Sentinel By Mark Greaney

Mark Greaney delivers a summer blockbuster action-packed thriller with all the adrenaline-booster shots you’ll need to keep you up for a whole day as you read Sentinel, unable to tear yourself away for even a second.

After the explosive events of Armored, Josh Duffy and his wife Nikki are now working together for the State Department's Diplomatic Security Service providing protection for diplomats in the field. When they’re posted together to Ghana to provide protection for an embassy personnel there to highlight American commitment to the construction of a new dam, they imagine a straightforward setting with their kids, almost like a short vacation for the family. But the brief tranquillity is shattered by a plan orchestrated by a Chinese spymaster to destroy the dam. Josh and his wife, Nicole, are caught up in the chaos of gunfire and explosions as he squares off against mercenaries, and a deadly foe from his past.

Mark Greaney has often likened his Gray Man protagonist to John McClane from the Die Hard series. Even though Josh Duffy is miles away from being anything like The Gray Man, Duffy is absolutely as John McClane as one can get in this action-packed outing. One of the many ways readers will resonate with Josh Duffy is that he’s someone ordinary folks can understand fundamentally. He’s a family man, and he can switch off to be at rest with his wife and kids. But when the going gets tough, Duffy can raise hell for his foes and he does so spectacularly in Sentinel. While it takes a bit to set the stage for the intense action-setting, once Duffy spots the threat , the narrative ratchets up in overdrive.

In true Greaney fashion, Sentinel is rife with detailed combat sequences augmented by technical details that bring the pages to life. Duffy shoots and punches and kicks and blows up his opponents in moments of sustained combat throughout the course of the story, each chapter tinged with anticipation of what twist would meet Duffy next as he wades his way through the storm of bullets.

It was a lot of fun to see Josh and his wife working together this time. Not only did it make for a few playful moments between the two, but it also amplified the stakes as Josh not only fought for his mission as a Special Agent of the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, but he also fought as a husband and a man who would go to all lengths to protect his family.

Sentinel is an excellent addition to Mark Greaney’s saga of gritty, hard-hitting, timely, and action-packed thrillers and it’s one of the most entertaining thrillers you’re going to read this year. Think of Sentinel as this summer’s cinematic adventure with lots of action. I can’t wait to see where Greaney takes Josh Duffy next, but I’m sure it’s going to be a wild ride.

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Standing Strong By Stephen Leather

Stephen Leather sends his warriors on one of their most perilous missions yet. With the Ukrainian-Russian war machine churning more and more devastation, Leather puts readers in the hot seat as Matt Standing takes the fight to Russia’s forces.

Matt Standing and his team are attached to a strike team in Ukraine with the intention of helping the forces on the ground become familiar with new cutting-edge weaponry provided by the British. With tensions continuing to escalate, Standing and his team find themselves mired in firefights, double crosses, and drones swirling around. If that wasn’t enough, there’s a secret directive to their actions; assassinating the Russian president in what many others would consider to be a suicide mission. For Standing, it’s just another Tuesday.

Just from the setting, one can infer the action’s going to be firing all on cylinders and that inference is absolutely correct. Stephen Leather crafts his action sequences with a delicate balance of chaotic energy and tactical precision that play off each other in an exciting fashion. Standing is a one-man army whom you love to read kicking ass in tactically-authentic military-styled combat sequences.

At the same time, what I found most absorbing was how Stephen Leather factors in the on-going war-weary nature of this conflict. Far from being treated like a new development, this time we feel the weight of the war taking its toll on the characters and how the conflict has evolved since its inception, reflecting the current events with somber and impactful moments in the narrative that help the story stand out from being just another military action thriller.  

Standing Strong is packed with bold and gritty military standoffs, memorable characters, and exciting plot unraveling developments that unfold in the right flow to keep you hooked long past your bedtime.

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Red Sky Mourning By Jack Carr

Red Sky Mourning is a visceral reading experience apt for those who like their stories tinged with unbridled violence and an unrelenting protagonist.

A rogue Chinese submarine within striking distance of America, a Silicon Valley tech mogul fostering a new age of Artificial Intelligence, and a compromised politician close to the Oval Office, all are rising threats that create a troublesome storm for the United States of America. Its only hope lies with Alice, a quantum computer operating independently from the dark depths of the internet, and who only wishes to work with James Reece, dragging him into the gates of hell once again.

Jack Carr doubles down on the brutal action as James Reece is once again propelled by feral lust for blood after a personal attack that leaves his judgement racked with guilt and anger at those who wronged him. From vicious tomahawk action to crunchy firefights, there’s boatloads of tactical action for thriller fans.

Building on the AI knowledge from past few books, Carr continues to impress upon the readers the grand vision of quantum computing and its role in Artificial Intelligence in layman’s terms while keeping the thriller pumping with human elements and gritty tension, political and personal. The narrative is fueled by Reece’s demons even as the story goes for the big bucks of impending global conflict and James Bond-like threats with megalomanic villains who want to see the world burn at the expense of their bank accounts flourishing. It’s this streamlined focus that makes the experience personal and engaging while the technological and the political intrigue further augment the action-packed story. 

The ending definitely opens up new chapters for James Reece in an uncharted territory for this series. There seem to be no signs of Jack Carr pumping the brakes on this highly entertaining series of tactical thrillers.  

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Breach Of Trust By Eric P. Bishop

Eric Bishop levels up his game with a globe-trotting adventure that manages to feel both awe-inspiring and personal at the same time. It’s a wonderful combination that Eric Bishop has masterfully concocted in this highly anticipated sequel to his debut.

After the explosive and devastating events of The Body Man, Nick Jordan is back on his directive to protect the office of the President of The United States in any way necessary. The newly sworn in President will need Jordan as The Body Man more than ever now as he goes to war with The Sanctum, a ruthless international crime syndicate. When devastating events start to unfold, orchestrated by The Sanctum to create global unrest by attacking the President, it’s up to Nick Jordan and a handful of new allies who must unravel the threat of violence to stop an audacious attempt on the President’s life.

Adrenaline and suspense are injected straight into the pages in generous doses as the narrative sparks up conflict and chaos with a splendor that entertains you without a doubt. You’re hooked in for the ride as Jordan and his allies, members of Operation Red Star, are tasked specifically to take down the Sanctum and its nefarious tendrils sprouting around the world. Nick Jordan shares the spotlight with Luke Furey, an operator who’s brought into the fold once more to settle an old score with The Sanctum and to investigate a personal link that ties directly into the shadowy world of The Sanctum. Bishop ensures there are high levels of energy and activity happening in every chapter on every page so much so that you’re falling down the rabbit hole of flipping the pages without any real chances of putting the book down. The dark, somber tone is set pretty early on in the narrative and from there onwards it continues to navigate through intriguing characters and simmering tensions that ultimately give way to a devastating finale that highlight not just the grand scale of the action but also the very human costs of serving the most powerful members of the United States government. It’s a riveting blend of espionage and politics, harkening back to the cutthroat cloak-and-dagger thrillers of the early 2000’s era but infused with the modern threat of evolving technology and faceless threats with nefarious tactics. It’s these dangers that Eric Bishop effectively demonstrates through engaging characters and realistic scenarios.

Breach of Trust is a spectacle that thriller fans will appreciate immensely. Eric Bishop continues to impress us with insightful stories and exciting developments in the plot that make you want to read the next installment right after you finish this one. The awesome cliffhanger also adds to the growing anticipation for what will surely be another banger. 

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Ghost Jumper By A. A. Warren

Ghost Jumper is a summer sci-fi blockbuster that you’ll wish is adapted to the big screen because A.A Warren writes scenery and action of the highest cinematic quality.

Trev Corvus is Star League’s best pilot in the intergalactic war. He flies fast and he flies sharp. After a mission goes horribly wrong for Trev, he drops out and he becomes a Ghost Jumper, helping criminals escape the oppressive Trans-Corp Security Force. As he and his synthetic canine co-Pilot take to the skies on a new job, he finds himself double crossed and hunted by a powerful figure in the galaxy, and no matter how fast he flies, he can’t outrun the whole galaxy, or his past. 

Throughout Ghost Jumper, A.A Warren keeps the momentum bustling with awesome action sequences, whether it’s Trev flying a futuristic fighter jet in aerial combat, shooting down bad guys with cool weaponry, or throwing down with dangerous fisticuffs. The action hits hard with the right balance of vivid details to get the imagination flowing and a pedal to the metal pacing. The scale of the action is truly galactic as the adventure takes Trev across the stars to find out just how aggressive of an enemy he has made unwittingly in his latest enterprising quest. 

Even with such futuristic setting, Warren describes each encounter, character, place, and equipment with a grounded perspective that readers who may not even be fans of the sci-fi genre will easily grasp and enjoy the experience. The first person POV immensely helps readers seamlessly connect with this grand world down to the beings who still resonate with those around us. Trev’s witty humor and troubled past prove to be a powerful combo in creating a distinctive aura for him as a protagonist and as someone you’d want to follow into any crazy adventure imaginable.

The story feels like an incredible tapestry of multiple genres and plot lines that, thanks to Warren’s stellar writing, gel together nicely and confidently to give a riveting twisty narrative that adds to the incredible roster of characters and jaw-dropping action. It’s not a typical heavy-laden sci-fi tale, but it certainly seems inspired by the best and it’s channeled into creating a novel that will make your week if not your month a great one at that.

Ghost Jumper is a delightful action-packed adventure that feels like a cinematic journey through space with plenty of fun moments that are balanced by spine-tingling moments of horror and chaos, sprinkled with some wry humor to complete the full package. 

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A Warrior's Path By Steve Stratton

Steve Stratton deep-dives into the psyche of a formidable warrior who we’ve come to know and root for tremendously in the last few years. Lance Bear Wolf tore up the thriller scene in Stratton’s debut, Shadow Tier. With A Warrior’s Path, we get an intriguing and vulnerable insight into the Warrior Ethos that Wolf embraces so religiously. 

As a child, Lance Bear Wolf is troubled by the death of his father who succumbed to his fatal addiction to drugs. Hellbent on hunting down the man who supplied his father with the venom that tore his family apart, fate takes him from the Crow Reservation to dangerous and storied deployments in the US Army at the time of battling drug cartels as he comes face to face with all that it means to be a warrior in the face of adversity.

Stratton effectively dissects the power and influence of all the events and thoughts that differentiate Lance Bear Wolf from other characters in the thrillerverse. His culture, his home, his dark past, and his training, all are shown in the pages of this novella as building blocks of his structured and powerful personality. The first person POV works great in making this novella feel personal, not so much as putting readers in Lance Bear Wolf’s shoes but instead creating a memoir-like atmosphere that feels like Wolf himself is narrating his story to the readers, blurring the line between fiction and reality. It’s a line that Stratton walks like a funambulist, keeping readers on the edge of their seats as they lose themselves in the intense combat sequences lined with detailed and controlled descriptions of violence that match the Wolf’s expertise in the art of death.

A Warrior’s Path is a powerfully personal journey of a man who realizes he must master his identity by walking through fire and testing his mettle like it’s never been tested before. It’s raw, engaging, and a treat for thriller fans who like their stories with a realistic undertone. 

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A Talent For Murder By Peter Swanson

A Talent for Murder is a psychologically dark narrative that’s equal parts thrilling and creepy. You’re going to feel that uneasiness under your skin while you’re driven to read through the unsettling story.

Martha Ratliff had made peace with the fact that she was cursed in love. She lived alone and was content with it until she met Alan. Against her own prejudices, she finds herself saying yes to Alan’s proposal and soon, they’re married and living a cozy life, albeit a bit distant. When Martha discovers a spot of dried blood on Alan’s shirts and a news clip stating a woman was killed at one of the conferences where Alan had been over a weekend, she can’t get out of her mind the possibility that her husband may be a killer. Her investigation leads her down a dark rabbit hole where more murders come up in all the areas Alan has frequented. Does she really know her husband, or is he hiding an ugly secret underneath the sweet divorcee facade? As Martha seeks the help of an old friend, it seems that the past may not be as distant as it may seem. 

Peter Swanson does a phenomenal work of creating a strong lingering aura of paranoia and fear in the subtle scenes he portrays between Martha and Alan, but all powerful in their underlying tension and subtext. There’s always this gnawing sense that what the clues may be hinting at isn’t what’s actually going on behind the scenes. It’s one of the rare suspenseful thrillers where finding out the secret of the killer doesn’t kill the intrigue, but amplifies all the actions that follow. Swanson is a master at eliciting genuine fear out of the reading folks with his twisty approaches to the mystery thriller genre and he makes sure to tick all the boxes that one wants ticked when picking up a fast-paced captivating and believable mystery in tune with all the quirks of our society. 

If you’re looking to be captivated by a tense mystery thriller that grabs your attention with its sinister theme and paranoia-inducing narrative due to the gritty realism of the characters and situations, A Talent for Murder is a great way to spend the weekend. 

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Assassins Anonymous By Rob Hart

Assassins Anonymous is the kind of thriller that unexpectedly drops in on you when you least expect it and by the end of it, you come out feeling more vulnerable to the beauty of human banality and the dangers that lurk out there. It’s a heavy read at times but one that is well-worth the intensity and emotional baggage that comes along with brutal action and strong storytelling.

Mark is a man trying to make amends for his previous life as a formidable killer-for-hire. He’s staying true to his commitment with a 12-step group of like-minded individuals who’ve forsaken the life of violence when he’s suddenly targeted by a rather vicious assailant, putting Mark right back in the very world he so desperately tried to escape. As he dons his dark persona, the ensuing complications aren’t just a matter of life and death, but it also becomes a battle for salvation of his soul and all that he has worked for since he gave up his guns and knives. When taking a non-lethal approach to his issues put him in much more danger, will he yield to the darkness of his prior life or will he persist for goodness even if it kills him?

Rob Hart masterfully weaves a narrative propelled by philosophical discourse and thoughtful concepts set in a world that is full of violence and chaos. This helps tremendously to set a brilliant pace, alternating between Mark’s point of view as a man struggling to hold onto his reformed spirit versus his desire to let his old vengeful spirit lay waste to all that stand in his way. For the first time in a long time, I actually rooted for a protagonist in a situation ripe for action to actually take the path of non-violence. Such is Hart’s ability to get the readers truly thinking and feeling for the situation as if it’s happening for real. It also becomes a real treat when we do see Mark having to put up a fight when his adversaries do not share the same moral principles as he does.

Assassins Anonymous is a heartfelt tale of violence and hope in a dark world with the promise of redemption for those who truly seek it. It’s a thriller, sure, but it’s also a reflection of human flaws and betterment when one strives to make the lives of others better by molding themselves first.

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The Devil's Fortress By Dale Brown

Want to take a break from the monotony of a hectic work week? You’ll find yourself in great action-packed company with Dale Brown’s latest action-frenzied thriller, The Devil’s Fortress. Pack your wingsuit because you’re going flying with this badass ride.

Nick Flynn and his team continue the clandestine mission of The Quartet Directorate in proactively taking out whatever threats arise to meet US interests, especially those with the backing of Russia’s authoritarian president. Raven Syndicate is back to face off against Flynn and his team, this time bringing with them a plan so diabolical that it will affect generations to come if the Quartet Directorate does not wipe out the threat instantly. With a do-or-die strategy, Flynn must storm the Devil’s fortress head on with every bit of firepower possible to destroy the threat once and for all. 

Dale Brown snipes his target of entertaining his readers big time with this action-packed fast-paced no-nonsense adrenaline rush of a thriller that not only emboldens the killer imagination of the bad guys but also bolsters all the fun and heart-pounding stunts the good guys undertake to meet the challenges. From the get-go, the narrative slows but a minutia to settle readers in before taking off at rocket speed with awesome military tech and cinematic shootouts that will play in your head over and over again as you read the pages. The added element of danger as Flynn and his team operate behind enemy lines keeps you nudged into your sofa as you flip the pages at a burning pace. 

The Devil’s Fortress is indubitably one of the prime examples of books that must be read in one-sitting quite simply because it never lets go of you. Bustling cinematic action with rip-roaring sequences and pedal-to-the-metal plotting, it doesn’t get better than this.

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If Something Happens To Me By Alex Finlay

If Something Happens to Me is suspense on steroids. Alex Finlay in his artistic style weaves an entangled web of parallel stories that tie together with a gravitas that takes your breath away.

Ryan Richardson is a young man haunted by memories of a terrible night where his girlfriend was snatched away in front of him. As he tries to get his life back together after that harrowing event, he finds himself back in that dreadful mystery when his girlfriend’s car is found with a note that says “If something happens to me” in his girlfriend’s writing. This is right when he runs into a face from his past, the face of the man who took his Ali away. Confounded by the turn of events, he picks up the web and starts untangling it, leading him to a Deputy Sheriff Poppy McGee who is working the new developments of the case, unaware that she’s bound to shake the skeletons in the closet in the small town. 

In true Alex Finlay fashion, the reader is taken along for the ride, bombarded by amazingly crafted and heart-stopping twists and turns that even if you predict before time will still give you pause to see come to fruition. It’s an absolute pleasure to read how Finlay takes parallel-running storylines and weaves a giant web of interconnected secrets that all tie together with a satisfying click. From the engaging characters to the fresh narrative with dark and intense energy, If Something Happens to Me is a nail-bitingly suspenseful thriller that checks off all the boxes a thriller fan wants in a well-written story with just the sweet spot between fast-paced and slow-burn pacing for a compelling read from start to finish. 

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Act Of Defiance By Andrews and Wilson

Act of Defiance is a genuinely worthy follow-up to the classic and revered submarine thriller that cemented Tom Clancy as one of the greatest thriller writers. To follow up such a tale 40 years later with an equally impressive and grand thriller is a task that may have been uneasy to think about, but falls perfectly within the wheelhouse of Andrews and Wilson’s dynamic duo.

When Russia’s deadliest submarine, the Belgorod, sneakily launches for a mission that isn’t gleaned cleanly from US intelligence reports, there’s a disturbance in the thinly held peace between the two nations. What makes for an even more disturbing situation is that this intelligence failure harkens back memories of an event where it all started, when a Soviet submarine codenamed, Red October embarked on a dangerous mission and caused a crisis which gave rise to the OG Clancy hero, a much younger Jack Ryan. Years later, Jack Ryan as the president of the United States must contemplate this new development, while making peace with the fact that his daughter, Lieutenant Katie Ryan, now faces the legacy of Red October.

One of the many captivating aspects of a Tom Clancy thriller is the grand scale with multiple events unfolding parallelly on various battlefronts. There was never any doubt with respect to the writing prowess of Andrews and Wilson to tackle this challenging aspect of keeping multiple plot points synchronized and entertaining at the same time, and as expected, they nail the high-tension high-caliber storytelling we’ve come to love in Clancyverse. Whether it’s operatives of The Campus leading their clandestine mission into Russia for intelligence, or Katie Ryan thrust into dangerous naval combat, the authors drum up a lot of intensity and enthusiasm for the narrative to keep readers buckled in for the whole narrative and before you know it, you’re already knee deep in the storyline.

Lieutenant Katie Ryan however takes the prize for me. Her character is superbly written with a strong foundation to her developments aided by astute and compelling characterization where she earns not only the respect of her superiors but also the admiration of readers with her straight-shooting attitude and inquisitive demeanor, much like her father’s character in the earlier books as an analyst. The authors made the right call with establishing Katie Ryan in a story that’s all about the legacy of Red October, not only in terms of the story, but also in terms of the history as Red October launched Jack Ryan as a household name, much like Act of Defiance will win over readers and compel you to want more of Katie Ryan in future stories. 

Act of Defiance is a terrific entry for Andrews and Wilson into the Clancyverse with their style of narrative and storytelling coming across as a natural fit for thrillers that are worthy of the Clancy estate.

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A Spy Like Me By Kim Sherwood

James Bond is back in a way I couldn’t have anticipated. Kim Sherwood expands the universe of the legendary 007 with modern heroes and threats alike, compounding the world of spycraft with grittiness second to none.

The story opens up with a devastating bomb blast in London, the saving grace being the quick work of Double Os on the scent of the sophisticated terrorists. Given carte Blanche to hunt down the enemy, MI6 agents Joseph Dryden, 004, and Conrad Harthrop-Vane, 000 are assigned to follow the money trail all over the globe, some places swarming with eccentric billionaires and some pulsing with violence. At the same time, Johanna Harwood, 003, is picking up James Bond’s trail as he disappeared at the hands of the insidious private military company Rattenfänger. As the investigations tighten the noose on the antagonists, it becomes harder to trust anyone, especially the Double O’s. After all, who else can pose a bigger threat than those trained to subvert the greatest of threats? 

A Spy Like Me is a terrific espionage narrative right off the bat. Sherwood tackles this grand worldwide conspiracy with both panache and an emotional rawness that works best in spy thrillers where you appreciate the fast-paced shiny cool spycraft as well as the high emotional stakes and broken souls that propel characters to step into the abyss in the first place. Each Double O is given their fair share of spotlight and each shines with unique flairs. Dodging bullets, treachery, and one pounding mystery after another, each Double O reaches a tipping point that drastically changes the playing field for all. Ultimately, Sherwood captures the entangled plotlines in a stupendous combination of emotion and action with the right balance between lethality and humanity in the protagonists to make you root for them as they wade in the seas of danger. 

A Spy Like Me is an enthralling spy narrative that beautifully inaugurates the spy-savvy world of Bond in today’s era of misinformation and societal unrest. To add even more flavor to the delicious main course, the story ends with a chilling cliffhanger. When I say the cliffhanger will shock you to your core, I mean that it truly will give you a buzz. Sherwood sure knows how to set up a daunting next chapter and it’s one that shakes the foundation of what we’ve expected from this new series.

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Catchpenny By Charlie Huston

Catchpenny is an intriguing blend of fantastical elements we’ve come to enjoy from the likes of Stephen King’s books along with a gritty insight into LA’s underworld of drugs, music, and dark arts. 

Sidney Catchpenny is a fascinating character. Sure he’s going through a depressive slump but what he can do is steal like none other. How’s that? Well, he can travel through mirrors. Life has a funny way of finding him when he’s down. Even without any desire to catch some new work, he’s sought out by a friend who leads him to a PI-styled adventure that ties in a video game threatening to cause havoc in the real world, a missing girl, lots of dark mojo conjured by dark magic, and a doomsday occult. It’s up to Catchpenny to navigate through the myriad of worlds coexisting with the surface world most of us never break past, until we do.

What charmed me immensely about Catchpenny is Charlie Huston’s breathtaking ability to craft an intricate story that somehow seems to flow effortlessly throughout the course of the book, everything seemingly unconnected at first but fitting perfectly with the right pieces of information that Sidney acquires through his private investigation. Huston’s depiction of a darker and yet more magical world running parallel to ours is creative, exciting and ingenious to the point that it’s much easier than you’d imagine to fall into this new world without even questioning how it would have come to be, simply adopting it as if taken for granted. 

Catchpenny is a story of love, trauma, and a quest to find one’s purpose that would resonate with readers of every genre. It’s got something for everyone. Sprinkling a warm story at its core with really awesome twists and old-school noir elements that will make you want to pick up a Raymond Chandler book again, Catchpenny is a fantastic all-round thriller with so much to offer. 

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Mal Goes To War By Edward Ashton

Edward Ashton tackles AI in a way I wasn’t prepared for. Mal Goes to War is a witty, hilarious, and thought-provoking insight into a possible future as glimpsed through the eyes of an AI entity.

Mal is an AI observer of a war between the bio-augmented Federals and the puritanical Humanists. Not much for playing an active role in the conflict, Mal spends his time in the infospace. When Humanists cut off access to his home while Mal is out looking for salvaging scraps from the battlefields, he finds himself stuck inside the body of a cyborg mercenary. Suddenly thrust into the battlelines while protecting a bio-enhanced girl, Mal will find out more about being human than he could have thought in his endless simulations.

What I found exhilarating about Edward Ashton’s latest technothriller was how he established AI’s as darkly humorous and at times straight-up horrifying beings, a notion that comes with the ability to outthink humans on a large scale. As much as it is a thriller with danger and intrigue, it is also a perspective on how much AIs may learn to emulate humans, with traits like greed and survival at all costs. With the added benefit of us readers being inside Mal’s head as he goes on a journey through the wastelands, the narrative gains that extra touch of blending the book’s reality with ours as Mal acts more and more human throughout the story. Ashton also breaks away from going into much technical detail about the AI, presenting Mal as a character more than a piece of code that mutated.

Mal Goes to War is an incredibly addictive read which thrills, excites and puts you in a thoughtful ponder with supreme ease through Ashton’s fast-paced writing and stimulating characters all packed between bouts of cool hacking sequences as well as violent shootouts.

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Deep Cover By Aiden Bailey

Deep Cover is a fast-paced, adrenaline-pumping, revenge-fueled, action-packed thriller that elevates the espionage action thriller genre a notch or two.

Picking up from the fresh events of The Trigger Man, Mark Pierce, the former CIA paramilitary officer is tortured over a time span of months at the order of a treacherous CIA spymaster out for his own financial gain. Pierce, aptly code-named Trigger Man, wakes up to find himself in a car, with dangerous criminals planning on putting a bullet in his head. What follows is a spectacular action sequence where Pierce takes out his foes efficiently with punches, kicks, and bullets. Pierce finds a surprise in the trunk of the car, an Asian woman tied up by the gangsters. But he has to decide quickly if he can trust all that she seems to be as he faces off against the traitorous spymaster, a spoiled brat in charge of a diamond mining company, an African warlord, and a group of mercenaries all in cahoots to frame Pierce for theft of nuclear waste with a sinister and horrifying plan. 

Aiden Bailey couples the highly intense plot with brutal hand-to-hand combat sequences in a variety of techniques and excellent shootouts with armament fitted appropriately to the exotic locales in the book. Speaking of exotic locales, one of the stellar aspects of the book is the use of exotic locations that are not commonly featured in action thrillers. While the story is set on African Continent for the most part, the different cities explored are done so with extensive research on the author’s part, so much so that one can be fully immersed in a location at any given point with just the right amount of information about the environment in a fast-paced action thriller.

Bailey distinguishes Deep Cover from a straight shoot-em up action fest with its depiction of inhumane horrors in the African warlords governed areas to the philosophical insights in the mind of Pierce as he contemplates revenge and terror. Despite the grand-scale plot, Bailey humbles his protagonist with tremors that get in his way when he’s amped up as he must be to survive the countless action sequences. It comes across wonderfully as the stakes feel higher and the combat more intense, a beautiful but haunting display of a crack in Pierce’s armor.

It flows off the pages that Aiden Bailey has grand plans for his series, taking Trigger Man on global adventures with heart-pounding and cinematic action sequences and characters that continue to evolve spectacularly, so much so that you feel deeply invested in the outcome. The cliffhanger once again shakes things for Trigger Man, and I am keen to find out where he lands next.

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4 Minutes By Andrews & Wilson

Andrews and Wilson have taken on shadowy syndicates and AI in their books and are now exploring the vast realm of sci-fi military thrillers with a really fascinating take on time travel that’s nothing like you’d expect. You’ll be awestruck, terrified, and tensed beyond your grasp as you’re taken on a dangerous mission.

Special Operations Chief Tyler Brooks is a man who relishes being a door-kicker, being in the thick of the combat side by side with his brothers and sisters in combat. When his SEAL brethren are ambushed in a manner that would seem highly impossible, he wants answers. Those answers come in the form of being recruited to lead Task Force Omega, with a directive to use time-bending technology to glimpse 4 minutes into the future. As Brooks rallies his new troops to utilize this opportunity to save lives, he comes face to face with a danger that not only threatens the team, but the entire United States. It’s a mission that will require every single moment in the present and the future.

Time travel can be a tricky topic. There are so many possibilities to address that it can get overwhelming. However, Andrews and Wilson really thought things through to create a narrative that’s both cool and innovative. As the characters get a hands-on education of this new game-changing technology, the readers also gain keen insights and perspectives into the time-jumping missions and the haunting price paid in pursuit of doing good. The core premise is brilliant and invites readers to suspend disbelief without a complaint because of emphasis on reasonable tactical judgment displayed by the heroes throughout the story, holding you captivated with the realism even in the face of an incredibly complex element such as time travel.

On top of the jaw-dropping time travel take, the authors top off the package with great action that immediately jumps off as seeming perfect for a cinematic rendition. The gritty and brutal hand-to-hand combat and fast-paced car chases with shootouts are worthy additions to the best of Andrews and Wilson’s action sequences. You’ll be compelled to re-read a few pages just to play the action sequences in your head at least a couple of times.

4 Minutes is an enthralling beginning of a new saga that amplifies high-stakes storytelling with a cutting-edge premise that will grip you with its talons and shock you with its unexpected deviations and twists. I am so excited for more to unravel in this new series going forward. The cliffhanger won’t make it easy to wait.

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Guns And Almond Milk By Mustafa Marwan

Mustafa Marwan’s debut is one I’d been itching to read ever since I heard about its plot. It seemed like a fresh change of pace in the thrillerverse, almost seeming more like a literary novel than a straight-up thriller and even before I reached halfway in the novel, I knew I’d gotten that part right.

Guns and Almond Milk tells the narrative from the eyes and ears of Luke Archer, a British Egyptian doctor who is hiding from his demons and troubled past in war-ravaged Yemen. When the hospital he’s working at gets taken over by Western security contractors, he realizes he must face his past head-on because fate has brought it to doorstop no matter how far he thought he had run away from it.

If that description sounds a little vague, it’s on purpose. As you dive into this book unprepared for what’s to come, you deeply resonate with the world Mustafa Marwan has created, one that mirrors ours with characters that feel inspired and relatable, none more so than Luke Archer. Marwan captures the essence of a Muslim who feels the tidal pulls of staying true to his religion versus the lure of following his impulses. Not only is the protagonist well-informed about his religion but he also practices it in a realistic manner in keeping with his upbringing, leading to healthy respect for his character as the protagonist upon whom this entire narrative depends on. This plays an essential role in developing his character as someone whom readers can genuinely relate to in the difficult decisions he faces throughout the course of the narrative. The setting may be familiar as a war-ravaged middle eastern landscape but Luke’s odyssey as he navigates both his tormenting past and the perilous nature of his present with bullets flying around and explosions swirling around is absolutely captivating and enthralling, with tones of old-school character-driven stories that I easily fall in love, all flaws of protagonists intact.

The action hits you with a pang of overwhelming energy just as it impacts Luke Archer and his friends who may be versed in dealing with bullet wounds and injuries but not the deer-in-the-headlights panic of being in the gun-toting action themselves. As the characters get trapped in the hospital, there’s sustained gunfire and combat that never loses its momentum.

Guns and Almond Milk is an awe-striking debut by Mustafa Marwan as he zeroes in on what makes people tick and crafts a superb story that not only transforms its protagonist by the end, but also brings alive a warmth in the hearts of readers who at times may feel just as lost as the protagonist but sure enough find their footing in the most unexpected of ways. It’s a thriller but above all else, it’s an engrossing journey across faiths and cultures and different meanings of life.

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City In Ruins By Don Winslow

There’s a lot to be said about City in Ruins. But it’s best to start off by acknowledging it’s not only the bittersweet ending of a beautifully haunting trilogy, but it’s also the final book of a phenomenal author who is closing his writing career with the perfect crime thriller that leaves nothing more to be desired and all that is left to do is appreciate its sheer excellence. Don Winslow has written a genuine masterpiece.

Danny Ryan has made it in life. He’s rich, he has gone legit, he’s in love, and he’s got his son and mother with him to enjoy the luxury that comes with being a respected businessman – a Las Vegas casino mogul and billionaire silent partner in a group that owns two lavish hotels. However, he wants more. It’s the pursuit of this desire for a bigger and better life that puts him in a shooting war against a competitor who himself is no saint and thus begins the fall of the dream Danny has worked so hard to build. Danny doesn’t want to go back to his old ways, but when your back is against the wall, is there any other choice? Will there be anything left to salvage by the time all the blood has dried?

Don Winslow’s trilogy is epic. He set up a fascinating introduction to this world, populated it with believably flawed heroes and despicable villains, drove the large narrative to a tipping point and then brought readers full circle. With so much going on in City in Ruins, it could have been easy for things to get lost in the mix. But not for the master of crime drama; Winslow gives each character a pivotal role to play and it’s because of such powerful roles that you not only begin to empathize with the plight of the characters but you begin to feel for them as you would for someone you’d know intimately. One moment you’re cheering for Danny to achieve his dream and in the next you’re chilled to the bone as you realize what the consequences of such desire would be. You don’t want to unlock the darkness, but the writing is too good to let you get away from its grasp and you tumble down the rabbit hole of misery and pain all passionately described to evoke your most inhibited expressions of love, joy and disgust.

Don Winslow has written many great crime thrillers and while it’s a big decision to pick his best, City in Ruins is his tour de force. Danny Ryan serves as a frayed, but solid beacon of goodness and hope and his arc will forever be remembered as a story of compassion, danger, and redemption in ways that can only be attributed to life’s little mysteries. Winslow ends his auspicious writing career with a finale that couldn’t have been more perfect. I wish we could have more of his thrillers to look forward to, but it has been a hell of a journey growing and maturing as a reader with his impeccable stories.

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Lethal Horizon By Jason Kasper

Jason Kasper brings some closure to the long-time fans of this series as our favorite kickass team of gunslingers finally hone in on their elusive target after gunning their way through a gazillion dead combatants on their uncompromising journey towards seeking justice.

Lethal Horizon kicks off with the Shadow Strike team finding themselves in a very difficult and morally compromising situation. After a sharp and clinical strike on an enemy compound in Yemen, the team comes to know of the whereabouts of the dangerous terrorist, Erik Weisz, who they’ve been scorching earth for all this time. Just as they’re about to close in, their CIA handler orders them to stand down. Why? That’s the million-dollar question that the team will need answered as they hurtle towards fierce gunfights and hardcore combat to finally get their target once and for all.

Lethal Horizon is a jarring resolution to a burning quest for revenge and justice across badlands all over the globe. Kasper nails the trepidation of characters as they close in on their prey while grappling with the nasty gray area that comes with choosing between saving a few and saving many. In the midst of meticulously-crafted chaotic action sequences, Kasper injects a healthy dose of drama to help visualize the team in a vulnerable light, not simply in terms of the mortal danger but also in the demons hidden within each of the gunslingers. It’s a somber and cathartic experience for both the heroes in this narrative and the readers who follow the characters into the heart of combat with Kasper’s illustrious writing that leaves nothing more to be desired from an action-packed military thriller.

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Lethal Action By Andrew Warren & Aiden Bailey

Andrew Warren and Aiden Bailey are masters of the cinematic espionage-action thriller genre. They constantly up the ante when it comes to badass action sequences and they’ve really outdone themselves with Lethal Action. From the memorable roster of heroes and anti-heroes to hoot-worthy car chases and shootouts, this book doesn’t miss.

Thomas Caine is no stranger to violence. He frequently undertakes the most dangerous missions to save the world from one audacious evil plan at a time. This time he’s tasked with stopping a corrupt bureaucrat from spilling secrets to a foreign service in the name of greed. That operation quickly spirals into a chaotic mess with Chinese and Russian agents muddying the waters along with the CIA and a mysterious assassin with a deadly reputation. Racing across the European countryside and over the snowcapped glaciers of Norway with bullets and blood chasing Thomas Caine, he must get the upper hand against all those in his way, especially those on his own side. 

Warren and Bailey cut no corners in presenting a grand and epic narrative that bursts alive with smooth storytelling that puts Caine front and center along with the mysterious assassin who by the end will become unexpectedly difficult to say goodbye to. I certainly hope the character comes back in future stories. That’s the charm of Warren and Bailey’s duo as they write characters that feel real in the most harrowing situations. Augmenting the adventurous story and the multi-layered characters is sharp action. It’s not just the lethality of the combat that stands out but the way it’s woven together with the scenery that makes each action sequence come to life in your mind with all the synapses firing with precise timing to make the action grand and powerful.

Lethal Action is the kind of adrenaline-pumping thriller that’s perfect for an escape from all the chaotic and tiring moments in your day, propelling you into the hot seat within the narrative as you dodge bullets, helicopter crashes, and fast cars in an epic ride.  

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Purchase Lethal Action
(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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