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Thrillers and Suspense May 2021
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| The Future is Yours by Dan FreyWhat it is: an intricately plotted and thought-provoking near-future thriller that explores the individual and society-wide impact of a powerful technology that can no longer be controlled by its creators.
The tech: a quantum computer with an AI so sophisticated that it appears to predict events up to a year in the future.
What makes it unique: the novel's frame story, which begins as one of the inventors testifies before Congress about everything that went wrong. |
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Who is Maud Dixon? : a novel
by Alexandra Andrews
What it's about: Working for a mysterious novelist known as Maud Dixon, Florence Darrow accompanies her to Morocco where her new novel is set – and where she, after a terrible accident and no sign of Maud, decides to become Maud, claiming the life she’s always wanted..
For fans of: The twists and turns of Patricia Highsmith.
Why you might like it: "At every diabolical twist and turn, Andrews' impish sense of humor peeks around the corner to jack up the fun. Terrific characters, vivid settings, and a deliciously dastardly, cunningly constructed plot." (Kirkus)
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The Power Couple
by Alex Berenson
What it's about: Embarking on a European family vacation to revitalize their marriage, two government employees find the limits of their bond tested when their daughter Kira goes missing from a Barcelona club.
For fans of: Fast-paced political thrillers.
Reviews say: "The pace is unrelenting, and Berenson has a few twists in his arsenal. He also creates an engaging character in the brave and resourceful Kira, who is so much more than a helpless victim." (Kirkus)
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Her dark lies
by J. T. Ellison
What it's about: Disregarding messages from an anonymous texter who claims her fiancé is not the man he pretends to be, Claire travels to Italy for her destination wedding before harrowing discoveries and accidents expose ominous family secrets.
Why you might like it: This modern gothic is perfect for fans of Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca.
Reviews call it: "An involving thriller well suited to its stunning setting." (Booklist)
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A gambling man
by David Baldacci
What it's about: Aloysius Archer travels to 1950s California to apprentice with a legendary private eye and former FBI agent but immediately finds himself involved in a scandal.
Series alert: This is the second novel of the series following One Good Deed.
Reviews call it: "...a cracking good suspense novel..." (BookPage) for fans of L.A. noir.
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Every vow you break : a novel
by Peter Swanson
What it's about: A bride’s dream honeymoon with her beloved millionaire groom is upended by the appearance of an obsessive one-night stand who would claim her for himself.
For fans of: Lucy Foley's bestseller, The Guest List.
Reviews say: "Hitchcockian chills and thrills abound in Swanson's latest mystery, a twisty tale of survival and deception." (O Magazine)
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| The Kill Club by Wendy HeardThe premise: Jasmine "Jazz" Benavides is on her own after surviving the foster care system, but her 13-year-old brother Joaquin was eventually adopted by their controlling foster mother, Carol Coleman.
The problem: As Carol's behavior towards Joaquin becomes increasingly abusive, Jazz finds a potential (and permanent) solution to her Carol problem, but the price is a bargain reminiscent of Strangers on a Train.
About the author: Wendy Heard co-hosts the thriller podcast Unlikeable Female Characters and previously published the psychological thriller Hunting Annabelle. |
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| The Secretary by Renee KnightWhat it is: a menacing and intricately plotted psychological thriller about ruthless ambition, betrayal, and the consequences of codependent self-sacrifice.
Starring: prominent businesswoman Mina Appleton, who will do anything to expand the supermarket chain started by her father; Christine Butcher, Mina's indispensable personal assistant for almost 20 years whose need to be needed drives her but also ruins her life.
You might also like: Sarah Pinborough's Behind Her Eyes, in which unhealthy dynamics develop between an assistant and her employer's family after the lines between her personal and professional lives start to blur. |
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| 29 Seconds by T.M. LoganThe premise: Adjunct professor Sarah Hayward is disgusted when her slimy department head Alan, a well-connected serial sexual predator, suggests that she could finally get a tenure by sleeping with him.
No good deed: Stumbling upon what appears to be an attempted kidnapping, Sarah's instincts take over and she saves the victim, the young daughter of shady businessman James Grosvenor. In gratitude, Grosvenor lets Sarah know that he has ways of making anyone disappear without a trace, if she's interested.
Why you might like it: The narrative's rip-roaring plot and action-packed scenes mix interestingly with Sarah's inner turmoil. |
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| Sister Dear by Hannah Mary McKinnonWhat it's about: While mourning the man she thought was her father, Eleanor Hardwicke discovers she’s the daughter of wealthy Stan Gallinger, who warns her to stay away from his family. But Stan has underestimated her, and driven by a deep need to connect, Eleanor decides to find another way into their lives...
Read it for: the shocking contrast between the Gallinger family's picture-perfect image and the way they really live, and Eleanor's journey of self-discovery as she gets pulled deeper into their web.
You might also like: The Half Sister by Sandie Jones, another suspenseful look into the fallout of discovering secret half-siblings after a parent's death. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Winfield, IL 60190
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