Military Thriller. Israeli and Saudi Arabian representatives are in the middle of signing a historic peace treaty in a Scottish castle when missiles hit, wounding many but failing to kill the intended targets. Along with his team, Gunnery Sergeant Kyle Swanson is put in charge of hunting down those responsible while also helping the Saudi military prevent a coup by Wahabi fanatics. But things get personal when an old enemy resurfaces. This is the 2nd thriller to star sniper Swanson; the 1st was Dead Shot. Author Jack Coughlin was himself a Marine Corps sniper, which he writes about in his memoir, Shooter.

Legal Thriller. Assistant D.A. Alexandra Cooper and her cop colleagues have been called in to investigate the wreck of a cargo ship loaded with illegal immigrants. But just as they discover that at least one victim appears to have been dead before the ship went aground, they're called away in the wake of a political sex scandal. And when Alex discovers a common clue that links both cases, it threatens to expose a number of dirty politicians and puts her life in serious danger. Hell Gate (the 12th in the series) is likely to be popular, so if you're waiting for a copy, try a legal thriller by Perri O'Shaughnessy, Lisa Scottoline, or Kate Wilhelm.

Crime Thriller. Iraq war veteran Neal Maven is barely making ends meet guarding a Boston parking lot on the night shift, so when a fellow ex-soldier offers him a more lucrative opportunity, he doesn't turn it down--despite the fact that it's not exactly legal. Posing as police, the men rip off drug dealers during big deals, keeping the money and destroying the drugs. While things go fine for a while, they eventually take a turn for the worse, as both drug cartels and the DEA have an interest in their activity. Though Devils in Exile boasts a fast pace, it is Neal--a decent guy who's made some bad choices--who makes this novel so appealing.

If you want the premise of this book in one sentence, here it is: Trapped underwater when a cave collapses in the remote Florida lake he is exploring, Doc Ford escapes and begins a desperate effort to rescue his companions when he is intercepted by a murderous pair of ex-cons who are after long-buried treasure. But that brief synopsis doesn't really do justice to this 17th Doc Ford thriller, which finds the introspective, courageous marine biologist going up against the two thugs who demand that he find the treasure or be killed...nor does it mention the terrifying creature who inhabits the isolated lake, either. If you're a fan, you won't want to miss this "nail-biter that's virtually impossible to put down" (Publishers Weekly).

Thriller. As in Iris Johansen's Eve Duncan thrillers, a female forensic scientist puts her life at risk to save others. In this case, it's Theresa MacLean, who offers herself as a hostage in place of her fiancé, detective Paul Cleary, who was wounded when bank robbers stormed the Federal Reserve Bank in downtown Cleveland. Paul was there to interview the coworkers of a man found beaten to death in his own driveway, and now that Theresa is on the inside, she must discover the link between the banker's death and the dangerously deteriorating hostage situation. This 1st in the Theresa MacLean series is followed by Evidence of Murder.

Medical Thriller. Bestselling author Tess Gerritsen is an easy pick for fans of Iris Johansen--both authors feature aspects of the medical profession, strong female protagonists, and escalating situations (and both started off writing romances). In Gerritsen's series starring Boston homicide detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles, investigative details sometimes take precedence over the medical; in Vanish, Maura discovers that a corpse awaiting autopsy in her morgue is very much alive. When Maura visits the young woman in the hospital, the Jane Doe kills a security guard and flees--then takes Rizzoli hostage as the pregnant cop prepares to give birth. This 5th in the series "never lets up" (Booklist).

Thriller. Like Iris Johansen, Tami Hoag started her career as a romance novelist, and now Hoag's violent and nerve-wracking thrillers offer up the same type of detailed stories and well-developed female lead characters that Johansen's do. Hoag also shares the details about settings and job skills that Johansen fans have come to expect. In Prior Bad Acts, Minneapolis homicide detectives Sam Kovac and Nikki Liska have been assigned to protect a judge whose unpopular court ruling led to threats--and an attack. This 3rd in the series (Publishers Weekly calls the book "stunning") will also appeal to fans of police procedurals.

Forensic Thriller. This 10th thriller to feature forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan places the doctor back in Canada, studying the skeleton of a young girl found in Acadia. The bones bring back memories of a childhood friend--Évangéline Landry--who disappeared when she was 15, and who called Acadia home. While wrestling with the idea that these bones might be Évangéline's, Tempe's also dealing with challenges in her relationship with Detective Lieutenant Andy Ryan and a possible serial killer case they're working on together. With author Kathy Reichs' focus on (often graphic) forensics and on character development--and with a strong female lead--this series might be a good choice for fans of Iris Johansen and her Eve Duncan series. Start here or at the beginning, with Déjà Dead.

Suspense Fiction. After his daughter is raped and murdered, Davis Moore, a Chicago fertility doctor specializing in reproductive cloning, makes a horrifying decision--he will clone the man who killed his daughter in the hopes that he can find the adult whose appearance matches the child's. This compelling debut takes place over more than two decades, following Dr. Moore as well as the cloned child and his unsuspecting parents. While the story is definitely driven by the changes wrought in the characters, the suspense does not let up as it delves into bioethics and the debate over nature vs. nurture.

Police Thriller. In this debut, which is based in part on the life of a real police officer, highly decorated Chicago cop Patti Black is hiding the truth--and avoiding the memories--of her childhood as a horrifically abused foster child in Calumet City. But Patti's connections to several seemingly unrelated crimes (including the death of a woman who was buried alive and an attempt on the mayor's life) threaten to bring that past to light. With plenty of action (read the first chapter to get a taste of it) and lots of violence, Calumet City is "dark and dizzying, bloody and bewildering, and highly original" (Booklist).

Crime Thriller. Danny and Evan were once partners in crime, breaking into pawn shops and taking off with the spoils. Until, that is, Evan went to prison after a botched robbery led to a man's death. Danny, who escaped arrest, cleans up his act, but when Evan returns to Chicago on an early parole he is determined to bring Danny back into crime. Danny isn't interested, but the ties they forged as teens remain strong, and his struggles to free himself from Evan are what make this story stand out. Sakey's debut (which he's followed with several other great books) will appeal to readers of Dennis Lehane and George Pelecanos.

Police Thriller. As part of his initiation into the brotherhood of Chicago cops in his precinct, rookie police officer Ray Weiss is expected to break into a jewelry store and steal something. His comrades say it's all in good fun, but Weiss comes from a long line of cops who probably wouldn't agree. Nevertheless, he participates, but comes across a dead body--which leads to a very quick arrest of a probably quite innocent man. What's a rookie cop caught between doing what's right and loyalty to his fellow officers to do? With plenty of local color and an appealingly believable main character, this Chicago-set story is sure to please.