Michelle Rao

The Thousand Year Spy, a Masterful Wartime Espionage Thriller by Jeff Wallace

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The Bottom Line: A masterpiece of wartime espionage that is as sophisticated as it is mesmerizing. Fans of Alan Furst may find a new favorite in Jeff Wallace.  Jeff Wallace, author of the brilliant The Man Who Walked Out of the Jungle, is back with a sophisticated World War II-era spy novel that blends themes of displacement, betrayal, and resilience within the harsh realities of wartime espionage. The novel […]

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Their Little Lies, a Terrifying Psychological Thriller by Quinn Avery

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The Bottom Line: Buried family secrets, steamy romance and a terrifying serial killer add up to a masterfully told psychological thriller. Coming off a botched murder investigation, Detective Josephine Kelly is contemplating early retirement. Feeling the need to regroup, she uses her father’s declining health as an excuse to take time off and return home to Ames, Iowa. But thanks to a troubled childhood, the truth

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Cargo Hold 4, a Suspenseful Sci-Fi Thriller by Lonnie Busch

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The Bottom Line: Cargo Hold 4 elevates space horror, deftly replacing jump scares with nerve-racking dread, unforgettable supernatural phenomena and big-payoff action scenes.  For the eight scientists aboard the starship Gretel, space travel is anything but cold and silent. The racket from Cargo Hold 4 — banging, crying, moaning and a guttural vibration – is deeply unnerving, and the spooked crew has various theories on what

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Right Across the Bay, a Must-Read Whodunnit by Quinn Avery

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The Bottom Line: A small town murder mystery that is anything but small. Right Across the Bay is a must-read whodunnit infused with romance, betrayal and an unforgettable finale.  Set in a seemingly tranquil lakeside community in southwestern Minnesota, Right Across the Bay opens as sheriffs recover the watery remains of fitness guru Britta Baxter. Three decades earlier, Britta and her cousin/BFF Maxine spent summers together at Lake Shetek. Both subsequently went to college,

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Doctor Lucifer, a Medical Thriller From One of The Year’s Most Exciting New Voices

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The Bottom Line: Doctor Lucifer potently blends the dynamics of a medical thriller with the sheer hysteria involved in a brutal cyberattack. Written with the authority of an insider, Lee is one of the year’s most exciting new voices.  Minutes before Anaheim internist Dr. Mark Lin goes about his usual morning rounds, he receives an alarming text message from the hospital administrator warning of debilitating spam attacks. Soon

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Past Lives Denied, a Sophisticated Murder Mystery by Ellenmorris Tiegerman

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The Bottom Line: A sophisticated, entertaining murder mystery that successfully fuses bitter academic infighting with an exploration of past life regression. An impressive debut for Ellenmorris Tiegerman.  Caitlyn Morrys is a Freudian psychologist struggling to reconcile her training with flashbacks from past lives: witch burnings in papal Europe, Nazi death camps, and nightmarish wars and struggles from the distant past in the U.S., Israel and southeast

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The Burying Point, an Unmissable Crime Thriller by Derik Cavignano

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The Bottom Line: Cavignano’s second Ray Hanley thriller is a brilliant and unmissable dance with the devil. Salem witch lore has rarely been as terrifying as it is in The Burying Point. As The Burying Point opens, Boston Police Ray Hanley arrives at the scene of what seems like an almost-perfect crime. The body of a young woman has been buried in a freshly dug grave just hours before she would have been covered by

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The Good Driver, a Highly Original Crime Novel by Gary a James

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The Bottom Line: One of the year’s most original crime novels, Gary A James’ frightening exploration of fraud in the trucking industry is guaranteed to keep you up at night.  As The Good Driver opens, trucker Max Doren makes a decision he’ll soon regret: hauling a 53-foot van in frigid temperatures from his home base in Buffalo to West Virginia. When the fan in his truck breaks, he decides to

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House of Fat Man, an Atmospheric Spy Thriller by M Gerard-Alesco

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The Bottom Line: A deeply atmospheric, labyrinthine spy thriller written in the tradition of John le Carre.   House of Fat Man opens at dawn in Chiang Mai as 29-year-old American ex-pat Greg Robber  is polishing off yet another beer. The previous night, he had found a friend named Nok severely beaten at a research station. The primary suspect? The Fat Man – a Chinese drug lord

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