Rising Tiger By Brad Thor

It’s not easy to pick the best of an iconic series, but Rising Tiger will definitely have some people making a case. With interesting locales, phenomenal characters, and action scenes hotter than the food Scot Harvath tries, this one is going to blow fans away. Brad Thor is at his very best and I can only hope we see more of the new characters in future books.

When a shadowy US diplomat is assassinated in India, the president tasks the only man he can trust to find those responsible and make them pay. On his own and in a part of the world he’s never really operated in, Scot Harvath is forced to rely on a new set of allies.

The pitfalls of the larger geopolitical game could not be more precarious. As each side ratchets up the stakes, Harvath is unable to overtly mete out justice without setting off a world changing war. Working his way from the street level to the very top of the conspiracy will take all the cunning and craft he can muster.

Back on the home front, a mysterious weapon connected to Scot’s investigation has been used on one of The Carleton Group’s own, and with Harvath a world away, The Troll and his faithful companions have to handle business on the homefront. 

Thor crafts a riveting story that sees Harvath do more dogged detective work, rather than dodging bullets. While long time fans are used to seeing Scot in full battle rattle, and there is plenty of that, I really enjoyed the heavier investigative angle in this one. Adrenaline junkies will definitely get their fix, but the added psychological aspect was very welcomed. 

While I will probably always have a particular favorite in this series, Rising Tiger is my favorite since that one. I really enjoyed this one and know thriller fans of all stripes will devour this book.

Follow Todd on Twitter or contact him via the site.

Purchase Rising Tiger
BUY A SIGNED FIRST EDITION FROM VJ BOOKS

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

(Note: most indie bookstores can fulfill an order as quickly as larger retailers. Please consider contacting them for your next purchase.)

Movieland by Lee Goldberg

Movieland is an energetic, enticing, and entertaining read. Even Ronin is back and life is hitting our favorite Lost Hills detective as hard as ever. There are few, if any, police procedurals I look forward to more each year than this one from Lee Goldberg. Well written, page turning pacing, and relatable characters make this a must read series.

With her partner Duncan Pavone only two weeks away from retirement, the pair find themselves on the hunt for a serial sniper in the Malibu Creek State Park. With political elements to be handled, public safety to be enforced, and personal entanglements, this may be the toughest case Eve has had to deal with.

While her work life isn’t all rainbow and sunshine, Eve would likely rather tangle with a maniac killer than deal with the trials and tribulations of the TV show based on her life and family drama that comes with it. 

The fact that this is based off of real events that Goldberg himself has attended community meetings on makes it even crazier. When I read that in the Author’s Notes section I was blown away. I definitely did some follow up research after I read the book.

Follow Todd on Twitter or contact him via the site.

Purchase Movieland
BUY A SIGNED FIRST EDITION FROM VJ BOOKS

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

(Note: most indie bookstores can fulfill an order as quickly as larger retailers. Please consider contacting them for your next purchase.)

Shadow Tier By Steve Stratton

When former Army Ranger Lance Wolf's Mexican vacation takes a tragic turn, he is propelled down a path of revenge and retribution against a major drug cartel and it's brutal leaders. What had been a wrong place, wrong time situation turns into an all out war spanning from Tampa to Los Angeles and into the heart of Sinaloan controlled territory. With the help of his family and friends, Wolf takes the fight directly to the cartel. The incredible toll and personal cost will be the deciding factor in this battle of wills.

Steve Stratton has created a highly unique and interesting protagonist that reminds me of a young Painter Crowe. With his special skill set, upbringing, and personality... no enemy is safe from Lance Wolf's wrath. I cannot wait to see how this character develops over the course of what will be a fantastic series. The asymmetrical warfare and guerrilla style tactics are also welcome additions to the story and keep readers on their toes as they try to predict Lance's next move. Thriller fans will want to pick this one up ASAP.

Follow Todd on Twitter or contact him via the site.

Purchase Shadow Tier
(Note: most indie bookstores can fulfill an order as quickly as larger retailers. Please consider contacting them for your next purchase.)

Amazon

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

The Gatekeeper By James Byrne

James Byrne introduces a new challenger for “most hilarious” protagonist in the thriller genre. Dez Limerick is every bit as cheeky as he is deadly. The Gatekeeper is a witty, action packed, and utterly enjoyable read.

With a past as cloudy as tea from a dirty kettle, Dez is trying to put career as a “gatekeeper” behind him. Fancying himself a guitarist, he heads to find the sun and fun in southern California. While playing a gig, the skills and instincts he spent a lifetime cultivating come in handy when a team of operators infiltrate his hotel, attempting to abduct the woman he’d just been flirting with. 

When he thwarts the attack with a brutal rescue, Dez cannot possibly know how deep his decision will force him down the rabbit hole of an insane white supremacist conspiracy within the US Military and the large scale plans they have. 

A British Isle man by birth, Dez’s time globetrotting has produced a vocabulary and vernacular as unique as his professional skill set. His quick wit and charming personality are as persuasive and endearing to the characters in the story as it is to the readers fortunate enough to be reading the story.  

What makes this book so great is besides a fun, intelligent, and well rounded cast of characters, the action and storylines are every bit as engaging. While you may think the Neo-Nazi plot in the military is enough to carry the book, Byrne adds in additional layers of intrigue and misdirection that make this book fly by. It really is everything you’d want in a lighter, entertaining read.

The Gatekeeper will definitely be on one of my “Best of” lists for 2022.

Follow Todd on Twitter or contact him via the site.

Purchase The Gatekeeper
(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

It Dies with You By Scott Blackburn

It Dies with You is a smooth, slow burn of a novel that won’t let you put it down until you’ve unraveled everything. This debut from Scott Blackburn should be on every crime fiction fan’s list. 

Hudson Miller, a down and out boxer, is working as a bouncer and bartender at a bar when he gets news of his estranged father’s murder. Forced to head back to his childhood hometown of Flint Creek, NC to take over the salvage yard his old man ran, the reality of who his father was and what he was into becomes clearer. With the assistance of the only employee at the yard, a grumpy Vietnam vet, and a tenacious teenager, who is hell bent on finding her missing brother, Hudson is compelled by his moral duty to uncover the secrets in this small town. Not an easy task for anyone, let alone three outsiders.

Blackburn teases out clues and information deftly as you get to know each character within the book. The larger themes of moral duty, right and wrong, and perseverance are not thrown in the face of the reader, but skillfully discussed and developed from chapter to chapter. If this is Blackburn’s debut, I can’t wait to see what comes next.

Follow Todd on Twitter or contact him via the site.

Purchase It Dies With You
(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

Red Warning By Matthew Quirk

Red Warning is a Cold War throwback with a modern twist. Matthew Quirk crafts a high paced story full of intrigue and suspicion. 

After a disastrous end to a recruitment mission in Geneva, CIA officer Sam Hudson is recuperating from his injuries while on an indefinite suspension. While out for a run near the Lincoln Memorial, Sam receives a mysterious call. The caller just happens to be the deep cover Russian agent he had been close to uncovering in Switzerland. An explosion happens moments later and sets off a full throttle manhunt. 

The only problem is that executives back at Langley believe the Russian to be a myth. Enlisting the help of dangerous contacts and fellow officer Emily Pierce, the pair uncover a long dormant plot to decapitate the power structures in Washington DC, aided by a potential mole in their own section. 

This book has a steady pace that teases out a complex and interesting story. The final reveal of the attack is as devastating as it is believable. The characters are not overly developed, but that never took away from the story for me. Anyone with a passing interest in Cold War espionage and ponders on the ‘what ifs’ of that era will definitely enjoy this read.

Follow Todd on Twitter or contact him via the site.

Purchase Red Warning
BUY A SIGNED FIRST EDITION FROM VJ BOOKS

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

(Note: most indie bookstores can fulfill an order as quickly as larger retailers. Please consider contacting them for your next purchase.)

Zero Hour By Don Bentley

Tom Clancy Zero Hour is a high intensity thrill ride that ratchets up the action exponentially as the chapters fly by. I was in a constant state of agitation and apprehension while reading, unsure if Jack Ryan, Jr. was going to come out of each scenario (relatively) unscathed. With Don Bentley at the helm, the series could not be in better hands and the younger Ryan is quickly becoming my new favorite campus character.

As North Korea seeks to hide the fact that it’s leader has been incapacitated after a catastrophic accident, the dictator’s precarious physical state triggers a series of attacks by sleeper agents across South Korea. With blood in the water, some amongst the Politburo see an opportunity to seize power for themselves.

Being a magnet for trouble, Jack Jr. happens to get a front row seat to the opening salvo of this operation. In Seoul to interview a potential recruit for the Campus, Jack is forced to pivot to full operational status in order to neutralize the immediate threat in South Korea’s capital. A cryptic phone call, offering a path to help stave off a full scale war on the peninsula, sends Jack and his hodgepodge team of operators deep behind enemy lines. The only question is whether or not they’ll make it there before time runs out.

Bentley has never been shy about putting the hurt on his protagonists while they deal out pain and suffering amongst their enemies. This book is no different. Jack Jr. must overcome a series of both physically and mentally challenging obstacles to accomplish his goals. You’ll have to read the book to see how much it costs him to do so.

As an added bonus, Bentley utilizes his personal military experience to help put readers directly into the cockpit of an Apache. That type of authenticity cannot be faked and I found those scenes to be both fascinating and terrifying. The additional description of the comradery amongst the operators, despite interbranch rivalries, was also a joy to read. Regardless of which series he is working on, Bentley should be at the top of every one’s “to read” list.

Follow Todd on Twitter or contact him via the site.

Purchase Zero Hour
BUY A SIGNED FIRST EDITION FROM VJ BOOKS

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

(Note: most indie bookstores can fulfill an order as quickly as larger retailers. Please consider contacting them for your next purchase.)

The Omega Factor By Steve Berry

The Omega Factor is a twisting tale of duty, danger, and dogma. Steve Berry blurs the lines of fact and fiction like no one else in the genre. This standalone book is no different. Berry had me second guessing what I thought I knew about the most stolen piece of art in the world, as well as the history of the Catholic church. 

When UNESCO investigator Nicholas Lee finds himself present during an attack on a panel from The Ghent Altarpiece, he instinctively follows the suspect as they flee the scene of the crime. The chase takes an unexpected turn and the mystery surrounding the attack and assailants only grows.

Working for the United Nations’ Cultural Liaison and Investigative Office (CLIO), Nick’s job is to protect the world’s cultural artifacts. While this would be enough for him to insert himself into the investigation, the restorer working on the Altarpiece when it was attacked just happens to be a woman from his past.

Now squarely involved in a two centuries old battle between the Vatican and a secret order of nuns who guard one of the greatest secrets in Christendom, Nick has no choice but to follow the clues to the south of France into the lands once occupied by Cathars. The Albigensian Crusade is still alive and well and the only question is… will Rome finally finish the job they started in the 13th century?

There are few, if any, authors that do a better job of intertwining intricate plotlines into a single cohesive story. Berry’s ability to both inform and entertain is unrivaled. As an individual who possesses both a Religious Studies degree and a more than passing interest in Catharism, Berry has the uncanny ability to simplify incredibly complex tenets of faith and dogma into an easy to understand format that does not simply support, but actually propels the storyline forward.

While this is currently billed as a ‘standalone’ novel, we have to hope that this is not the last we’ll see of Nick Lee and the Maidens of Saint-Michael.

Follow Todd on Twitter or contact him via the site.

Purchase The Omega Factor
BUY A SIGNED FIRST EDITION FROM VJ BOOKS

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

(Note: most indie bookstores can fulfill an order as quickly as larger retailers. Please consider contacting them for your next purchase.)

Sons of Valor II: Violence of Action By Andrews and Wilson

Sons of Valor 2: Violence of Action more than lives up to its title. With every turn of the page the intensity and sacrifice increases. While the operation depictions are brimming with danger, it is our connection and admiration for the men and women in those situations that drive their stories. Andrews & Wilson once again prove why they are amongst the finest thriller writers on the planet. The greatest writing duo makes you feel every physical and emotional wound their characters must endure.

In the second installment of this series, the newly assembled Tier One Navy SEAL team must contend with enemies new and old. Still working on unravelingl the full capacity of the highly evolved terror cell they had thrawrted on a previous mission, a targeted assassination of a SEAL in Iraq spurs rumours that an infamous sniper that has returned to the battlefield. The fact that the man killed was a former teammate of Lieutenant Commander Keith ‘Chunk’ Redman ensures Chunk and his team will be involved.

When the attacks escalate exponentially, it will take every bit of creative thinking to take down this terrorist cell. Radical in both belief and tactical innovation, the terrorists have a new type of target in mind; the heads of defense contractors, as well as the SEALs themselves. Used to being at least one step ahead, Chunk must adapt rapidly as he finds himself in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse. One wrong decision could cost the lives of those closest to him.

Anyone who has ever read one of my A&W reviews knows that ‘huge fan’ doesn’t begin to cover my feelings towards their various series. The Tier One Universe is one of the series that I judge all other thrillers against, this goes for the Sons of Valor offshoot as well. The second installment stands up against any of the previous books in this universe and fans will absolutely love the team dynamics, battle tactics, and outside the box scenarios that Andrews & Wilson dream up.

Follow Todd on Twitter or contact him via the site.

Purchase Sons of Valor II: Violence of 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

Storm Rising By Chris Hauty

In Storm Rising we find Hayley Chill on the hunt and heading West. Like a tornado blowing across the Texas plains, she will leave a path of destruction through anything or anyone that gets in her way. With Chris Hauty’s rapid pacing, high intensity sequences, and plot twists that will break your brain, this is one hell of a read.

With her time as a former White House intern having come to an end and her deeper state superiors sidelining her, Hayley has retreated back to her old stomping grounds in West Virginia. Turning to MMA training to help get her back to the level of physical conditioning she had during her Army days, Hayley can feel something is different. When not sharpening her fighting skills, Hayley is left to ponder the events surrounding her father’s death at the end of Savage Road.

Convinced she’s missed something last time, she decides to head back to his old residence. After finding a document with a mysterious cipher, she pieces together other clues and finally Hayley has a starting point.

With the blessing and cover from her ‘Deeper State’ handler, she begins an investigation into the subculture of white supremacy within the United States military. As things heat up and the body count rises, she uncovers an expansive conspiracy with the aim of forcing the secession of several states and forming a new country. It’s up to Hayley to stop a second Civil War before it starts, while also confronting the ultimate truth about her own father’s role in this harrowing chapter of American history.

To me, Storm Rising also marks a decided shift in the series. The cold, detached operative of the first two books has now begun to show glimpses of thaw in her core. While I never expect Hayley’s innate drive to ensure the completion of the mission and protect the US, I do expect to see her struggle more against the toll her professional life will have on the beginnings of the personal life she is trying to build. There is a lot of room to work in going forward and I can’t wait to see what Chris does.

Hauty’s distinct and unique writing style is evident in all it’s glory in this book. I would describe his style as a wonderful blend of his screenwriting past with the traditional literary omniscient narrator. It’s engaging, entertaining, and enlightening. I’ve mentioned this before in previous reviews of Hauty’s work, but his unique method of expounding on the future of seemingly minor characters is something I will always look forward to in his books.

And let’s not forget what Chris Hauty has quickly become known for… his plot twists. The twists this time around hit me so hard that I had to immediately reach out to another reviewer to console me. It still hurts to think about. There was an earlier twist that hit me in the feels, but the one at the end absolutely crushed me. Eliciting that type of emotion can only come from creating a deep and lasting bond between the reader and a character. This is a skill that Hauty has mastered.

Follow Todd on Twitter or contact him via the site.

Purchase Storm Rising
BUY A SIGNED FIRST EDITION FROM VJ BOOKS

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

(Note: most indie bookstores can fulfill an order as quickly as larger retailers. Please consider contacting them for your next purchase.)

The Handler By M.P. Woodward

There are any number of thrillers based on the sensational idea of the fates of nations being determined by a single individual battling impossible odds. Never before have I read an espionage book that has made me believe such a fantasy was not only possible, but logically probable. In The Handler, M.P. Woodward has fused authentic tradecraft, riveting plotlines, plausible motives, and a cast of characters that will elicit strong emotional responses the further along the journey you go.

CIA agent Meredith Morris-Dale finds herself recalled to Langley after a botched operation in Dubai. Waiting to hear the words that will end her career, she’s taken aback when a priority mission is thrust into her hands. Instead of running assets in foreign lands, she has been tasked with an infinitely more challenging task… handling a disgraced agent, who also happens to be her ex husband.

A strategically placed mole in Iran's uranium enrichment program has kept thwarted the efforts to build a bomb by sabotaging their centrifuge's performance. After a tragic event reshapes his life, the mole wants out, leaving the world teetering on the edge of a nuclear Iran. His extraction is the highest priority for the CIA, the only catch is that he will only meet with his former handler… John Dale.

Meredith and John would be forgiven for thinking their greatest challenge would be getting the mole out of the country, but with the Russians on the hunt and a crippling bureaucracy back in Virginia, there is no telling when or from where the kill shot will come. 

Woodward’s personal experience in the Intelligence Community is obvious on every page. Each interaction, altercation, and assassination seemed grounded in an undeniable reality. With a constant level of intensity, combined with just the right dose of violence, The Handler puts you on edge as if you were the one sticking out your neck, just waiting for the ax to drop. It is one of the most efficient stories I’ve read in years. That this is his first novel is mindblowing. This will definitely be on my best debuts of the year list.

With a fictional universe primed to keep this family of spies in the action for years to come, I am hoping that a deal for a longer series is in the works. The Dales could be a multigenerational force on the international stage for years to come.

Follow Todd on Twitter or contact him via the site.

Purchase The Handler
(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

In The Blood By Jack Carr

In the Blood is the best book in the series since The Terminal List. With a plotline focused on revenge and retribution, James Reece is on the hunt and hell bent on fulfilling the promises he’s made. With hints of a techno thriller thrown in, Jack Carr sets up a final twist so shocking that I’m already plotting on how I can get my hands on an early copy of the next one.

After a successful assassination in Burkina Faso, a Mossad agent and the rest of the passengers on the commercial flight are shot down by a small band of mercenaries. In the comfort of his Montana home, James Reece watches the victims’ names as faces cross his television screen. When he recognizes a face from his days in the sandbox, memories of a particular Mossad agent attached to the CIA fill his head. Her connection between the two countries and direct ties to Reece will send the former Navy Seal on a global manhunt for those responsible.

What makes this book so good, in my personal opinion, is the combination of simplicity and mystery. It is simple in that James Reece is not the type of man who leaves a promise unfulfilled. When his word is given, it’s a matter of “if, not when” the task will be completed. He has vowed to avenge his friend Freddy’s death at the hands of a Syrian sniper and long time fans of the series have a good idea of the violence and action that will come of that. 

The mystery is actually on two levels; what is in this current story and what may come next. While Reece is unaware that he is a pawn in a decades-long geopolitical chess match, that doesn’t change the immediate danger he finds himself in. As that story unfolds, more of his father’s past is revealed and I cannot wait to see where that storyline goes. What I also hope Carr explores in the 6th installment of the series is the role my new favorite “character” Alice will play. I initially thought the book was going one direction with Alice, but that thread was never fully developed. I’m VERY MUCH crossing my fingers that Carr includes a healthy dose of the techno side of this story in the next book. I would be very interested in his take on the future of cyber warfare.

And I cannot say enough about how floored I was at the shocking finale, which I’m sure would make fellow Atria author Chris Hauty proud. The immediate and future of the series are at a pivotal point and I cannot wait to see what happens next.

Follow Todd on Twitter or contact him via the site.

Purchase In The Blood

BUY A SIGNED FIRST EDITION FROM VJ BOOKS

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

(Note: most indie bookstores can fulfill an order as quickly as larger retailers. Please consider contacting them for your next purchase.)

Countdown To Midnight By Dale Brown

Countdown to Midnight is an audacious blend of tradecraft, tactics, and thermonuclear warfare. Dale Brown brings his crisp writing style back to this action packed series that sees Nick Flynn battling foes, new and old. 

Now in the full time employ of a shadowy intelligence organization, Nick Flynn sees a routine meetup with a high-ranking Iranian official in the Austrian Alps go sideways in all the worst ways. Barely avoiding taking a bullet himself, Flynn learns that Russia and Iran are working on a secret project together codenamed MIDNIGHT.

In order to uncover the truth behind the project, Flynn and his team must root out who is truly pulling the levers of power in Moscow and to what end. With a flurry of misdirection, limited resources, and minimal cooperation from the American intelligence community, Flynn is determined to stop MIDNIGHT before it is too late.

This is not a gritty, hyper realistic action adventure book so popular in today’s market. Rather it feels more like a throwback to the golden age of Bond movies. Solid storylines, clever espionage encounters, and an entertaining level of combat makes this a fun read for any thriller fan.

Follow Todd on Twitter or contact him via the site.

Purchase Countdown To Midnight
BUY A SIGNED FIRST EDITION FROM VJ BOOKS

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

(Note: most indie bookstores can fulfill an order as quickly as larger retailers. Please consider contacting them for your next purchase.)

Hostile Intent By Don Bentley

Hostile Intent is an in your face thriller with an old school feel. The twists and turns of this story will hit you upside the head more times than Matt Drake has taken a concussive blow to the dome during his very active career. 

With the current state of world affairs, Bentley seems to have prophetic powers. Drake, enjoying the beginning of a well deserved vacation is called back in. A mysterious walk-in at an embassy asks specifically for the DIA agent. Expecting to be routed back to the Sandbox, Matt finds himself in one of the last places he’d expect to be… in the heart of Europe. 

Upon landing in Vienna, Austria, Matt arrives to find the Cold War capital of espionage still chalked full with intelligence officers. They all happen to also be searching for his mysterious contact Nolan Burke—a one time member of the real IRA. Before Matt can have any sort of a debrief with Nolan, the Irishman is kidnapped by a Russian direct action team. Owing Nolan for more than just saving his own life, Matt must find a way to repay the debt no matter what. What the hunt for Nolan leads to might actually require stopping World War III in the process.

Don Bentley continues to elevate his writing with each book and the third installment of the series is no different. His action sequences rival all the big names in the genre. His exploration of the intricacies of the geopolitical landscape in his books reinforces, rather than takes away from the pacing. And that continued entanglement of multiple forces at play make each scene extraordinarily entertaining and a lot of the time, I’m not sure who to even root for.

Simply put, you need to rush out and order a copy. Immediately.

Follow Todd on Twitter or contact him via the site.

Purchase Hostile Intent

BUY A SIGNED FIRST EDITION FROM VJ BOOKS

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

(Note: most indie bookstores can fulfill an order as quickly as larger retailers. Please consider contacting them for your next purchase.)

Cold Snap By Marc Cameron

With a seemingly endless supply of snow, suffering, and suspense, Cold Snap is the best in the series and my new favorite Marc Cameron book.

The discovery of a dismembered human foot during low tide ramps up the investigation for a brutal serial killer around Anchorage. Coming from the last place anyone expects, a surprise witness thinks they may be able to identify who the appendage belongs too.

Despite the desire to assist, Deputy US Marshal Arliss Cutter is sent north to Deadhorse, Alaska on a routine prisoner transfer. Unfortunately for Cutter, nothing in the harsh environment is routine. Having to switch planes last minute, the pilot takes a detour of their original flight path. This simple flyby of a remote atmospheric science station has calamitous consequences.

With the old saying of “I don’t have to be faster than the bear, I just have to be faster than you” playing out in real time, Cutter has to make life and death decisions for himself, the prisoners, and the latest additions to his party. If the wildlife and weather outside their temporary shelter don’t kill him, the convicts and conspirators inside just might.

Busy assisting the local police with their investigation, Cutter’s partner Lola Teariki is unaware of the unfolding disaster up north. Having just discovered the psycho who has been chopping up women is actually one of Cutter’s prisoners, Lola is informed of Cutter’s disappearance. Without the ability to communicate and a harsh storm moving in, Lola will move mountains to help rescue Cutter.

After teasing out the existence of a serial killer over the last few books, Cameron brings that story arc to a head. While you’d think the uncovering and arrest of the killer would be the dramatic conclusion, you’d be wrong. The stakes only get higher and the chances of survival plummets faster than the Arctic temperatures.

 The episodic pacing in Cold Snap would have me binge watching the entire season in a single session… if it was a tv show. Instead, I binged chapter after chapter and finished this book off in one day. Cameron’s efficient and effective writing style propels the reader through the pages, while the environmental descriptions will have you wrapping yourself in several layers of blankets. The constant ratcheting up of tension will have you pulling those blankets tighter and tighter until you read the last sentence.

If you haven’t read the Arliss Cutter series, this is just the fourth installment. There is more than enough time to grab the first three books and get all caught up before Cold Snap is published.

Follow Todd on Twitter or contact him via the site.

Purchase Cold Snap
BUY A SIGNED FIRST EDITION FROM VJ BOOKS

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

(Note: most indie bookstores can fulfill an order as quickly as larger retailers. Please consider contacting them for your next purchase.)

Kingdom Of Bones By James Rollins

The action in Kingdom of Bones is as dense as the jungle it takes place in. Like the mighty Congo river, the situation on the ground goes from dangerous to deadly without warning and readers will be gripping the book like it’s a matter of life and death.

James Rollins can craft an engaging and entertaining novel as well as anyone putting pen to paper today. The latest Sigma novel might be his most action packed novel to date. There is simply not a single moment for the reader to take a deep breath and collect themselves. Things go from bad, to worse, to ‘oh good god’ at a blistering pace and I loved every second of it.

To give a quick summary of the plot, I’m going to steal a quote from another famous series involving ‘Bones’...

“A man who holds that much power, even with the best intentions, just can’t resist the urge to play god.” - Dr. Leonard McCoy

Ok, I’ll expound a bit more on the plot.

When a mysterious illness is discovered by a United Nations relief team in a small village in the Congo, they soon realize that something in the surrounding environment is very wrong. The local plants and animals have begun to display strange and predatory behavior as if they’re evolving at an exponential rate. Fearful that the situation has reached beyond this tiny slice of the jungle, Commander Gray Pierce and Sigma force are called in.

As the hunt for the source of the mysterious outbreak develops, the battle between man and nature only intensifies. There was always going to be a breaking point when nature began to push back against mankind, the only question is how many of us will survive when it happens.

I also want to highlight the inclusion of Tucker Wayne and Kane in this book. Tucker and his canine companion have made a few appearances in the Sigma series and even has a couple standalone novels of their own. This duo has always been one of my favorite parts of the series and I cannot tell you how great it was having them back in action. I’m hoping this means there may be a third Tucker and Kane adventure coming our way.

I recently had a debate with someone that said Rollins should be categorized as a Science Fiction writer. Which is fine by me. There is a ton of science in this one (I never knew I’d be so interested in the history of viruses) and let us pray that none of the fiction in this story becomes fact. You can label this book SciFi, a thriller, or general fiction… it doesn’t matter. It is one hell of a story regardless of whatever genre you try and put it in.

Follow Todd on Twitter or contact him via the site.

Purchase Kingdom Of Bones
(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

Money the Hard Way By David Tromblay

Moses Kincaid draws in trouble with the same gravitational pull as a black hole sucking up the wayward elements of the universe. Armed with a biting tongue, zero fucks to give, and a flexible moral code that consistently tip toes over the line accepted by polite company… it should come as no surprise that Moe is forced to earn his Money the Hard Way. True to David Tromblay’s signature writing style, there are more metaphors, similes, and analogies than you can shake a stick at.

Not long after the tragic and traumatic ending of Sangre Road, former Army MP officer Moses ‘Moe’ Kincaid, of the Ho-Chunk Nation, decides to stick around Oklahoma for a bit longer. Flush with aches and pain, but short on cash… Moe ends up in the employ of a bondsman by the name of Arlo Bice. Bice also happens to be obsessed with the old west and fancies himself a modern day Bass Reeves.When a series of bounty collections go wrong, followed by a less than friendly encounter with a motorcycle gang looking for payback, Moe finds himself at the mercy of the state police who are rather insistent that he assists them with a little something that puts him on the less than fun side of prison bars. With a choice between fighting your fellow prisoners or a raging bull, you just know Moe is going to pick the crazier of the two.

I cannot emphasize how much I enjoy Tromblay’s writing style. The man has a gift for describing scenes and situations in an incredibly colorful manner that is guaranteed to lift at least one side of your mouth into a smirk. Kincaid has quickly become one of my favorite fictional characters. The level of sarcasm, one liners, and bluntness inherent in all of his dialogue is… (chef kiss).

Follow Todd on Twitter or contact him via the site.

Purchase Money The Hard Way
(Note: most indie bookstores can fulfill an order as quickly as larger retailers. Please consider contacting them for your next purchase.)

Amazon

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

Assassin's Edge By Ward Larsen

In my opinion, Assassin’s Edge is the best book Ward Larsen has ever written. Period. That’s as simple as I can put it. It is a stunning achievement in an already iconic series. 

 

The writing is absorbing. The plot is adventurous. The warfare is asymmetrical. The intensity and danger are acute. It’s the full military/espionage thriller package.


In Assassin’s Edge, a U.S. spy plane crashes off the northern coast of Russia at the same time that a Mossad operative is abducted from a street in Kazakhstan. When wreckage from the aircraft is discovered on a remote Arctic island, Slaton and a team are sent on a clandestine mission to investigate. While they comb a frigid Russian island at the top of the world, disaster strikes yet again: a U.S. Navy destroyer sinks in the Black Sea. Evidence begins mounting that these disparate events are linked, controlled by an unseen hand. 


After reading Slaton’s origin story in the novella Assassin’s Dawn this summer, I was absolutely champing at the bit for the next full length installment of the David Slaton series. When I got my hand’s on Assassin’s Edge I couldn’t stop reading until 4am. And it was worth every single second of lost sleep.

I applaud Ward for the unique perspective in this story. While experimental weaponry is nothing new to the thriller genre, the way he incorporated it and the manner in which the weapons were deployed was a completely fresh take and had my eyebrows raised more times than I can count.

My expectations are always rather lofty whenever I pick up a book by Ward. Not only did he exceed my expectations, he blew past them like a hypersonic missile. For me, this book proves that Larsen deserves to be mentioned with all of the big names in the genre. The writing and storytelling in this book are on a level that most closely resembles that of a Daniel Silva novel. And if you know how big of a fan of Silva I am… you know that I cannot give any higher praise to Ward on how phenomenal this book is. This is already one of my favorite books coming in 2022.

Follow Todd on Twitter or contact him via the site.

Purchase Assassin’s Edge
BUY A SIGNED FIRST EDITION FROM VJ BOOKS

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Books-A-Million

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

(Note: most indie bookstores can fulfill an order as quickly as larger retailers. Please consider contacting them for your next purchase.)

Dark Angel By Andrews & Wilson

Dark Angel is a story of spirituality and soldiering. A fable of faith and firearms. A guide to gospels and guns. A book bursting with belief and bullets. A drama of devotion and direct fire. 

Ok, that may have been a bit much with the alliteration and duality of this book…but it is the exploration of those parallel tracks that makes this such an interesting read. 

Andrews & Wilson craft military thrillers as well as anyone in the thriller genre. The authenticity, dynamics, and creativity they employ when writing action scenes is other worldly. With the addition of supernatural components in this series, the intensity and danger are taken to another level.

Former Navy SEAL Jedidiah Johnson has started his training with the elite task force known as the Shepherds. Thrust into a surprise leadership role that is putting him under immense pressure, Jed begins having visions of an imminent attack overseas. With time running out, Jed and his team are dispatched to Europe in order to neutralize the threat. With rumors of who is spearheading the attack, Jed hears about an individual who turned his back on the Shepherds organization. The stakes could not be higher with the potential of a literal global holy war breaking out should Jed and his team fail.

As someone who reads a ton of military/operator thrillers, A&W is always on my must read list. This series is no different. The addition of faith based components, which is somewhat limited outside of the scope of the supernatural powers, will definitely broaden the books potential audience and will likely bring home best awards in the Best Christian Thrillers and Christian Mystery/Suspense categories. 

Follow Todd on Twitter or contact him via the site.

Purchase Dark Angel
(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

Once A Thief By Christopher Reich

Once a Thief is a wild ride that will have you feeling like you’re flying down the straightaways and around the tight curves at Monza. Christopher Reich shines a light on the dark underworld of global finance and does so in an entertaining way.

This was my first foray into the Simon Riske series and it definitely won’t be the last. With a protagonist that is a former criminal turned exotic car restorer, how could I not enjoy this book?

After restoring a lost Ferrari worth a cool $100 Million, Simon Riske is anxious to see the deal closed for his client. When a last second alteration to the agreement sends Simon on a seemingly wild goose chase for the original gearbox, Riske’s reputation and finances are on the line. When clues of the gearbox’s whereabouts lead him to a Russian criminal he helped bring to justice, things go about as well as you’d expect them to. Now on the run from British authorities, Riske must join forces with the last woman he’d expected to.

Meanwhile, Riske comes into contact with a woman investigating her father’s violent death in Switzerland. A banker dying in the manner in which he did leads to more questions than answers. Realizing their unexpectedly shared goals, the pair combine efforts, at great personal risk, in order to track down and help locate billions in dirty money and assets.

This is definitely a book for anyone who has interest in fancy cars, espionage, or the dark side of global finance and how ill-gotten gains are laundered. I would recommend going back and reading the previous books as they’ll provide additional insight into Riske’s character and history. With that knowledge, the experience of reading this book will be enhanced.

Follow Todd on Twitter or contact him via the site.

Purchase Once A Thief
(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

Meet The Review Team