Hostile Intent By Don Bentley

Hostile Intent is an in your face thriller with an old school feel. The twists and turns of this story will hit you upside the head more times than Matt Drake has taken a concussive blow to the dome during his very active career. 

With the current state of world affairs, Bentley seems to have prophetic powers. Drake, enjoying the beginning of a well deserved vacation is called back in. A mysterious walk-in at an embassy asks specifically for the DIA agent. Expecting to be routed back to the Sandbox, Matt finds himself in one of the last places he’d expect to be… in the heart of Europe. 

Upon landing in Vienna, Austria, Matt arrives to find the Cold War capital of espionage still chalked full with intelligence officers. They all happen to also be searching for his mysterious contact Nolan Burke—a one time member of the real IRA. Before Matt can have any sort of a debrief with Nolan, the Irishman is kidnapped by a Russian direct action team. Owing Nolan for more than just saving his own life, Matt must find a way to repay the debt no matter what. What the hunt for Nolan leads to might actually require stopping World War III in the process.

Don Bentley continues to elevate his writing with each book and the third installment of the series is no different. His action sequences rival all the big names in the genre. His exploration of the intricacies of the geopolitical landscape in his books reinforces, rather than takes away from the pacing. And that continued entanglement of multiple forces at play make each scene extraordinarily entertaining and a lot of the time, I’m not sure who to even root for.

Simply put, you need to rush out and order a copy. Immediately.

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Cold Snap By Marc Cameron

With a seemingly endless supply of snow, suffering, and suspense, Cold Snap is the best in the series and my new favorite Marc Cameron book.

The discovery of a dismembered human foot during low tide ramps up the investigation for a brutal serial killer around Anchorage. Coming from the last place anyone expects, a surprise witness thinks they may be able to identify who the appendage belongs too.

Despite the desire to assist, Deputy US Marshal Arliss Cutter is sent north to Deadhorse, Alaska on a routine prisoner transfer. Unfortunately for Cutter, nothing in the harsh environment is routine. Having to switch planes last minute, the pilot takes a detour of their original flight path. This simple flyby of a remote atmospheric science station has calamitous consequences.

With the old saying of “I don’t have to be faster than the bear, I just have to be faster than you” playing out in real time, Cutter has to make life and death decisions for himself, the prisoners, and the latest additions to his party. If the wildlife and weather outside their temporary shelter don’t kill him, the convicts and conspirators inside just might.

Busy assisting the local police with their investigation, Cutter’s partner Lola Teariki is unaware of the unfolding disaster up north. Having just discovered the psycho who has been chopping up women is actually one of Cutter’s prisoners, Lola is informed of Cutter’s disappearance. Without the ability to communicate and a harsh storm moving in, Lola will move mountains to help rescue Cutter.

After teasing out the existence of a serial killer over the last few books, Cameron brings that story arc to a head. While you’d think the uncovering and arrest of the killer would be the dramatic conclusion, you’d be wrong. The stakes only get higher and the chances of survival plummets faster than the Arctic temperatures.

 The episodic pacing in Cold Snap would have me binge watching the entire season in a single session… if it was a tv show. Instead, I binged chapter after chapter and finished this book off in one day. Cameron’s efficient and effective writing style propels the reader through the pages, while the environmental descriptions will have you wrapping yourself in several layers of blankets. The constant ratcheting up of tension will have you pulling those blankets tighter and tighter until you read the last sentence.

If you haven’t read the Arliss Cutter series, this is just the fourth installment. There is more than enough time to grab the first three books and get all caught up before Cold Snap is published.

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Kingdom Of Bones By James Rollins

The action in Kingdom of Bones is as dense as the jungle it takes place in. Like the mighty Congo river, the situation on the ground goes from dangerous to deadly without warning and readers will be gripping the book like it’s a matter of life and death.

James Rollins can craft an engaging and entertaining novel as well as anyone putting pen to paper today. The latest Sigma novel might be his most action packed novel to date. There is simply not a single moment for the reader to take a deep breath and collect themselves. Things go from bad, to worse, to ‘oh good god’ at a blistering pace and I loved every second of it.

To give a quick summary of the plot, I’m going to steal a quote from another famous series involving ‘Bones’...

“A man who holds that much power, even with the best intentions, just can’t resist the urge to play god.” - Dr. Leonard McCoy

Ok, I’ll expound a bit more on the plot.

When a mysterious illness is discovered by a United Nations relief team in a small village in the Congo, they soon realize that something in the surrounding environment is very wrong. The local plants and animals have begun to display strange and predatory behavior as if they’re evolving at an exponential rate. Fearful that the situation has reached beyond this tiny slice of the jungle, Commander Gray Pierce and Sigma force are called in.

As the hunt for the source of the mysterious outbreak develops, the battle between man and nature only intensifies. There was always going to be a breaking point when nature began to push back against mankind, the only question is how many of us will survive when it happens.

I also want to highlight the inclusion of Tucker Wayne and Kane in this book. Tucker and his canine companion have made a few appearances in the Sigma series and even has a couple standalone novels of their own. This duo has always been one of my favorite parts of the series and I cannot tell you how great it was having them back in action. I’m hoping this means there may be a third Tucker and Kane adventure coming our way.

I recently had a debate with someone that said Rollins should be categorized as a Science Fiction writer. Which is fine by me. There is a ton of science in this one (I never knew I’d be so interested in the history of viruses) and let us pray that none of the fiction in this story becomes fact. You can label this book SciFi, a thriller, or general fiction… it doesn’t matter. It is one hell of a story regardless of whatever genre you try and put it in.

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Money the Hard Way By David Tromblay

Moses Kincaid draws in trouble with the same gravitational pull as a black hole sucking up the wayward elements of the universe. Armed with a biting tongue, zero fucks to give, and a flexible moral code that consistently tip toes over the line accepted by polite company… it should come as no surprise that Moe is forced to earn his Money the Hard Way. True to David Tromblay’s signature writing style, there are more metaphors, similes, and analogies than you can shake a stick at.

Not long after the tragic and traumatic ending of Sangre Road, former Army MP officer Moses ‘Moe’ Kincaid, of the Ho-Chunk Nation, decides to stick around Oklahoma for a bit longer. Flush with aches and pain, but short on cash… Moe ends up in the employ of a bondsman by the name of Arlo Bice. Bice also happens to be obsessed with the old west and fancies himself a modern day Bass Reeves.When a series of bounty collections go wrong, followed by a less than friendly encounter with a motorcycle gang looking for payback, Moe finds himself at the mercy of the state police who are rather insistent that he assists them with a little something that puts him on the less than fun side of prison bars. With a choice between fighting your fellow prisoners or a raging bull, you just know Moe is going to pick the crazier of the two.

I cannot emphasize how much I enjoy Tromblay’s writing style. The man has a gift for describing scenes and situations in an incredibly colorful manner that is guaranteed to lift at least one side of your mouth into a smirk. Kincaid has quickly become one of my favorite fictional characters. The level of sarcasm, one liners, and bluntness inherent in all of his dialogue is… (chef kiss).

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Assassin's Edge By Ward Larsen

In my opinion, Assassin’s Edge is the best book Ward Larsen has ever written. Period. That’s as simple as I can put it. It is a stunning achievement in an already iconic series. 

 

The writing is absorbing. The plot is adventurous. The warfare is asymmetrical. The intensity and danger are acute. It’s the full military/espionage thriller package.


In Assassin’s Edge, a U.S. spy plane crashes off the northern coast of Russia at the same time that a Mossad operative is abducted from a street in Kazakhstan. When wreckage from the aircraft is discovered on a remote Arctic island, Slaton and a team are sent on a clandestine mission to investigate. While they comb a frigid Russian island at the top of the world, disaster strikes yet again: a U.S. Navy destroyer sinks in the Black Sea. Evidence begins mounting that these disparate events are linked, controlled by an unseen hand. 


After reading Slaton’s origin story in the novella Assassin’s Dawn this summer, I was absolutely champing at the bit for the next full length installment of the David Slaton series. When I got my hand’s on Assassin’s Edge I couldn’t stop reading until 4am. And it was worth every single second of lost sleep.

I applaud Ward for the unique perspective in this story. While experimental weaponry is nothing new to the thriller genre, the way he incorporated it and the manner in which the weapons were deployed was a completely fresh take and had my eyebrows raised more times than I can count.

My expectations are always rather lofty whenever I pick up a book by Ward. Not only did he exceed my expectations, he blew past them like a hypersonic missile. For me, this book proves that Larsen deserves to be mentioned with all of the big names in the genre. The writing and storytelling in this book are on a level that most closely resembles that of a Daniel Silva novel. And if you know how big of a fan of Silva I am… you know that I cannot give any higher praise to Ward on how phenomenal this book is. This is already one of my favorite books coming in 2022.

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Dark Angel By Andrews & Wilson

Dark Angel is a story of spirituality and soldiering. A fable of faith and firearms. A guide to gospels and guns. A book bursting with belief and bullets. A drama of devotion and direct fire. 

Ok, that may have been a bit much with the alliteration and duality of this book…but it is the exploration of those parallel tracks that makes this such an interesting read. 

Andrews & Wilson craft military thrillers as well as anyone in the thriller genre. The authenticity, dynamics, and creativity they employ when writing action scenes is other worldly. With the addition of supernatural components in this series, the intensity and danger are taken to another level.

Former Navy SEAL Jedidiah Johnson has started his training with the elite task force known as the Shepherds. Thrust into a surprise leadership role that is putting him under immense pressure, Jed begins having visions of an imminent attack overseas. With time running out, Jed and his team are dispatched to Europe in order to neutralize the threat. With rumors of who is spearheading the attack, Jed hears about an individual who turned his back on the Shepherds organization. The stakes could not be higher with the potential of a literal global holy war breaking out should Jed and his team fail.

As someone who reads a ton of military/operator thrillers, A&W is always on my must read list. This series is no different. The addition of faith based components, which is somewhat limited outside of the scope of the supernatural powers, will definitely broaden the books potential audience and will likely bring home best awards in the Best Christian Thrillers and Christian Mystery/Suspense categories. 

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Once A Thief By Christopher Reich

Once a Thief is a wild ride that will have you feeling like you’re flying down the straightaways and around the tight curves at Monza. Christopher Reich shines a light on the dark underworld of global finance and does so in an entertaining way.

This was my first foray into the Simon Riske series and it definitely won’t be the last. With a protagonist that is a former criminal turned exotic car restorer, how could I not enjoy this book?

After restoring a lost Ferrari worth a cool $100 Million, Simon Riske is anxious to see the deal closed for his client. When a last second alteration to the agreement sends Simon on a seemingly wild goose chase for the original gearbox, Riske’s reputation and finances are on the line. When clues of the gearbox’s whereabouts lead him to a Russian criminal he helped bring to justice, things go about as well as you’d expect them to. Now on the run from British authorities, Riske must join forces with the last woman he’d expected to.

Meanwhile, Riske comes into contact with a woman investigating her father’s violent death in Switzerland. A banker dying in the manner in which he did leads to more questions than answers. Realizing their unexpectedly shared goals, the pair combine efforts, at great personal risk, in order to track down and help locate billions in dirty money and assets.

This is definitely a book for anyone who has interest in fancy cars, espionage, or the dark side of global finance and how ill-gotten gains are laundered. I would recommend going back and reading the previous books as they’ll provide additional insight into Riske’s character and history. With that knowledge, the experience of reading this book will be enhanced.

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Boy Fallen By Chris Gill

Like a storm building over Tasman Bay, you can see the clouds of mystery gathering on the horizon in Boy Fallen. When the deluge of intrigue hits you, there is no escape. Chris Gill keeps readers second guessing until the very end. As the saying goes… three things cannot be long hidden; the sun, the moon, and the truth.

When the body of Evan Wiley, a wealthy and bullied teen, is found faceup at the base of Taonga Falls, the evidence leaves little doubt that it was a suicide. Detective Brooke Palmer returns to the hometown she was desperate to escape to comfort her oldest friend – Evan’s mother. 

When it becomes apparent that Evan had been hanging out with one of his high school tormentors, ghosts from her own past resurface. As she begins to assist with the case, the similarities and ties to her own brother’s tragic murder are to glaring to ignore.

Gill crafts an engaging small town thriller that is so relatable and familiar that even though the story is set in New Zealand, it could have occurred in my own hometown in the US. The universal wants and desires of the people just trying to survive everyday life is explored and examined in an entertaining, but meaningful way. As readers follow Evan’s path to self discovery, the prejudices common to the setting ring true. The struggle to understand who we really are is on full display as we watch each character battle their own inner demons and all we can do is hope they come out, mostly, intact on the other side.

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Don’t Know Tough By Eli Cranor

Don’t Know Tough is a somber, sadistic, and sobering look at the virtues, volatility, and violence of football and poverty in rural America. Eli Cranor's writing burns up the pages with authenticity and deserves every bit of acclaim it has received.

On the verge of the Arkansas state football playoffs, the Denton Pirates and coach Trent Powers are dependent on running back Billy Lowe’s athletic prowess. The problem is that Billy Lowe is as violent and explosive off the field as he is between the tackles.

When his mother’s abusive boyfriend is found dead in their trailer, a series of events unfold that will likely lead to heartbreak for all involved. The question isn’t whether the Pirates will get their hands on the trophy, it is whether or not the law will get theirs on Billy Lowe.

This book is every bit a story of a player and his coach as it is a murder mystery. The strained, and often time down right violent, relationships amongst the characters is what drives this story. While I initially picked it up after hearing it described as part Friday Night Lights, football is simply the stage upon which the real story plays out. The depths to which a coach or teacher might go to protect their players and students must have its limits, but what does one do when the circumstances and your faith blur that line beyond all recognition?

Don’t Know Tough is a story of paradoxes and promises. Every character is equal parts hero and villain, saint and sinner, good and evil. When the scenarios are this convoluted, right and wrong tend to disappear into the smoke of so many shades of gray. Cranor does an unbelievable job of weaving a compelling story, while exploring what it is to be human and our debt to each other.

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Wild Card By Stephen England

Wild Card is everything you want in a spy thriller and exactly what we’ve come to expect from an author of Stephen England’s talent. Nerve wracking in its plausibility, anxiety inducing with a constant state of tension, and scenarios that are an endless source of trepidation... you simply never know who can be trusted. This book is perfect for those readers like me who enjoy the gamble of trying to predict where the story is going.

In the complex world of espionage, even the most dangerous assets sometimes get lost in the shuffle. Regardless of the stakes, CIA paramilitary officer Harry Nichols is not someone you should bet against. When even allies are not willing to show their hands, Harry always has an ace up his sleeve. Trust me when I tell you that once you read the first page, you’ll be all in.

Set in Germany, circa 2007, an asset in Turkey has slipped the net and been spotted in Rheinland-Pfalz. Harry Nichols, had been on his way back to the US for a much deserved break, but at the last second is tasked with aiding the capture and rendition of the rogue informant. When the mission takes an unpredictable turn, it’s clear there is a grave and immediate threat playing out all around him. Working with his German counterparts, Nichols must deftly navigate through both the governmental bureaucracy and shadowy battlefield of international terrorism to disrupt the plot and stop the attack.

Fresh off of writing what I considered to be one of the best books in 2021, England is showing no signs of slowing down. With his trademark of hyperrealism via insanely thorough research, this story will have you questioning what actually happened in Germany during the height of the surge and how much of it is based on real life events.

This book is not as action packed as the previous books in the Shadow Warrior series, but the threats and tension are every bit as thrilling. If you haven’t started the series, this is the perfect time to read Wild Card to understand the events that shaped Nichols into the feared operator that he is.

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Secret Identity By Alex Segura

Secret Identity is the nostalgic romp through the comic book industry of the 1970s that you didn’t know you needed. With characters that elicit strong emotional responses, fascinating interwoven plotlines, and historical tidbits that demonstrate the author's passion and knowledge, Alex Segura crafts a compelling story that keeps you guessing until the very end. 

Carmen Valdez, a Cuban transplant from Miami, undertakes the Sysiphian task of creating a space for herself in the male dominated comic book industry of 1970s New York. When an unexpected opportunity presents itself that will allow her to achieve her dream of writing a superhero book, although anonymously from the shadows, the glimmer of hope is too enticing to let pass. 

When the man she is writing the book with is suddenly murdered, Carmen is driven to find out what happened. With her work life continuing to complicate itself at an exponential rate, fate piles on with a visit from Carmen’s past. Now both her personal and professional spheres are in chaos. The only questions to be asked are can she solve what is going on and will she survive the answers she finds?

Segura’s deep passion for comics is on dazzling display. I was enthralled by the knowledge and historical tidbits he sprinkled throughout the book. I often found myself on research tangents to find out more about the origins of many of today’s favorite characters and the artists and writers who created them. If you are a devoted comic fan, then this book will blow you away. If you are a casual fan like me… this book will still blow you away, but you may also find yourself checking out more comics afterwards.

 It’s a fun, engaging story for readers who enjoy noir, mysteries, and underdogs. In other words, everyone should love this book. 

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The Lightning Rod By Brad Meltzer

Brad Meztler’s writing talents seem to know no bounds. Whether he is writing a children’s book, historical non fiction, or his latest thriller… you know that you’re in for one hell of an entertaining read. The Lightning Rod, the second installment of the Zig and Nola series, is no different.  

Mortician “Zig” Zigarowski had made a career of preparing the bodies of the fallen soldier before he left the military. When he is specifically requested to work on the body of Archie Mint, an Army veteran, he thinks nothing of it. Zig decides to stick around during the funeral, feeling a sense of sympathy and connection to the grieving family, when he spots the woman who had saved his life two years ago. Military artist Nola Brown, a magnet for trouble, has suddenly reentered his life.

Not understanding Nola’s connection to the deceased, but keenly aware of the group of men intent on doing her harm, Zig does what Zig always does… and tries to help. When Nola’s long lost brother, an enigma of a figure in his own right, shows up, things go from bad to worse as the pair try to solve the larger puzzle. Coupled with his ex-wife’s insistence that Zig get to the bottom of a mystery involving their dead daughter, it’s everything he can do to keep from being blown away in the storm of chaos surrounding him.

As shock after shock keep hitting him, Zig powers through to uncover clues leading to a top-secret military unit, sinister murders, and Cold War era government facility that holds the key to our salvation… or destruction. Only one point of contact combines all the pieces, Nola Brown… the lightning rod. 

They say that opposites attract and there is no better example than this duo. Zig, selfless and sensitive, and Nola, independent and isolated, make little sense on paper, but are inexplicably drawn to each other. A modern day odd couple, the pair are hell bent on solving the mystery, regardless of the personal costs.

Like the slow burn of a long fuse before it ignites a giant fireworks display, The Lightning Rod begins with small, calculated increases in the level of the action and intensity. Every decision, regardless of how tiny it may seem, brings the characters towards the explosive finale. Complete with a dazzling display of emotional angst and regret, this book will connect with every reader.

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A Therapeutic Death By J.B. Stevens

A Therapeutic Death is a series of absolute gut punching short stories. The violence is visceral, the emotions cut like knives, and the consequences are devastating. J.B. Steven’s does an amazing job of sucking you in from the first word and doesn’t let you go until the explosive end.

The difficulty in creating the attachment necessary for readers to care about the characters on the page is difficult in a full length novel, to do so (repeatedly) in short story after short story was truly impressive. I experienced a wide range of feelings and uttered a few choice words while reading. 

I cannot wait to read more stuff from Stevens.

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The Girls In The Fire By Dea Poirier

The Girls in the Fire is the type of story that will have you blazing through the pages. Dea Poirier unfolds events in a slow burn, keeping the heat turned up on Detective Harlow Durant as she tries to stay hot on the trail of a murderer.  

The charred remains of a young woman are discovered near Saranac Lake, a tourist destination in upstate New York. Harlow and her partner Lucas race to the scene and are confronted by the brutality of the murder. With another serial killer active in the national park nearby, the body count and demand to solve the crimes is rising dramatically.  

While chasing down any and all leads, the sudden appearance of the woman Harlow spent a lifetime running away from brings a whole new level of stress and danger to the picturesque town. As her personal and professional life collide, it will take everything Harlow can muster to put an end to the killer’s activities before they strike again. 

For fans of protagonists with a dark past, this book is a must read. Harlow’s tragic upbringing has provided her with a unique viewpoint of the murderers she’s hunting. The dramatic dual storyline of Harlow’s childhood alongside the brutal slayings of the present is incredibly well done and readers will be unable to stop themselves from flipping to the next chapter to see what happens. 

The Girls in the Fire is the second installment of the series and you will be well served to jump in early. This is a solid police procedural with a dark and twisted flare. While there is not constant physical danger like some other series, the psychological components of this book are ever present and intense. Every misstep in the investigation is deeply felt through the reader’s attachment to Harlow and the hope that the sins of her past will not overwhelm her before she can atone for them.  

I should have started this book in the morning and cleared my plans for the day. Instead I made the mistake of starting in the evening and staying up into the early morning hours. Although, I will say it was worth every second of lost sleep.

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Girl in Ice By Erica Ferencik

While the characters in Girl in Ice must battle the hostile conditions of the Arctic to survive, Erica Ferenckik forces her readers to brave the elements of a good thriller; mystery, intrigue, suspense, and fear. This book will keep you frozen in place until you reach the dramatic conclusion.

On a remote island of Greenland’s coast, a young girl is found frozen in the ice by a group of climate scientists. The decision is made to thaw the girl out and, shockingly, she is alive and speaking a language no one understands. Val Chesterfield,  an expert in dead Nordic languages, is called in to help communicate with the child. Adding to the complexity of the situation, Val is the twin of a man who committed suicide at that same remote station. Battling her crippling anxiety, Val makes the decision to head north to find answers to her brother’s death. She will have to face the danger the wind and weather will bring, but it’s the predators that she’ll need to watch out for.

While the physical temperatures in the Arctic may be extremely low, Val is a hot mess psychologically. Her anxiety is easily triggered and the familial relationships she had depended on are frayed or gone. Val’s personal struggle of overcoming her fears and getting outside her comfort zone is one of the subplots I enjoyed the most.

As it would be expected when living at the edge of the world, there is plenty of physical danger and the threats are real and constant. When the slightest mistake can cost you your life, the tension and intrigue are plentiful.

Girl in Ice layers components of suspense, mystery, and a bit of science fiction to weave a thriller that is gritty, intense, and imaginative.

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Splinter Cell: Firewall By James Swallow

Sam Fisher is back and better than ever. James Swallow delivers an adrenaline pumping thrill ride that had me flipping pages faster than I thought possible. Firewall is a fantastic book and sets up the series for some very exciting possibilities. 

Veteran Fourth Echelon agent Fisher is busy recruiting and training the next generation of Splinter Cell operatives when an immediate threat is discovered. With other agents otherwise engaged around the world, Fisher must depend on the new addition to the team… a probational agent, who just happens to also be his daughter Sarah.

As events unfold, a deadly assassin from Fisher’s past reemerges as the cleaner for an egomaniacal titan of tech. Sam and Sarah must track down Gordian Sword, an all powerful quantum computer capable of neutralizing any electronic network, before it is used to reshape the world as we know it.

With the political and personal stakes this high, Swallow runs Fisher through a full gambit of physical and psychological pain. While he is concerned about his own well being, his daughter choosing to follow in his footsteps is one of the most difficult things he’s ever had to endure. 

Phenomenal pacing, great writing, and sublime intertwining plotlines left me holding my breath as I read. This is a book you will struggle to put down, so make sure to plan accordingly and clear anything on your calendar.

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Grim Measures By David Darling

Grim Measures is a gut punch of a novella that explores a parent's worst nightmare and asks the question... what wouldn’t you do to get your child back?

Months after Ava was taken, the abductor offered John a chance to bring his daughter home, but he had to perform several tasks. First on the list was killing FBI Special Agent Robert Rothman, lead investigator on the case—after that, things only got worse. Without his daughter, nothing else mattered. So, John clung to hope as he prepared to darken his soul.


David Darling’s trademark crisp writing and lightning fast pacing is once again on display in Grim Measures. Even with the reduced word count of a novella, there is enough physical action and psychological intrigue to keep readers engaged to the very end.

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Blue Fire By John Gilstrap

John Gilstrap, with his effective storytelling techniques weaves a compelling story of what would become of us in the aftermath of a nuclear war? With infrastructure and power blown back to the dawn of man, survival is the only daily goal.  

The plot of Blue Fire is like a pendulum, swinging back and forth between intense bouts of physical danger and the gut wrenching choices that must be made. The tension is constantly increasing, bubbling just below the surface, until it boils over and explodes into kinetic action. 

This dystopian story takes place in and around Ortho, West Virginia where former congressional representative Victoria Emerson has become the new leader of a small community. Struggling to provide basic needs, like food and shelter, she must navigate the complex political waters that come with a never ending stream of desperate refugees. When a gang of National Guardsmen comes to pilfer what they can, the residents of Ortho teach them the new meaning of hospitality.  

Blue Fire is full of action sequences and moral twisting decisions. It seems no matter what they choose, everything eventually goes up in flames. When every day activities are literally a matter of life and death; do you try to reshape the world as it was recently or do you devolve back into the means and methods of our ancient ancestors? 

Gilstrap takes readers directly into the minds of his characters as he explores ‘the line’ each person draws for themselves and is unwilling to cross to ensure their own survival. That the line continues to move as each day takes them further and further from the world they used to know propels the story from page one. It is a thought provoking exercise that will have readers continuously asking themselves…”would I be willing to do that?”

I had not read Crimson Phoenix before I dove into Blue Fire, but I quickly added it to my list. While knowledge and understanding of the origin of ‘Hell Day’ is helpful, it’s not essential to enjoying the second installment. With the series being so young, this is a great time to double up and read both back to back.

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Beneath The Stairs By Jennifer Fawcett

Beneath The Stairs is a spectacular debut novel. Jennifer Fawcett blends horror, mystery, and a sort of coming of age story into a single novel that will wreak havoc on your emotions and obliterate any hope of a normal night’s sleep.

It is said that all local legends have a kernel of truth to them, though exaggerated through the years. The same would be true for the residents of Sumner’s Mills, a sleepy village in upstate New York. The rumors and whispers about the Octagon House passed down from generation to generation had to start somewhere. 

Twenty years after a traumatic event that changed the trajectory of both her and her best friend Abby’s lives, Clare returns to her hometown to unravel the circumstances that led to Abby to return to the cursed building and attempt to end her life. Still grieving from a personal loss and her own life unraveling, Clare must sift through the horrific events of the past in order to find some semblance of understanding in the present. 

I’ll be the first to admit that this is not the typical type of thriller that I read. I often find myself drawn more towards books that have a healthy dose of physical danger (i.e. bullets flying, bombs going off, etc.)...but I was absolutely spellbound by this story. I waited to start this book on a cold and stormy evening and ended up reading all night, finishing a few hours before dawn. It was a perfectly terrifying night to read this type of story.

The multiple plotlines are full of physical danger, emotional turmoil, and psychological uncertainty that go from cover to cover. It absolutely scared the crap out of me and caused me to cast an anxious look at every shadow that fell across the wall, flinch at each creak from the house settling, and jump at any noise outside my windows. 

I applaud Jennifer on a masterful story and look forward to reading more in the future.

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

No Second Chances By Rio Youers

Like passing over the event horizon of a black hole, once you start your journey into this book you are driven by an invisible force until the dramatic conclusion. There is no escape, no other options, No Second Chances. 

 

In this epic tale of violence, verve, and vindication, characters’ loyalties and limbs are tried, torn, and twisted. When savagery and serendipity collide, survival is the best one can hope for in the City of Angels.

Aspiring actress Kitty Rae is still waiting for her big break after tossing caution to the wind and moving to LA. Getting by as a drug courrier for a lower level meth dealer, Kitty is given a big opportunity… just not the one she was expecting. When Johan Fly, aka The Cali Viking, convinces her to come and work for him instead, Kitty is suddenly thrust elbow to elbow with the rich and famous. Johan uses his status as a YouTuber and Instagram influencer to establish a drug enterprise catering to the Hollywood elite. 

 

The most famous… well, infamous… celebrity in Kitty’s life is actually her neighbor, who she just happened to rescue from taking his own life. Luke Kingsley, former star and alleged wife killer, has had little to live for the past three years since the disappearance of his soul singer wife, Lisa Hayes. He has even less hope of things ever turning around, that is until Kitty enters the scene.

 

When Johan catches on to Kitty skimming his wonder drug for her own personal use, things go very badly… very quickly. Dragging Luke into the situation only complicates things as the pair cook up an elaborate scheme to keep Kitty and her family safe. With a bit of dumb luck while implementing their plan, clues from the night Lisa went missing resurface, along with the former LAPD detective hell bent on putting Luke away for life. 

 

Rio Youers initially guides you by the elbow as he shows you around the L.A. universe of his creation like a man at a housewarming party giving a tour of his new multi million dollar mansion. He points out areas of interest, introduces you to some intriguing folks, and then half way through he says he wants to show you something special. By all accounts up until then it’s been an interesting and pleasant experience so you trust him. What could go wrong?

 

Then Rio smiles, opens a side door and gives you a full force shove over the edge of a cliff, suddenly you are flying through the air, catapulting down the Hollywood hills with no way of stopping yourself until the very end.


Udo Kier once said “the villain is the character people remember” and I have never felt that statement ring more true than in No Second Chances. Rio has crafted one of the most believable, brutal, and bombastic villains of all time. With a violent streak that would make even the most ruthless of his Viking ancestors blush, Johan Fly will go down as one of the greatest antagonists I’ve ever read. There is a simplicity to his logic and a purity to his barbary. The man is evil incarnate, masked with a golden smile and tens of thousands of adoring fans lapping up every morsel of carefully crafted bullshit that he broadcasts over social media.

I realize it is incredibly early in the year, but I just cannot see No Second Chances and Rio Youers not picking up a truckload of awards come the end of 2022.

Follow Todd on Twitter or contact him via the site.

Purchase No Second Chances
(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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