The Other Side Of Night By Adam Hamdy

Oh lord. How do I write this review?

There isn’t much point in writing a summary since you can read that on Amazon, and who wants to just read a review that is the same as the book synopsis that’s posted everywhere? I digress.

I finally picked up this book, after it had been on my TBR pile for some time. Granted, as of late, with a new baby, I haven’t been able to read as much as I used to. That being said, I had finally heard the Best Thriller Books team talk enough about this book, so I moved it up to my next read. I had also read - both online and even on the back of the book jacket - that this book has quite the twist. Either way, I’m the ideal mystery/thriller reader, because I never see the twist coming. Like a lovesick teenager that can’t wrap my head around the fact that my girlfriend is swapping spit under the bleachers with the place kicker on the football team (my past self could’ve never got a girl that would’ve made out with a QB), I never see twists coming, even when I know they’re expected.  This book was just that. I dropped an f-bomb in front of my 6-month-old kid because it surprised me so much. Thanks Adam Hamdy. Now my girl is going to be busted swearing in Kindergarten, and I’m going to have to explain to the teacher that I read a book that blew my mind so much that I forgot she existed. Either way, this book is superb. It’s really hard to put into words what this book was. It was 40% thriller, 50% mystery, 10% some other stuff, but 100% ‘what the f***’.

You know how sometimes when you watch a movie in the theater that has some wild twist, and you spend all of the credits, the drive home, that evening, and the ensuing four years trying to figure out what the hell happened. That’s this book. It’s a phenomenal novel that I can’t recommend enough.

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The Furies By John Connolly

Each year when a new John Connolly novel drops, I get so excited. His new book is two short stories, that as usual, are terrifying but delicious.

Charlie Parker is arguably one of my favorite literary characters. He’s a detective up in Maine, and the world has broken him multiple times over, and Connolly continues to throw him into these creepy, supernatural situations and cases. Like a public washroom along the interstate, these novels are dark, scary, and unsettling. Connolly’s masterful prose that wisps readers through the pages, saddled alongside Parker as he bounces through the emotional turmoil that always seems to accompany him.

As per usual, Connolly’s writing style, characters, and intriguing stories suck a reader in, and you’ll soon find yourself lost in the pages of Parker’s world.

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Fields Of Fire By Ryan Steck

It’s always fun to read a new author’s debut novel and thoroughly enjoy it.

Ryan Steck’s debut novel features a new character to the thriller genre, Matthew Redd. After his unit is unexplainably killed, Redd is charged with treason, and as if things couldn’t get any worse, while in the brig, he gets a mysterious phone call from his father and subsequently heads for Montana.

I found this to be a fun, page-turning thriller. It is fully loaded with action from start to end, and having parts set in Montana makes it even more fun. This novel is like if CJ Box and Matt Betley had a baby. Other than being devilishly handsome, that baby would be Fields of Fire.

I’m always nervous about debut novels - it seems like they’re either a hit or fall flat, and there isn’t much middle ground. I think Fields of Fire is going to be a hit that fans of the thriller genre will quickly gravitate to and love. Steck’s Matthew Redd will be around for a long time, captivating readers with each page. Make sure you thriller readers grab yourself a copy of this one - you won’t regret it.

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The Hacker By Daniel Scanlan

A techno-thriller wrapped in science fiction, The Hacker is a fantastic cross-genre blast of action that will have readers begging for more.

This novel introduces FBI Special Agent Ericka Blackwood, who with all of her own flaws and foibles, is on the hunt for cybercriminals of all types - from those peddling drugs to the trafficking of humans. But once Blackwood crosses paths with a cybercriminal using a new form of VR technology which helps elevate criminality, she vows to capture the mastermind. Hiding behind the moniker of Dantalion - the arch-duke of Hell - he orchestrates others to carry out his bidding with this new technology.

As a security researcher in technology, this novel immediately piqued my interest, and it upheld every high expectation I had for it. Scanlan crafted an all-too-realistic thriller that transcends the genre and still keeps true to all of the technological terms, jargon, and possibilities. The Hacker will quickly become a leader in this subsection of the thriller genre - where Scanlan blends a dystopian science fiction with mystery and thrillers to create an amazing, fast-paced novel with never a dull moment. From the first chapter, I was locked into this phenomenal book. I will be certain to grab anything that Scanlan writes, and you should too.

In the age of social media, dark secrets, and technology comes a genre transcending novel of literal and literary crime and punishment. The Hacker is not a book to be missed and should immediately be at the top of your To Be Read pile.

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Heat 2 By Meg Gardiner & Michael Mann

Growing up on a farm, when I heard “really into heat,” I always assumed people were talking about letting the bulls out into the cow pasture, but once my friends open-hand slapped me upside the head and showed me the movie Heat, it all made much more sense. I’ve been really into Heat ever since.

Twenty-seven years after the movie dropped, Heat 2, the novel, is being released into the wild. Heat 2, written by director Michael Mann and the brilliant thriller writer Meg Gardiner, tracks many of the characters from the original movie both before and after the incidents that took place in the movie. Kicking off the book in the moments and days following the infamous LA shootout from the movie (spoiler alert if you’ve been living in a cave in Nova Scotia for the last three decades), Detective Vincent Hanna is on the hunt for the wounded Chris Shiherlis. Will he catch him?

This book brings back all of the memories I have from watching the movie. This novel is such a brilliant piece of fiction. I devoured it. I’ve been wearing a diaper for the last three days just so I wouldn’t need to take a break from reading it. With enough action to emulate the Playboy mansion, Mann and Gardiner have crafted the most realistic thriller I’ve ever read. When some authors try to write action scenes or realistic dialogue, it feels like they’re pushing a muffin through wicker furniture, but Mann and Gardiner crafted a stellar prequel/sequel with the chaos and intrigue of a prostate exam.

Like a donkey kick to my backside, this novel kicks ass. You can call me ol’ J Todd, because this is one of my favorite novels of the year. 

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The Neighborhood By Matthew Betley

One of my favorite authors returns with a high-action thriller, The Neighborhood, that will keep you reading late into the night until it’s over.

Zack Chambers lives in a suburb utopia called Hidden Refuge, but the neighborhood is turned upside down when the members of the area are asked to leave due to a chemical spill nearby. But when mercenaries show up instead to retrieve an item at one of Chamber’s neighbor’s homes, Chambers reacts in the best way he knows how, with unrelenting violence.

Betley has been known to craft high velocity, balls to the wall action scenes. He first introduced us to Logan West years ago, and he’s continued to wow his readers with ultra violence and flying bullets. The Neighborhood reads like a movie script, and Betley is the master at writing compelling characters and sequences of action that will have you flying through the pages. 

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Dirt Creek By Hayley Scrivenor

When 12-year-old Esther goes missing in the small town of Durton in Australia, her best friend Veronica “Ronnie” Thompson, who was the last to see her, tries to piece together what happened. There aren’t too many suspects in the small town, but as secrets of the community members starts getting revealed, it becomes more and more difficult for the detectives on the case to connect the dots.

Hayley Scrivenor crafts together an intriguing rural noir in her debut novel, where everybody is your neighbor, but everyone also has their secrets. A clever drama full of mystery and plot twist, Scrivenor weaves in poetic prose, captivating dialogue, and an interesting plot with lovable characters. If you’re a fan of rural noir, this is the book for you. This book is surely to be a hit this year. Go out and order it immediately. 

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It Dies With You By Scott Blackburn

Hudson Miller is a down-and-out boxer who is takes a job as a bouncer at a local, townie bar when he finds out his estranged father as been murdered. Very little is left to Hudson, except is father’s rentals and a salvage yard. With not much money left in his account, Hudson takes over the business up in Flint Creek, Michigan, but everything at the salvage yard isn't what it seems. Hudson teams up with a few others to make an unlikely trio to investigate what happened.

Scott Blackburn delivers a powerful debut thriller with It Dies With You. In this raw and gritty southern noir, Blackburn weaves together intriguing characters and elegant writing that hits you like a punch.  Blackburn should be an author that everyone picks up this summer. So far, this is my summer pick that any crime fiction fan will love.

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Assassin's Edge By Ward Larsen

David Slaton returns for the newest novel by thriller veteran Ward Larsen, with the lightning-fast pace and interesting characters we’ve come to know and love in Assassin's Edge.

In this newest Slaton adventure, three seemingly unrelated events trigger former Mossad agent David Slaton back into action, in an attempt to keep the planet from dropping into another World War. First, just off the coast of Russia, a US spy plane crashes, a Mossad agent is captured in the Middle East, and a US Naval vessel sinks between Europe and Asia. When questions are asked, the US and Israel call on Slaton to answer their questions.

In a book that seems all too realistic, Larsen toes the line between thriller and science fiction, introducing interesting weaponry and gizmos & gadgets that give Assassin’s Edge a unique, fun, and techno-thriller vibe. It is replete with the spy tradecraft that make it feel like a Silva novel, chopped up with Flynn-esque action, and in-depth knowledge around weapons and military tactics that rival Clancy. I am continually blown away by Larsen’s ability to pack so much action into one story. It’s a great military thriller novel that should be at the top of your 2022 reading list.

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The Paradox Hotel By Rob Hart

Set in the dystopian future of year 2072, Rob Hart delivers a fun, exciting novel, complete with time travel and confusion that will keep readers guessing until the end.

January Cole is the head of security at the Paradox Hotel. This hotel is anything but ordinary. In this hotel, you can travel back in time to any period of history. The catch? You have to have the money in order to pay for your trip. I think “anything but ordinary” is great tagline for this novel because January Cole is the same. Cole is ‘Unstuck’ - a term used to describe those who are not locked into or stuck in one moment in time. Throughout these three stages of being ‘Unstuck’, one can start by feeling deja vu. They can go as far as feeling they’re in a completely different moment entirely, then when returning to the true present, they realize no time has passed since slipping into this Unstuck period. Is it a little confusing at first? Yes. Did I do a horrible job explaining it? Definitely.

The books was phenomenal. I’m also a sucker for a good first-person POV story, and this was as well written of one as I’ve seen. This book is a murder mystery, but it also is infused with greed, money, politics, and everything in between. As with most sci-fi books I’ve read, it takes a little time to wrap your head around the universe the author created, but once you do, you’re in for a ride. This was as good as any sci-fi novel I’ve read and is definitely one of the books that I read the quickest this year. I thoroughly enjoyed Hart’s last novel, The Warehouse, and this one did not disappoint. If you’ve never ventured into the world of sci-fi, this would also be a great start. It’s a fantastic page-turning joy ride that is anything but ordinary.

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Beneath The Stairs By Jennifer Fawcett

When Clare and Abby are kids, they go with their friends into the Octagon House. When they think they see something unexpected, they go back that night. Clare comes out unscathed, but Abby is changed forever.

Abby now lies in a coma, and everything traces back to the Octagon House. Clare is forced to revisit all of the hell that was visited on her when she was a child, and as she tries to unravel the mystery of how and why Abby is back in the hospital, the seams start to come undone.

In this spooky, scary thriller, Fawcett writes an intriguing, terrifying novel that will keep you up late at night. It’s an interesting twist on a modern day suspense thriller, with the story being told from many different points of view. The characters were dynamic with lots of depth who seemed to morph throughout the novel. This is a great novel for fans of Meg Gardiner or anyone who loves a classic suspense novel.

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Sierra Six By Mark Greaney

In 2020, I mentioned Mark Greaney’s Relentless as one of my most anticipated books of 2021. I did the same this year, listing his next Court Gentry novel, Sierra Six, as one of my most anticipated novels of 2022. And I was right.

Mark Greaney is the best living thriller writer in the world. He delivers hit after hit, and Sierra Six is a two-for-one, emotional, heart-pounding thriller. Greaney weaves two stories together, one from Court’s past, one from the present. From the outset, it’s obvious that these two stories are on a collision course.

Gentry is on a mission to find and kill a terrorist, but it’s a man that, according to the government, is already dead. It’s another action-packed Gentry novel, in the same vein that we’ve come to expect from Greaney’s superb writing. He has the supreme ability to weave stories that never lull in action. It is an emotional story that tugs at your heart. I literally felt my pulse quicken throughout different parts of the story, and I was even fighting back tears at times (no joke). Greaney has figured out how to draw emotion out of these characters that makes them feel so real.

Greaney combines these realistic characters with these plots, stories, and action sequences that seems so plausible and possible. It does make me wonder, is Mark Greaney actually Court Gentry in real life? I’ve never seen them in the same room together…

Sierra Six is a quick contender for one of my favorite books of 2022. It is hard to imagine anything could compare. It’s like having Usain Bolt running your first leg of a relay. He’s so far ahead, that it seems impossible that anyone will be able to catch him. Greaney delivers over and over, and Sierra Six should be a book that all thriller-lovers will enjoy.

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Dark Horse By Gregg Hurwitz

I always get excited when the New Year rolls around, and one of the reasons for that is it’s time for a new Orphan X novel.

Dark Horse, the seventh installment in the Orphan X series, features The Nowhere Man, Evan Smoak. After being left with a cliffhanger at the end of the last novel, Prodigal Son, Evan is thrust right back into action, fighting (and falling) for his life.

When Evan’s RoamZone rings, he answers, “Do you need my help?”, he never expects the voice on the other end of the line to be a pseudo-cartel boss. As Evan starts traipsing across the country looking for the daughter of drug kingpin Aragon Urrea. Attempting to live by his Commandment which tells him, “One mission at a time,” Evan simultaneously finds himself in an emotional tug-of-war, between wanting to complete his mission, and wanting to be there when neighbor, and possibly lover, Mia Hall, needs him most.

This is yet another classic Orphan X tale, wrought with some of the most elegant, Shakespearean prose I ever read. Hurwitz is arguably the best pure-writer of the thriller genre. He can weave a story and sentence like none other. This novel is packed with so much action, you’ll need rehab after you finish. Another fantastic book from one of the best thriller writers out there.

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The Violin Conspiracy By Brendan Slocumb

As Ray McMillian is preparing for the international Tchaikovsky Competition, his beloved violin goes missing. But it’s not just any violin, in fact, it’s a Stradivarius, which are the most well-known, top-of-the-line, priceless violins out there. The book is a trek for Ray, attempting to get his violin back, or paying the ransom, before the competition.

In a book infused with intrigue, mystery, and personal and societal obstacles, McMillian is an interesting, dynamic character who we get to see grow throughout the novel. This book is Ray’s journey to retrieve this irreplaceable violin that once belonged to his great-grandfather, a slave. Ray must also fight against the descendants of the man who enslaved his great-grandfather, who believe they are heir to this violin.

I found this book to be an entertaining, fun, and interesting read. This book has a large focus on racism, especially in the classical music world. Classical music is relatively obscure in the current climate of pop culture and nonstop news reels, and a book that revolved around it was fascinating. At times, I did feel confused about the timeline of events, and I did wish that some of the nuances of the plot could’ve come together sooner in the novel, but this very well could be due to my primary background in thriller novels, which typically sets the scene much earlier, if not in the prologue, of the novel.

Overall, a great novel. I will definitely be keeping my eyes open for anything Brendan Slocumb writes in the future. I also found that on the author’s website, there was a music playlist which accompanied the book, and I thought this was a great touch. 

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Targeted By Stephen Hunter

Bob “The Nailer” Swagger is back in the next installment in one of the all-time greatest series. Picking up shortly after Swagger’s killing of Juba the Sniper, Swagger gets called before Congress, but when terrorists take over the hearing, Bob Lee must take action and protect even those in Congress trying to take him down.

Stephen Hunter is a master of writing. He has a great pace to the story and always has some of the deepest dives into firearms. I found it to be an interesting story idea, and I always love Swagger.

If you’ve read Hunter’s novels in the past, you’ll likely know that they aren’t quite the guns-blazing books that you’ll find elsewhere in the thriller genre. I’d say they’re more of a slow-burn, which typically allows for much more character and story development. Swagger still has is kick-ass moments and almost perfect precision shooting, but this book was definitely built more around the politics of the plot. There were some loose-ends I wish could’ve been tied up at the end of the book, but overall, it was another fun, entertaining read. Hunter is one of the best, and Targeted is no exception. 

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Insurrection Day By Chris Hauty

Hayley Chill is back in the latest adventure of the deep state operative. This novella is saddled between Savage Road and the forthcoming Storm Rising.

It is set on January 6, 2021, when a group of protestors turned rioters stormed the United States Capitol. The idea behind this novel is interjecting Chill into that action, while more nefarious things happen behind the scenes.

Hauty’s prose was fantastic, as usual, and his books always tend to read like a movie script. I feel like I’m there in the action with the characters. I’m excited to see what the future holds for Hayley Chill and the operatives in the deep state looks like.

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Armored By Mark Greaney

Armored by Mark Greaney is an Audible Original, only (currently) available in the audiobook format. It is a fast-paced, action-packed, full-cast recording of a great story!

It stars a new Greaney character called Josh Duffy, or “Duff”, to his teammates. He is down on his luck, after being forced to retire from the armed services after losing a leg in action. With bill collectors knocking at his door, Duff takes a job with “Armored Saints”, the only civilian contractor that will hire him. It is one of the more reviled companies, but he needs the money. This mission promises big money for only a few weeks work. But as Duff heads to Mexico for his mission, he realizes it is much more than he bargained for.

As I mentioned earlier, this is a full-cast recording, meaning that each performer narrates for only one, or possibly two characters in total. In the majority of audiobooks, one, or occasionally two narrators, will do the entire book, and all of the characters involved. It makes Armored feel more like a radio drama than just another reading of a book.

The readers really bring this book to life, and Greaney is a master at writing stories that seem to come to life all on their own. Plus, this recording features the narration of Jay Snyder, who is the narrator of Greaney’s Court Gentry series. He is fantastic, and it was a fun addition. This book is a fun adventure that would be great for readers who want to dip their toes into the audiobook world. I can’t recommend it enough!

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The Runaway By Nick Petrie

One of the most interesting faces of the thriller genre is that of Nick Petrie’s main character, Peter Ash, and he is back in the latest installment of one of my favorite series with The Runaway.

As Peter Ash drives through rural Nebraska, he stumbles upon a very pregnant teenager named Helene. On the run from her psychotic husband, Peter offers his help. It turns out to be a decision that will change the trajectory of his trip drastically. Peter Ash desperately tries to save the woman, and uses his PTSD to work in his favor.

It’s another amazingly fun, character-driven plot. Peter Ash continues to be one of the most interesting characters in the genre. His PTSD brings on an incredible amount of claustrophobia, or as he calls it, the white static. I find this series such an enjoyable read, especially during this pandemic. With Peter’s PTSD, almost all of Petrie’s novels take place outside, in the wilderness, as his character moves across the country. With Petrie’s spectacular writing ability, he transports the reader into the novel, sitting next to Peter Ash under the stars, in his truck next to him, or side-by-side on another bold adventure.

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The Body Man By Eric P. Bishop

(The Body Man is written by querying author Eric. P. Bishop. Learn more about him.)

It took maybe a paragraph for the action to start, and the action pedal was to the floor for the remainder of the novel. The Body Man was a riveting read that I highly recommend. We’re introduced to The Body Man, who is a little like Court Gentry mixed with Orphan X - a realistic badass that has a tendency for kicking ass and taking names.

The writing was packed full of action, but the dialogue was woven in nicely to advance the story. With a whole cavalcade of characters, many likable, some deplorable, this book had everything a good thriller should contain.

I’ve noticed that in many novels, the dialogue starts to become unbelievable. I find it hard to visualize characters saying the things that the authors put down on the page, but I didn’t get that with this book. The back-and-forth was believable and was spoken in a parlance that was relatable. My only wish is that there could have been more of it, so we could’ve gotten to know some of the characters a little more. Regardless, I’m excited for whatever Bishop pens next. This was a great story that deserves a part 2.

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Final Spin By Jocko Willink

I must admit that when I opened up Final Spin, the only knowledge I had about it was the author himself. I’d heard Jocko on podcasts, including his own, and I’ve read his numerous books. My first thought when seeing that Jocko was making his foray into fiction was, “I bet this is going to be an awesome military thriller.” Nope, it was not that. It was still awesome, but a military thriller it was not. 

Jocko writes a poetic thriller novel, although “novella” might be a more accurate description. It’s a short story revolving around a few main characters, but it is told in a poetic style. It has certain meter to certain lines, a rhythm that one must read with. It was fascinating and completely unexpected. I would’ve been less surprised if I read “You better check yo self before you wreck yo self” in Shakespeare’s Macbeth. 

In a similar vein to when I first read J.B. Stevens’s All the Violent Memories, it took time to allow the rhythm of the story to sink in, but once it did, I was hooked. It was an interesting read, chalked with lots of action. I highly recommend this if you’re a fan of Stevens or thrillers in general. But when you say, “That’s not what I was expecting,” remember, I told you so.

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