing to Burn.

Peggy and Drew, along with their 14-year-old son Samson, live on a boat on a canal in middle America.  Drew is an aspiring author, trying to find success after winning a writing prize several years ago.  Peggy volunteers at the local library and takes care of her family.  And while they have little money, Samson attends a prestigious school on scholarship.  But all is not well with this family.  Drew is domineering and gaslights his family every chance he gets.  Peggy is desperate to help her family but thwarted at every turn.  And Samson is relentlessly bullied at school.  Eventually it all becomes too much, and events spiral out of control.  But as the old saying goes: when in hell, keep going.

It's like watching a car crash in slow motion.  You know the outcome is going to be bad, you just don’t know exactly how bad it’ll be.  So, you keep looking, unable to tear your eyes off the impending carnage.  In this case, the car crash is a toxic environment filled with emotional pain in which a violent outcome is all but certain.  But there’s a question of who will perpetrate that violence and upon whom.  And all the while you’ll hold onto a hope that physical hostilities will be avoided.  Knowing in your heart that’s not going to be the case, so transitioning to a hopefulness that the “right” person is the one who gets it in the end.

Adrift is dark, tough, triggering and emotional stuff to read.  But it’s also exceptionally crafted and executed.  Another fantastic novel by Will Dean.  A story you won’t stop thinking about for a long time.

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Detour By Jeff Rake & Rob Hart

If The Martian and The Twilight Zone had a baby, it would be Detour – a thriller that messes with your head as you scramble to piece together what’s really going on.  Jeff Rake and Rob Hart have crafted an engaging and wonderfully puzzling first novel in a new series that sci-fi and psychological thriller fans will find intriguing and thought-provoking.

Three astronauts and three civilians are picked to make up the crew of an audacious 2-year long mission to Saturn’s moon Titan to access its viability as an alternate world for habitation as Earth’s climate continues to deteriorate.  The mission’s benefactor is a presidential candidate and the richest man in the world, with his own motivations.  As this unconventional group of would-be space heroes come together and set off for their destination, they know their lives will never be the same.  But they are completely unprepared for exactly how much change they are in for…and the lengths others will go to keep them from learning the truth.

As this is a sci-fi novel, it requires the suspension of disbelief – from the technical aspects to how some of the crew are selected for this mission.  But assuming you can successfully do that, you’re in for a treat because Detour will get its hooks into you early and keep you guessing to the very end.  Between the plot twists and the multi-person/multi-media POV way the story is told, you get pieces of information from different perspectives which add to the uncertainty of what’s happening across the big picture.  A storytelling mechanism that engages your brain in constant speculation.  Making you feel like you’re a part of the crew, which enhances the reader’s connection to the characters and their unsettling plight.

As you finish this book, you will have more questions than answers.  Especially with one hell of a cliffhanger that will have you begging for the next installment in this series.  Which, when released, promises to be required reading for anyone who picks up this first book.  Because being left in the dark will be unbearable and getting answers is the only cure.

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The Right To Remain By James Grippando

Twisting, turning and anxiety-inducing, The Right to Remain is a tense and complex legal thriller that makes you feel unsettled in the pit of your stomach while taking you on an emotional rollercoaster.  James Grippando masterfully delivers a compelling and modern tale that overflows with drama inside and outside the courtroom.

Elliott Stafford hires lawyer Jack Swyteck to help him through a grand jury summons in a murder case.  Ignoring counsel’s advice to assert his fifth amendment rights, his testimony results in his indictment.  Only then does Elliot refuse to speak.  To everyone.  Including his own lawyer, trying to defend him from a crime it seems he did not commit.  But Jack is undeterred, relentlessly digging for the truth that reveals a dark past which shines a light on Elliot’s motivations.  Now with an understanding of exactly how high the stakes are in this case, Jack must overcome a non-responsive client and an overzealous prosecutor to ensure justice prevails. 

There’s a current of intensity throughout The Right to Remain that results from the conduct of the characters.  It’s an uneasy feeling stemming from an accused man who seems uninterested in helping his own defense, a prosecutor whose bias gives them tunnel vision, family turmoil that brings to light behavior unbecoming of responsible parenting, and more.  And as the drip of critical information is provided, that feeling is amplified and leaves you wondering if a miscarriage of justice is inevitable.  Pulling you deeper into the story and increasing your investment in praying for specific outcomes for various characters.  Making it more satisfying when the blindsiding twists hit and your prayers are answered.

It's a triumphant novel to mark the 20th edition of this popular series.  But if you’re just joining the party, don’t fret.  The Right to Remain can easily be read as a standalone.  And then who knows?  Maybe you’ll like it so much it’ll give you 19 additional books to add to your TBR pile. 

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Dead Ringer By Chris Hauty

Dead Ringer will scratch the conspiracy theory itch that resides inside all of us with a Da Vinci Code-esque quest for the truth with no less than history, cabals and zealous assassins standing in the way.  Chris Hauty has crafted a tale that blurs the lines between fact and fiction, adding fuel to the already decades-long smoldering fire of speculation regarding what happened at Dealey Plaza on November 22, 1963.

There are many conspiracy theories about who killed JFK.  Now, an unlikely pair – a disgraced former Secret Service agent and a Jesuit professor – are thrust together by the murder of a mutual acquaintance who’s dying act was to ask them to finish her investigation into JFK’s death.  Sending them on the hunt for evidence long ago hidden that can only be discovered by those who can decipher the riddles and codes that protect the potentially explosive information.  But the pair are not the only ones on the hunt.  A nefarious cabal will do anything to keep the truth from coming out…including dispatching assassins to take out anyone who gets too close to figuring out who was really behind the JFK hit.  It’s a race between the forces of good and evil…with a bombshell revelation waiting to be discovered.

Hauty once again shows his masterful skill at taking readers on a journey of discovery through the blending of authentic events with imaginative storytelling that makes you wonder what’s real versus what’s fantasy.  It’s done in such a way that everything feels plausible, including the trademark Hauty gigantic twist.  Keeping readers guessing and thinking, forming our own theories and predictions along the way.

The vehicle for this adventure is strong but flawed characters grappling with their parts in this grandiose odyssey.  And along the way they must overcome many roadblocks – including those who believe they serve a higher purpose which gives them a mandate to do whatever it takes to thwart their adversaries.  Resulting in testing our would-be heroes’ resolve and courage to continue when giving up and saving themselves would be the wise and easy decision.  But their commitment to the mission comes first and, in the end, they are rewarded with revelations about what happened in the past…as well as revealing the strength of their own character and purpose as they find redemption.

Dead Ringer is a fantastic historical fiction account of one of the biggest events in US history.  It’s sure to be a hit with history buffs, conspiracy nuts and anyone who likes a good, fast-paced story that distorts the border between the believable and the imagined. 

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Robert B. Parker's Showdown By Mike Lupica

Suspenseful, honest, witty and engrossing, Robert B. Parker’s Showdown is a well-crafted modern take on this cherished five-decade long series.  Mike Lupica has given us another wonderful Spenser novel that provides new challenges for our old hero.  Delivering a thrilling no-nonsense detective story with the comforting dry humor and moral complexity readers have come to appreciate from our beloved Boston PI.

Spenser is pulled into a sensitive case by his friend and powerful attorney Rita Fiore.  Rita represents a young man whose mother was murdered and is now trying to find his birth father, with evidence pointing to controversial podcaster Vic Hale.  Given Hale’s anti-immigration position and the young man’s mother having entered the US illegally, this has the potential to be big news.  Especially with Hale about to sign a massive deal that will make some powerful people a lot of money.  Spenser, feeling responsibility to Hale’s father for having once saved his life, promises to take the investigation to wherever it may lead.  And despite death threats, shootouts and offers of big payoffs, he will not be deterred from finding out the truth. 

Showdown will appeal to long term fans of the series as well as those who are just looking for a good book to read.  It’s a timely story that features the ever-growing influence of podcasters while addressing several hot button topics such as immigration, money, power, and divisiveness within an investigation that includes paternity, murder, and capitalism.  It has it all!

And for those of us who have followed the series for decades, Showdown leans on a familiar formula of Spenser tackling a deadly serious case with his trademark sarcasm and playfulness to provide balance and entertainment.  Add in a healthy dose of Hawk, Susan Silverman, Rita and other long-time characters, and it feels more like visiting with old friends than reading a fictional book. 

No matter what your familiarity with Spenser and friends, Showdown is a book that provides entertainment while provoking thought.  Leading to a reading experience filled with juicy drama, amusement, reflection and fun within a thrilling package.

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The Second Son By Simon Gervais & Ryan Steck

The Second Son is an explosive rollercoaster thrill ride filled to the brim with haymakers and gut-punches.  Simon Gervais and Ryan Steck team up to deliver an action-packed, conspiracy-laden thriller that keeps you on edge throughout and leaves you reeling with an unbelievable ending.

Chase Burke is living a good and quiet life as a sommelier at a Michelin starred restaurant, trying to leave his checkered past behind him.  But that seems impossible after the death of his brother in a covert op, followed by the attempted kidnapping and murder of a US Congresswoman from his restaurant.  With the cops looking hard at his involvement in the potential abduction, Chase realizes his only option is to find out who’s pulling the strings in order to clear his name.  And while he can rely on his elite skillset from his military days to help him go on the offensive, he is wholly unprepared for the revelations he will uncover that rock his world. 

This book is all gas, no brakes.  The Second Son is non-stop action and suspense that creates a sense of urgency to find out what will happen next.  It doesn’t allow you to catch your breath for even one moment, and you’ll find your blood boiling and blood pressure rising on multiple occasions.  It also contains a fair bit of emotion through the exploration of family dynamics and the consequences of choices previously made.  All of which makes for a phenomenally crafted, brilliantly executed and well-rounded thriller.  One that absolutely needs to be inserted into everyone’s TBR pile come November. 

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The Adversary By Andrews & Wilson

The Adversary might be Andrews & Wilson’s best book to date, which isn’t something I say lightly given how many ridiculously good novels they’ve published.  But it’s true and, furthermore, this latest installment is without a doubt my favorite in the Tier One series.  It’s incredible and a strong contender for thriller of the year due to insane action sequences, psychological mindfuckery, and a ton of raw emotion within a brilliantly crafted story that vociferously screams “team and mission above self.”  A message we all benefit from hearing again.

John Dempsey and his Ember team are in Taiwan on their way to a meeting with a Taiwanese intelligence officer when it all goes sideways.  Their asset is killed, a member of the team gets seriously injured and Ember’s comms and cyber field agent is taken by Chinese operatives.  Putting Dempsy on the warpath, willing to do anything to get his teammate back before disappearing into mainland China forever.  With the help of a SEAL team in theatre for training exercises, Ember attempts a daring rescue mission to get their man back without kicking off WWIII.  And to make it more complicated, Dempsey’s son Jake Kemper – who thinks his dad, Jack Kemper, is dead – is a newly minted nugget on the SEAL team involved in the operation.  Making this a high stakes mission in more ways than one. 

If you’ve read the prior Tier One books before (and if you haven’t, what the hell are you waiting for?), then you know you’re in store for a nonstop, high-octane, action-packed ride that sets your hair on fire and drops you in the middle of life and death battles.  But there’s three things that elevate The Adversary into the rarified air of truly exceptional thrillers. 

First, witnessing Dempsey’s progeny, Jake Kemper, not only ascend to the SEAL teams but also show a bit of Dempsey in his decision making and bold actions is something to behold.  It’s the proverbial apple not falling far from the tree, but without the son having a chance to be molded and mentored by the father.  So, it’s also a study in nature versus nurture.

Second, the main antagonist will send shivers down your spine and cause a visceral reaction.  He has a calm, almost clinical demeanor that amplifies his evilness more than if he was an unhinged lunatic.  Instead, his words are simply a matter of fact, stating a chilling destiny you cannot run from, voicing unnerving promises that evoke a primal dread.  It’s quite unsettling.

Third, this story is overflowing with emotion.  Anger and love.  Desperation and hope.  Fear and joy.  Regret and pride.  Selfishness and selflessness.  Cruelty and kindness.  It’s all there, increasing the intensity of what these characters are experiencing.  Especially between father and son.  Creating strong emotional connections so that you don’t just read what they’re going through.  You will feel it in your soul. 

Do not miss The Adversary.  It’s one hell of a story that’s a must read for anyone calling themselves a thriller fan.  A heart-thumping, emotionally stirring and exhilarating tale that is so completely engrossing that everything around you will fade into the background.  One of the best books you’ll read this year.

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The Tin Men By Nelson DeMille and Alex DeMille

The Tin Men is an intensely terrifying look at the future of warfare that will freak you the hell out.  This high-stakes, vivid and disquieting thriller will challenge your thought process on the use of AI and robots in the military setting, giving you consternation and a severe case of angina.  This novel is a gift from Alex DeMille and his late father, Nelson DeMille, offering one final, profound and entertaining story from the pen of the great literary master for readers to devour.

Army CID Special Agents Scott Brodie and Maggie Taylor are sent to investigate the death of a chief scientist who oversees a deep black war games program featuring a platoon of Army Rangers and a few dozen lethal autonomous weapons – aka killer robots.  Brodie and Taylor quickly ascertain that the situation they find themselves in is quickly deteriorating.  The Rangers are being pushed to the limits of their physical and psychological well-being, the robots are acting well beyond their supposed software limits, deception is rampant, and everyone is a suspect.  In the middle of the desert and without the ability to contact the outside world, Brodie and Taylor must not only determine who killed the scientist, but also find out who and what is behind this secret program.  Because if they are unsuccessful, everyone on this base will die and these next-gen weapons systems will be unstoppable.   

This is a military thriller wrapped inside a crime thriller with psychological thriller sprinkled on top.  It is suspenseful, tension-filled and jam packed with misdirection and unanswered questions that keep you guessing until the end when it explodes in ruthless violence.  It has fantastic characters, tests your views on morality, and moves at a breakneck pace.  It also really messes with your head and makes you desperately hope that our government isn’t actually working on a program like this.  Because if they are, no one is safe. 

The Tin Men is a relentless thrill ride.  Tight as a Terminator’s death grip, and just as impossible to escape.  A brilliantly constructed story that will increase your heart-rate and exercise your brain.

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The Tourists By Christopher Reich

The Tourists will have you on edge from start to finish with a suspenseful, pulse-pounding and timely story that plows ahead at breakneck speed.  Christopher Reich has delivered another thrilling and engaging novel filled with intrigue, emotion and action.

Mac Dekker is moments away from proposing to the love of his life, when she disappears from a Parisian restaurant without a trace.  But this is no ordinary couple.  Mac is a retired CIA Special Agent and Ava Attal was once a deadly Mossad operative.  Suspecting foul Play, Mac leverages his special skillset to track down anyone who might know what happened to Ava and to interrogate them for helpful information.  This leads to not only finding out where Ava is being held, but also that her abduction is part of a bigger operation involving a nuclear weapon that is to be imminently deployed by a ruthless Qatari prince to derail a monumental international treaty.  With the clock ticking down, it’s up to Mac to rescue the woman he loves, save the lives of thousands of innocent people and stop a catastrophic attack from irreversibly changing the world for the worse. 

This is just a good-old entertaining and intense race against the clock thriller with twists and turns thrown into the mix at perfect moments.  It features a highly skilled and reluctant thriller trying to save the woman he loves and, in the process, stop a devastating attack from occurring.  It contains a narcissistic, rich, power-hungry bad guy who is easy to hate.  And it focuses on the immensely complex topic of Middle Eastern geopolitics, where allies and enemies are not always what they seem.  All of which comes together masterfully to create a compelling, dramatic, and riveting tale sure to engage readers’ minds and pull on their heartstrings.

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Leverage By Amran Gowani

You don’t have to be a finance bro to enjoy the investment of your time in Leverage, a dark and droll tale about money and power with the focus on what some people are willing to do to attain them…and just how far people will go to protect both.  Amran Gowani crushes this debut novel with a deep dive into Wall Street depravity and ill-gotten gains, the corrupting influence of wealth, and the lucrative trafficking of illicit information.

Ali “Al” Jafar is a star at infamous hedge fund Prism Capital, when he loses $300M on one investment in a single day.  Instead of firing him, the firm’s founder decides to back Al into a corner with a ridiculous scenario – either Al makes back the $300M in 3 months or he will frame him for insider-trading and have him sent to prison.  Battling depression and desperation, Al gets involved with a shadowy figure named Simon, who is willing to sell the type of information that Al needs to make big moves in the market and save his own ass.  But when Al realizes that even succeeding at this insane game won’t truly set him free, he decides there’s only one thing he can do…turn the tables on his rich and powerful boss.

Gowani does a brilliant job of exploring the finance culture and its cutthroat nature while maintaining the humanity of some characters and highlighting how others sold their soul a long time ago.  Leverage entertains with stories of misconduct, debauchery and megalomaniacs, but balances those out with an examination of being the “other”, mental health challenges, and the dynamics of the different types of relationships in people’s lives.  Resulting in a story with depth that is equal parts crazy intense and quite profound.  Leaving a lasting impact, you’ll be ruminating on for days to come.

Additionally, while this book is a work of fiction, it will have you thinking more skeptically about wild swings in stock prices and if anyone is behind the scenes pulling the strings.  Doing what great novels do – blurring the lines between make-believe and the real world. 

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Down in High Country By Montana Kane

Mysterious, quirky, flirty and spiritually refreshing, Down in High Country is a thrilling and entertaining romp through a loveable mountain town and its dark underbelly of criminal activity.  Montana Kane continues this highly enjoyable series by delivering another engaging, humorous, sensual and intriguing story.

Private Investigator Brandy Martini is hired by a couple to find out if their daughter, the enchanting Kara, is involved in a cult.  Given Boomville, Colorado has a bevy of eccentric characters, Brandy has her work cut out for her during an investigation that requires her to distinguish from the usual strange conduct versus potentially criminal behavior.  Meanwhile, Brandy is looking over her shoulder for a dangerous stalker that haunts her dreams while also fighting her own romantic feelings for the local police lieutenant.  Filled with drum circles, open mike nights, concerts, weed café openings and entrancing scents, Brandy must navigate many obstacles in order to get to the bottom of what’s rotten in Boomville and maybe finally find her place in this distinctive town.

You’ll fall in love with this colorful cast of characters, each one bringing their uniqueness to the fabric of a wacky community.  Providing a whimsical balance for Brandy’s intense focus on being a reliable professional.  That’s not to say the main character can’t let loose in her own way.  But while she’s on the job it’s the supporting characters – the house of bong, the well-intentioned sister, the enigmatic sheriff’s deputy, the buxom bartender, the elderly weed café owner and her weed-growing son, and many others – who make this tale so delightful and spirited while Brandy is doing the serious work of tracking down dangerous criminals who are targeting the very fine citizens of Boomville. 

Down in High Country is simultaneously thrilling and charming.  Chasing danger and pleasure in equal measure.  A book that keeps you guessing from start to finish while inviting you to become a part of an enchanting and adventurous little society.

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Purchase Down in High Country
(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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