The Bottom Line: This fierce political thriller about an embattled priest caught between war and romantic love is one of the year’s most original thrillers. When Liberian priest Michael Kieh offers confession in London, he’s shocked to hear an admission of murder. What’s more? It’s a revenge killing. “ I was angry with her. I […]
The Bottom Line: A sexy, small town murder mystery that’s guaranteed to resonate with fans of Nora Roberts and Karin Slaughter. The rustic charm of Berry Spring, Arkansas’s dense forests, mountains and small town living is a powerful draw. But like all tiny Ozark towns, it can also be suffocating and secretive, and that’s precisely […]
The Bottom Line: This one isn’t a #1 bestseller just on Roberts’ reputation alone. It’s a bona-fide page-turner, and by the end of the book, you’ll be praying for a sequel. The Bodine ranch and resort in western Montana is a family business, an idyllic spot for vacationers (and readers, thanks to Roberts’ gorgeous landscapes). A little […]
The Bottom Line: A hugely satisfying blend of ripped-from-the-headlines science fiction and suspense, The Happy Chip is one of the year’s best medical thrillers. Highly recommended. Human beings have used mood-altering drugs – ranging from roots to prescription drugs – for thousands of years. Author Dennis Meredith’s The Happy Chip takes the idea a step […]
The Bottom Line: Paul Christy’s riveting narration and a highly original plot makes Rogue Empire of the best thrillers of 2017. In William Tyree’s Rogue Empire, a botched American drone strike destroys the Chinese embassy in Libya, pushing the two superpowers to the brink of all-out war. The White House claims the drone was hacked. […]
The Bottom Line: A memorable conspiracy thriller about a conflicted assassin and the threat of digital currency to the global economy. William Schiele’s Tears of the Assassin details the plight of David Diegert, a disadvantaged young man who tries to find salvation in the U.S. Army, only to find himself a pawn in a global […]
The Bottom Line: This truly original terrorism thriller set in Idaho hits all the right notes. Highly recommended. Clif Petty’s debut novel takes the real-world annual gathering of business luminaries at Idaho’s Allen & Co. Conference as the centerpiece for a frighteningly plausible terrorist thriller. For those not in the know, the ultra-exclusive Allen & […]
The Bottom Line: Turow’s most irresistibly confounding and satisfying novel yet. At the age of fifty, former prosecutor Bill ten Boom has walked out on everything he thought was important to him: his law career, his wife, Kindle County, even his country. Still, when he is tapped by the International Criminal Court–an organization charged with […]
The Bottom Line: Set in Tokyo, this exotic crime thriller is a lightning-fast chase to the finish line that you won’t soon forget. Mystery novels are known for far-flung locations, but Tokyo isn’t often on the map. With The Last Train, Michael Pronko takes his adopted hometown and uses it as the setting for this […]
The Bottom Line: An enjoyable romp of romance, murder, and corruption that belie the trappings of small-town America. They say that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, but when Helen Goode starts to channel the scorn that comes from learning that her husband, Beau, may be cheating on her — and it’s her […]
