"It's impossible to know how Ray and Roy McNulty might have turned out if they hadn't been raised by two violent, ignorant drunks." ~ from Michael Lawson's House Revenge |
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| The Asset by Shane KuhnThriller. Still grieving the loss of his sister 15 years ago on 9/11, Kennedy is a security expert consulting for the TSA, traveling across the U.S. training agents to detect threats. He's good. So good, in fact, that a clandestine organization wants his help neutralizing a terrorist with global plans. With plenty of action and a tantalizing twist or two, The Asset is an "exhilarating" (Publishers Weekly) read, but it's Kennedy himself -- iron-willed yet still a bit tender -- who sets this novel apart. |
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| House Revenge by Michael LawsonPolitical Thriller. In the 11th book to star political "fixer" Joe DeMarco, an elderly woman's request for help from her Congressman starts an ugly turf war with a real-estate developer. Feisty old Elinore Dobbs doesn't want to move, but the developer stands to make a mint if he can force her out; Minority House Leader John Mahoney is insulted when the developer doesn't acquiesce to his request to back off, and when Elinore suffers an "accident," both Mahoney and DeMarco are out for blood. Swift pacing and a bit of violence keeps the plot moving along, while the developer's shady source of financing adds some intrigue. |
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| The Last One: A Novel by Alexandra OlivaPsychological Suspense. When Zoo agreed to join a reality TV show that places its contestants in a large forest, testing their survival skills, she thought it would be one final adventure before starting a family. Quickly becoming a leading contender, she's impressed and a little disturbed with the quality of the props -- the empty towns and decaying corpses (and the disappearing cameramen) really lend a moody atmosphere to her challenges. But eventually she's forced to consider that they may not be props, that the world around her is rapidly falling apart, and that the safety net she's assumed is there is no longer an option. A psychologically complex debut, this one's a good bet for fans of Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake...or TV's Survivor. |
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| City of the Lost by Kelley ArmstrongSuspense Fiction. When she was 18, Casey Duncan killed a man. Never caught, she eventually became a police detective, but it seems likely that the dead man's mob-connected family is on her trail. Meanwhile, her best friend Diana is being terrorized by her ex-husband, who's also got it out for Casey. Both looking to lie low, they head to a secretive off-the-grid community built for people who need to disappear -- a place where Casey's skills are in need, given that there appears to be a murderer in their midst. An eerie setting amps up the suspense as character backgrounds come to light, putting Casey in more danger than ever. |
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| City of Thieves: A Novel by David BenioffHistorical Thriller. During the World War II siege of Leningrad, Lev Beniov is jailed for looting a German soldier's body. The timid teenager shares a cell with 20-year-old Kolya, a handsome, charismatic Cossack deserter; both are due to be executed for their infractions. To save their lives, they accept a colonel's offer -- find a dozen eggs for his daughter's wedding cake, and they will be spared. But there are no eggs to be found in the starving city. And when they go behind enemy lines, they take on an even more dangerous task that will keep you anxiously turning the pages. |
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| City of Lies by R.J. ElloryCrime Fiction. Hack Miami journalist John Harper thought his father had died 30 years ago, so he's shocked to hear that he's been shot and is lying in a coma in a New York hospital. Dad -- known as Edward "Lenny" Bernstein to cops and gangsters alike -- wakes up only to tell Harper to get out of town; "uncle" Walt, on the other hand, is eager for Harper to stay. And so Harper -- seduced by Walt's vision of the underworld on one hand, and warned away by both his father and a New York cop on the other -- is slowly enmeshed in a dangerous conspiracy. A leisurely build up, some great dialogue, and a well-depicted New York make for a tense read. |
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| Terminal City by Linda FairsteinSuspense Fiction. In this 16th in the bestselling series starring New York City Assistant DA Alex Cooper, a series of horribly mutilated bodies suggests that the President's upcoming trip to Manhattan is under threat. Additional clues point to the killer hiding out in Grand Central Station, a monolithic building with cavernous underground levels thought to house around 600 people. Once again, author Linda Fairstein makes New York -- its grit as well as its glamour -- a character in its own right, while the changing relationships between Alex and the two detectives she's working with (Mike Chapman and Mercer Wallace) add depth to the story. |
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| Angel City by Jon SteeleThriller. Opening with a brief prologue set in the 13th century as the Cathars fight the Crusaders, the action quickly moves to modern-day Paris, where terrorists threaten the city's center. Tangled up in Jay Harper's quest to prevent a nuclear explosion is his hunt for a Cathar treasure. Since the story follows closely on the heels of the author's previous novel, The Watchers, newcomers to this supernaturally tinged thriller should start there (and then end with the 3rd in the trilogy, The Way of Sorrows). A bit of romance and some humor help lighten what is otherwise an increasingly terrifying situation. |
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