A Warrior's Path By Steve Stratton

Steve Stratton deep-dives into the psyche of a formidable warrior who we’ve come to know and root for tremendously in the last few years. Lance Bear Wolf tore up the thriller scene in Stratton’s debut, Shadow Tier. With A Warrior’s Path, we get an intriguing and vulnerable insight into the Warrior Ethos that Wolf embraces so religiously. 

As a child, Lance Bear Wolf is troubled by the death of his father who succumbed to his fatal addiction to drugs. Hellbent on hunting down the man who supplied his father with the venom that tore his family apart, fate takes him from the Crow Reservation to dangerous and storied deployments in the US Army at the time of battling drug cartels as he comes face to face with all that it means to be a warrior in the face of adversity.

Stratton effectively dissects the power and influence of all the events and thoughts that differentiate Lance Bear Wolf from other characters in the thrillerverse. His culture, his home, his dark past, and his training, all are shown in the pages of this novella as building blocks of his structured and powerful personality. The first person POV works great in making this novella feel personal, not so much as putting readers in Lance Bear Wolf’s shoes but instead creating a memoir-like atmosphere that feels like Wolf himself is narrating his story to the readers, blurring the line between fiction and reality. It’s a line that Stratton walks like a funambulist, keeping readers on the edge of their seats as they lose themselves in the intense combat sequences lined with detailed and controlled descriptions of violence that match the Wolf’s expertise in the art of death.

A Warrior’s Path is a powerfully personal journey of a man who realizes he must master his identity by walking through fire and testing his mettle like it’s never been tested before. It’s raw, engaging, and a treat for thriller fans who like their stories with a realistic undertone. 

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A Talent For Murder By Peter Swanson

A Talent for Murder is a psychologically dark narrative that’s equal parts thrilling and creepy. You’re going to feel that uneasiness under your skin while you’re driven to read through the unsettling story.

Martha Ratliff had made peace with the fact that she was cursed in love. She lived alone and was content with it until she met Alan. Against her own prejudices, she finds herself saying yes to Alan’s proposal and soon, they’re married and living a cozy life, albeit a bit distant. When Martha discovers a spot of dried blood on Alan’s shirts and a news clip stating a woman was killed at one of the conferences where Alan had been over a weekend, she can’t get out of her mind the possibility that her husband may be a killer. Her investigation leads her down a dark rabbit hole where more murders come up in all the areas Alan has frequented. Does she really know her husband, or is he hiding an ugly secret underneath the sweet divorcee facade? As Martha seeks the help of an old friend, it seems that the past may not be as distant as it may seem. 

Peter Swanson does a phenomenal work of creating a strong lingering aura of paranoia and fear in the subtle scenes he portrays between Martha and Alan, but all powerful in their underlying tension and subtext. There’s always this gnawing sense that what the clues may be hinting at isn’t what’s actually going on behind the scenes. It’s one of the rare suspenseful thrillers where finding out the secret of the killer doesn’t kill the intrigue, but amplifies all the actions that follow. Swanson is a master at eliciting genuine fear out of the reading folks with his twisty approaches to the mystery thriller genre and he makes sure to tick all the boxes that one wants ticked when picking up a fast-paced captivating and believable mystery in tune with all the quirks of our society. 

If you’re looking to be captivated by a tense mystery thriller that grabs your attention with its sinister theme and paranoia-inducing narrative due to the gritty realism of the characters and situations, A Talent for Murder is a great way to spend the weekend. 

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Assassins Anonymous By Rob Hart

Assassins Anonymous is the kind of thriller that unexpectedly drops in on you when you least expect it and by the end of it, you come out feeling more vulnerable to the beauty of human banality and the dangers that lurk out there. It’s a heavy read at times but one that is well-worth the intensity and emotional baggage that comes along with brutal action and strong storytelling.

Mark is a man trying to make amends for his previous life as a formidable killer-for-hire. He’s staying true to his commitment with a 12-step group of like-minded individuals who’ve forsaken the life of violence when he’s suddenly targeted by a rather vicious assailant, putting Mark right back in the very world he so desperately tried to escape. As he dons his dark persona, the ensuing complications aren’t just a matter of life and death, but it also becomes a battle for salvation of his soul and all that he has worked for since he gave up his guns and knives. When taking a non-lethal approach to his issues put him in much more danger, will he yield to the darkness of his prior life or will he persist for goodness even if it kills him?

Rob Hart masterfully weaves a narrative propelled by philosophical discourse and thoughtful concepts set in a world that is full of violence and chaos. This helps tremendously to set a brilliant pace, alternating between Mark’s point of view as a man struggling to hold onto his reformed spirit versus his desire to let his old vengeful spirit lay waste to all that stand in his way. For the first time in a long time, I actually rooted for a protagonist in a situation ripe for action to actually take the path of non-violence. Such is Hart’s ability to get the readers truly thinking and feeling for the situation as if it’s happening for real. It also becomes a real treat when we do see Mark having to put up a fight when his adversaries do not share the same moral principles as he does.

Assassins Anonymous is a heartfelt tale of violence and hope in a dark world with the promise of redemption for those who truly seek it. It’s a thriller, sure, but it’s also a reflection of human flaws and betterment when one strives to make the lives of others better by molding themselves first.

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The Devil's Fortress By Dale Brown

Want to take a break from the monotony of a hectic work week? You’ll find yourself in great action-packed company with Dale Brown’s latest action-frenzied thriller, The Devil’s Fortress. Pack your wingsuit because you’re going flying with this badass ride.

Nick Flynn and his team continue the clandestine mission of The Quartet Directorate in proactively taking out whatever threats arise to meet US interests, especially those with the backing of Russia’s authoritarian president. Raven Syndicate is back to face off against Flynn and his team, this time bringing with them a plan so diabolical that it will affect generations to come if the Quartet Directorate does not wipe out the threat instantly. With a do-or-die strategy, Flynn must storm the Devil’s fortress head on with every bit of firepower possible to destroy the threat once and for all. 

Dale Brown snipes his target of entertaining his readers big time with this action-packed fast-paced no-nonsense adrenaline rush of a thriller that not only emboldens the killer imagination of the bad guys but also bolsters all the fun and heart-pounding stunts the good guys undertake to meet the challenges. From the get-go, the narrative slows but a minutia to settle readers in before taking off at rocket speed with awesome military tech and cinematic shootouts that will play in your head over and over again as you read the pages. The added element of danger as Flynn and his team operate behind enemy lines keeps you nudged into your sofa as you flip the pages at a burning pace. 

The Devil’s Fortress is indubitably one of the prime examples of books that must be read in one-sitting quite simply because it never lets go of you. Bustling cinematic action with rip-roaring sequences and pedal-to-the-metal plotting, it doesn’t get better than this.

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If Something Happens To Me By Alex Finlay

If Something Happens to Me is suspense on steroids. Alex Finlay in his artistic style weaves an entangled web of parallel stories that tie together with a gravitas that takes your breath away.

Ryan Richardson is a young man haunted by memories of a terrible night where his girlfriend was snatched away in front of him. As he tries to get his life back together after that harrowing event, he finds himself back in that dreadful mystery when his girlfriend’s car is found with a note that says “If something happens to me” in his girlfriend’s writing. This is right when he runs into a face from his past, the face of the man who took his Ali away. Confounded by the turn of events, he picks up the web and starts untangling it, leading him to a Deputy Sheriff Poppy McGee who is working the new developments of the case, unaware that she’s bound to shake the skeletons in the closet in the small town. 

In true Alex Finlay fashion, the reader is taken along for the ride, bombarded by amazingly crafted and heart-stopping twists and turns that even if you predict before time will still give you pause to see come to fruition. It’s an absolute pleasure to read how Finlay takes parallel-running storylines and weaves a giant web of interconnected secrets that all tie together with a satisfying click. From the engaging characters to the fresh narrative with dark and intense energy, If Something Happens to Me is a nail-bitingly suspenseful thriller that checks off all the boxes a thriller fan wants in a well-written story with just the sweet spot between fast-paced and slow-burn pacing for a compelling read from start to finish. 

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Act Of Defiance By Andrews and Wilson

Act of Defiance is a genuinely worthy follow-up to the classic and revered submarine thriller that cemented Tom Clancy as one of the greatest thriller writers. To follow up such a tale 40 years later with an equally impressive and grand thriller is a task that may have been uneasy to think about, but falls perfectly within the wheelhouse of Andrews and Wilson’s dynamic duo.

When Russia’s deadliest submarine, the Belgorod, sneakily launches for a mission that isn’t gleaned cleanly from US intelligence reports, there’s a disturbance in the thinly held peace between the two nations. What makes for an even more disturbing situation is that this intelligence failure harkens back memories of an event where it all started, when a Soviet submarine codenamed, Red October embarked on a dangerous mission and caused a crisis which gave rise to the OG Clancy hero, a much younger Jack Ryan. Years later, Jack Ryan as the president of the United States must contemplate this new development, while making peace with the fact that his daughter, Lieutenant Katie Ryan, now faces the legacy of Red October.

One of the many captivating aspects of a Tom Clancy thriller is the grand scale with multiple events unfolding parallelly on various battlefronts. There was never any doubt with respect to the writing prowess of Andrews and Wilson to tackle this challenging aspect of keeping multiple plot points synchronized and entertaining at the same time, and as expected, they nail the high-tension high-caliber storytelling we’ve come to love in Clancyverse. Whether it’s operatives of The Campus leading their clandestine mission into Russia for intelligence, or Katie Ryan thrust into dangerous naval combat, the authors drum up a lot of intensity and enthusiasm for the narrative to keep readers buckled in for the whole narrative and before you know it, you’re already knee deep in the storyline.

Lieutenant Katie Ryan however takes the prize for me. Her character is superbly written with a strong foundation to her developments aided by astute and compelling characterization where she earns not only the respect of her superiors but also the admiration of readers with her straight-shooting attitude and inquisitive demeanor, much like her father’s character in the earlier books as an analyst. The authors made the right call with establishing Katie Ryan in a story that’s all about the legacy of Red October, not only in terms of the story, but also in terms of the history as Red October launched Jack Ryan as a household name, much like Act of Defiance will win over readers and compel you to want more of Katie Ryan in future stories. 

Act of Defiance is a terrific entry for Andrews and Wilson into the Clancyverse with their style of narrative and storytelling coming across as a natural fit for thrillers that are worthy of the Clancy estate.

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A Spy Like Me By Kim Sherwood

James Bond is back in a way I couldn’t have anticipated. Kim Sherwood expands the universe of the legendary 007 with modern heroes and threats alike, compounding the world of spycraft with grittiness second to none.

The story opens up with a devastating bomb blast in London, the saving grace being the quick work of Double Os on the scent of the sophisticated terrorists. Given carte Blanche to hunt down the enemy, MI6 agents Joseph Dryden, 004, and Conrad Harthrop-Vane, 000 are assigned to follow the money trail all over the globe, some places swarming with eccentric billionaires and some pulsing with violence. At the same time, Johanna Harwood, 003, is picking up James Bond’s trail as he disappeared at the hands of the insidious private military company Rattenfänger. As the investigations tighten the noose on the antagonists, it becomes harder to trust anyone, especially the Double O’s. After all, who else can pose a bigger threat than those trained to subvert the greatest of threats? 

A Spy Like Me is a terrific espionage narrative right off the bat. Sherwood tackles this grand worldwide conspiracy with both panache and an emotional rawness that works best in spy thrillers where you appreciate the fast-paced shiny cool spycraft as well as the high emotional stakes and broken souls that propel characters to step into the abyss in the first place. Each Double O is given their fair share of spotlight and each shines with unique flairs. Dodging bullets, treachery, and one pounding mystery after another, each Double O reaches a tipping point that drastically changes the playing field for all. Ultimately, Sherwood captures the entangled plotlines in a stupendous combination of emotion and action with the right balance between lethality and humanity in the protagonists to make you root for them as they wade in the seas of danger. 

A Spy Like Me is an enthralling spy narrative that beautifully inaugurates the spy-savvy world of Bond in today’s era of misinformation and societal unrest. To add even more flavor to the delicious main course, the story ends with a chilling cliffhanger. When I say the cliffhanger will shock you to your core, I mean that it truly will give you a buzz. Sherwood sure knows how to set up a daunting next chapter and it’s one that shakes the foundation of what we’ve expected from this new series.

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Catchpenny By Charlie Huston

Catchpenny is an intriguing blend of fantastical elements we’ve come to enjoy from the likes of Stephen King’s books along with a gritty insight into LA’s underworld of drugs, music, and dark arts. 

Sidney Catchpenny is a fascinating character. Sure he’s going through a depressive slump but what he can do is steal like none other. How’s that? Well, he can travel through mirrors. Life has a funny way of finding him when he’s down. Even without any desire to catch some new work, he’s sought out by a friend who leads him to a PI-styled adventure that ties in a video game threatening to cause havoc in the real world, a missing girl, lots of dark mojo conjured by dark magic, and a doomsday occult. It’s up to Catchpenny to navigate through the myriad of worlds coexisting with the surface world most of us never break past, until we do.

What charmed me immensely about Catchpenny is Charlie Huston’s breathtaking ability to craft an intricate story that somehow seems to flow effortlessly throughout the course of the book, everything seemingly unconnected at first but fitting perfectly with the right pieces of information that Sidney acquires through his private investigation. Huston’s depiction of a darker and yet more magical world running parallel to ours is creative, exciting and ingenious to the point that it’s much easier than you’d imagine to fall into this new world without even questioning how it would have come to be, simply adopting it as if taken for granted. 

Catchpenny is a story of love, trauma, and a quest to find one’s purpose that would resonate with readers of every genre. It’s got something for everyone. Sprinkling a warm story at its core with really awesome twists and old-school noir elements that will make you want to pick up a Raymond Chandler book again, Catchpenny is a fantastic all-round thriller with so much to offer. 

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Mal Goes To War By Edward Ashton

Edward Ashton tackles AI in a way I wasn’t prepared for. Mal Goes to War is a witty, hilarious, and thought-provoking insight into a possible future as glimpsed through the eyes of an AI entity.

Mal is an AI observer of a war between the bio-augmented Federals and the puritanical Humanists. Not much for playing an active role in the conflict, Mal spends his time in the infospace. When Humanists cut off access to his home while Mal is out looking for salvaging scraps from the battlefields, he finds himself stuck inside the body of a cyborg mercenary. Suddenly thrust into the battlelines while protecting a bio-enhanced girl, Mal will find out more about being human than he could have thought in his endless simulations.

What I found exhilarating about Edward Ashton’s latest technothriller was how he established AI’s as darkly humorous and at times straight-up horrifying beings, a notion that comes with the ability to outthink humans on a large scale. As much as it is a thriller with danger and intrigue, it is also a perspective on how much AIs may learn to emulate humans, with traits like greed and survival at all costs. With the added benefit of us readers being inside Mal’s head as he goes on a journey through the wastelands, the narrative gains that extra touch of blending the book’s reality with ours as Mal acts more and more human throughout the story. Ashton also breaks away from going into much technical detail about the AI, presenting Mal as a character more than a piece of code that mutated.

Mal Goes to War is an incredibly addictive read which thrills, excites and puts you in a thoughtful ponder with supreme ease through Ashton’s fast-paced writing and stimulating characters all packed between bouts of cool hacking sequences as well as violent shootouts.

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Deep Cover By Aiden Bailey

Deep Cover is a fast-paced, adrenaline-pumping, revenge-fueled, action-packed thriller that elevates the espionage action thriller genre a notch or two.

Picking up from the fresh events of The Trigger Man, Mark Pierce, the former CIA paramilitary officer is tortured over a time span of months at the order of a treacherous CIA spymaster out for his own financial gain. Pierce, aptly code-named Trigger Man, wakes up to find himself in a car, with dangerous criminals planning on putting a bullet in his head. What follows is a spectacular action sequence where Pierce takes out his foes efficiently with punches, kicks, and bullets. Pierce finds a surprise in the trunk of the car, an Asian woman tied up by the gangsters. But he has to decide quickly if he can trust all that she seems to be as he faces off against the traitorous spymaster, a spoiled brat in charge of a diamond mining company, an African warlord, and a group of mercenaries all in cahoots to frame Pierce for theft of nuclear waste with a sinister and horrifying plan. 

Aiden Bailey couples the highly intense plot with brutal hand-to-hand combat sequences in a variety of techniques and excellent shootouts with armament fitted appropriately to the exotic locales in the book. Speaking of exotic locales, one of the stellar aspects of the book is the use of exotic locations that are not commonly featured in action thrillers. While the story is set on African Continent for the most part, the different cities explored are done so with extensive research on the author’s part, so much so that one can be fully immersed in a location at any given point with just the right amount of information about the environment in a fast-paced action thriller.

Bailey distinguishes Deep Cover from a straight shoot-em up action fest with its depiction of inhumane horrors in the African warlords governed areas to the philosophical insights in the mind of Pierce as he contemplates revenge and terror. Despite the grand-scale plot, Bailey humbles his protagonist with tremors that get in his way when he’s amped up as he must be to survive the countless action sequences. It comes across wonderfully as the stakes feel higher and the combat more intense, a beautiful but haunting display of a crack in Pierce’s armor.

It flows off the pages that Aiden Bailey has grand plans for his series, taking Trigger Man on global adventures with heart-pounding and cinematic action sequences and characters that continue to evolve spectacularly, so much so that you feel deeply invested in the outcome. The cliffhanger once again shakes things for Trigger Man, and I am keen to find out where he lands next.

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4 Minutes By Andrews & Wilson

Andrews and Wilson have taken on shadowy syndicates and AI in their books and are now exploring the vast realm of sci-fi military thrillers with a really fascinating take on time travel that’s nothing like you’d expect. You’ll be awestruck, terrified, and tensed beyond your grasp as you’re taken on a dangerous mission.

Special Operations Chief Tyler Brooks is a man who relishes being a door-kicker, being in the thick of the combat side by side with his brothers and sisters in combat. When his SEAL brethren are ambushed in a manner that would seem highly impossible, he wants answers. Those answers come in the form of being recruited to lead Task Force Omega, with a directive to use time-bending technology to glimpse 4 minutes into the future. As Brooks rallies his new troops to utilize this opportunity to save lives, he comes face to face with a danger that not only threatens the team, but the entire United States. It’s a mission that will require every single moment in the present and the future.

Time travel can be a tricky topic. There are so many possibilities to address that it can get overwhelming. However, Andrews and Wilson really thought things through to create a narrative that’s both cool and innovative. As the characters get a hands-on education of this new game-changing technology, the readers also gain keen insights and perspectives into the time-jumping missions and the haunting price paid in pursuit of doing good. The core premise is brilliant and invites readers to suspend disbelief without a complaint because of emphasis on reasonable tactical judgment displayed by the heroes throughout the story, holding you captivated with the realism even in the face of an incredibly complex element such as time travel.

On top of the jaw-dropping time travel take, the authors top off the package with great action that immediately jumps off as seeming perfect for a cinematic rendition. The gritty and brutal hand-to-hand combat and fast-paced car chases with shootouts are worthy additions to the best of Andrews and Wilson’s action sequences. You’ll be compelled to re-read a few pages just to play the action sequences in your head at least a couple of times.

4 Minutes is an enthralling beginning of a new saga that amplifies high-stakes storytelling with a cutting-edge premise that will grip you with its talons and shock you with its unexpected deviations and twists. I am so excited for more to unravel in this new series going forward. The cliffhanger won’t make it easy to wait.

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Guns And Almond Milk By Mustafa Marwan

Mustafa Marwan’s debut is one I’d been itching to read ever since I heard about its plot. It seemed like a fresh change of pace in the thrillerverse, almost seeming more like a literary novel than a straight-up thriller and even before I reached halfway in the novel, I knew I’d gotten that part right.

Guns and Almond Milk tells the narrative from the eyes and ears of Luke Archer, a British Egyptian doctor who is hiding from his demons and troubled past in war-ravaged Yemen. When the hospital he’s working at gets taken over by Western security contractors, he realizes he must face his past head-on because fate has brought it to doorstop no matter how far he thought he had run away from it.

If that description sounds a little vague, it’s on purpose. As you dive into this book unprepared for what’s to come, you deeply resonate with the world Mustafa Marwan has created, one that mirrors ours with characters that feel inspired and relatable, none more so than Luke Archer. Marwan captures the essence of a Muslim who feels the tidal pulls of staying true to his religion versus the lure of following his impulses. Not only is the protagonist well-informed about his religion but he also practices it in a realistic manner in keeping with his upbringing, leading to healthy respect for his character as the protagonist upon whom this entire narrative depends on. This plays an essential role in developing his character as someone whom readers can genuinely relate to in the difficult decisions he faces throughout the course of the narrative. The setting may be familiar as a war-ravaged middle eastern landscape but Luke’s odyssey as he navigates both his tormenting past and the perilous nature of his present with bullets flying around and explosions swirling around is absolutely captivating and enthralling, with tones of old-school character-driven stories that I easily fall in love, all flaws of protagonists intact.

The action hits you with a pang of overwhelming energy just as it impacts Luke Archer and his friends who may be versed in dealing with bullet wounds and injuries but not the deer-in-the-headlights panic of being in the gun-toting action themselves. As the characters get trapped in the hospital, there’s sustained gunfire and combat that never loses its momentum.

Guns and Almond Milk is an awe-striking debut by Mustafa Marwan as he zeroes in on what makes people tick and crafts a superb story that not only transforms its protagonist by the end, but also brings alive a warmth in the hearts of readers who at times may feel just as lost as the protagonist but sure enough find their footing in the most unexpected of ways. It’s a thriller but above all else, it’s an engrossing journey across faiths and cultures and different meanings of life.

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City In Ruins By Don Winslow

There’s a lot to be said about City in Ruins. But it’s best to start off by acknowledging it’s not only the bittersweet ending of a beautifully haunting trilogy, but it’s also the final book of a phenomenal author who is closing his writing career with the perfect crime thriller that leaves nothing more to be desired and all that is left to do is appreciate its sheer excellence. Don Winslow has written a genuine masterpiece.

Danny Ryan has made it in life. He’s rich, he has gone legit, he’s in love, and he’s got his son and mother with him to enjoy the luxury that comes with being a respected businessman – a Las Vegas casino mogul and billionaire silent partner in a group that owns two lavish hotels. However, he wants more. It’s the pursuit of this desire for a bigger and better life that puts him in a shooting war against a competitor who himself is no saint and thus begins the fall of the dream Danny has worked so hard to build. Danny doesn’t want to go back to his old ways, but when your back is against the wall, is there any other choice? Will there be anything left to salvage by the time all the blood has dried?

Don Winslow’s trilogy is epic. He set up a fascinating introduction to this world, populated it with believably flawed heroes and despicable villains, drove the large narrative to a tipping point and then brought readers full circle. With so much going on in City in Ruins, it could have been easy for things to get lost in the mix. But not for the master of crime drama; Winslow gives each character a pivotal role to play and it’s because of such powerful roles that you not only begin to empathize with the plight of the characters but you begin to feel for them as you would for someone you’d know intimately. One moment you’re cheering for Danny to achieve his dream and in the next you’re chilled to the bone as you realize what the consequences of such desire would be. You don’t want to unlock the darkness, but the writing is too good to let you get away from its grasp and you tumble down the rabbit hole of misery and pain all passionately described to evoke your most inhibited expressions of love, joy and disgust.

Don Winslow has written many great crime thrillers and while it’s a big decision to pick his best, City in Ruins is his tour de force. Danny Ryan serves as a frayed, but solid beacon of goodness and hope and his arc will forever be remembered as a story of compassion, danger, and redemption in ways that can only be attributed to life’s little mysteries. Winslow ends his auspicious writing career with a finale that couldn’t have been more perfect. I wish we could have more of his thrillers to look forward to, but it has been a hell of a journey growing and maturing as a reader with his impeccable stories.

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Lethal Horizon By Jason Kasper

Jason Kasper brings some closure to the long-time fans of this series as our favorite kickass team of gunslingers finally hone in on their elusive target after gunning their way through a gazillion dead combatants on their uncompromising journey towards seeking justice.

Lethal Horizon kicks off with the Shadow Strike team finding themselves in a very difficult and morally compromising situation. After a sharp and clinical strike on an enemy compound in Yemen, the team comes to know of the whereabouts of the dangerous terrorist, Erik Weisz, who they’ve been scorching earth for all this time. Just as they’re about to close in, their CIA handler orders them to stand down. Why? That’s the million-dollar question that the team will need answered as they hurtle towards fierce gunfights and hardcore combat to finally get their target once and for all.

Lethal Horizon is a jarring resolution to a burning quest for revenge and justice across badlands all over the globe. Kasper nails the trepidation of characters as they close in on their prey while grappling with the nasty gray area that comes with choosing between saving a few and saving many. In the midst of meticulously-crafted chaotic action sequences, Kasper injects a healthy dose of drama to help visualize the team in a vulnerable light, not simply in terms of the mortal danger but also in the demons hidden within each of the gunslingers. It’s a somber and cathartic experience for both the heroes in this narrative and the readers who follow the characters into the heart of combat with Kasper’s illustrious writing that leaves nothing more to be desired from an action-packed military thriller.

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Lethal Action By Andrew Warren & Aiden Bailey

Andrew Warren and Aiden Bailey are masters of the cinematic espionage-action thriller genre. They constantly up the ante when it comes to badass action sequences and they’ve really outdone themselves with Lethal Action. From the memorable roster of heroes and anti-heroes to hoot-worthy car chases and shootouts, this book doesn’t miss.

Thomas Caine is no stranger to violence. He frequently undertakes the most dangerous missions to save the world from one audacious evil plan at a time. This time he’s tasked with stopping a corrupt bureaucrat from spilling secrets to a foreign service in the name of greed. That operation quickly spirals into a chaotic mess with Chinese and Russian agents muddying the waters along with the CIA and a mysterious assassin with a deadly reputation. Racing across the European countryside and over the snowcapped glaciers of Norway with bullets and blood chasing Thomas Caine, he must get the upper hand against all those in his way, especially those on his own side. 

Warren and Bailey cut no corners in presenting a grand and epic narrative that bursts alive with smooth storytelling that puts Caine front and center along with the mysterious assassin who by the end will become unexpectedly difficult to say goodbye to. I certainly hope the character comes back in future stories. That’s the charm of Warren and Bailey’s duo as they write characters that feel real in the most harrowing situations. Augmenting the adventurous story and the multi-layered characters is sharp action. It’s not just the lethality of the combat that stands out but the way it’s woven together with the scenery that makes each action sequence come to life in your mind with all the synapses firing with precise timing to make the action grand and powerful.

Lethal Action is the kind of adrenaline-pumping thriller that’s perfect for an escape from all the chaotic and tiring moments in your day, propelling you into the hot seat within the narrative as you dodge bullets, helicopter crashes, and fast cars in an epic ride.  

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Cape Rage By Ron Corbett

Ron Corbett brings the thunder with the second entry in the Danny Barrett series as the undercover agent infiltrates a dangerous crime family with a killer on the loose hunting the ones in the family who betrayed him.

When convictions have a chance of high chance of failing, Danny Barrett is called in. He’s hand-picked to tie a bank robbery in Seattle to a criminal organization with little evidence going against it. It’s up to Danny to break the ground on investigating the crime through the family. On top of that, he’s gonna have to watch his back from an in-law of the family who’s coming to exact his vengeance after he was wronged. 

Cape Rage is a sucker-punch of a thriller that comes out of nowhere laced with somber dilemmas and vicious beatdowns and topped off with a fast pace to keep the readers hooked from the get-go. It’s a bona-fide crime thriller in that it disgusts you with its brutality and impresses you with its surprising change of tone in those bright moments that offset the darkness of this world. Danny Barrett is no doubt the leading character but Ron Corbett shines the character-spotlight superb across multiple folks in the story for a fantastic blend between character-driven and story-driven read.

Cape Rage is exciting, cool, dark, intriguing, and thought-provoking with some memorable moments and fast-paced crime drama to keep you hooked and turning the pages. The ending merits a long pause to just ponder the blood-filled events of the whole story and contemplate life in a different light. 

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To Kill A Shadow By Julia Castleton

To Kill A Shadow reads like an eerie behind-the-scenes factual account of a grand conspiracy that may very well be taking place before our eyes as we’re too caught up in the hype of the social media and digesting all that we see and read, regardless of its authenticity. 

Julia Castleton is a dogged investigator and a champion for truth and justice. When an anonymous source with information about a brand-new conspiracy reaches out to her, she’s hesitant at first but decides to pursue it. Her suspicion that there may be more to the picture proves right when the source ends up murdered and her life starts getting derailed by unseen forces pulling the strings to discredit and even harm her. Her salvation and her son’s safety just may lie in digging deeper into the military and political conspiracy that’s going to shock and awe her as much as you, the readers.

The beauty of the narrative is its seamless integration with the world we live in currently. Because of the descriptive nature of the world-building and events in the story, it’s quite hard at times to distinguish between fact and fiction. To Kill A Shadow reads like a factual event masquerading as a fictional one rather than the opposite. Julia Castleton is a complex and layered character whom you’ll rally behind right from the page she’s introduced. At the same time, you can’t help but feel there’s a darkness to her, lurking underneath the surface. The mystery that revolves around her past is one the author has masterfully sustained throughout the length of the narrative. As she works to break open the case, the investigative nature of her work feels so gripping and pulse-pounding that it feels straight out of the headlines where brave journalists crack sinister conspiracies behind the scenes. 

To Kill A Shadow is an intense conspiracy thriller that takes you on a slick and smart investigation with a bold protagonist who instills in readers a sense of great admiration for her real-life counterparts who risk their lives in the pursuit of truth and justice. I can’t wait to read where the author takes this protagonist next!  

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Outlaw By Jack Stewart

Jack Stewart takes to the skies again with a spectacular aviation thriller that’s gonna scratch that itch you have after watching Top Gun Maverick for the 100th time. Outlaw is a high-speed narrative that builds upon its predecessor to be bigger, better, and bolder in all the ways a reader wishes to see in the evolution of a series. 

Top Gun pilot Colt Bancroft is no stranger to dealing with cutting-edge threats. As a volatile situation regarding the abduction of a CIA case officer by a rogue Chinese military faction brews up a storm, a SEAL team is sent for the rescue operation. Providing aerial support in his FA-18E Super Hornet, Bancroft gets a firsthand look at the devastation the rogue military faction can present to the US military through the use of a dangerous new weapon. While Bancroft handles the skies, NCIS Agent Emmy King, aka, Punky, works her investigation on the ground to weed out hidden Chinese agents working surreptitiously to launch a multi-fold attack on US assets. It’s up to the both of them to work out the major game plan before the attack is successful, by working their own leads in their own ways.

Stewart puts you right in the cockpit of the FA-18E Super Hornet along with Bancroft as he pulls some high-Gs straight out of the most cinematically-pleasing aviation sequences across all media. The action is breathtakingly awesome whether it’s Bancroft in the air or Punky on the ground chasing down leads, getting into shootouts and car chases. The narrative is a marriage of various plotlines each propelling forward at light speed with a singular sinister force at the heart of the web that threatens our favorite pilot and NCIS agent. You won’t see the twist coming and by the time you do, it’ll be too late to do anything but stare wide-eyed at the unraveling of a disaster. 

From witty dialogue to grounded storytelling, Stewart outdoes himself with this superb follow-up. Outlaw is one of the most engaging and visually-compelling thrillers you’ll read this year and it fills that niche of aviation thrillers actually taking place in the air quite nicely with detailed descriptions of aerial combat.  

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The Chaos Agent By Mark Greaney

The Gray Man is back in action, this time facing off against the mighty threat of Artificial Intelligence and it may just be his most dangerous mission yet. Buckle up and get ready for 500+ pages of heart-thumping action, nail-biting suspense, and a wild cliffhanger ending that will zap you like a cattle prod.

When world’s leading artificial intelligence experts start meeting their demise in rapid succession, all intelligence agencies are thrown in a disarray to quickly find who or what is responsible for this chain of disasters. After having fallen off the grid, Court Gentry and Zoya Zakharova are living the quiet life until a former contact of Zoya comes knocking on their peaceful life to ask for help extracting a Russian scientist targeted for termination in the same kill list as the others. Putting both Court and Zoya in hot waters, they must now get back into the light from the shadows and uncover the formidable and omnipotent threat that now has them in the crosshairs as well.

The Chaos Agent spices up the narrative for The Gray Man as he now finds himself exposed to the incredible and terrifying new possibilities brought forth by the expansion of Artificial Intelligence. Gone are the days when Gentry had to simply outthink and outmaneuver human beings. It’s this acclimation to the new threat environment that goes a long way in keeping The Gray Man series fresh and exciting with something new always in the fold to keep our protagonist on his toes. Battling killer drones and killer robot dogs in addition to the hired guns, Gentry has his work cut out for him with lots of action sequences to sweeten the pot for readers looking for a huge adrenaline kick. Good thing he’s got backup with Zoya Zakharova and Zack Hightower as well as some other surprising faces in the series to bring the extra firepower.

I particularly enjoyed the resonance of Gentry’s inner turmoil as the book opens up. His battle between avoiding danger and secretly wishing for it to find him is an interesting and quite realistic perspective for an operative who has lived by the sword and perhaps wishes to die by it too even if he doesn’t realize it fully at the moment. It makes for a fascinating tug of war between his love for Zoya and his desire for ridding the world of evil folks. But it all comes at a cost.

By the last page, you are not only going to be gasping for breath after such a strenuous climax showdown with tons of hand-to-hand combat and shootouts, you’re also going to be worrying about that cliffhanger that shakes up Gentry’s world big-time. If you’re like me and wonder what it would be like to see Gentry go unhinged, I have a feeling we may see that soon enough. The Chaos Agent is a top-tier narrative that is as timely as it is adventurous and entertaining.

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

Lone Wolf By Gregg Hurwitz

Gregg Hurwitz puts Orphan X through an emotional wringer that genuinely shakes the usually unflappable protagonist to his core. Just when we think Evan Smoak has been through it all, Hurwitz rains supreme chaos over the brief tranquility that is scarcely associated with Smoak.

What starts off as a very banal mission for Orphan X, locating a runaway dog for his step brother's daughter, explodes into a whole different dimension when he’s caught in the crossfire of a sinisterly femme fatale working down her hit list. Putting his maxims in perspective, he doesn’t really need the victim to ask for his help, he steps in regardless, just as a good man would. But this all comes in the midst of an unraveling revelation and experience for Smoak that knocks him off his game. Can he recover fast enough to take down an Orphan-level threat?

Lone Wolf is another notch in Evan Smoak’s character development, this time as he struggles with his newfound family. The narrative serves as somewhat of a re-awakening of Orphan X as he does a timely evaluation of why he really does what he does. Gregg Hurwitz balances strong drama with just as strong action propelling the turn of events at high speed with brutal car chases and swift violence. Hurwitz also pairs up the fast-paced narrative with well-timed subtle humor and some rays of positivity that wonderfully lighten the mood at times when it’s beginning to get super grim.

Just when you reach the last page, exhilarated by the knuckle-busting action, Hurwitz introduces a delightfully clever cliffhanger and takes a huge gamble by pinning a fan-favorite character in Evan’s crosshairs. While the Orphan X books are wonderfully unpredictable, this twist takes the cake for the best and most distressing one yet. Even with the surplus of thrillers out next year, you can’t miss out on Lone Wolf. It’s a non-stop thrill ride and a powerful step in the right direction for Evan Smoak’s journey.

Follow Kashif on Twitter or contact him via the site.

Purchase Lone Wolf
(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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