October 3, 2026

Gold Dragon By Andrew Warren

October 3, 2026

Gold Dragon is a spectacular spy adventure that will leave you breathless with its memorable action sequences.

Ex-CIA operator Thomas Caine has been incarcerated after his last mission led him to some disturbing truths of white supremacists hooking their tendrils into the reach of the Oval Office, leading Caine to take some drastic steps to exact revenge for a loss near and dear to him. But when a conflict between China and Taiwan escalates due to a hidden force orchestrating dangerous events, the CIA director offers Caine an olive branch to find out who’s pulling the strings to bring the US into the conflict as well and earn his freedom in return. As Caine sets off on his mission, charting Taipei’s urban city landscape all the way to a cold-mine turned data center in Mongolia, he’s shadowed by a mysterious operative known as Gold Dragon. But Caine has a history with this operative and time will tell if Caine is the next target of this elusive operative.

It’s a delight to see Andrew Warren evolving his characters with authenticity, love and necessary drama that comes along with the baggage of all that a character like Caine has experienced. Every cool and badass action sequence carries a cost that is explored in Caine’s psyche, evoking an emotional investment in his adventures.

My greatest comfort as I read through the story was the plethora of unrelenting and cinematic action sequences. Gold Dragon has some of the most interesting and compelling shootouts and hand to hand combat that I’ve read of late. Every punch, gunshot, feint, and duck feel visceral and substantial with vivid descriptions to give you an actual sense of what’s happening in the sequence. My favorite is the climax sequence involving a heavy plane, vehicles stored on said plane, and a fight against gravity on a ticking clock where every move is optimized to make you break out in sweat.

Gold Dragon is one of the best thrillers you’ll pick up this year and you won’t regret a single moment of it. Andrew Warren just gets better with every book he delivers!

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Kashif Hussain

August 22, 2026

Meet BTB Reviewer Kashif Hussain

Kashif Hussain

August 22, 2026

Background: Reading has morphed from a hobby into an addiction - no complaints there. When I'm not reading, I'm usually wondering what next cool thing I can try in the world of advancing technology. But I'm always thinking about what's my next book. Thriller is my favorite genre, but I dabble in other genres too.

Go-To Author: Mark Greaney - there's no doubt that if you're itching for a great story that packs supreme action and high stakes, you can’t go wrong with Greaney. His Gray Man books are some of the most phenomenal action thrillers you’ll read and he continues to outdo himself and stay with the new trends in the thrillerverse.

Author People Should Discover: Jethro Wegener - he made his debut splash quite recently with a black protagonist in the racial tensions of 60's and 70's who embodies the physicality of Reacher with a lot more violence and witty one-liners. Wegener knows how to keep you hooked and entertained and sometimes, that's the best thing you need after a long hard day.

Book You Would Recommend From 2024: Burn Out by Joshua Hood - an epic and grounded story of a smokejumper who comes upon a devious conspiracy in the heat of a dangerous fire spreading across the mountains of California’s notorious Emerald Triangle. It’s a thrilling experience to dive into the shoes of the protagonist as he battles man and nature!

Most-Anticipated Book Of 2025: Famous by Blake Crouch. Crouch's mind-bending tales are riveting to say the least and I am ready to have my reality shattered by his latest take on how we perceive our world vs how it actually may be.

Favorite Local Bookstore: Barnes and Noble at Firewheel Town Center; great selection of books and delicious cookies.

Favorite Charities: Miracle Foundation is an international nonprofit organization for children. Focused on orphans in need and partnered with over 300 orphanages in India.

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Kashif Hussain

August 22, 2026

Bitter Fruit By Tempest Black

Kashif Hussain

August 22, 2026

Bitter Fruit is aptly-named for an unsettling and dark story that burrows into your memory as if you experienced it all first-hand. Such is the powerful and evocative writing of Tempest Black.

A brutally mutilated body shakes the Irish countryside in a ruined church. Without clear identification, Detective Lewan Kane and his team have their work cut out for them. The strange occult-like case is further made intriguing by Ella, a woman who has seen visions of multiple such victims. The police must figure out the clues before the trail goes cold, sussing out wild and horrifying twists and reveals through smart detective work, with Lewan leading the investigation and creating an unorthodox but necessary synergy with a woman who may have more insights than she consciously realizes before the killer can take more lives.

Bitter Fruit is an homage to the sophisticated blend of gritty, phantasmagorical and darkly entertaining vibe that one most commonly associates with the first season of the tv show, True Detective. I was hooked from the first chapter unveiling the haunting crime and was then immediately swept by the tenacious Lewan Kane on his manhunt as well as by Ella’s strength to move past her own demons to save lives. In between the simmering investigation, Tempest Black creates a wonderful balance of characters in Lewan and Ella specially as they complement each other in subtle and mature tones of lived experiences. The vivid imagery and descriptions made me feel like I was reading a real-life account of the characters. It scratched every itch I had to read something fresh, palpable and realistic.

Bitter Fruit is going to be one of the most beloved mystery-thrillers of 2027 and I will happily read whatever Tempest Black writes next. The fact that I progressed from 20% to 100% in a single sitting without wanting to put it down says as much.

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Kashif Hussain

July 11, 2026

Shadow Game By Nick Petrie

Kashif Hussain

July 11, 2026

Peter Ash is better than ever in this adrenaline-soaked story that rivals the best in Nick Petrie’s series so far. Shadow Game is part mystery, part spy thriller, and all action.

When Peter Ash sets off on a long hike from Georgia to Maine, he seeks some semblance of peace and tranquility, especially with recent tragedies weighing down on his soul. But trouble seems to find him in the form of a grizzled hiker who is targeted on the hike by assassins. When Peter steps into the foray as a good samaritan, he is embroiled in a vortex of bullets and foreign killers who are tied to the hiker’s past, going back to the cold war. Cut off from his most immediate resources, Peter must protect the hiker long enough to find out the truth about how far the conspiracy goes.

Shadow Game benefits greatly from a larger focus on Peter as he entangles with the bad guys using his wits and any weaponry on hand to survive. The pacing feels tight and grips you with a vise that doesn't let go. When the story shifts gear and introduces an espionage story within the main narrative, it gets even better. The new characters that share the limelight with Peter are a charismatic bunch of old folks who are retired but no less lethal and formidable than our protagonist. I felt myself swept on the tides of the narrative, flipping page after page with a fervor that I hadn’t felt in a while.

I had high hopes for Nick Petrie’s latest writing and I am tremendously pleased he surpassed my highest expectations with a terrific and engaging action thriller that had me finishing the book in under 5 hours. Shadow Game is a golden ticket to one heck of a thrilling weekend.

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Kashif Hussain

May 24, 2026

The British Agent By Simon Conway

Kashif Hussain

May 24, 2026

Simon Conway writes a terrific spy thriller that takes readers through a global investigation and an agenda hatched by a spy master that would reshape the politics of the free world.

An American spymaster hatches a plan to change the politics of the country by putting it at major risk. To ensure the plan is successful, it must wind a lengthy path through both allies and foes with sophisticated air defense missiles at the center of it. A British agent, codenamed Chuff finds herself in the eye of the storm as she is tasked with unveiling a piece of the puzzle, unaware that her handlers have a bigger picture in mind that doesn’t necessarily bode well for her. With the clock ticking to a devastating attack, Chuff must play any and all sides to ensure she can stop the attack and walk out unscathed, especially when her options dwindle to one or the other.

Conway crafts a complex web of intrigue and suspense that is as timely as it is poignant with the state of the world as it is today. Hot from the news and theories from those who follow geopolitical affairs, The British Agent is a fast-paced read that slows down just the right amount for the details to set the stage for each new twisty development. Chuff is a badass protagonist with an attitude to match as well as a soft corner that helps the reader emphasize with her for all her flaws and mistakes. It’s her tenacity as the underdog when all odds are against her that make her worth rooting for as a genuine character.

The British Agent is a thrilling adventure that infuses the DNA of Le Carre’s spy-laden stories and characters with the modern climate of extremists and untrusting allies who each have their own agendas.

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Kashif Hussain

May 5, 2026

Godrise By Van Jensen

Kashif Hussain

May 5, 2026

Godrise is a spectacular blend of crime thriller and science fiction genres creating a more grounded story than one would imagine. Van Jensen steps up his game in his second novel of the series, bringing more action and horror for a bigger payoff.

It wasn’t so long ago that Little Springs was a sleepy town with just the locals going about their business. All that changed when a three-mile tall alien fell to Earth just outside the town and changed everything. With the town now growing rapidly, more and more conflicts flare up as a dam paid for by a tech titan is to be built on a historic site of a Lakota massacre at the hands of the U.S. army. Adding to this unrest are the scientists and the military poking around in the supposedly dead alien, unaware of the sheer scale of destruction their actions will bring. Sheriff David Blunt is tasked with keeping the peace in a time where peace costs more than conflict. With new secrets unearthing and a new threat evolving from the alien life, the Sheriff must take control before the irreversible happens.

Godrise is an incredibly fresh and powerful story that realistically outlines how humanity would behave if such a contact with extraterrestrial life was made. The story ramps up at a fantastic pace, simmering with intensity and depth and building up to a grand action-packed finale with a twist I didn’t see coming. It lends a beautiful perspective of how perhaps humanity can come closer to each other and live more in harmony than creating perceived differences for the sake of it. The setup for the next book in the trilogy is maddeningly cool and only makes it that much harder to wait for the next twist in the storyline. Van Jensen writes like a pro and I cannot wait to read the next book in this trilogy. If there’s a series ripe for cinematic adaptation, it’s this one.

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Kashif Hussain

April 28, 2026

Fire Fall By Brad Thor & Ward Larsen

Kashif Hussain

April 28, 2026

Brad Thor and Ward Larsen are back with another banger of a thriller that had me fidgeting with adrenaline to get to the finish line. The fast and furious pacing will leave you breathlessly entertained.

When two archeologists searching for the last few secrets of WWII stumble upon a secret Japanese facility deep in the jungles of Indonesia’s Halmahera Island, alerts are triggered across the United States government as well as a secretive conglomerate that is racing to uncover a deadly weapon that lays in that facility. DIA bioweapons expert Dr. Sara Taylor and CIA operative Alex Ross find themselves in the fight of their lives as they must face the power of tech giants with diabolical ambitions.

Fire Fall is entertaining from the get-go. The genuine bond that forms between the protagonists over the course of the adventure is a testament to Thor and Larsen’s collaborative success and is as much fun to read as the action that springs up within the first few chapters. The smart twists and turns keep you thoroughly invested in seeing the story to its conclusion. It’s a grand adventure across the globe with an emotionally charged and action-packed denouement that will stick with you.

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Kashif Hussain

April 24, 2026

King Zero: Featuring Ian Fleming's James Bond By Charlie Higson

Kashif Hussain

April 24, 2026

Charlie Higson brings back James Bond in the most 007 fashion you could ask for - the best of Fleming but grittier, more resonating and timely. King Zero is a breathtaking adventure.

When a British agent is murdered by unseen forces able to take over the most state of the art machinery, James Bond is assigned to the case to play both the spy and the detective in unearthing deadly secrets spanning across the globe where the trail leads to a technological city in the desert, a pirate queen and a secret organization with a nefarious agenda of world domination.

Charlie Higson brings to life perhaps my favorite characterization of Bond in modern literature. Bond feels deeply familiar with his suave demeanor and killer charisma that we have loved from the earlier books and movies but Higson infuses in Bond a beautiful vulnerability and awareness that make him stand out as a more nuanced hero than a typical one. His personality feels balanced between appealing to the long-time fans of the flamboyant attributes as well as to the newer generation of readers who want to see themselves reflected in the bravest as well as darkest parts of the hero.

This time Bond is accompanied by two accomplices who are every bit as memorable as Bond himself. An old acquaintance from Eton and a smart geek who attracts Bond with her secrets, these two are compelling additions to the narrative who add to Bond’s journey as a character as much as they add to the advancement of the plot.

King Zero sets up high stakes action and simmers the tension to explode in a barrage of cinematic chases and combat sequences that took me back to the excitement of James Bond movies with awesome set-pieces and gritty action. This book had all I wanted to read in a timely and current James Bond story.

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Kashif Hussain

April 22, 2026

Chain Reaction By Lee Child and Andrew Child

Kashif Hussain

April 22, 2026

Chain Reaction is my favorite Jack Reacher story I have read since the OGs. It has all the hallmarks of the best parts of the whole series that are integrated smartly with the dynamics of the modern world.

On his ever-lasting journey to explore the different cultures and streets of America, Jack Reacher is approached by a familiar face. Colonel Susan Turner, whom we know from Never Go Back, is looking for Reacher to help her out with a personal mission. A member of her team was murdered while on a clandestine mission in Colorado. With potential leaks in her team, Reacher volunteers as an outsider to go to Summertown to pick up the investigation. As soon as he steps foot into the town now transformed by data centers, he picks up the scent of his prey as quickly as his prey tries to take him out. But if there’s one thing for certain, you always bet on Reacher. A stone cold old-fashioned fight against the Goliath technological adversary.

Lee Child and Andrew Child go back to the formula of what makes Reacher an interesting outlier in the genre. His off-the-grid laid back attitude to life is what makes him a formidable enemy this time when his foes can’t track what’s not online. The major focus on Reacher this time around is deeply appreciated and comes across splendidly as we explore a more emotionally-astute evolution of his character. His interactions with Turner add a personal investment for Reacher as his motivations go beyond his code of ethics when she’s put in the crosshairs. Reading their dynamic in this story makes me wish we could get more of the two together in future stories.

When it comes to action and weaponry, the authors did a fantastic job utilizing Reacher to his maximum potential with both his brawns as well as his tactical acumen. The narrative is a well-crafted mix of investigative suspense and visceral action that stand out as some of the memorable moments in the latest books. Some moments may make you cringe at the brutality but all well in keeping with Reacher’s philosophy and all well-written.

Chain Reaction is a testimony of the potential for this series to continue prospering with a protagonist I could never get enough of and stories that feel alive with the vivid descriptions through the eyes of Reacher. I wasn’t expecting to get sentimental at the end of the story, but I have a feeling I won’t be the only one.

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Kashif Hussain

April 21, 2026

Exhumation By Nicholas Binge

Kashif Hussain

April 21, 2026

Every now and then you come across a book that you can’t pin down into a single genre. I’d start by saying Exhumation is a fever dream that feels like Inception and Constantine with a detective tone.

The narrative introduces us to Arlo Abbas, a private investigator who’s no slob at hating himself. When he finds a lump sum of £10,000 deposited in his bank account with a directive to find a woman named Sophie Banik, he takes on the challenge. Little does he know that this would go beyond the parameters of a typical missing persons case into the crazy depths of medical experiments, cults and a mystery that will leave you scratching your head as you try to fit the pieces together along with Abbas on a mind bending journey across truths and realities that tie into Abbas’s past itself.

Nicholas Binge takes you for an exhilarating journey with a crazier than crazy story that speaks to you in its own language. As you read through the pages, Binge keeps you hooked with his own special way of feeding you what’s happening even if you can’t quite word it. That’s what makes Exhumation something like a fever dream that you keep falling deeper into, yet you don’t want to stop. The wild twists and turns keep you hooked stronger with a tight knot. The ultimate reward comes in the eureka realizations that you make across the pages along with Arlo Abbas who is just as much along for the ride as you are, one of the many reasons that you’ll enjoy the narrative.

I will say this, go in with an open mind, forget what you think you know, and just let the words and the narrative drive you to the conclusion, even when things aren’t making sense in the moment. It all comes together beautifully like a smart tapestry. Nicholas Binge has written a fascinating genre-bender, but it’s a great one nonetheless for thriller lovers.

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Kashif Hussain

April 4, 2026

Where The Road Ends By Brian Freeman

Kashif Hussain

April 4, 2026

I came to know of Brian Freeman through his rejuvenation of Jason Bourne as a modern kickass protagonist. He’s done a fantastic job with the series, but perhaps what surprised me more was just how excellent he is at crafting smart crime thrillers with memorable characters. This I came to know with Where The Road Ends.

Jonathan Stride’s partner, Maggie Bei responds to shots fired at a renowned Judge’s house. Maggie ends up taking the life of the intruder. Trying to clear his partner’s actions, Stride finds out there was no evidence of the murder weapon on the intruder. Now having to deal with a political backlash, he must also find who killed the Judge and his wife and for what reason, leading him down a dark and perilous path.

Brian Freeman masters the art of creating and expanding upon compelling human characters that feel like people you can look up to, yet at the same time feel flawed. From the very first chapter, there’s an air of mystery and suspenseful horror that felt very surprising to experience in a thriller. Combining an on-the-grounds investigative detective narrative with a surreal mystical and darkness that is most commonly found in Stephen King-esque stories, I found Where The Road Ends to be an enthralling read. The thrills just keep on adding with each new chapter as the investigation unravels with finesse and apt suspense.

Where The Road Ends is a mysterious and suspenseful work of masterful storytelling that leaves no stone unturned and gives you the best of horror and thriller in one.

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Kashif Hussain

March 25, 2026

Ice Vector By Aiden Bailey

Kashif Hussain

March 25, 2026

Layer up with some hot cocoa and feathered jackets as you accompany CIA operative codenamed Trigger Man on a dangerous mission in Antarctica where bullets are not the only deadly threats.

Mark Pierce, The Trigger Man, has been second edition to the Australian Defence Force after making a huge ruckus in Japan in his last outing. As a result, he’s laying low in the brutal conditions of Antarctica with the Australians. His relative tranquility comes to an end when a Russian vessel is found adrift and bereft of any crew. When Mark boards the vessel, he finds a mysterious message warning of a dangerous man-made plague that would spell doom for the world if it’s unleashed. With both allies and foes willing to throw Pierce under the bus to get their hands on this dangerous bio-weapon, Pierce must fight to survive across the frozen wasteland as he races to prevent the weapon from falling into the wrong hands.

Aiden Bailey crafts a highly entertaining story that twists and turns in all the right ways. Reading Ice Vector is like sitting on a roller coaster as Bailey throws all sorts of dangerous and terrifying scenarios at the Trigger Man to outsmart. From sinking vessels to dealing with Orcas, all the way to dodging grenades and bullets, the action is top-notch and amplified for non-stop thrills. Bailey still finds some creative checkpoints to slow the narrative just a tad to let the emotional pieces resonate for the readers before jumping from one cool action sequence to the next.

Ice Vector is a terrific and cool thriller that continues to prove that Aiden Bailey just gets better with each new book. If you’re looking for an action-packed adventure to lose yourself into, Ice Vector is a fantastic idea.

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Kashif Hussain

March 15, 2026

Double Tap By Don Bentley

Kashif Hussain

March 15, 2026

Double Tap feels like a true continuation of where Vince Flynn’s character arc for Mitch Rapp was leading when he wrote American Assassin and Kill Shot. It’s action-packed, faithful to the world Vince Flynn created, and most importantly, it’s a full Rapp-Fest.

After learning some tough lessons in his budding career as a secret assassin, Mitch Rapp is well on his way to becoming the venerated operative we were introduced to in Transfer of Power. This time we see him in Italy, on the hunt for a Pakistani scientist who may be consorting with terrorists. When the mission goes belly-up, he stays on the objective, knowing that there’s more at stake than what appears on the surface. As he puts on a sleuthing cap to investigate, he finds more than he bargained for, with a terror plot that would cause a lot of devastation unless Rapp can stop it.

Don Bentley continues to improve with each book, while including cool origin stories for characters that piqued so much interest earlier in the series. Bentley returns us to familiar settings and characters and provides them room to shine. Double Tap feels like the perfect evolution for Rapp as he sees his first foray from a killer to an intelligence asset.

Double Tap is a love letter to fans who have been asking to get more of Mitch Rapp and the original gang, including Stan Hurley, taking on bad guys and keeping the world safe.

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Kashif Hussain

March 7, 2026

What They Did By Rio Youers

Kashif Hussain

March 7, 2026

Rio Youers is no stranger to crafting bold and emotionally charged thrillers with palpable tension and highly realistic characters with whom you become wholly invested by the time you finish the book. What They Did is a somber tale of how life has its own designs for you that lead you down a path you couldn’t have imagined.

Carly Rivers and Dana Lee share a secret that binds them forever. They were the bestest of friends and even as they drifted apart over the years, the secret sits there like a skeleton in the closet, just waiting to be revealed. When Dana’s son falls in with the wrong crowd, she turns back to Carly who herself has a place within the dark underbelly world of crime and violence. When heads finally butt and tensions burst, it’s a fight to the death for all, and the secret comes back yearning for resolution.

What They Did is a powerhouse suspense-filled thriller that boasts two of the most compelling female main characters I’ve read this year. I love the unflinching and raw portrayal of violence and brutality. It’s impressive how Youers keeps a running momentum in the present day storyline Dana, her kid, and Carly while unveiling just the right context of the past to help readers believe in Dana and Carly’s bond over the traumatic secret that sits between them silent and watchful. The deliberate nature of each chapter in the narrative is nothing less than a stroke of genius where everything falls so neatly into place at the end, all the building blocks so intricately set for a powerful payoff both emotionally and intellectually for readers.

It’s essentially two great stories in one book. You’ve got the relationship between Dana and Carly, and then there’s Dana’s son, Anthony. His devastatingly engaging story arc serves as a testament to Rio Youers’s ability to craft meaningful and real-life-like stories where you can sense the destruction coming in through the traits and actions of his characters yet you can’t look away. It goes a long way to comment on our destructive nature to spiral even when there’s help available.

What They Did is an excellent dramatic representation of life shaping you in its own unique and exciting if sometimes unorthodox ways. From the childhood bond of the two leading characters to the coming of age story of a young man falling head first into a pile of wrong decisions, it’s a story you won’t soon forget.

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Kashif Hussain

March 1, 2026

Choke Point By Brad Thor

Kashif Hussain

March 1, 2026

Brad Thor outshines himself with Choke Point as a full-blown action ride through the streets of Bangkok. The whole experience felt like a return to old-school Harvath in the best possible way.

When devastating bombings ravage the tranquility of Bangkok, leaving scores of both locals and Americans dead, the US president makes a call: he sends in Scot Harvath to leave no stone unturned to find the culprit and bring him to justice. But this time, Harvath is up against a fellow countryman who betrayed his oath for murder and profit. As Harvath hunts his man down, the picture becomes muddier as China steps into the fold, having deployed its operatives to Thailand to seize control of a key gateway between two major oceans that would all but guarantee China full claim over the ultimate global choke point.

Choke Point benefits immensely from a fast pace and laser focus on Harvath’s manhunt, ramping up the stakes with frequent action sequences that keep you hooked page after page with Thor’s attention to detail and rip-roaring kinetic shootouts that never let you down. I found myself slowing down through the action sequences to savor the cinematic tinge of each gunshot and bullet whizzing around in the pages. The focus on Harvath’s espionage tradecraft and clever dealings in a foreign nation and fresh change of scenery from the previous books took me back to the earlier stories as we saw him take bold risks on his own as both an operative and a leader with a bone to pick.

As action-packed as it is, Choke Point is also a timely dissection of what could potentially happen with the global turmoil and conflicts going on right now. The geopolitical considerations and stakes closely mirror the news as if playing out in real time as you read the book. Thor’s revelations feel more like eerie prophecies and you can’t help but wonder if it’s just a matter of time before we find the plot for Choke Point playing out in the next news broadcast.

Come for the tactical action and stay for the educational foray into today’s geopolitics as Brad Thor entertains and educates you at the same time with a riveting narrative and fast-paced writing. Choke Point is one of the best Scot Harvath books in recent times.

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Kashif Hussain

February 21, 2026

The Most Dangerous Man By Jack Murphy

Kashif Hussain

February 21, 2026

The Most Dangerous Man is an intense and action-packed goodness that holds its own with the best in the genre.

US Army Ranger Staff Sgt. Jeremy Lopez is one of the best players in the field when it comes to reconnaissance and lethal combat. He’s doing covert missions in North Africa when he meets a woman who slips something more potent in his drink than what he was expecting. Now waking up in the wild, he finds out he has been chosen to be hunted by a group of sociopathic millionaires and billionaires who have grown tired of the legal pleasures of life and have now turned to hunting the most dangerous game there is, an Army Ranger. With no support but his own wits and training, Lopez must outwit and out-kill his captors and save a fellow comrade who’s held hostage by the same hunters.

I was immediately captivated by the high stakes of the narrative and Jack Murphy’s lean and mean writing that added an extra oomph to the already action-packed ride. Lopez’s introduction as a kickass character takes off superbly with an action sequence that not only showcases his superior-than-most skill set but also his humanity to protect his brothers in arms. This also sets the stage for a brilliantly violent and unpredictable hunt where we see Lopez take every opportunity to turn the hunters into the hunted in spectacular fashion that took me back to the iconic writing of David Morrell’s First Blood. The action hits hard and crisp with fiery intensity that gets your heart racing and giddy with excitement. The momentum stays strong throughout the story once it sets up the bad guys, holding your attention fully till the last showdown where the hows and whys tie up neatly for a satisfying payoff.

The Most Dangerous Man is a kinetic and stellar action-packed thrill ride to the finish with an eye for details that would appease the most hardcore of readers who appreciate that extra attention to combat and firearms.

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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.)

Barrington Books
Chapter 2 Books
Murder By The Book
Once Upon A Crime
The Book Dragon
The Poisoned Pen

Kashif Hussain

February 14, 2026

The Kill Fix By DG Elliott

Kashif Hussain

February 14, 2026

The Kill Fix is one heck of an adrenaline-rush that fires on all cylinders from start to finish. With constant action and tremendous thrills, DG Elliott is a fantastic new voice in the genre.

The former Navy Special Forces and CIA officer Frank ‘Fix’ Xavier is a man accustomed to violence and trauma in his hardened past. His past pulls him back into the fold when a terrorist plot is found simmering to attack on United States soil. With time running out, he teams up with DEA agent Kate Martens to dive deep into uncharted territory where combat reigns supreme, chasing a shadowed enemy across the globe for a fight to the end while rushing to prevent a new global conflict.

I personally enjoyed the non-stop action sequences and shootouts that were imbued with the right amount of details and authenticity for a rich and fast-paced narrative. DG Elliott’s writing quickly crafts Frank Xavier as a kickass protagonist with the wits and skills to back himself up against killers and terrorists. While you’re hooked in with Frank to get to the bottom of the conspiracy, the story itself continues to twist and turn with each new chapter, accelerating at high efficiency of engaging storytelling until the explosive conclusion that feels worth the short wait.

The Kill Fix is a lean and mean thriller that wastes no time in setting up its hero to tackle realistic and compelling challenges and before you know it, you’ve become a fan of Frank ‘Fix’ Xavier as a new hero to keep your eyes peeled for.

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Purchase The Kill Fix
(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

Kashif Hussain

February 1, 2026

Shadow Strike By Aiden Bailey

Kashif Hussain

February 1, 2026

Shadow Strike is Aiden Bailey’s most personal, kinetic and powerful thriller yet as he pits the Trigger Man against the man who created him.

Racing through the bustling streets of Osaka all the way to the jungles of Southeast Asia, Mark Pierce is relentless in his pursuit of a Chinese hypersonic missile that crashed in Japanese territorial waters. At the same time, a face from his past recognizes Pierce as a name long lost, Arkady Volkov of Russian Special Forces. With his past crashing down on his present, he must outmaneuver the threats before they envelop him into the darkness he thought he had earlier escaped.

Aiden Bailey lets loose his protagonist to go berserk in Shadow Strike and I’m very glad he did, for all the riveting action sequences and personal touches that mark this story as Bailey’s best work. While we’ve seen Mark go up against corrupt and cerebral villains, Pierce now has to physically match up against his old mentor. From zipping bike chases to hide-and-seek with pistols, Shadow Strike makes good on its promise to hook your attention and keep you locked in.

For fans of the series, this book is a major pay off as we finally learn some harrowing secrets about Mark Pierce, aka Arkady Volkov. The secrets that have been simmering in the last few stories finally erupt into a frenzy of emotions and developments that ensure you won’t look at Pierce the same way again. With the narrative diving into Pierce’s electric and tragic past while also dealing with the present day crisis of an incredibly dangerous missile falling into the wrong hands, the momentum never lets up for you to give it a rest. You’re constantly scrambling to find out what happens next in a flow state that stems from gripping writing and cinematic action.

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Purchase Shadow Strike
(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

Kashif Hussain

January 9, 2026

Direct Action By Stephen Leather

Kashif Hussain

January 9, 2026

Stephen Leather brings the oldie but goldie school spy charm in this off-the-headlines thriller, Direct Action.

Dan “Spider” Shepherd is faced with a double threat in this latest outing. He and his old team are being investigated for a murder that occurred on his watch while serving abroad just as he is sent undercover to infiltrate a group of vigilantes who are taking matters into their own hands supposedly weeding out the bad apples who’ve found their way on British soil through weak immigration. As Dan works his way through the group, he finds there’s more at play with a larger force acting as the puppeteer behind the scenes.

Leather goes all in with his realistic and slow-burn depiction of espionage tradecraft, emphasizing human wits and intelligence in the world of undercover operations. Shepherd takes a much more active role in this outing as he goes into a den of killers himself, with little more than his own instincts and training to save himself, keeping violence rightfully as a last resort to avoid breaking cover. This makes for some harrowing close calls throughout the book.

Direct Action boasts a very timely narrative constructed around immigration and those who would pervert it on both sides of the equation. The story delves into moral questions afflicted by politics and prejudice, all the while steadily building to a ferocious finale that ultimately brings a very satisfying conclusion while offering a slightly uncomfortable mirror to the harsh realities of the world.

Direct Action is a worthy addition to the vast world of spy craft and kinetic operations that Stephen Leather continues to evolve with the changing times.

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Purchase Direct 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

Kashif Hussain

December 1, 2025

The Fourth Option By Jack Carr and M.P. Woodward

Kashif Hussain

December 1, 2025

Jack Carr and M.P. Woodward are a dangerously dynamic duo in their collaboration in The Fourth Option. You get the action of gritty military thrillers in an urban setting with smart and hardcore storytelling reminiscent of old vigilante thrillers that remain our favorites to this day.

Former Navy SEAL and CIA ground branch operative Chris Walker is a man on his last legs, broken down by the horrors of the wars he has faced and disillusioned by the institutional discrimination, he’s about to end his life as he gets the most important call of his life, a call that gives him purpose; his best friend’s wife needs his help. She’s lost her son to the opioid crisis, or so it seems. When all roads to justice close down, Walker must be brave enough to take the fight to the institution that has taken innocent lives under a grand conspiracy that threatens anyone who looks too closely into it.

The Fourth Option benefits immensely from Carr’s tactical ability to craft kinetic and explosive action sequences. There’s a whole bunch of them with Chris Walker tearing down the city to get to the bad guys, and each sequence trumps the one before. At the same time, we see M.P. Woodward’s charisma seep into the narrative as Chris deals with foes of dubious statuses as much as he deals with his own self-image. Chris is a warrior with the mind of a philosopher. His personal anecdotes through his quest for justice help elevate both the protagonist and the narrative with well-timed and compelling reflections of what it means to be a man of violence. It’s perhaps this quality that best exemplifies the unique nature of the book as a standout thriller.

The Fourth Option is a riveting tale of revenge and violence with a remarkable protagonist who can certainly lead his own series and the story works just as well as a standalone as it does to launch a new name. Jack Carr and M.P. Woodward are rockstars on their own and a force to be reckoned with as a team.

Follow Kashif on Twitter or contact him via the site.

Purchase The Fourth Option
(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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