Almost since the FBI was founded during the Teddy Roosevelt presidency in 1908, novelists and filmmakers alike have been cooking up fictional episodes of the legendary G-men. Some of these classic tales are tributes, and many more are conspiracy theories. More often than not in books about the FBI, the feds are positioned as the […]
The Bottom Line: A gritty tour-de-force medical thriller that showcases both the wonders and horror of 20th-century medicine. One of the year’s best thrillers. The Madhouse is the story of New Orleans native Alex Gage, who struggles out of poverty to become not only a respected psychiatrist, but also an aspiring reformist. The story begins […]
The Bottom Line: First-time novelist Jennifer Graeser Dornbush is one of the most exciting new voices in the crime thriller genre. Emily Hartford wasn’t exactly your typical small-town teenager. In high school, she not only hung out with her Dad a lot, but she did so in the morgue, where he worked as a medical […]
The Bottom Line: A brilliantly executed assassination thriller that is perfect for fans of L.T. Ryan, Vince Flynn and Barry Eisler. Hollow-Point Diplomacy begins in picturesque Argentina, as a trio of elderly Nazi fugitives gather to celebrate Hitler’s birthday, drink, sing and reminisce about their glory days in the Third Reich. Their annual night of […]
The Bottom Line: An outstanding, relentlessly paced whodunnit with sky-high stakes and a jaw-dropping twist. One of the year’s best thrillers. When a trio of high-level political assassinations leave investigators puzzled, Superior Court Judge Cyrus Brooks and Homicide Detective Frank Lotello team up to uncover a diabolical scheme. After the murders and post-mortem sexual assaults […]
The Bottom Line: A memorable, fast-paced and thoroughly satisfying eco-crime thriller. Even before Bay Area recycling company CEO Joe Kilbain puts a bid on a huge contract in Oakland, the win is purportedly assured, thanks in part to the attempted murder of rival Daniel Robles. But Robles, who survived a gunshot wound, won’t be easily […]
The Bottom Line: A truly memorable police procedural for the 21st century. Trouble has a way of finding middle-aged Charleston Police Department Sergeant Ronan McCullough. While he appears in uniform at the dedication for a new children’s cancer center, it’s to support his boyfriend, Ty, an ER nurse. But those plans change when a vehicle […]
The Bottom Line: For Game of Thrones completionists only. Game of Thrones fans come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from the literary to TV-only crowd. There are no reliable stats as to how many readers the TV-show has generated, but more than a few TV-to-book converts have complained that the epic is about as […]
The Bottom Line: One of the year’s best thrillers. Simultaneously playful and edgy, Scissorman is a generous helping of dazzling contemporary detective fiction. In Henry Chancellor’s Scissorman, a wealthy American living in London kicks off what promises to be the most celebrated annual scavenger hunt in history: the search for King Arthur’s mythical sword, Excalibur. […]
The Bottom Line: Visionary, wildly entertaining sci-fi that echoes our current societal challenges while showcasing technology that is only slightly out of reach. In 2050, the combination of advanced robotics and artificial intelligence has resulted in breathtaking societal benefits. Helper Robots that look and feel much like humans are ideal servants, sexual playthings and at […]
