| Thrillers and Suspense May 2007 |
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"Human nature, if healthy, demands excitement; and if it does not obtain its thrilling
excitement in the right way, it will seek it in the wrong."
~ Oswald Chambers (1874-1917), Scottish minister and teacher |
| New and Recently Released! |
| Black Hats: A Novel of Wyatt Earp and Al Capone - by Patrick Culhane |
| Publisher: William Morrow |
| Pub Date: 04/01/2007 |
Check library catalog |
| ISBN: 0060892536 |
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Historical Thriller. It's Prohibition, and speakeasy owner Johnny Holliday (son of the late Doc Holliday) is facing trouble from the mob, which wishes to provide its own alcohol and protection services. Carrying Tommy guns and led by young Alphonse Capone, the gangsters soon face off against famed former lawman Wyatt Earp and his buddy, Bat Masterson. Though the action takes place in New York City, fans of Westerns will enjoy Earp's gritty toughness; others will be equally pleased by the thrilling face-off between two of history's most infamous characters. | |
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| The Book of Air and Shadows - by Michael Gruber |
| Publisher: William Morrow |
| Pub Date: 04/01/2007 |
Check library catalog |
| ISBN: 0060874465 |
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Bibliothriller. A fire in an antiquarian bookstore leads to the discovery of encrypted 17th-century letters that reveal the existence--and whereabouts--of a never-produced and completely unknown Shakespearean manuscript. The bookseller who finds the letters takes them to a professor, who places them with lawyer Jake Mishkin for safekeeping; when the professor is tortured and killed by Russian thugs, Jake takes off for England to find the manuscript himself. With double-crosses, shootouts, and a bit of romance, this is one "gripping, satisfying read" (Publishers Weekly). | |
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| Body of Lies: A Novel - by David Ignatius |
| Publisher: W.W. Norton |
| Pub Date: 04/01/2007 |
Check library catalog |
| ISBN: 0393065030 |
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Espionage Thriller. Roger Ferris is a Jordan-based CIA agent obsessed with taking down the elusive "Suleiman," a key al-Qaeda operative about whom little is known. Elaborating on a scheme the British used--successfully--against the Nazis, Ferris develops a plan to destroy Suleiman and damage al-Qaeda in the process. Unfortunately, the manipulations and deceptions inherent in his efforts to turn terrorists against each other begin to affect his personal and professional relationships. Uncomfortably all too plausible, this is an absorbing story. | |
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| Con Ed - by Matthew Klein |
| Publisher: Grand Central Publishing |
| Pub Date: 03/13/2007 |
Check library catalog |
| ISBN: 0446579556 |
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Crime Thriller. First-class con man Kip Largo was worth millions at the height of his career, but after five years in prison he's lucky to make ten dollars an hour while trying to launch an online vitamin business and attempting to go straight. When a beautiful woman approaches him with a con that could net him big bucks, he's interested, but turns the job down--until his son Toby turns up, needing 60K to save himself from the Russian mob. Kip's hand is forced; taking full advantage of the '90s dot-com craze, he moves in for the kill. "Great fun," says The New York Times Book Review. | |
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| Waiting to read Harlan Coben's latest? Try one of these! |
| Harlan Coben has enjoyed success with both his stand-alone thrillers and his mystery series (starring the popular Myron Bolitar), and if you're waiting for a turn with his latest, The Woods, you might want to try out one of the following authors. Each of them has something in common with Coben's style, whether it's a series or mystery writer who changes tack, the author's ability to create well-imagined characters, or a focus on the dialogue, rapid action, and humor that Coben is known for. |
| Demolition Angel - by Robert Crais |
| Publisher: Fawcett Books |
| Pub Date: 07/01/2001 |
Check library catalog |
| ISBN: 034543448X |
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Crime Thriller. Like Harlan Coben, Robert Crais is known for his mystery series (starring Elvis Cole), but this fast-paced thriller shows he's adept in either genre. Demolition Angel features LAPD detective Carol Starkey, who suffered permanent scarring and watched her lover/partner die in an explosion two years ago. Now, it seems that someone is targeting bomb technicians, and in her search to find the bomber, Carol has caught the attention of the sinister Mr. Red, a killer whose goal is to make it onto the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list. With a clever plot and a sympathetic protagonist, Demolition Angel is a good choice for Coben fans. | |
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| Immoral - by Brian Freeman |
| Publisher: St. Martin's Minotaur |
| Pub Date: 09/01/2005 |
Check library catalog |
| ISBN: 0312340427 |
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Police Thriller. In his first appearance, police detective Jonathan Stride is investigating the disappearance of a beautiful teenage girl, the second in a year. Though the town and the media immediately suspect a serial killer, Stride is struck by the dissimilarities between the two girls--and the strained relations within the second girl's family. Like Harlan Coben, Brian Freeman mixes murder with psychological suspense; with well-drawn court scenes, Macavity Award winner Immoral may appeal to fans of legal thrillers as well. | |
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| Don't Say a Word - by Andrew Klavan |
| Publisher: Forge |
| Pub Date: 10/01/2001 |
Check library catalog |
| ISBN: 0765341522 |
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Psychological Thriller. Harlan Coben has an ability to create ordinary characters whose plights draw readers in; Andrew Klavan's Don't Say a Word features just such a situation (and an eerie similarity in name to Harlan Coben's 2001 thriller Tell No One). Nathan Conrad is a well-respected New York City psychiatrist with a thriving practice; he also takes on charity cases--sometimes with the criminally insane. When his five-year-old daughter is kidnapped by a sadistic killer, the path to her lies through one of his patients, whose paranoia is rooted all too firmly in reality. "Ingenious," says Booklist. | |
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| The Death and Life of Bobby Z - by Don Winslow |
| Publisher: Random House |
| Pub Date: 09/12/2006 |
Check library catalog |
| ISBN: 0307275345 |
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Crime Thriller. Don Winslow is another author who has broken from a successful mystery series to try something different; like Coben, he maintains a twisty plot and well-drawn characters. At the center of this story is imprisoned screw-up Tim Kearney, who is offered a way out of jail if he agrees to impersonate big-time drug dealer Bobby Z. But it's a case of out-of-the-frying-pan-into-the-fire when the deal goes bad, and Tim is soon on the run from ex-girlfriends, Hell's Angels, drug dealers, and more--with Bobby Z's six-year-old son in tow. "Frantic and funny," says The New York Times Book Review. | |
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| Focus on: Twins |
| Compulsion - by Keith R. Ablow |
| Publisher: St. Martin's Press |
| Pub Date: 05/01/2003 |
Check library catalog |
| ISBN: 0312988249 |
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Psychological Thriller. When billionaire Darwin Bishop blames the murder of his infant twin daughter on one of his adopted teenage sons, the local Nantucket police chief asks Boston-based forensic psychiatrist Frank Clevenger for help. Both men suspect that the boy is innocent--and that the remaining twin is in danger from the real killer. Despite Clevenger's reluctance to get involved (he's trying to swear off alcohol, drugs, and criminal cases), he is soon dodging goons with guns, falling in love with Bishop's wife, and dredging up painful memories from his past. This 3rd in the series is a "great psychological mind-bender" (Publishers Weekly). | |
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| The Murder Artist - by John Case |
| Publisher: Ballantine Books |
| Pub Date: 06/28/2005 |
Check library catalog |
| ISBN: 0345464729 |
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Suspense Fiction. TV reporter Alex Callahan is enjoying a rare visit with his six-year-old twin sons--he's taken them to a local Renaissance fair--when the two boys vanish without a trace. Desperate to find them, Alex's search for clues reveals similarities between his sons' kidnappings, the disappearance of two Oregon boys, and the grisly murder of two Las Vegas strippers. As Alex slowly tracks down the disturbed man whom he believes lies at the heart of these crimes, this parent's worst nightmare becomes a hunt for a monster with a mission. | |
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| Body Double: A Novel - by Tess Gerritsen |
| Publisher: Ballantine Books |
| Pub Date: 07/26/2005 |
Check library catalog |
| ISBN: 034545894X |
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Suspense Fiction. When Boston medical examiner Maura Isles returns home after a trip to Paris, she is shocked to discover a murder victim in her driveway--and even more shocked to find that the dead woman looks exactly like her. Faced with the prospect of having a twin (albeit a dead one), Maura is prompted to investigate their shared origins and her sister's death. Assisted by a heavily pregnant Detective Jane Rizzoli, Maura is soon on a trail that leads to long-ago murders, a gruesome adoption racket, and a "nail-biting finale" (Publishers Weekly). | |
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| Blindsighted - by Karin Slaughter |
| Publisher: HarperTorch |
| Pub Date: 10/01/2002 |
Check library catalog |
| ISBN: 0380820889 |
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Medical Thriller. Pediatrician and coroner Dr. Sara Linton, her ex-husband and chief of police Jeffrey Tolliver, and female detective Lena Adams are on the case when a sadistic rapist and murderer begins targeting women in their small Georgia town and Lena's twin sister is the first victim. When Sara receives a cryptic postcard--and finds a second victim--she begins to wonder if the sadistic killer intends for her to die as well. Blindsighted is the 1st in a series starring Sara, Jeffrey, and Lena. Look for the 6th entry, Skin Privilege, later this year. | |
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| Still looking for the right book? Contact your librarian. |
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