Endless Vessel By Charles Soule

The thriller genre tends to be dominated with guns-blazing knuckle-blustering fast-paced narratives that dabble little in the art of philosophical and fantastical elements. That’s why it’s always a huge delight when I come across books that embody the heart-pumping relentlessness of thrillers with a hearty note of extraordinary scenarios that truly surprise you with the messages they convey. This, in a nutshell, is Endless Vessel.

Charles Soule paints a vivid and scary portrait of our world a few years down the line where a large global population has succumbed to a depression plague known as The Grey. It infects indiscriminately, leaving those it infects with a hopelessness in the face of the world. When Lily Barnes, a scientist working in Hong Kong, comes across a mysterious device seemingly aimed at giving the people a better future, she discovers a hidden message meant just for her. As she follows her curiosity, she has no idea the magnitude of the storm that’s put in her path. She’s pulled into a mesmerizing interwoven tale of intrigue, danger, philosophy, love, and science in the most unimaginable and creative story that doesn’t just leave you with an experience, but with profound questions you would want to answer for yourself.

Endless Vessel is a journey across nations, time, and worlds with stunning and cinematic action sequences written with a surprisingly great amount of detail to help you visualize the scenes in crisp clarity. From clandestine organizations to rioting rebels, the story encapsulates a grand theme and setting without getting bogged down.  The rather extraordinary nature of the narrative makes it so there’s always a new angle for readers to consider and invest themselves in, always another chapter to dive into, and always one more page to read before a good night’s sleep. It’s a slippery slope but the finale is worth it.

Endless Vessel is an excellent break from traditional thrillers and it is sure to appeal to those seeking danger and excitement in the escape of their books as well as those wishing to embark on a grand adventure unlike anything they’ve read before. It’s a thinker and it’s gonna stay with you for quite a while.   

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Six Bullets To A Man By Jethro Wegener

Jethro Wegener answers the burning scenario in the hearts and minds of thriller readers who wondered how awesome it would be to have a kickass vigilante in the 70’s with a penchant for dishing out justice against corrupt officials and racists in a small town in Mississippi. The answer to that is Duke Gibbs. Heed this name, for it has the potential to continue long past this date.

Duke Gibbs is a Black Ops soldier with brutal combat and tactics under his belt after being assigned to SOG in Vietnam. He returns home after a haunting tragedy to make amends, finding himself embroiled in a conspiracy involving missing Black citizens and a sheriff who seems eager to push Gibbs out of the town. With a promise to fulfill, Gibbs takes matters into his own hands and digs deep into a shocking mystery that will shake the foundation of the town to its core. Fighting hoodlums, trained assassins, and corrupt officials, Gibbs makes for one heck of an adventurous and extraordinary protagonist.

Six Bullets to a Man packs a mean punch with brutally sharp action sequences that spark authenticity and an adrenaline rush second to none. Think of Jack Reacher but with an even more action-heavy narrative at every twist and turn as Gibbs gets deeper into the heart of the conspiracy. Wegener keeps the story running at a buttery-smooth pace that makes this thriller one of the most entertaining and easiest reads I’ve ever come across. Every interaction, every development corresponds proportionally to the scope of the action that grows larger and darker by the chapter. Not only do we empathize with Gibbs on his mission as he battles corruption due to Wegener’s gut-wrenching depiction of racism in its true form, but we also understand his reasons that are ultimately triggered more by strategy than blind emotions. The connection that’s established with Gibbs is a lasting bond that hooks you into the story. It also helps that Wegener puts crisp details into his story that make the place come alive in all its glory and horror. You feel the sun shining on you as Gibbs strolls around uncomfortably in a town that caters to racists, you feel the impact of bullets swirling around, and you feel the thirst for justice that Gibbs delivers.

Six Bullets to a Man is a fantastic debut that reads more like an enthralling thriller by a seasoned writer than a budding one and sets up an incredible new series that thriller fans will gobble up. I can’t wait to read the next one. Duke Gibbs is the man!

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The Peacock And The Sparrow By I.S. Berry

The Peacock and the Sparrow is an engaging espionage and character-driven narrative that speaks to the dark, thankless, and necessary trade of spies. I.S. Berry may be a new face in the thrillerverse, but she propels the debut with her explosive and palpable challenges as a former CIA officer. If you prefer your spy books to emphasize the grounded tone of operating behind enemy lines, you’ll want to pay attention.

Embodying a first person POV, I.S Berry takes us on a treacherous journey as Shane Collins, a world-weary CIA spy who is just wanting for his career to be over. He is stationed in Bahrain off the coast of Saudi Arabia for his final tour as an intelligence officer working with and against all the sides in the ongoing conflict of uncovering Iranian support for the insurgency against the monarchy. Unsure of who to trust anymore, he leaves a solitary life. His banal outlook changes as his trusted informant ropes him into a revolution that upends all that he had come to believe in. All that he can do is trust to work through the storm and uncover the blurred lines between the dark secrets of both Bahrain and the United States.

It will catch you off-guard with how unlikable its protagonist is. With deep-rooted flaws and some out-right revulsion, it isn’t a happy tale. Perhaps that’s why this narrative stands out so well when it dissects the dark side of espionage where everyone looks out for themselves and no one can be trusted. There are no flashy action sequences. The lack of action however is complimented by sharp dialogues and fascinating twists and turns that focus on Shane Collins navigating through changes in his life just when he imagined all would be over for him. The genuine nature of the described espionage tradecrafts gives it a tinge of non-fiction flavor as if listening to an old-school story by a man looking back at his regrets. The thriller aspect kicks in almost immediately though, as Collins starts unraveling dirty secrets right in the midst of a growing revolution, packing in a paradoxical chaotic serenity where anything can happen but you are put in the mindset to watch everything turn to ash as a parting gift.

Indulge yourself in a dark, unpredictable, twisty, and grim espionage thriller that reads like a true account of a burned-out spy trying to do something right when all seems to be going horribly wrong. The Peacock and the Sparrow is a marvelous and intellectual debut of warring ideologies in a land where no one can be trusted, not even the ‘good’ guys.

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Weapons Of Opportunity By Dale Brown

Weapons of Opportunity takes you on an exhilarating adventure on the ground and in the sky with energetic action sequences that one fully hopes to find in the best of Dale Brown’s thrillers. 

Nick Flynn and his team at Quartet Directorate, composed of the world’s best and sharpest, get their latest mission when a CIA executive drops off the grid. The situation abruptly escalates when Flynn discovers it was a trap orchestrated by Russian oligarch Pavel Voronin and his shadowy Raven Syndicate to get rid of Flynn and his crew as he plans to unleash a cutting-edge stealth automated aircraft to use in the next wave of attacks against America. Flynn and his crew must gain the upper hand aggressively lest they lose the battle for the safety of millions of lives. 

Dale Brown amps up the wild action sequences that thrill you to your heart’s content. There’s no shortage of pulse-pounding shootouts headlined by cooler-than-ice Nick Flynn settling into his kinetic role as the head of the team. From start to finish, the narrative steams ahead at full speed with all the cloak and dagger secrecy spy thriller fans enjoy immensely and before you know it, you’re knee deep in bullets and explosives. You’re compelled to join Flynn as he takes out bad guys by infiltrating the enemy bases on foot, via dangerous aerial incursions, or by utilizing cool near-futuristic transports that sound like something out of Star Wars but with a more grounded feel to them. Brown’s descriptions of weaponry and equipment add that touch of grittiness to the as-of-yet-science-fiction elements which immensely raises the stakes for the whole narrative.

As the third entry in the Nick Flynn series, Weapons of Opportunity is a major escalation for the conflict between The Quartet Directorate and Raven Syndicate as the finale is both a win and loss for the good guys. Brown wonderfully sets up a high stakes face-off that remains to be resolved, on par with the best in the thriller genre. 

For readers who like their action sequences bursting with badass tech and intense skirmishes in an almost non-stop pacing, Weapons of Opportunity is an immensely satisfying story with all the elements of an extraordinary thriller.

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Triggers By Stephen Leather

Just when you think Stephen Leather’s thrillers cannot get any darker, he pulls a fast one on you. Triggers offers a peculiarly twisting narrative with an unorthodox protagonist with a caveat I haven’t read in thrillers so far. It’s an unsettling and awesome fusion of action and psychological thriller elements.

Marianne spends her days and nights planning out hits to exact brutal revenge on those who wronged her in a past life. Having trained herself in all aspects of living a dangerous life, she leans on the broken figments of her sanity, none more than the other personalities in her head who all serve specific roles in helping her survive. Her uncanny abilities bring her to the attention of a clandestine organization with a directive to surgically eliminate threats against British interests. As Marianne is looped in, we start to glimpse behind the façade that Marianne has so shrewdly hidden herself behind, one that you don’t see coming until it hits you fast and hard.

Stephen Leather demonstrates apt skill at writing an action-packed psychological thriller where the action is wild and the plot slowly unravels with a huge twist that flips the entire plot on its head. Marianne kicks ass, drives fast, and shoots straight in a barrage of technically-annotated action sequences that bear Stephen Leather’s trademark style of storytelling through unbridled violence. Not only do we get to see Marianne fight her way out of intense skirmishes, but we see the toll of all that Marianne faces chip away at her soul in a mind-shattering presence, the likes of which are not so openly explored in action thrillers. It also offers a differing voice from the action standpoint as Stephen Leather’s switcheroo of personalities living within Marianne, all fleshed out enough to feel like wholly different beings, depending on the situation adds a layer of stellar character development even in the midst of shootouts and fisticuffs. 

Triggers is an innovative action-packed thriller that brings something new and raw to the table to help readers appreciate the power of vulnerable protagonists and the wounds they hide in order to survive. Thrillers like Triggers offer the most resonating protagonists, one whom we desperately wish to see succeed, simply because we see them as genuine people rather than words on paper.

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Dark Horizon By James Swallow

James Swallow’s latest thriller takes the action 40,000 feet in the sky, bursting with intensity and anticipation of each subsequent page from the explosive opening. Dark Horizon is a brutal and uncompromising narrative of the lengths one will go to protect their loved ones, whether they’re trained pilots or not. 

Kate Hood left the RAF under shrouded circumstances, now flying private for rich folks. When she’s pulled in for an urgent flight, she feels something off-kilter immediately, with government-issue vehicles and weapons guarding a hooded body. Her mission is to simply fly the covert cargo to a non-extradition nation. Unbeknownst to her, she has stepped foot in a web of danger and conspiracy centered around the cargo’s potential link to a violent terrorist conspiracy, not only putting her at risk but also those she cares deeply for. It quickly becomes a race for survival for both Hood in the air and her loved ones on the ground.

Dark Horizon packs the adventurous and exotic vibes of Swallow’s Nomad series. His focus on the plight of believable and life-like characters makes the turmoil all the more impactful as the characters, faced with imminent threat, pull off desperate maneuvers to starve off the danger. Kate Hood is a strong and admirable protagonist who shines with her take-charge-no-bs attitude, whether she’s playing coy or dodging missiles from Reaper drones in a jet hardly designed to sustain such crazy high-speed G-turns. 

The action sequences are a thing of beauty, especially the aforementioned dogfight between a Reaper and a Hawker jet, an unlikely pairing but visualized and executed stupendously by Swallow in visceral style that every reader will take the time to say Holy Moly. The crises on ground is just as exciting and thrilling, with Hood’s firefighting boyfriend stopping at nothing to save his son from the dangers set upon them by Hood’s impromptu mission.

Dark Horizon connects a multitude of characters and parallel storyline in such densely packed writing that you don’t even need to worry about losing track. The fast-paced spidey-sense-tingling story with twists upon twists will have you biting your nails to the quick in anticipation of how it will all unfold. It’s a must-read standalone thriller that you will want to read with minimal interruption just because the unfolding of the action feels so addictive.

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Flash Point By Don Bentley

Flash Point is one of Don Bentley’s most adrenaline-fueled thrillers in the Clancyverse, with high stakes for our beloved characters and fantastic character developments to usher in a new age of the franchise.

Jack Ryan Jr. is putting on his leadership pants as he takes his team over the globe to investigate aggressive Chinese tactics from kidnapping scientists to midair collisions that all serve some mysterious mission that Ryan must get on top of before the threat hits close to home, particularly the members of The Campus.

Don Bentley wastes no time in heating up the conflicts with cutthroat action sequences as the narrative kicks off with an exciting shootout and an adrenaline-pumping immersive bike chase in Germany. That’s just the tip of the iceberg. There’s submarine action, aerial action, and an absolute beast of a climax as Ryan Jr. guns and runs to save a certain Campus member from gruesome death.

What makes Flash Point such an impressive entry in the Clancyverse is the sense of mortal danger that’s instilled in the characters and ultimately seeps through to readers. Quite often, thrillers fall into the rut of having the protagonist accomplish the most ludicrous feats without any palpable dangers faced. Don Bentley takes some well-timed risks with the characters to deliver a high stakes narrative. It also serves to place Ryan Jr. in a leadership role for fresh blood in the series, one that puts him in a new light just as he’s recuperating from the gruesome events of the last book and also lays the foundation of a new chapter in his life as he evaluates his priorities.

Flash Point is an excellent thriller supercharged with state-of-the-art technology in tandem with marvelous action and fantastic new characters to carry this series further into the promising future. Bentley delivers a masterclass in thrillers!

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The Last Songbird By Daniel Weizmann

The Last Songbird is grounded noir storytelling at its most compelling. Putting the spotlight on a simple man trying to use commonly available resources to seek justice, it doesn’t take too long before you start seeing yourself in the protagonist.

A struggling songwriter, Adam Zantz, coasts the Californian roads as a Lyft driver. His sad demeanor changes when he accepts a ride request in Malibu for the 1970s music icon Annie Linden. Sharing a love of music, they become good friends and he becomes her exclusive driver over the next three years as she imparts her lyrical wisdom on him. It all comes tumbling down when she’s found murdered one day and Adam is charged as an accomplice-after-the-fact. Rather than going off the rails with unbelievable expose and action, Daniel Weizmann presents a thrilling, down-to-earth, relatable story of the depths of hell a man like Adam will go to, not just to clear his name, but for all that is worth everything to him.

The narrative is marked with sincere tones of regret and humility as Adam digs deep into the secrets of Annie Linden. A person he thought he knew. Even though the storyline is set in present day, Weizmann takes readers and Adam on a lovely but dark stroll through the 70’s in LA, not through flashbacks, but through stories with a grand story, a marvelous technique that leaves you longing for connection to a time you may not have even been born in. 

The noir theme is brilliantly executed in all its glory, harkening to the cinematic quality of masterpieces like Taxi Driver and Drive. Even with a slower than usual pace of crime solving, given the unofficial nature of the protagonist, there is a sense of urgency that simmers throughout the narrative, beckoning readers to stay connected with Adam in his mission to unearth dark secrets about Annie’s murder. All unfolds in due time, not one page sooner and not one line later than it is supposed to. The twists and turns pump up the enthusiasm in the gloomiest of settings.

With an oceanic backdrop catering to a happening city with all-too-real skeletons in closets, The Last Songbird is an apt example of a thriller done right where the protagonist is so relatable that it feels unsettling. Daniel Weizmann nails it!

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The Devil You Know By Chris Hauty

Chris Hauty brings back Hayley Chill in a vulnerable fashion that has our kickass protagonist grappling with the weighty demons of her past endeavors, from the dark secrets of her family to her recent near-death experiences in combat. 

The murder of a Supreme Court Justice by one of the police officers assigned to protect him stuns the entire nation with no plausible motive behind the barbaric act. When Hayley Chill’s superiors detect a hint of something sinister happening behind the scenes, they assign her to protect another Justice in Maui where incidentally a group of school kids is kidnapped by highly trained mercenaries. Not one to believe in coincidences, Hayley is tasked with rescuing the kids and protecting her charge before the nefarious plot by secret moneymen reaches its final stage.

Hauty keeps fans of the series on their toes as he shakes things up to shine the light on a new side to Hayley Chill. While she retains her powerful presence, there’s a broken quality to her that leaves her vulnerable on mission, both physically and mentally. There’s a sense of impending failure where readers can no longer be sure if Hayley Chill will in fact save the day. This reticence brings a fresh change of pace for thriller readers to devour and appreciate. It also allows for new characters to shine in the series that match Hayley Chill and sometimes even go beyond her efforts to get the job done.

In addition to the barebones thriller material, Hauty very cleverly weaves together elements that tinker on the line between grounded and supernatural. With Hayley constantly hallucinating her friend April after her demise, Hayley seemingly gets to learn about things from her dead friend. However, there are enough breadcrumbs to possibly dispel a total supernatural mystique as we see April’s astral form as simply a way for Hayley’s intelligent and inquisitive line of thought to break through her drunken stupor and clouded judgements, making for quite a lot of “oh damn” moments throughout the narrative. It can still be quite scary at times if you’re reading at night however.

The Devil You Know reads fast and furious with a timely narrative and a realistic threat for badass protagonist Hayley Chill. It works marvelously as a stepping stone in Chill’s progress back to her top form after learning from her mishaps. 

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Dead Drop By M.P Woodward

M.P Woodward follows up his raging debut with a banger sequel that escalates both the action and the global stakes while tackling the dangerous game of espionage with a distinctive and grounded twist in Dead Drop.

When nuclear talks between US and Iran gain steam towards a possibly peaceful negotiation, both parties are determined to see it through. However, Mossad believes the negotiation to render a moot point and continues pursuing an aggressive game plan against Iran. When the Israeli intelligence agency seeks to locate an Iranian rocket scientist, they must turn to John and Meredith Dale to gain access to an Iranian captive who was captured by the husband-and-wife pair of spies. But with nerves shot to hell, there is no time for niceties and in addition to finding the Iranian scientist, John and Meredith must put aside their marital issues and face off against a blood-lusting Mossad official who wants his targets without any regard for innocent lives caught in the crossfire.

M.P Woodward creates an intriguing dynamic around the common running theme in the genre by subtly casting individual characters as good and not-so-good as opposed to painting the whole canvas with a generic brush. It beckons you to invest your time and emotions into the flawed characters with their relatable predicaments, especially with how wildly unpredictable the chain of events gets at certain moments. While it’s almost a given that Dale would get into fisticuffs with Iranian assassins, squaring off against the Mossad adds that tinge of freshness that thriller readers don’t ordinarily get to read. This is where M.P Woodward’s characters really shine as they, for the most part, defy the stereotypes in their motivations.

Speaking of interesting characters, John Dale’s character development continues to be stellar and captivating as he is very much a vulnerable and human protagonist who feels both the punches he takes and those he inflicts. The action sequences capitalize on the unwilling nature of John who doesn’t want to get embroiled in the shadow of death anymore but he can’t escape it. As such, the action is written with an emphasis on realistic combat that emphasizes smart and dirty battle moves in the path to survival with lasting trauma at the cost of living.

Dead Drop is a genuine spy thriller akin to a deadly game of chess that takes place on a global board with the added complexity of both sides playing for and against each other, making it harder for readers and characters alike to distinguish friends from foes. M.P Woodward continues to impress and dazzle with his budding series and I can’t wait to see where he takes John and Meredith next.

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Only The Dead By Jack Carr

Jack Carr is not one to shy away from exploring the darker psyche of prey and predator, and Only The Dead is a prime example of how Carr continues to get darker and better as the series progresses. 

After the harrowing ending of In The Blood, James Reece is biding his time in prison, holding onto his fleeting sanity, just long enough for the promise of revenge. Grabbing the first opportunity he gets, Reece sets off on a warpath against those behind the conspiracy. As he digs deep, he realizes it’s the same cabal of powerful forces in the shadows his father had faced. Motivated by a grueling bloodlust, desire to keep his loved ones safe, and quest for justice, Reece barrels down a dark road, one that significantly alters the hero we have come to love through the books.

Only The Dead is an exciting departure from the previous books in the series, serving as a cathartic resolution for the long-running plot about Reece’s father as well as for all the demons that Reece has accumulated so far in his violent adventures. Carr pushes his protagonist to his breaking point as he struggles to reconcile the voices in head, scaring those around him as the demons begin to manifest physically. At the same time, his darker mindset pushes him harder than ever in his war, carving up his antagonists with all sorts of melee weapons and stitching up the rest with generous bursts of gunfire. 

Carr’s depictions of action are in a wholly separate league in the thrillerverse. Whereas many action sequences sparkle with cinematic tinge to them, the action in Only The Dead is rather messy, visceral, and brutally realistic. Reece dispatches his enemies with the most utterly devastating and gut-wrenching wounds with tomahawks, stiletto blades, improvised weapons, and trusty firearms in artistic sequences of unbridled violence that showcase the true nature of bloodshed where the bad guys, pumped full of adrenaline and wearing bulletproof armor, take a rather long time to die even when Reece has gone to work on their limbs and other body parts with blades and bullets. There is a brilliant action sequence in a Russian bathhouse that harkens the cinematic vibe of John Wick combat, but even more grounded with Carr’s detailed and unflinching descriptions of hardcore combat. The bloody action sequences alone are worth the price of admission.

Only the Dead is also a fantastic foray into a more conspiracy-centric storyline that gives the narrative a much more espionage-laden vibe than its predecessors.  James Reece acts more like a spy than a soldier here, uncovering clues towards a grand scheme of a group pulling the strings from behind the scenes, with members in the most exclusive clubs. 

In true Carr style, you’ll come for the action and you’ll stay for the fascinating historical tidbits that make you more knowledgeable by the time you reach the final page. There is so much to enjoy in this one and I can definitely attest to Only The Dead surpassing In the Blood as my favorite James Reece thriller. I wasn’t sure I would finish this book in a day but somehow, I did because once you begin, you are totally immersed in the gripping storytelling and wild action. Jack Carr continues to get exponentially better at his craft.

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Forgotten War By Don Bentley

Forgotten War is Don Bentley’s masterpiece so far. Not only does he up his game in the action department, but he cleverly entwines the adrenaline with the emotional receptors that make Forgotten War the grandest yet most personal Matt Drake mission yet.

Matt Drake’s tranquility is shattered once again when his best friend, Frodo, is arrested for a murder he supposedly committed in Afghanistan in 2011. With Afghanistan falling under Taliban control and the arrest details redacted, Drake has to work the case on his own, his leads taking him back to where it all started. At the same time, Drake’s in-laws come to him seeking help in rescuing his wife’s cousin who traveled to Afghanistan for a wedding and is now trapped in the country in the midst of chaos and evacuation. With the whole world flying out of the fallen country, it’s gonna take Drake more than a few miracles to work his way in there and successfully pull off two different missions, but both equally important.

Don Bentley outdoes himself with the action sequences. They’re best described as beautiful symphonies of precise and calculated aggression with the uncertain chaos of Murphy’s Laws. Drake finds himself manning all sorts of weapons in his engagements, varying from the close quarters MP5 to the thumping demonic DShK heavy machine gun depending on the mission parameters. Each shootout puts you in the driver’s seat with Drake so you feel the adrenaline course through your bloodstream, with descriptions so vivid and crisp you can’t help but read each action sequence again and again to relive their sheer awesomeness and badassness. 

Yet, it’s how Don Bentley ties the kinetic nature to the heart of the narrative that fully cements Forgotten War as one of the finest action thrillers. While Drake has undoubtedly faced personal stakes in his missions before, none of them have felt as poignant. Fall of Afghanistan, Frodo’s arrest, and a young girl trapped; all factors brilliantly highlight Drake’s psyche in unique aspects. Drake’s sentiments about Afghanistan echo those of servicemen and servicewomen who’ve served in the country and now feel disillusioned and he finds some solace in the shared strength of his fellow soldiers despite all that has gone wrong. In addition to his quest to exonerate his best friend and confidant, he also undertakes the unofficial and desperate mission to rescue his wife’s cousin. As Drake’s about to become a father, the barbaric concept of a helpless child stuck in a lawless land rubs him the worst possible way and it’s this feeling that Don Bentley captures so eloquently that one can’t help but wholeheartedly support Drake’s craziest plans so far in the face of evil for the pursuit of justice.

The Forgotten War is a multi-layered thriller that puts as much emphasis on the action as it does on the characters that drive the action forward. Timely, emotionally-charged, and breathtaking, it has everything going for it to be on my top 3 list for 2023 and I’m not even worried that the year hasn’t even started yet.

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City Of Dreams By Don Winslow

Don Winslow beautifully expands his hauntingly dark crime saga with a thriller that packs all sorts of punches. You’re going to need a strong stomach for this one. 

City of Dreams picks up where City on Fire ended, with our protagonist Danny Ryan on the run from the mafia and the cops after a heist gone wrong. Negotiating a truce between him and all those after him for the sake of protecting his young son, he tries to go legit in the world of Hollywood. But that’s the funny thing about crime, once it settles its hooks in, it follows you around. Soon, Danny finds himself in love again, up against new foes, and facing new challenges that define a new era in his life of pain and chaos. 

Winslow writes his characters with a heavy hand of suffering and flaws that reflect the best and worst of humanity. His descriptions have a magical quality to them as every chapter comes to life in vivid brushstrokes of conflicting emotions and terrifying realizations. You genuinely start to feel for the characters as Winslow puts them through the worst situations possible, making you root for them instinctively with a passionate stake in finding out what happens to them. City of Dreams is more of a character-driven narrative that progresses by emphasizing Ryan’s transformative journey into a man we’d only seen glimpses of in the first book.

The locations in City of Dreams take on lives and personalities of their own, from dusty and anxious motel rooms to the equally anxiety-inducing but also exotic darkness of Hollywood-esque landscapes with dark secrets brewing in the shadows. You can’t help but feel the palpable energy of the intense scenes in iconic backdrops, sometimes so much so that it takes a while to take it all in.

What Don Winslow has so masterfully done is differentiate City of Dreams from City on Fire in terms of tone, setting, and characters while maintaining the vibrancy of intense writing that is the trademark of a genuine Winslow. One can only wonder what trouble he has cooked up in his next and final thriller. If only time could move faster.

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The Instructor By T.R. Hendricks

The Instructor is a hard-boiled action thriller that holds back no punches in its endeavor to entertain readers with sincere storytelling that emphasizes the plight of humans today in the face of lost identities and philosophical conundrums. I still can’t believe it’s a debut because it reads like one penned by a veteran author.

Derek Harrington spends his days teaching wilderness survival skills to Wall Street guys and gals looking for an adventure, having learned from the best as a retired Marine Force Recon and SERE instructor. When an enigmatic student offers him $20,000 to instruct a private group for 30 days in upstate New York, he feels a strong tug in his heart to make quick money for his family. However, there’s more to the group than meets the eye and soon Derek finds himself embroiled in an undercover operation to infiltrate the group led by a seemingly harmless but ultimately ruthless leader with no regard for anything but his own people. It quickly becomes a race against time as Derek tries to ward off suspicions during his undercover operation, lest they realize they’ve got an infiltrator among their ranks.

T.R. Hendricks yields no compromises on the unrelenting action to the bass of the thumping narrative buzzing at light-speed. There’s no wasted moment as the story quickly gets Derek in the crosshairs of a megalomaniac and it’s during the most dangerous of times for Derek that we get to know him so closely, not just by his words, but by his actions and his predicaments. On the surface, Derek seems prone to anger owing to his PTSD, but as the narrative progresses, we begin to explore his psyche with a newfound respect for his battles against the demons in his head. T.R. Hendricks humanizes his protagonist with all the vulnerabilities that elevate a protagonist to a hero.

This character development works in harmony with the aggressive action sequences that attest to Derek’s brilliant tactician mind as he must battle the very foes he helped train. T.R. Hendricks proves himself capable of writing tactical shootouts that capture the kinetic essence of precise movements grounded in the chaotic energy of battlegrounds.

The Instructor is one heck of an enjoyable debut that will have you preordering the sequel without hesitation. After finishing the book, you’ll find it impossible to think ‘badass’ without picturing Derek Harrington’s rugged charisma.

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Double Or Nothing By Kim Sherwood

Double or Nothing is a bold new take on the world of James Bond with fresh-faced protagonists paired up with returning characters from Ian Fleming’s work.

When 007 goes missing and is presumed dead by the MI6 at large, the fate of his discovery and the safety of the larger world fall to three new 00’s, the very best and brightest of the modern MI6 with license to kill. Each with their own personal connection either to Bond or the mission, find themselves on parallel roads when a tech billionaire claims to be able to prevent the climate crisis. This enigmatic and potentially world-altering claim sends the three 00’s on globetrotting assignments with exotic dangers awaiting them. The plot thickens when the disappearance of James Bond appears to have some connection with the tech billionaire and it’s only the beginning of the unrelenting twists and turns that keep you on your toes.

Kim Sherwood weaves together missions and characters running in tandem to achieve a singular goal without any of them realizing the bigger picture till the opportune moment, which makes for a very twisty narrative that hits you unexpectedly throughout its length. Even though James Bond is present in spirit and memory of the characters as the story progresses, the focus is undeniably on the new protagonists that come from diverse backgrounds equipped with distinctive and inclusive personalities to match the modern climate. A far cry from the suave and unflinching demeanor of Bond, these new 00’s grapple with the morality and lasting emotions of their actions in profound manners that shape them further as the new generation of spies and assassins.

In addition to the cerebral nature of the narrative, Kim Sherwood augments the story with well-placed crisp action sequences that match the wild, raw, and exotic vibes of Double or Nothing. From stealth incursions to brutal fisticuffs, all the way to a very Bond-like vehicular combat, there’s plenty of excitement to go around for readers who prefer their spy stories with a dash of cinematic action.

The world-building styled prose requires some getting used to for those who are more interested in fast-paced storytelling but ultimately, Double or Nothing is a rewarding spy thriller with a sinister overtone that will surely carry over to the next book after that terrifying cliffhanger.

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Blind Spots By Thomas Mullen

Thomas Mullen has pulled off a dangerously awesome mesh of genres in which he gels gut-wrenching horror with inquisitive and action-packed storytelling in a science-fiction setting to create one of 2023’s most distinctive reads. 

Homicide detective Mark Owens lives in a world like ours, except for an unexplainable world altering event that made every person on Earth go blind almost immediately, an event referred to as The Blinding. Now people go about their lives with technology implanted in their minds that allows them to see once again. If the worst was somehow thought to be over, a new murderer comes to town. The only problem is, those left alive swear they saw only a black blur where they should have clearly seen a person. How is it that the murderer can tap into the vision feeds so easily? It rattles all that Owens has come to depend upon after losing his sight, and leads him on a quest to uncover a conspiracy buried beneath the dark veneer of surveillance and disinformation.

Blind Spots is a powerful thriller that rallies readers with resonating sentiments about all sorts of ideas, from the philosophical connotations of natural sight, all the way to the dangerous age of information-gathering through an uneasy number of means as we experience today. Thomas Mullen demonstrates an exuberant brilliance as he builds and populates a haunting dystopian world that grounds readers with how plausible the events following The Blinding seem, taking into account political, socio-economic, and all sorts of factors that influence human behavior as it is today. I was mesmerized and frightened as Mullen explains what could very well happen in such a devastating event and how we could become even more hopelessly dependent on technology that we may not be able to even trust ourselves.

As Mark Owens brings along the readers for uncovering a dark conspiracy, there’s never a dull moment. From constantly exciting unfolding of twists to gritty action, you can’t find a good place to put the book down because each new chapter brings along a revelation that rejuvenates your desire to keep reading. Whether it’s cool car chases, pulse-pounding shootouts, or the feral nature of not knowing whether you’re rooting for a good guy or not, Blind Spots is a powerhouse of a thriller that has something for every reader to take away an experience that’s one to remember. This book helped me get through a very, very long international flight and even as I did my best to slow down and savor it over the entire flight, I was flipping through the pages fast enough to become a fire hazard.  It’s a dangerously addictive read indeed.

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The Guilty One By Bill Schweigart

The Guilty One is a mind-churning psychological crime thriller that plays as much with your emotions as it does with your head as Bill Schweigart takes you through a razor-sharp balance between reality and insanity.

Cal Farrell is a sort of celebrity in Alexandria when he is hailed by the public as the hero cop who stopped and gunned down an active shooter. Cal wishes he could relish in this celebration but he can’t seem to remember what exactly happened in those scary moments. As he works with a psychologist to tap into his memories, he comes across a vicious killer whose body count keeps ramping up in his city. With patterns and clues that draw Cal in closer in his hunt for the killer, things begin to add up and not in his favor. The narrative becomes a dangerous and unhinged game of cat and mouse but it’s not clear if Cal is the hunter or the hunted and it all comes down to what he cannot remember.

Bill Schweigart sparks a relatable protagonist in Cal Farrell. As a protagonist, he embodies the best qualities we would seek in ourselves; brave in the face of danger, committed to being a better person despite the darkness he has seen, and a smooth player. However, the narrative is a rather sinister one at that as Schweigart weaves through parallel lines of storytelling, both focused intimately on Cal, and keeps readers hesitant of who Cal truly is. The crime solving aspect tugs at all fans of realistic and gritty thrillers but there is an added nuance of psychological that beckons you to be circumspect of Cal. Avoiding the careless mishap of giving away the punchline too soon, Schweigart keeps the suspicions bouncing around different characters, giving us a taste of the unfiltered paranoia Cal feels when he can't even trust himself to be truly good.

The Guilty One is uninhibited in its dangerous thrills and kickass action that channels the raw power of hard-hitting action sequences of Jack Reacher books. It is truly an immersive experience as we get onboard this adventure with Cal Farrell and shoot across the pages with our predictions, wary of the dangers that may befall the protagonist not only from others but from himself. The Guilty One represents the best kind of thrillers, the ones that leave you fulfilled and enriched both as thriller fans and as general readers.

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Robert Ludlum's The Treadstone Rendition By Joshua Hood

Just when I thought Joshua Hood had perfected the Treadstone series, he shatters the illusion with a riveting and timely action-driven narrative that radically alters the game for his protagonist Adam Hayes once more.

The Treadstone Rendition sees Adam Hayes pulled back into the fold of violence when he has to repay an old debt to a friend stuck in Afghanistan. With rogue CIA forces chasing his afghan friend and his family, Hayes needs to get into a country where everything is falling apart and US forces are pulling out. Without nearly close enough to having the right resources, Hayes makes it up he goes, dodging bullets, missiles, and drones.

There’s no mistaking that Joshua Hood has a lot more planned for Adam Hayes. The Treadstone Rendition is a more personal narrative than the previous two books in the series, building up to a Faustian bargain once again just when Hayes thought he could have a simple life with his family. While this could have easily been a simple transitioning narrative to get Hayes back in the fold of espionage, Joshua Hood makes it a hard-hitting and memorable read with non-stop action that’s written with a keen eye for realistically harrowing consequences. The action sequences indeed bear the mark of Hood’s excellence with fast-paced vivid gunfights and chaotic combat with tactical awareness and technical authenticity, the combination of which makes for breathtaking explosive moments of pure bliss. However, it’s the subtle focus on the emotional drive that supercharges the entire reading experience to amazing heights and complements the action. 

The Treadstone Rendition is a shining example of thrillers that you can’t help but devour in a single day because the action ratchets up by the pages. 

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Wolf Trap By Connor Sullivan

Connor Sullivan writes an intriguing take on the future of energy and politics wrapped up in a mirage of subterfuges and double crosses and paced with breakneck action in Wolf Trap.

Brian Rhome is a former Ground Branch paramilitary officer who, after a disastrous tragic mission, spends his days in the icy wilderness contemplating suicide as means of reckoning. When a new energy initiative spearheaded by US and Saudi Arabia goes awry in the worst possible way, leading to facility meltdowns, foul play is suspected with a suspected Iranian officer involved. Rhome is offered an outlet for his grief in the form of a new mission to settle a debt once and for all and in turn help stop another global catastrophe orchestrated by high-ranking members of the US   Government in cahoots with those in the Saudi Royal family.

The narrative is poised with the energy of a Red Bull fueled rampage that keeps the story simmering throughout for an explosive finale. There’s a bit of everything, from cutthroat espionage and politics to all-out kinetic operations with crisp and fast action sequences, all of which drive forward a timely storyline centered around the plausible danger of a not-so-distant future that tackles the monopoly of fossil fueled energy with renewable sources. While the depiction of all the involved parties may not be as rooted in realism as those in more cerebral espionage thrillers, the emphasis remains on an adrenaline-pumping ride spearheaded by a grieving and raging protagonist who quickly becomes a fan favorite operator on the path for retribution. 

With twists and turns that will keep you reading late past your bedtime and a healthy dose of action, Wolf Trap is a thriller that fans of the genre will enjoy the heck out of. 

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Deep Fake By Ward Larsen

Deep Fake is a mind-churning jaw-dropping mixture of Cold War era thrillers and cutthroat political narratives that serve as meaningful and thoughtful commentaries about the world we find ourselves in today. Ward Larsen stretches out to a different sort of thriller than his David Slaton action-packed adventures and proves that he has both the emotional and intellectual intelligence to tackle different sub genres within the thrillerverse.

When a junior congressman, Bryce Ridgeway, puts his life at risk to stop a suicide bomber, he’s immediately regaled as a public hero and jettisoned off to the political races for a shot at the presidency. The moments of relief and celebration for the Ridgeway family start falling apart when Sarah Ridgeway notices peculiarities in her husband’s demeanor. She reaches out to a friend, a research scientist, whose groundbreaking work opens the door for unsettling revelations about an audaciously horrific conspiracy. Is the man in the spotlight truly her husband?

There’s a delicate balance between narratives that are wonderfully delightful but ridiculously impossible and those that seem eerily probable. Ward Larsen walks the pitch perfect line in a scary armament of modern technology that’s not only in use today but the implications of which are still not feared widely by society at large. Larsen’s grasp on up-and-coming technology is commendable and perhaps best describes the threat posed by unregulated technology in both politics and espionage when those who are relentless in their pursuit of a bold idea get their hands on something so powerful and damaging to a world that basically runs on 0’s and 1’s. 

While grappling with the scary modern-day voodoo that is technology, Larsen doesn’t lose sight of the effects of such threats on the very human characters that are first and foremost in the narrative. Sarah’s dilemma of discovering the dark side about her “husband” feels so genuine that it crosses over into unsettling territory even for a reader who knows this isn’t actually happening. Her unofficial investigation with her best friend leads her down a turmoil path that rivets and twists like a formula-one race track. You don’t get a moment of breather as Ward Larsen takes you on a roller coaster of a thriller.

Deep Fake is as good as it gets for smart political thrillers that keep you engrossed in the pages and offer a fresh narrative and perspective. There’s a great aerial combat sequence in the climax that stands out as one of the most intense finales I have read so far. Leave it to Ward Larsen to deliver nail-biting action on both the ground and in the air. 

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