The Queen's Lies By Oliver Clements

Oliver Clements’ The Queen’s Lies weaves a fascinating tale of political intrigue and espionage during a tumultuous period in British history. Based in England in the late 1580’s, this superb thriller that revolves around Queen Elizabeth I and her cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots. The Catholic Church is intent on deposing Elizabeth and replacing her with Mary thus ensuring Catholicism becomes the religion of the British Isles. The dynamic between Queen Elizabeth and Mary, along with the involvement of secret agents John Dee and his wife Jane leads the thriller along an intertwined ride that concludes with a surprising end that you won't see coming.

However, powerful forces are determined to maintain the status quo, which can only be achieved by removing the Queen’s cousin, Mary. As with all the books in Oliver Clements’ enthralling Agents of the Crown series, secret agent John Dee and his wife Jane find themselves caught between two formidable factions, each vying for supremacy. But is there another way to resolve this deadly conflict?

I highly recommend The Queen’s Lies. It is a thrilling ride that you will enjoy every turned page.

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I Need You To Read This By Jessa Maxwell

Like all great thrillers, Jessa Maxwell begins I Need You to Read This with a murder. With that beginning, this novel draws the reader into a superbly written mystery thriller that examines who people truly are and the challenges everyone faces. I guarantee you will struggle to put this book down.

Alex Marks is a young woman who is obsessed with the Dear Constance opinion column in the Herald newspaper. However, it is the demise of the famous advice columnist of Dear Constance in one of the most prestigious newspapers that introduces our protagonist into this classic murder/mystery. After the murder of someone which meant so much to Alex personally, she decides to apply for the position. Yet, after getting hired, she quickly determines that solving the unsolved murder of her predecessor is almost as important to her as writing the column. And Alex also worries that uncovering that secret of who did it may also uncover secrets of her own.

If you enjoy murder/mystery thrillers, then I need you to read I Need You to Read This. Jessa Maxwell is a superb thriller author and I highly recommend this novel that I found impossible to put down! 

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Shadow Of Doubt By Brad Thor

With the release of Shadow of Doubt, Brad Thor once again cements his status as the master of the spy thriller genre. Thor’s writing style is both gripping and immersive, drawing readers into a world of espionage and high-stakes action. His protagonist, Scot Harvath, not only executes breathtaking missions but he once again attempts to save the world from global threats that keeps readers coming back for more.

At the outset of Shadow of Doubt, Harvath is on a flight back to Norway to reunite with Solvi, his soon-to-be wife, when he is thrust into action by an out-of-control passenger. This action sequence is just the beginning of a thrilling ride for the reader. Thor quickly thickens the plot with the further threatening of Ukraine and NATO by Russia moving nuclear missiles into Belarus, safeguarding a Russian defector with crucial information about those missiles, and the murder of a French intelligence agent in Paris. With Harvath at the center of it all, Thor takes readers on a thrilling ride that is impossible to put down and compels the reader to keep turning the pages..

Shadow of Doubt is a masterfully crafted thriller that showcases Brad Thor’s exceptional storytelling abilities. My recommendation? If you read only one thriller this summer, make it Shadow of Doubt.

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The Rule Of Three By Sam Ripley

Sam Ripley has penned a nightmarish, mystery thriller that slowly pulls you into this whirlpool of a story that keeps you guessing whodunit until the very end. I highly recommend The Rule of Three but find a well lighted area to read it as this thriller has a scary way of drawing you into the story along with its fateful protagonists Amy, Ila and Eve.

The preface speaks for the sense of The Rule of Three:

“So pay attention. Pay attention to every single detail.
Before we start, you must remember one important fact.
What you’ll read didn’t save me. But perhaps, together, we can save you.

With those words, you will launch into a thriller that grab and hold you until the thrilling conclusion. Once you start this book, you won't be able to put it down.

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Tempest North By Rodger Carlyle

Having read and thoroughly enjoyed the Walker Series (both The Eel & the Angel and The Shadow Game), I was looking forward to reading the Gritt Series starting with Tempest North. And wow - did it deliver. Tempest North is a historical adventure fiction that weaves a superb storyline with actual events in the 1820s that compels the reader along with a story that they will find hard to put down.

The reader finds themself in post-1812 war America alongside our protagonist, ship captain Chad Grittenburg. Following the tragic loss of his young wife, Chad and his crew travel south, fending off pirates and making many stops along way before sailing around the Cape. They even have to survive a violent encounter with Native Americans to finally reach their objective. Captain Grittenburg and his depleted crew eventually arrive in New Archangel and Russian America (today’s Alaska) to open new commerce markets in the burgeoning American west.

As a fan of seafaring thriller novels by both Patrick O’Brian and Dewey Lambdin, I really loved this adventure on the high seas and highly recommend it. This action adventure is well written and will definitely keep the reader engaged. Rodger Carlyle has another winning series and I can’t wait to read the next in the Gritt series.

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Ember By Andrews and Wilson

The Tier One series hammered its way into the action-thriller genre, and book 8 of the series, Ember, may be the best of them all. The dynamic writing duo of Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson are superb storytellers, delivering a thriller that compels the reader to hang on from start to finish.

Ember thrusts Dempsey, Munn, and Grimes into a geopolitical maelstrom following the assassination of world leaders by a new terrorist organization. With Jarvis and Petra forced to take on increasingly difficult leadership positions in the United States, the Ember team heads to the other side of the globe to once again save the world.

I definitely feel that Ember is a masterfully crafted thriller that showcases the exceptional talent of Andrews and Wilson. Their ability to weave intricate plots and edge of your seat action with awesome characters makes this book another Tier One standout in the action-thriller genre. If you’re a fan of high-stakes, adrenaline-pumping stories, Ember is a must-read. Set aside some time, because once you start, you won’t be able to put it down!

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Webb By Mike Mason

Finding an author who can craft a book that I simply cannot put down is a rare delight. Webb by Mike Mason is one such gem. The story centers around Luke Webb, a formidable Combat Controller in the US Air Force and also a state trooper in Vermont. Webb is as tough as nails, evoking the grit and determination of characters from Brad Taylor, Brad Thor, and Ryan Steck’s novels. When his peaceful world is invaded by a wave of bad guys (and girls), Webb takes it upon himself to restore order.

 Mason masterfully paints a vivid picture of the dark underbelly of drug distribution and prostitution infiltrating the tranquil towns of Vermont. The stakes are personal and high when violence claims the lives of Webb’s brother and others he holds dear. Driven by a thirst for justice, Webb abandons his badge and embarks on a relentless quest for vengeance. As he delves deeper, he uncovers a sprawling criminal organization that is far more extensive than he ever imagined.

 What I found particularly compelling is how Mason weaves together a storyline that addresses pressing real-world issues while providing a hero we can root for. Webb, along with his brilliant doctor wife and a covert U.S. organization to assist him, fights to make the world a better place. Webb is an action-packed thriller that grips you from the first page and doesn’t let go. I wholeheartedly recommend it as one of the most thrilling reads of the year.

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Midnight Rambler By Don Carr

When the first sentence of the book starts with, “Sophie stood at one end of a swimming pool … about to dive headfirst into a sea of dead bodies” you know that this is a book that you want to keep reading. Midnight Gambler, an impossible to put down thriller by Don Carr, follows Sophie Grant, a determined EPA Special Agent with a complex family history, as she battles to make the world a cleaner and safer place in the Napoli region of Italy.

Unfortunately, Grant’s actions in Italy are constantly thwarted by the midnight gambler, a legendary Italian assassin who seems to be always one step ahead, complicating her efforts and those of the local CIA station and the Italian carabinieri. Packed with environmental toxins, exploding yachts, hidden tunnels, warehouse firefights, car chases, and even nuclear bombs, Midnight Rambler is a rollercoaster of action that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Carr’s plot twists are as treacherous and unpredictable as the narrow, winding streets of Napoli, ensuring you’ll be flinching at every turn of the page.

Every so often, you come across a book by a new author that leaves you utterly speechless. Midnight Gambler is one such book – a pulse-pounding thriller that grips you from start to finish. Trust me, you won’t want to miss this one.

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Red Sky Mourning By Jack Carr

If you can read only one book this summer, it needs to be Red Sky Mourning by Jack Carr. Period. But I highly recommend that you find something to hang on to as this bestselling author brings James Reece back once again in a fast-moving thriller that readers have come to enjoy since The Terminal List.

Rogue Chinese submarines, technology companies unrestrained, artificial intelligence entities, and a politician seeking the White House with foreign backing? As usual, Carr has placed a novel in front of us that both thrills us and terrifies us with the similarities of our world today. Using his superb global bestseller writing skills, the author crafts and weaves Reese through a perilous route that endangers everyone that he loves (again) until he places his own life on the line to ensure their safety and save the world. 

Am I over selling the plot? Definitely not. Carr provides action and a protagonist with no quit that readers have come to enjoy and movie producers have clamored to adopt into action films. Red Sky Mourning will grab you from the beginning – “Here be Monsters” – and you won’t want to put it down until you read an ending that will give you chills.

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Out For Blood By Ryan Steck

Out for Blood is a superb, non-stop action thriller that is a must read for thriller lovers and solidifies Ryan Steck as one of the best new writers in the genre. Fans of Fields of Fire and Lethal Range will be unable to put down this third book in the action-packed Matthew Redd thriller series.

Steck returns Redd to Montana’s breathtaking Big Sky Country to rebuild his home and ranch while his father Gavin Cline transports Anton Gage, the antagonist that Redd captures in Lethal Rage, to a max prison. But the author quickly ramps up the intense, hard-hitting action which leaves Cline injured and a hit team going after Redd. While Redd tries protecting his loved ones by sending his family into hiding while he heads for the mountains to take on those intent on killing him, the author shows the power of family in a conclusion that will keep you up late at night turning pages.

The novel combines suspense, family bonds, and survival instincts, making it a thrilling read for fans of the genre. Fans of Ryan Steck and his Matthew Redd series (like me) couldn’t wait for this one and book four, promising more heart-pounding adventures - due in 2025, can’t come soon enough!

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Code Of Arms By Jack Slater

Every so often, I discover a new author who reignites my passion for thrillers. Jack Slater’s Code of Arms did just that. Reminiscent of Robert Ludlum’s Jason Bourne, Mark Greaney’s Gray Man, and Vince Flynn’s Mitch Rapp, Gideon Ryker’s action-packed adventures in Code of Arms keep readers on the edge of their seats, eagerly anticipating each turn of the page.

From a home for retired French Foreign Legionnaires in France to a Senator’s mansion in Virginia, Gideon is joined by CIA Agent Zara Walker. Together, they navigate a web of intrigue as Gideon seeks to unravel his foggy past and exact revenge on an organization that targeted him and killed his friends. Along the way, Gideon and Zara develop a deep trust and teamwork, transforming them into a formidable duo.

If you’re in search of an action-packed thriller with a protagonist you can’t help but root for, I highly recommend Code of Arms. And if you enjoy it as much as I did, you’ll be thrilled to know that the second book in the Gideon Ryker series, Test of Faith, is already available. I can’t wait to dive into it and see what’s next for Gideon and Zara.

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Tom Clancy Act Of Defiance By Andrews and Wilson

I have long been a fan of the writing duo Brian Andrews & Jeffrey Wilson. So it is no big surprise that Act of Defiance will probably be my favorite thriller of 2024! Andrews and Wilson's first novel writing a Tom Clancy/Jack Ryan novel provides us fans of Clancy with a superb story that is almost a sequel to one of Clancy's classic novels: The Hunt for Red October.

The way that the authors intertwined this new story with The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy was superb. Bringing back sonar tech Jonesy, (from the Dallas submarine in HUNT) another story about a rogue Russian sub captain, and introducing Jack Ryan’s daughter, Katie, as an intel analyst (like her dad) brought a smile to my face as I dug into this story. And when Katie got dropped off to a sub in the middle of the Atlantic (like her dad in The Hunt for Red October), I was hooked. Now I am hoping for a Katie Ryan series to branch off just like the Jack Ryan Jr. series of books.

Fans of Tom Clancy will love Act of Defiance and I highly recommend it. Jack Ryan was placed in excellent hands as Andrews & Wilson have proven themselves once again to be one of the best thriller writers in the business! It’s a must read!

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A Better World By Sarah Langan

Just in time for beach weather, A Better World brings the reader a terrifying view into the future as big corporations use their elite situation in society to develop sanctums in a failing society for those chosen. This fascinating yet intense thriller is filled with intrigue, action, and fantastic storytelling by Sarah Langan. A Better World may not be what it appears to be.

In A Better World, Linda Farmer is grateful that her husband has gained an opportunity to move to Plymouth Valley, a corporate town that interviews and selects its inhabitants but offers an improved life for her family. Her family leaves a dangerously destabilizing New York and heads to PV but immediately feels unease by the strange behavior of the citizens there. Her new neighbors in PV are all aiming for a “golden ticket” to stay in the clean air and free homes and food in this monoclastic town that leaves offerings for the Hollow. But Linda and her family realize that they must get out … if they can.

Langan has delivered with this superb, nail-biting thriller that you won’t be able to put down. You will feel the stressful, uncomfortableness of Linda, her husband, and her twins as they seek acceptance within this community until they realize that it may not be their family that is the problem. Your emotions will be tugged as you pull for Linda as she continually struggles in the situations that she finds herself in until she and her family find themselves in a race for their life to extricate themselves from this nightmare that is the farthest things from a better world!

A Better World will be one of your favorite reads this summer!

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Assassin's Edge By Ward Larsen

Ward Larsen’s Assassin’s Edge, the 8th installment in the David Slaton series, continues to deliver the high-octane thrills and intricate plots that fans have come to expect. This novel showcases Larsen’s exceptional talent for crafting gripping, high-stakes spy novels. David Slaton, the protagonist, is as compelling as ever, navigating a world filled with danger and intrigue. In Assassin’s Edge, Slaton faces new challenges that test his skills and resolve, further deepening his character and making him even more relatable. Larsen’s ability to create realistic and relatable characters adds depth to the story, making readers genuinely care about their fates.

Much like the latest real-world concern thrillers, Larsen frightens us with technical weapons that could change the global landscape. The novel is intricately woven, with Larsen masterfully balancing intense action sequences and detailed technical descriptions. This aspect of the story not only entertains but also provokes thought, making readers ponder the real-world implications of the fictional events

Larsen’s writing style is engaging and fast-paced, ensuring that readers are hooked from the first page to the last. His meticulous attention to detail and thorough research is evident throughout the novel, adding authenticity to the narrative.

Overall, Assassin’s Edge is a must-read for fans of the thriller genre. Whether you’re a long-time follower of David Slaton’s adventures (like I am) or new to Larsen’s work, this book is impossible to put down.

Look forward to the next in David Slaton series, Dark Vector, which should come out in early 2025.

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Four Minutes By Andrews & Wilson

What if you could glimpse the future, but only for four minutes? In Four Minutes, Brian Andrews and Jeff Wilson explore this tantalizing premise with explosive results. The book opens with a bang, introducing Tyler Brooks, a US Navy SEAL who quickly becomes the leader of a specialized group that time travels on reconnaissance missions. The catch? Trips to the future are limited to only four minutes. Unlike typical thrillers, ‘Four Minutes’ combines the relentless pace of a military action novel with the mind-bending possibilities of time travel, creating a unique and exhilarating experience. Tyler Brooks isn’t just a fearless leader; he’s a man grappling with the weight of his responsibilities and the moral complexities of time travel. His team, each member vividly brought to life, faces their own personal battles, making their collective journey even more compelling.

As a fan of military thrillers, I found myself on the edge of my seat, heart pounding, as Tyler and his team navigated each perilous mission. The emotional depth of the characters made their victories and losses feel personal. Unfortunately, their reconnaissance missions quickly become kinetic, and Tyler and his team find themselves fighting with another mysterious group that continually blocks the path of their missions and threatens the United States with a nuclear bomb.

From the first explosive scene to the nail-biting cliffhanger, Four Minutes is a relentless rollercoaster of action and suspense. Andrews and Wilson masterfully blend high-stakes military operations with the tantalizing possibilities of time travel. The cliffhanger ending left me eagerly anticipating the sequel. Andrews and Wilson have crafted a world so immersive and a plot so gripping that I can’t wait to see where they take us next!

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The Auctioneer By D.J. Williams

Every year, I discover an author who reignites my passion for reading. This year, that author is DJ Williams. After diving into the action-thriller The King of the Night, the second book in his superb Chase Hardeman series, I quickly realized that Williams deserves a place among the best in the action-thriller genre. Enthralled by his superb storytelling, I immediately ordered the first book, The Auctioneer, which has now become one of my favorite reads of the year!

The Auctioneer delivers a perfect blend of action and depth. It not only satisfies the reader’s craving for excitement but also delves into global politics, international terrorism, father-son relationships, and a touch of romance. These elements propel the thriller along a captivating path that keeps readers fully absorbed. The characters, especially Chase Hardeman, are well-developed and showcase DJ Williams’s exceptional talent as a writer.

From the very first page, this story grabs you with a gripping bang and never lets up. I promise you won’t be able to put it down. Williams’s writing is crisp and engaging, with action scenes that are vividly described and meticulously crafted. I guarantee you will love The Auctioneer.

Additionally, I highly recommend pre-ordering The King of the Night by DJ Williams, set to release on September 9, 2024. You won’t want to miss it!

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