Thrillers and Suspense
October 2019
Recent Releases
Stolen Things
by R.H. Herron

Starring: cop-turned-911 dispatcher Laurie, who takes a call from her own daughter, JoJo.

What happens: Jojo's rape, the murder of a man, and the disappearance of another teenage girl all seem connected to a pro football player who, like the two girls, is an activist against police brutality. And Laurie and JoJo seem best poised to save the missing girl. 

Want a taste? "'My daughter.' The man's words were a garbled gasp. 'She's gone.'" 
Cold Storage
by David Koepp

What happens: A deadly, highly contagious fungus that kills humans for nourishment has already wiped out a remote Australian town. And it's about to escape its no-longer-secure storage facility in the U.S.... 

Author alert: This terrifying debut is by a screenwriter and director who has worked on numerous big Hollywood films (Jurassic Park and Mission: Impossible among them). 

Reviewers say: "this is a terrific thriller: ambitious, audacious, gory, scary, flamboyant, and funny" (Booklist). 
The Whisper Man
by Alex North

What happens: After the death of his wife, Tom Kennedy moves with his young son to a new town, hoping for a fresh start. But Featherbank has a dark past: 20 years previously, a serial killer known as "the Whisper Man" lured away young boys. And now it's happening again.

Why you might like it: Dark and haunting, this intricately plotted thriller has supernatural overtones, well-depicted characters, and a menacing atmosphere.

For fans of: Sharon Bolton's The Craftsman, another eerie tale of history repeating itself.
The Murder List
by Hank Phillippi Ryan

Starring: Rachel North, a 36-year-old Harvard law student; her prominent defense attorney husband, Jack Kirkland; and her boss for the summer (and Jack's sworn enemy), Assistant DA Martha Gardiner.

What happens: Martha and Rachel work a new murder case while flashbacks show past events in the trio’s lives, compellingly moving the story to its twisty ending.

About the author: Though this is her second standalone thriller, Hank Phillippi Ryan also writes the popular Jane Ryland mysteries and is an award-winning television news reporter in Boston.
In Translation
The Alphabet House
by Jussi Adler-Olsen; translated by Steve Schein

What it's about: Shot down behind Nazi lines, two British pilots escape by impersonating SS officers on a hospital train heading to a mental facility, where they are subjected to horrendous "treatments."

What happens next...has long-term consequences for the two men.

Why you might like it: While author Jussi Adler-Olsen is better known for his Department Q series, you'll find the same detailed characterization here, just in a bleaker setting. His historical settings are well-researched and atmospheric.
The Truth and Other Lies
by Sascha Arango; translated by Imogen Taylor

The deception: Henry Hayden is a bestselling author...but only he and his wife know that she actually wrote the books that made him famous.

What happens: When his mistress gets pregnant and his instinct for self-preservation kicks in, Henry makes a deadly mistake that attracts the attention of the police, and his carefully built world begins to crumble.

Want a taste? "Keeping silent goes against human nature."
Kill the Next One
by Federico Axat; translated by David Frye

What happens: Terminally ill Boston businessman Ted McKay has decided to commit suicide. But right at the critical moment, a stranger appears with an offer: in return for killing two men "deserving" of death, someone will kill him, sparing his family the shame of his suicide.

The twist: There are strange connections between McKay's life and those of his victims, and when he ends up in a mental hospital, he truly can't tell if he's a killer or the victim of a conspiracy.

Why you might like it: With an unreliable narrator in McKay, this English-language debut is complex and intriguing.
Cult X
by Fuminori Nakamura; translated by Kalau Almony

What it’s about: After his girlfriend Ryoko goes missing, Toru becomes embroiled in a sinister cult that may be responsible for her disappearance.

Read it for: a provocative storyline inspired by the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin attack; a big-picture exploration of politics, science, and religion. 

Is it for you? The book’s explicit sex scenes and violence may be off-putting for some readers.
The English Teacher
by Yiftach Reicher Atir; translated by Philip Simpson

What it’s about: When Mossad operative Rachel Goldschmitt disappears, her now-retired handler “Ehud” is tasked with finding her. But his search reveals just how little he -- or anyone -- knows about this missing agent.

Why you might like it: Ehud’s investigation alternates with flashbacks of Rachel’s missions in this suspenseful novel, which is informed by the author’s own experiences working in Israeli intelligence.

For fans of: the authentic tradecraft and psychological drama found in John Le Carré’s novels.
 
Contact your librarian for more great books!
McArthur Library
270 Main Street
Biddeford ME 04005
207 284 4181

www.mcarthurlibrary.org
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