Dark Space By Rob Hart & Alex Segura

Dark Space is a captivating interstellar espionage thriller filled with deception, intrigue and heart.  A story that’s equal parts science fiction entertainment and cautionary glimpse into our future.  A stellar novel that has emerged with a big bang from the creative minds of Rob Hart and Alex Segura.

The Mosaic is a spaceship manned by a half American, half Chinese crew that’s on a critical mission to ascertain the habitability of a planet outside our solar system.  But when the ship experiences malfunctions, and the distress call and systems checks are wiped from the system, former best friends – pilot Jose Carriles and spy Corin Timony – independently realize this mission isn’t what it seems.  As they seek answers and attempt to determine the true nature of the mission, they become entangled in a conspiracy and intergalactic conflict that threatens the very existence of humanity. 

Dark Space is a wonderfully engrossing story with characters worthy of the investment of your time and emotional capital.  It’s a well-written book that checks all the boxes of a traditional espionage novel, filled with suspense, political maneuvering, hidden agendas, misdirection, and trying to outwit your opponents.  But the sci-fi aspect adds an extraordinary dimension, painting an incredible picture of the possibilities the universe possesses that we might one day be able to realize – for better or for worse. 

There are also many lessons to be learned from this book.  Starting with an acknowledgement that human nature and the trajectory of our current world will need to be reckoned with at some point in the future.  But the lessons that really resonate, and my favorite part of the book, are the stories of redemption and hope.  Falling down but picking yourself up.  Stepping up and making difficult decisions when the need arises. And being part of something bigger than yourself, selflessly putting it all on the line for the benefit of the collective.  Beautiful stuff intertwined in an enjoyably tense yet fun novel.

This book is fantastic!  Kudos to Hart and Segura for teaming up to deliver this cosmic tale.  Hopefully there’s more to come.  Because I’m not ready to say goodbye to these characters and the worlds they inhabit. 

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The Seventh Floor By David McCloskey

Dark, gritty and teeming with authenticity, The Seventh Floor is a classic US vs. Russia espionage tale from the pen of David McCloskey that’s filled with deceit, betrayal and honor.

An operation goes bad in Singapore with the CIA losing the asset and their agent ending up in a Russian torture chamber.  Operations chief Artemis Proctor is made the scapegoat by the new leaders of the CIA, one of which holds a grudge against Artemis for past transgressions.  Months later the missing agent, Sam Joseph, shows up at Proctor’s trailer in Florida with an explosive revelation:  there’s a Russian mole high within the CIA.  They start an off the books investigation that puts every one of Proctor’s closest friends on a shortlist of suspects.  Putting her personal feelings aside, Proctor will do her duty to root out the mole in service the country she has sworn to protect.  But what she finds will haunt her and she may never be the same again.

This is a story about a good old fashioned espionage mole hunt harkening to the days of the cold war where the US and Russia were focused on recruiting and running spies deep within each other’s intelligence organizations.  Paranoia reigns supreme, literally no one can be trusted, and each side is pushing the envelope on what they can get away with.  Unwritten rules are broken, spies are captured and swapped, sleepers are activated, and people who know too much are in danger of elimination.  It’s violent, intense and heart wrenching, but highly engaging and absorbing.  A novel that fans of old-school spy stories will devour.

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The Elias Network By Simon Gervais

Filled with secrets, shootouts and spies, The Elias Network is an absorbing edge-of-your-seat espionage thriller that increases your heart rate, makes you sweat and gives you one hell of a ride.  Simon Gervais delivers yet again…and this one might be his best novel to date.

Caspian Anderson, code name Elias, is an elite assassin for a clandestine organization deep within the Department of Homeland Security.  While on a mission to prosecute a target tied to a human trafficking ring, he identifies another team of operators in play and is further confused when they try to abduct the wife and daughters of his target.  What he learns from that point onward will make Caspian question everything he thought he knew about the organization he works for, the people he interacts with in his cover job as a UN translator, and even if his girlfriend is who he thought she was.  But one thing is certain. Caspian’s lethal skillset will be put to the test and result in the death of anyone who gets in his way.

Gervais has crafted an intricate and engaging story that puts multiple spies and operators in the same theater and watches them gorge themselves on a smorgasbord of violence.  From Switzerland to Italy to France to the US, bodies drop and blood spills at a high rate.  Which is awesome and entertaining if you’re into that kind of thing (in the pages of a novel at least).  However, this book has much more going for it, traversing a tangled web of relationships, operations and organizations that keeps everyone on their toes trying to figure out who’s in cahoots with who and ultimately how everything is going to play out.  Plus, there’s a love story wrapped inside it all with career spies seemingly willing to give it all up to live happily ever after.  What more could you possibly want?

The Elias Network is coming in hot this fall!  Don’t miss out on this entertaining, spicy, fast-paced thriller that kicks off the next great series by the fabulous Simon Gervais. 

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Ashes Never Lie By Lee Goldberg

Lee Goldberg’s smooth and alluring storytelling talent is on fill display in Ashes Never Lie, an irresistible tale of arson, murder and fraud that locks you in early and keeps you riveted to the end.    

Newly constructed homes in a housing development are catching fire with no obvious cause but thankfully with no fatalities.  Miles away another home burns to the ground, but this one contains a dead body and lots of questions.  In the pursuit of answers to the seemingly unrelated cases, arson investigators Walter Sharpe and Andrew Walker team up with homicide detectives Even Ronin and Duncan “Donuts” Pavone.  What follows is a series of eye-opening revelations and undercover operations to catch an arsonist, stop a long-running scam, and save thousands from unbearable pain and certain death.

This book is all-gas, no breaks. Including multiple events and dangerous situations that propel the story forward at high speeds with the heat of a five-alarm fire.  And containing investigations that twist, turn, and require every bit of skill, creative thinking and unsanctioned initiative from the venerable law enforcement team of Sharpe, Walker, Ronin and Pavone.  A partnership that is a brilliant combination of personalities and capabilities that effortlessly leverages the strengths of each member and is entertaining as hell to witness.  Especially as they go after incredibly well-devised characters with complex criminal personas that would excite and fascinate any psychologist, let alone a thriller enthusiast.  In other words, this book has everything you could want in an unputdownable action/mystery novel.

Lee Goldberg is an automatic must read and Ashes Never Lie is just the latest example of why.  He yet again delivers an exhilarating plot filled with intriguing, well-developed characters contained within a smooth-flowing, well-written and enthralling story.  Not to be missed by anyone who enjoys a good thriller.

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The Accomplice By Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson & Aaron Philip Clark

Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson teams up with the fantastic Aaron Philip Clark to deliver a dark, gritty and propulsive thriller that packs a vicious punch.  Once you pick up The Accomplice, you won’t be able to put it down and it’ll stick with you long after completion.

Nia Adams is the first Black female Texas Ranger who not only has to catch dangerous criminals, but also must navigate the complicated politics of her organization.  Her latest case takes her to a bank robbery where nothing seems to be missing.  The vault is untouched and the tellers not asked to empty their registers, but a hidden safe in a small room has been breached.  Turns out a Vietnam vet turned master thief has removed the contents of that safe, which threatens to expose a wealthy family’s dirty secrets.  A deadly game of cat and mouse ensues.  Resulting in a pile of dead bodies, Nia’s career in jeopardy and, most importantly, her life in grave danger.

This book will smack you upside the head with crisp, gruesome action sequences and gallons of bloodshed.  Seriously, the violence is no joke.  Brutal and lurid, intense and evoking a powerful reaction.  But whether you enjoy that kind of maliciousness or not, you’ll find you’re sticking around for the well-crafted nuances of the characters.  These are complex individuals with very different pasts, motivations, and proclivities.  It’s not as simple as cops vs. robbers.  And that’s what makes this book so compelling and entertaining.  Well…that along with the relentless action and blind siding twists. 

The Accomplice is an exhilarating read.  All gas, no breaks.  Looking forward to more collaborations between 50 Cent and APC.  Have a feeling they have more in store for thriller fans.

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Capture Or Kill By Don Bentley

A gripping story that will leave you breathless, Capture of Kill is an unyielding adrenaline rush of fierce kinetic action delivered at breakneck speed.  Don Bentley enters the Rapp-verse throwing haymakers in a full-throttle adventure of bullets, beatdowns and brinkmanship. 

It’s 2011 and Mitch Rapp is called upon to do what he does best.   Namely kill a bunch of bad guys.  Starting with a mission to take out a terrorist financier in Pakistan and expanding from there to chase down a Quds Force leader who’s high on the CIA hit list and an Afghanistan jihadi leader of a splinter group called Hiz-i-Islami, both of whom are in possession of new missile technology that threatens the safety of American service members.  But wait, there’s more.  Rapp is also tasked with getting definitive proof that Osama Bin Laden is in a Pakistani compound, permitting the US President to send in Seal Team 6 to take out the most wanted man on the planet before he disappears again.  Big asks of one man to stop more American bloodshed and avenge those who perished on 9/11.  Good thing for the good guys – and a nightmare for the bad guys – that Mitch Rapp is the one on these critical missions.

From the first word onward, Capture of Kill never stops picking up steam and delivers high-octane thrills until the very end.  Rapp is constantly on the move, having to balance different objectives across kill orders, clandestine meetings, rescue missions and just plain saving the day in general.  Sometimes on his own, other times with highly capable agents and operators both new and old, Rapp displays his trademark adaptability, relentless determination, intelligence bordering on clairvoyance, leadership capabilities and lethal skillset to get the job done once again for the country he loves. 

Don Bentley does a stellar job with the daunting task of picking this beloved series from Vince Flynn and Kyle Mills.  His first entry is heart-pounding stuff and endlessly entertaining.  Fans should look forward to watching him grow into this series, further finding Mitch’s voice and sending Rapp on hair-raising, anxiety-inducing operations.  Our beloved character is in good hands. 

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Fatal Intrusion By Jeffrey Dever & Isabella Maldonado

Chilling and thrilling, Fatal Intrusion is a harrowing tale filled with twists and turns, investigations and technology, and dogged determination by the righteous versus sociopathic motivations by the malevolent.  The partnership of Deaver and Maldonado comes out of the gates swinging hard and landing haymakers to kick off this exciting new series.

Homeland Security Investigations Agent Carmen Sanchez gets involved in a case outside her scope and jurisdiction when her sister is attacked in Southern California.  As she digs into the case, she realizes it’s more than just a random act of violence.  As she makes her case to her boss and the local law enforcement agencies to allow her continued participation, more connected crimes occur.  With time of the essence to stop the perpetrator, she turns to Professor Jake Herron, an intrusion security expert who colors outside the lines and is known to cross a legal line or two.  Putting aside their complicated past, Sanchez and Herron work the case, finding clues and chasing down every little lead to locate and stop the man they’ve nicknamed Spider.  But they’d better hurry.  Because the violence isn’t going to slow down anytime soon and the driving forces behind this deadly spree are much larger than they could have possibly imagined.

Fatal Intrusion will grab ahold of you quickly and sink it’s hooks into you for the duration.  The plot is fast and suspenseful, and the intensity of the investigative chase is unrelenting.  But it’s the compelling and intriguing characters that make this story so scintillating.  The bad guys are diabolical, meticulous and depraved.  Easy to hate but hard to look away from, worried about what tricks they have up their sleeves next and knowing they must be stopped.  Which is where the wonderful yin and yang of Sanchez and Herron come in.  Sanchez the rule following career law enforcement officer teaming up with an academic, law-breaking hacker.  An unlikely pair that need each other’s strengths and different approaches to progress the investigation farther than either could do on their own.  It’s a brilliant match of personalities teaming up to stop the evil spreading in their community.

This is a really fun, exhilarating and captivating novel.  Looking forward to seeing where these fantastic authors take this series next.

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An Honorable Assassin By Steve Hamilton

Dynamic, tumultuous and explosive, An Honorable Assassin is a thrilling quest through Indonesia in pursuit of a shadowy terrorist.   Steve Hamilton welcomes Nick Mason back after a long hiatus with a heart-pounding story filled with peril and intrigue.  

Nick Mason finds himself in Jakarta, employed as an assassin by a shadow organization holding the well-being of his family over his head to get him to do their bidding.  Namely, kill Hashim Baya, an elusive terrorist financier known as the Crocodile.   But Mason isn’t the only one hunting him.  Interpol agent Martin Sauvage is on a personal crusade to avenge his family who died in a terrorist bombing funded by Baya.  The two are on a collision course with similar agendas towards different outcomes, competing to complete their mission before the other.  Regardless, they better hurry.  Because if they miss their opportunity, Baya will disappear, the world will still be at risk and Mason’s family will be squarely in the crosshairs of the very organization he’s working for. 

Even though it’s seven years since the last book in this series, Nick Mason picks up right where he left off.  He’s still an indentured servant, but instead of reporting to the head of a Chicago crime syndicate he’s now beholden to an ambiguous global cabal who will kill his family if he doesn’t play ball and complete the missions assigned to him.  And this mission is a doozy – chasing a terrorist in a country he has no knowledge of, experiencing a culture he doesn’t understand, working with people he doesn’t know and can’t trust, and if he fails he loses the only people he loves.  Which leads to Mason leaving no stone unturned and no roadblock decimated in pursuit of a successful assassination.  But the one thing he won’t do is compromise his principles.  Even if it divides his focus and makes the mission more difficult.  Which increases Mason’s likeability and invites the reader to root for him despite his nefarious occupation.

An Honorable Assassin is fast paced, takes place in an uncommon location, and flirts with maintaining morality while steeped in a dark underworld of death and destruction.  A fine resurrection of a series and a character that hopefully has a bright future ahead.

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Spirit Crossing By William By Kent Krueger

Poignant, spiritual and riveting, Spirit Crossing is an emotional story of love, loss, standing up for what you believe in and giving a voice to marginalized communities.  William Kent Krueger delivers once again, adding this reflective and touching story to the exquisite Cork O’Connor catalog.

Cork O’Connor’s seven-year-old grandson Waaboo finds a shallow grave containing a young Ojibwe woman.  But with the hunt for the missing teenage daughter of a local white politician capturing the attention of federal and state law enforcement, no one is willing to prioritize this case.  Except Cork, local sheriff Marsha Dross and the new Iron Lake Ojibwe Tribal Police, which includes Waaboo’s father/Cork’s son-in-law.  As the investigation unfolds, a bigger plot comes into focus that connects the two cases as well as those of other missing young women.  Putting Cork and his family in the crosshairs of some very dangerous and desperate individuals who won’t hesitate to kill those who stand in their way. 

This 20th edition to the beautiful Cork O’Connor series is yet another masterclass in storytelling by William Kent Krueger.  He shines a spotlight on critical issues facing the Native community through the telling of a suspenseful fictional tale with beloved characters as the conduit.  Giving this novel a gravitas that many thrillers and mysteries cannot attain.  Because this isn’t just an entertaining book.  It’s an important story that draws attention to real problems facing an underrepresented community in this country. 

Spirit Crossing is also one hell of an engrossing story.  It’s got mystery, death, politics, legal maneuverings, visions, spiritual guidance, and blueberries.  It continues to highlight the wonderfully caring and action-oriented attributes of key characters like Cork and Henry Meloux, but it brings added focus to the development of others in Cork’s world, namely his family.  And as with every prior novel in this series, it will enlighten, infuriate and satisfy in equal measure.  You may also shed a tear or two or fifty.  All of which make for another beautiful reading experience in this phenomenal series. 

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I Need You To Read This By Jessa Maxwell

Suspenseful and engrossing, I Need You to Read This is a creepy yet satisfying murder mystery.  One that tackles difficult subjects while also eliciting nostalgia for newspapers and famous advice columnists.   A gripping and intense, yet easy to read and entertaining novel by Jessa Maxwell. 

Alex Marks lives in New York City and has a steady but boring job writing copy for a pharmaceutical company.  But after her hero, Dear Constance advice columnist Francis Keen, is murdered, she applies for and is hired to take over the weekly column.  As she dives into her dream job, she starts receiving threatening letters and noticing the strange behavior of the paper’s editor-in-chief as well as her assistant.  As she starts to investigate, she worries what she will find about her heroes and fears her own dark past will finally catch up with her, leading to a deadly outcome much like her predecessor.

The murder mystery on its own is engaging, grabbing your attention and propelling you through this book.  But the more intriguing aspect of I Need You to Read This are the themes of mistakes people make, how we avoid moving on from mistakes in a timely manner and therefore let them control our behavior, and that sometimes you need to reinvent yourself to find happiness.  This is what gives the characters in this story depth, especially Alex, and has you rooting for a successful outcome. 

Additionally, with the book centered around an advice column with the purpose to help people who are struggling, it’s a good reminder that everyone has something going on in their lives and that having empathy for others is a critical skill that we all need to exhibit on a more regular basis to make the world a better place. 

A mystery that entertains while also making you think about life.  Can’t go wrong with that combo. 

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The Rule Of Three By Sam Ripley

Suspenseful and unsettling, The Rule of Three will bend your mind into a plethora of shapes as you try to piece together this perplexing, mysterious and deadly puzzle.  Sam Ripley has crafted an intricate and completely engrossing tale that keeps you guessing until the very last page. 

Do you believe there is truth behind urban legends?  You might after reading this story, told from the perspective of three young women who believe with their entire being that they are going to die, having already buried their parents and lone siblings in prior three-year increments.  Now it’s their turn.  Is it a curse?  Is it a prophesy?  Is it something more sinister?  Is it just a coincidence?  You’ll have to read the first-person accounts of these women’s experiences to figure it out for yourself. 

The Rule of Three unapologetically fucks with your head for 320 pages.  It starts with the unique structure of each section sharing the unfiltered journal entries of the different women caught up in the deaths of their families and what it means for them.  But as the next woman picks up the thread to try to stop the chain of events that seem inevitable, doubt is sown about the veracity of events and individuals contained in the prior woman’s account.  Then various game changing occurrences and connections start showing up to throw a wrench in what you think you knew.  And just when it seems like everything has been figured out and wrapped up in an untidy bow…surprise!  You know nothing and learn there were clues all along that you missed.  Compelling you to go back and look again with mind blowing results.  It’s an exceptionally well thought-out and executed concept that provides hours of brain busting thrills and entertainment.

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Burn Out By Joshua Hood

Intense and explosive, Burn Out is a fiery, balls-to-the-wall action thriller that turns up the heat and gets your adrenaline pumping.  Josh Hood has delivered a heart-racing, harrowing and stimulating tale filled with danger, violence and perseverance.

Mikey Boone is on the run from a Mexican drug cartel after being found to be a confidential informant for the DEA.  Despite a falling out years ago with his buddy Jake Slade, he has no one else to turn to and reaches out for help.  Slade is now a smokejumper and is in the middle of fighting a wildfire, intending to ignore his former friend’s call when the DEA agent running Boone explains the situation and asks for his help.  Slade agrees and sets off to find Boone, kicking off a deadly game of cat and mouse with a cartel hitman and his team of mercenaries who will eliminate anyone in their path.  Not knowing who to trust, Slade falls back on his considerable skillset and his moral code to see this through to the end.  Even if it kills him.

The non-stop action in Burn Out is enough to satisfy even the most hardcore of thriller junkies.  But there’s much more to this book than stalking enemies, gunfights, and fisticuffs.  It’s about redemption.  Finding a way to not have your sordid past define you, rather finding a new calling that does good for the world and starting fresh.  It’s about persistence.  Never quitting despite the odds against you, pushing your body to it’s physical and mental limits and staying in the fight.  It’s about following a code.  Never leaving a man behind, even if it’s a former friend who you haven’t talked to in years.  And yes, it’s also about vengeance.  Putting everything else to the side and raining down violence on those who would do unspeakable, viscous things to you and your friends. 

Exceedingly entertaining and jam packed with uncontainable energy, Burn Out is the high-octane, edge of your seat summer blockbuster you’ve been waiting for.  A cinematic story that’s easy to picture gracing the silver screen one day.

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The Brothers Kenney By Adam Mitzner

A twisting and turning murder mystery with heart, The Brothers Kenney offers up an unpredictable search for answers wrapped within a tale about ambition, failure, atonement, and family drama.  Adam Mitzner latest novel hits hard with emotion and life’s lessons while delivering a thrilling whodunit that’ll keep you guessing.

In the wake of a family tragedy, Sean Kenney returns to East Carlisle, New Jersey after a two-year absence, having fled after being overwhelmed by the failure to realize his only dream.  While trying to secure forgiveness from his family for his prior actions, Sean continues to struggle with the cause of his brother’s death and won’t stop investigating on his own despite the insistent pleas of his sister.  But despite his troubled past and the impact that had on the relationship with his family, Sean is convinced something more sinister is at play.  And he won’t stop until he proves his instincts are correct.  Even it if means burning down everything in his life that he’s desperately hoping to repair.

The Brothers Kenney is a book that’s more about family, dealing with failure and finding your purpose than it is about finding the truth behind a tragic death.  That’s not to say the investigation portion of the story takes a backseat, because it’s incredibly relevant to Sean’s soul searching and offers a highly intriguing, twisty, suspenseful and compelling mystery that keeps you on your toes and tugs at your emotions.  But at its core, this is a story about how you deal with disappointment and regret.  How you can move forward after being intensely focused on one goal for so long that you don’t know what to do next.  How resilience is a critical part of being human.  And how it’s never too late to seek forgiveness, find redemption and discover a new purpose for your life.  Lessons we can all relate to and reflect upon.

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Tom Clancy Shadow State By M.P. Woodward

M.P. Woodward comes screaming out of the gates with his first entry into the Clancy-verse.  Tom Clancy Shadow State is an explosive, sharp and savvy thriller that amplifies the tension through constantly escalating drama with life and death consequences around every turn.

Hendley Associates sends Jack Ryan Jr. on a white-side mission to Southeast Asia conduct financial due diligence for an acquisition of a company that extracts rare earth minerals and sells them to a critical defense contractor in the United States.  Finding irregularities in the documentation, Jack requests a trip to check out one of the mines and the company’s CEO takes him in his restored Vietnam War era helicopter.  En route, the helicopter experiences a catastrophic event and goes down.  Was it an accident or did someone bring it down on purpose.  Regardless, Jack finds himself on the run from a criminal gang that has ties to the Chinese MSS.  And there’s more than just his life at stake.

Tom Clancy Shadow State is an incredibly smart, intriguing, well-crafted thriller containing multiple layers.  While relatively straightforward with little deviation from the main storyline, it possesses an expanding depth as events progress.  Weaving a tangled web of deception, self-preservation, criminal activity and state sponsored covert action that ensnares all involved.  Propelling readers forward through game changing revelations in a beat the clock scenario that elevates the suspense to lofty levels.  It’s highly intense and immensely entertaining content that does a masterful job capturing the essence of these beloved characters within a fresh and thrilling tale. 

The Jack Jr. series is in great hands with M.P. Woodward and it’s exciting to think what journeys he will take us on next.

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The Chamber By Will Dean

Claustrophobic, distressing and psychologically unsettling, The Chamber is another gripping and fiercely intense thriller from the twisted mind of Will Dean.  It will test your nerves, send your heart racing and increase your anxiety in a way only the most vivid and suspenseful books can do.

Six veteran saturation divers are confined in a hyperbaric chamber, where they manage the dangerous environment by working shifts and breathing helium, fully aware that rapid decompression could be fatal.  Then their small fully contained world is rocked when one diver is discovered dead in his bunk.  With the job now cancelled, they face four days of decompression before they can safely exit.  When another diver dies, the pressure mounts, paranoia sets in, and tensions rise.  With no answers as to what is happening to them and no way out, survival becomes their focal point while trying to keep suspicion and exhaustion at bay.  And only by making it out alive will they be able to determine what really happened in the chamber.

The Chamber is a literal locked room mystery.  Six individuals locked in a cramped chamber they cannot exit.  Someone dies.  Who did it and how?  Is it someone on the inside and the others just missed it?  Is it a member of the crew on the outside that is manipulating the food and supplies passed through to them?  Is there something wrong with the environment that no one can pinpoint?  Or is it a tragic accident? 

Will Dean does a wonderful job of keeping readers guessing, throwing suspicion on every character throughout the story while ratcheting up the pressure as the clock slowly and painfully ticks downward to the time the hatch will be opened.  You’ll question their sanity, their motives, their history and how that affects their actions.  You’ll change your mind multiple times on who or what is responsible.  And all the while you’ll be holding your breath, sweating the outcome and feeling the pressure the characters are under.  Resulting in an enjoyably stressful reading experience.

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A World Of Hurt By Mindy Mejia

Filled with twists and turns, duplicity and miscalculations, A World of Hurt is a dark tale with emotional depth that will keep you guessing to the end.  Heart pumping, anxiety inducing and thought provoking stuff from Mindy Mejia.

Kara Johnson is on the run from law enforcement when a DEA agent catches up to her and offers her a deal – become an informant or go to prison for her role in an illegal drug operation.  Max Summerlin, the cop who made the biggest drug bust in Iowa history, joins a DEA task force set up to root out the remaining elements of the drug empire he disrupted.  But everyone involved has their secrets and their true agendas are unknown.  Now criminal and cop must work together to figure out the end game before they become the next victims of those lurking in the shadows who will do anything to come out on top.

The most compelling aspects of A World of Hurt both have to do with the characters actions in the story.  First, they all have an agenda and seem to be keeping secrets that once exposed have the potential to dramatically change events.  So trying to figure out each character’s agenda injects intrigue throughout the story.  Second, there’s a great bit of soul searching that occurs.  Especially with Kara and Max, who are both trying to figure out who they are and how to live their lives.  Kara is trying to reconcile how her dark past led to the death of her true love and whether she’s worthy of love again.  Max has prioritized work ahead of his family and friends and it’s putting a strain on his relationships that he must reckon with.  These are thoughts that are highly relatable and humanize characters with whom we may not have a ton in common with.  Then throw in car chases, gun battles, physical confrontations and a tad bit of poison and you’ve got a thriller with both action and depth that will keep you entertained to the end.

One last note – while A World of Hurt can be read as a standalone, it’s a better reading experience if you read To Catch a Storm first.  This second book in the series picks up right where the first one ends, so knowing what took place previously will allow you to seamlessly dive headfirst into this one. 

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Murder By The Book
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The Poisoned Pen

Not What She Seems By Yasmin Angoe

Engaging and suspenseful, Not What She Seems is a pacy novel that propels readers forward with an urgent need for the truth to come to light.  After the brilliant Nena Knight trilogy, Yasmin Angoe has wonderfully crafted a completely different type of thriller that focuses on mysterious occurrences and family drama through a flawed but persistent protagonist.

Jacinda “Jac” Brodie has returned home to Brook Haven, South Carolina following the hospitalization of her beloved grandfather.  She hasn’t been back in years, having left after being blamed for the death of her father, the town’s beloved chief of police.  Coming home forces Jac to reconcile with her past while also reckoning with how her hometown has changed under the influence of a newcomer with visions of bringing Brook Haven into a prosperous future.  But something doesn’t sit right with Jac, leading her to investigate this new woman in town and how she might be involved in the growing suspiciousness surrounding her grandfather’s incident.  The more she digs, the more uncomfortable truths Jac will reveal…and the more danger she will find herself facing.

Lots of secrets, several hidden agendas, and plenty of drama with a capital D all spilling from characters you’ll either love or hate.  Injections of emotion and intrigue in equal measure throughout.  Wrapped up in a well-constructed story that has multiple moving parts and several twists to keep you guessing before it all seamlessly comes together in the end.  A book that will have you furiously flipping pages once it has fully seized your attention. 

Not What She Seems is another well-written, gripping novel by a fantastic storyteller.  Excited to see what Yasmin Angoe has up her sleeve for her next literary project.  Whatever it is, count me in.

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

Bad River By Marc Cameron

Bad River might be the best one yet in this tremendous series by Marc Cameron.  It’s filled with tension and malice balanced with hope and love.  It’s dark but has heart.  A thriller that will keep you sweating in suspense with the exhilaration of the hunt.

After missing for 2 years, a teenager is found frozen to death in the ice cellar of a family home.  This wouldn’t normally come to the attention of US Marshall Arliss Cutter, but frozen along with the body are some unique fossils that tie the young girl to Arliss’ brother, who mysteriously died several years earlier.  Arliss has always believed his brother was murdered, and with this new clue he ramps up his investigation with help from a few trusted individuals.  As he gets closer to the truth, his family and friends are put in the crosshairs and Arliss himself will have to put himself in harm’s way to finally get the answers he so desperately desires.

Once again, Marc Cameron delivers an engaging and emotional story that is incredibly difficult to put down.  The compelling plot, the intensity increasing as events unfold, the further development of key characters and relationships, a cunning and malevolent bad guy, and the hope that the investigation into Arliss’ brother’s murder will finally be solved all play a big factor.  But perhaps the biggest reason is how Alaska and the unforgiving weather and wilderness continue to act as a major character in the story, allowing you to feel the environment in which the story takes place, enhancing the reading experience.  You feel this story.  The cold, the turbulence in little prop planes, the danger lurking from bears in the wild, the sheer vastness of the state, etc.  It all brings this thriller to another level.

Marc Cameron always delivers, and Bad River is no exception.  A great continuation of an incredibly entertaining and absorbing series.  Don’t miss it.

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(Note: most indie bookstores can fulfill an order as quickly as larger retailers. Please consider contacting them for your next purchase.)

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

The Bang-Bang Sisters By Rio Youers

Sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll may be cool, but in The Bang-Bang Sisters it’s made apparent that weapons, death and rock ‘n roll generate the superior thriller novel.  Rio Youers has turned up the volume to eleven and delivered a headbanging, moshing, pulsating, melt your face off smash hit of a story. 

Brea, Jessie and Flo are the mighty trio making up a kick-ass rock band that excites and entertains crowds across the country.  But offstage they’re bad-ass vigilantes called the Bang-Bang Sisters, killing criminals who have escaped justice and have been marked for death by an underground hacker community known as The Trace.  After the final gig of their latest road trip, the sisters get a lead on a notorious serial killer in Reedsville, Alabama that is too enticing to ignore.  But once they get there, they’re ensnared in a trap by a local businessman/criminal hellbent on revenge, forced into a game where they have 48 hours to kill each other – only one of them can be left standing in the end – or their loved ones will be killed instead.  Beat up, dejected and with seemingly no way out, the three women reluctantly start playing the game.  But if a small sliver of an opportunity presents itself, rest assured the Bang-Bang sisters will seize upon it and won’t go down without one hell of a fight.

To best describe The Bang-Bang Sisters let’s look to rock lyrics for inspiration….

If there's a bustle in your hedgerow, don't be alarmed now – it's just a Bang Bang sister about to turn you into worm food.  Ain't no doubt about it these ladies are doubly blessed, 'cause they are rock ‘n rollers and roaming vigilantes.  And gals like these, baby, they were born to run.  So when the going gets tough, the tough get going.  But while this game makes them afraid and petrified, they realize a need to find some kind of way outta here, figuring out along the way that freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose and that it’s better to burn out than to fade away.  They don’t wanna die, but if their tormentors get their way they’ll wish they’d never been born at all.  However they won’t stop believing.  Here they are and they will rock you like a hurricane.  And they will survive.  Because as long as they know how to love, they know they’ll stay alive.

The Bang-Bang Sisters is a symphony of violence and emotion.  A novel that totally rocks.  Action packed and filled with gut wrenching conflicts.  Dark and deep with tremendous characters.  A must-read thriller that upon cracking it open you’ll swear you hear a voice screaming for those about to rock, we salute you!

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(Note: most indie bookstores can fulfill an order as quickly as larger retailers. Please consider contacting them for your next purchase.)

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

Ladykiller By Katherine Wood

Sexy and sinister, deceptive and treacherous, Ladykiller will hook you with dramatic events before leaving it to your imagination to fill in the unresolved blanks.  Katherine Wood has crafted a consuming tale of murder, deceit and manipulation within the world of the rich and famous.

Gia is at her family’s estate in Greece with her new husband, preparing the home for sale in the wake of her father’s death.  Joined by other guests, everything is going well until tensions start to rise and Gia starts to wonder if the people around her are what they seem.  Then she no-shows a trip to Sweden to witness the Northern Lights with her brother Benny and her best friend Abby.  Meanwhile, Abby receives menacing emails that threaten to expose the truth of the trauma she and Gia experienced over a decade ago.  Putting that aside, Abby and Benny travel to Greece to locate Gia, but find the home deserted, except for a manuscript Gia has written about the past few months detailing the salacious story of the past few months.  Now searching for Gia’s whereabouts and with dark secrets spilling into the light, the only thing for certain is nothing will ever be the same for all involved.

Ladykiller juxtaposes hidden agendas and subterfuge from conniving individuals with the idyllic setting of a gorgeous home in the Greek islands.  Giving the reader a beautiful backdrop in which to watch rich people behaving badly with sex, violence, scams and secrets abound.  Indulgences for us normal folks to voyeuristically witness.  Allowing us a guilt-free pass to judge the actions of these well-developed and mysterious characters while playing detective to figure out who is ultimately going to come out unscathed.  And despite the conclusion of the story leaving several things unsettled, it’s still quite the entertaining, engaging and satisfying read. 

Follow Steve on Twitter or contact him via the site.

Purchase Ladykiller
(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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