|
|
36 Righteous Men
by Steven Pressfield
What it’s about: Set in a near-future world wracked by climate change-induced weather events, this fast-paced story follows the hunt for a serial killer who, inspired by Jewish legends, aims to kill the titular men to start the apocalypse.
Starring: NYPD detectives Corvina “Dewey” Duwai and Jim Manning; Rabbi Rachel Davidson, whose knowledge of Judaism (and computer algorithms) help her identify the killer’s targets.
Is it for you? This unconventional thriller contains some supernatural elements and is told primarily through the investigators’ case notes.
|
|
|
|
A Burnable Book
by Bruce Holsinger
Historical Thriller. Before Canterbury Tales scribe Geoffrey Chaucer secured his place in the English literary canon, he served as a government official -- and an (unofficial) information broker. In 1380s London, he's recruited fellow poet John Gower to find a "burnable book," the contents of which are so sensitive that merely possessing it is high treason. Gower's attempts to locate the manuscript soon lead him into a labyrinthine conspiracy that could depose reigning monarch Richard II and destabilize the kingdom. A suspenseful, intricate narrative rife with historical detail and strong characterizations make this debut an enticing journey into a medieval England that "never tasted so rich nor smelled so foul." (Library Journal).
|
|
| The Holdout by Graham MooreWhat it's about: the long-simmering consequences of a highly charged trial, in which Maya Seale convinced her fellow jurors to acquit an African American teacher accused of murdering a white 15-year-old.
Ten years later: A true crime documentary about the case gathers the former jury together again, and revisiting the trial dredges up secrets and resentments that everyone is hiding, with fatal consequences and another person wrongly accused of murder.
You might also like: other fast-paced legal thrillers like Confessions of an Innocent Man by David R. Dow and Invisible by Andrew Grant, which also deal with revenge. |
|
| The Girlfriend by Michelle FrancesWhat it's about: Successful TV producer Laura Cavendish shares a strong bond with her medical student son Daniel. Any girl Daniel brings home would struggle to meet Laura's high expectations, and his new girlfriend Cherry doesn't come close.
The other woman: Cherry is beautiful and ambitious, but also from the wrong side of the tracks. Even worse, she isn't fazed by Laura's elitism and manipulation, and she's determined to hang onto Daniel, who she wants to marry for his family's wealth.
Why you might like it: The narrative alternates between Cherry and Laura's points of view, which keeps their intensifying conflict from feeling over-the-top. |
|
| The Hand That Feeds You by A.J. RichWhat goes down: Criminology grad student Morgan Prager arrives home to discover the mutilated body of her fiancé Bennett, seemingly killed by her beloved rescue dogs. Morgan starts looking for evidence that could exonerate her dogs after the courts order them seized, only to discover that her life with Bennett was all a dangerous lie.
Reviewers say: "this slim, nasty thriller is hard to put down" (Kirkus Reviews).
About the author: A.J. Rich is the shared pseudonym of authors Amy Hempel (Reasons to Live) and Jill Ciment (Heroic Measures). |
|
| The Good Liar by Nicholas SearleWhat it is: a compelling and intricately plotted psychological thriller that's part character study and part cat-and-mouse game.
Starring: veteran con man Roy Courtnay, who's out to make one last big score; well-off widow Betty McLeish, who Roy sees as an easy target but who is cannier than she seems; and Betty's protective grandson Stephen, who isn't shy about his distrust of his grandmother's new boyfriend.
Media buzz: The Good Liar was adapted into a film of the same name in 2019, starring Dame Helen Mirren and Sir Ian McKellen. |
|
| The Night the Lights Went Out by Karen WhiteWhat it is: the suspenseful and atmospheric story of long-buried secrets (and crimes) hiding behind the veneer of gentility in Atlanta suburb Sweet Apple, where newly divorced Merilee Dunlap moves with her children.
Read it for: the unlikely and dynamic bond Merilee forms with her 93-year-old neighbor Sugar Prescott, whose family once owned the land that Sweet Apple was built on and who is much more than the gossipy curmudgeon she appears to be.
Who it's for: fans of Kate Morton and Liane Moriarty who don't mind a little Mary Kay Andrews now and then. |
|
Contact your librarian for more great books!
|
|
|