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Thrillers and Suspense February 2022 |
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| The Hunger of Crows by Richard ChiapponeWhat it is: the fast-paced and action-packed story of a Phoenix waitress in hiding in small town Alaska after accidentally discovering proof of ties between an ambitious politician and a notorious billionaire.
Starring: Carla Merino, who never thought that taking a random photo from the apartment of a one-night stand would leave her running from hitmen; Gordon McKint, whose presidential aspirations could be destroyed by the photo, which shows him with a corporate criminal who stole millions in American aid money. |
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| The Hidden by Melanie GoldingHow it starts: Gregor Franks is discovered in his bathtub, barely clinging to life after a traumatic head injury.
How we got here: Teacher Ruby Harper moves into the neighborhood and befriends Gregor and his partner Constance, setting off a chain of events that explore issues like mental illness, motherhood, and toxic family dynamics hiding in plain sight.
Is it for you? While full of the suspense that Melanie Golding fans have come to expect from her work, The Hidden was inspired by Celtic folklore, and features some paranormal elements that may not appeal to all thriller readers.
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| The Surrogate by Toni HalleenWhat it is: the dramatic, intricately plotted story of a Minneapolis couple who, increasingly desperate for a child, connect with a surrogate whose change of heart will change all three of their lives forever
Starring: journalist Ruth, the aspiring mother-to-be; her husband Hal, who already has children from his first marriage but will do anything to make Ruth happy; college student Cally, whose need for money keeps her from asking herself if she's really cut out to be a surrogate.
Who it's for: readers who like their suspense novels that examine personal flaws and the complexity of human relationships. |
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| A Blizzard of Polar Bears by Alice HendersonWhat it's about: Scientists in the Canadian Arctic to study declining polar bear populations begin to notice increasingly suspicious acts of sabotage and theft at their research station. Forced to go deep into the wilderness to save the project, Dr. Alex Carter and her team are about to learn what lengths people will go to when motivated by greed.
Series alert: Blizzard is the second novel to feature wildlife biologist Dr. Carter, who last appeared in the Montana-set A Solitude of Wolverines. |
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| A Little Bird by Wendy JamesThe premise: Australian journalist Jo Sharpe is back in her small home town of Arthurville to care for her ailing (and increasingly irritable) father and start a job at the local newspaper.
The problem: Everywhere she turns, Jo sees reminders of the disappearance of her mother and sister, an unresolved mystery that some Arthurville citizens would prefer stay buried.
For fans of: slow-burning suspense, small town secrets, and stories told from multiple perspectives. |
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| The Cottage by Daniel JudsonTwo years ago: Connecticut teacher Kate Burke's husband was killed in a seemingly random home invasion, something that left her with PTSD and twin daughters to raise alone.
The present: After hearing a sound outside her bedroom window one night, Kate discovers evidence of vandalism on her property the next morning. Next come the anonymous phone calls, threatening texts, and escalating signs of someone on her property who doesn't belong there.
About the author: Shamus Award-winner Daniel Judson is known for The Violet Hour, The Darkest Place, and his debut The Poisoned Rose, which kicked off the Gin Palace trilogy of novels. |
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| Vanishing Edge by Claire KellsWhat it's about: green federal agent Felicity Harland must team up with prickly Navy SEAL-turned-park-ranger Rick Corrigan to discover the truth behind a camper's suspicious "accidental" death.
For fans of: dynamic duos, murder mysteries, and novels with a strong sense of place.
Reviewers say: Vanishing Edge effectively pairs "sharply drawn characters" with "striking descriptions of park scenery" (Publishers Weekly). |
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| Watch Her Fall by Erin KellyWhat it is: an intricately plotted work of psychological suspense about the elite world of professional ballet that delves into the sweat, tears, and (especially) blood behind the glamour.
Reviewers say: Watch Her Fall is a "daring" thriller featuring "an inventive ending that's both thematically and narratively satisfying" (Publishers Weekly).
You might also like: Layne Fargo's Temper, which examines similar issues in the world of theater. |
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| The Hawthorne School by Sylvie PerryWhat it's about: At first, single mother Claudia is elated when her son Henry's quirky new preschool seems to improve the four-year-old's "behavioral issues". But when Henry's absent father resurfaces and begs Claudia to withdraw their son, she begins to see cracks in the school's perfect facade and must act quickly to save them both.
About the author: This is the first thriller from Sylvie Perry, whose previous work includes up-lit novels written under the pseudonym Keziah Frost.
Reviewers say: "psychological thriller fans will be curious to see what [Perry] does next" (Publishers Weekly).
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| Final Spin by Jocko WillinkWhat it is: a fast-paced, gritty crime novel about life on the run and the American Dream deferred.
Starring: increasingly desperate twenty-three-year-old Johnny, who works a soul-crushing, dead-end job as a stock clerk; his disabled younger brother Arty, for whom Johnny is driven to commit a robbery; Goat, Johnny's best friend, partner in crime, and fellow fugitive.
Read it for: Johnny and Arty's unexpectedly tender relationship, which is "reminiscent of the George-and-Lenny moments in Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men" (Booklist). |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Atlantic County Library System | 40 Farragut Avenue, Mays Landing, NJ 08330
Phone: (609) 625-2776 | www.atlanticlibrary.org
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|  | Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson
Atlantic County Board of Commissioners, Maureen Kern, Chairwoman |
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