Publisher: William Morrow
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 03/19/2013
ISBN-13: 9780062195517
ISBN-10: 0062195514

Psychological Suspense. Layered and complex, The Guilty One is a tale of two damaged boys: one is 11-year-old Sebastian, who's been charged with murdering a younger friend; the other, Daniel Hunter, survived a difficult childhood in foster care to become the London solicitor now defending Sebastian. The case -- which stirs buried memories and forces Daniel to confront his troubled childhood -- unfolds alongside Daniel's own story (and that of the gentle older woman who eventually took him in for good). Questions of guilt and innocence pale beside a deeper exploration into the failings of the foster care and legal systems. A "searing debut," says Publishers Weekly, and one for fans of Tana French or Laura Lippman.

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 03/21/2013
ISBN-13: 9780399157905
ISBN-10: 0399157905

Thriller. Minneapolis accountant Carter Tomlin has provided his family with a big home filled with expensive things, but when he loses his job and is unable to find another, he can no longer make ends meet. So he decides to rob a bank, during which he learns that he really likes the thrill he gets from terrifying others. So Tomlin robs another, then another. Soon he's got partners -- and a trail of dead bodies. That's when FBI agent Carla Windermere gets on the case; her former partner, state cop Kirk Stevens, also gets roped in, which fans of the chemistry they shared in The Professionals will appreciate. As Tomlin starts to lose his grip, the chase heats up, and the pages fly by.

Publisher: St. Martin's Minotaur
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 03/12/2013
ISBN-13: 9780312622947
ISBN-10: 0312622945

Suspense Fiction. Despite being forced into retirement, former FBI agent Brigid Quinn still has her investigative instincts and a passion for catching perpetrators, especially of crimes against women. When a trucker confesses to killing multiple young women along Route 66, including an undercover agent who'd been working under Brigid's supervision, Tucson agent Laura Coleman asks for Brigid's help. Neither of the two women believes the trucker's confession, and their determination to find the truth will put their lives in danger. Check out this debut if you enjoy Lisa Gardner's appealing heroines and twisting plots. 

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Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 03/26/2013
ISBN-13: 9780547935195
ISBN-10: 0547935196

Thriller. This intricate, high-energy series debut begins with the London kidnapping of the daughter of Indian industrial tycoon Frank D'Cruz, whose business dealings may not always be entirely legit. Though the kidnappers want to deal only with Frank's ex-wife, Frank hires Charles Boxer, a former cop and "kidnapping consultant" who immediately complicates things by falling for the ex-wife (while working with his own ex-wife). Meanwhile, the kidnappers don't seem interested in ransom -- rather, they want to make life hell for Frank. Then there are the religious extremists, Indian mobsters, and London's own homegrown crime lords complicating matters. "One of the best thrillers so far this year," says Booklist.

Vince Flynn is known for combining international intrigue, political crises, and technical detail in complex missions full of fast-paced action. While he tends to focus more on plot than on character, his hero, CIA agent Mitch Rapp, is independent, heedless of danger, and moral. Along with many books by Tom Clancy or Robert Ludlum, each of the books selected here combine two or more of the characteristics you'd find in a Vince Flynn book, making them appropriate choices while awaiting your turn with his latest, a series opener written with Brian Haig. The next book in the Mitch Rapp series should be out in October (no word yet on the title).

Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 09/28/2010
ISBN-13: 9780312580742
ISBN-10: 0312580746

Thriller. Here's a premise that will keep you up at night: terrorists deeply embedded in Western society have set off a chain of attacks on U.S. and Canadian energy resources, killing hundreds and weakening the global economy. But there's a survivor of an attack on an offshore oil rig -- former Special Forces soldier Dewey Andreas -- who's not about to sit back and let the terrorists destroy his country. Fans of Vince Flynn (or of Brad Thor) will enjoy this debut for its gripping, fast-paced plot, independent hero, and international political intrigue; you can follow it up with its sequels, Coup d'Etat and The Last Refuge. The 4th Dewey Andreas novel, Eye for an Eye, should be available in July.

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Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 02/03/2011
ISBN-13: 9780399157103
ISBN-10: 0399157107

Political Thriller. In this 2nd novel to star lawyer Jason Kolarich, author David Ellis focuses on Chicago's dirty politics (Ellis, after all, prosecuted former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich). Still blaming himself for events that resulted in the deaths of his wife, his infant daughter, and an informant all in one night, Jason starts looking into what happened and ends up being forced into dangerous undercover work that likely will expose governmental corruption. Though there aren't as many technical details or as much action as in a Vince Flynn thriller, the political intrigue and smart writing makes Breach of Trust a good choice for Flynn fans.

Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 01/03/2012
ISBN-13: 9781439175828
ISBN-10: 1439175829

Thriller. In this sequel to Gideon's War, former diplomatic envoy Gideon Davis learns of an impending terrorist attack -- but no one believes him, so it's up to him and his brother, semi-disgraced ex-agent Tillman, to stop the West Virginia militia threatening U.S. security. But that militia may be just the tip of the iceberg... Written by the executive producer of the fast-paced television show 24, Hard Target offers non-stop action and an independent but ethical hero like Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp.

Publisher: Harper
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 12/27/2011
ISBN-13: 9780061930249
ISBN-10: 0061930245

Legal Thriller. Though Vince Flynn doesn't write legal thrillers, author Steve Martini manages to mix courtroom drama with the kinds of high-concept, high-stakes adventures that Flynn is known for. In Trader of Secrets, defense attorney Paul Madriani covers the globe in his attempts to find two missing NASA scientists and stop an assassin he knows all too well whose list of targets includes Paul's daughter. This is the 12th (and most recent) in the series, so if you want to start at the beginning, pick up Compelling Evidence. To learn more about Paul's history with the assassin, try Guardian of Lies.

Publisher: Dutton
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 02/17/2011
ISBN-13: 9780525952138
ISBN-10: 0525952136

Thriller. Pike Logan was a member of a covert intelligence operation created to stop terrorist threats without Congressional oversight. He was good at what he did -- until a personal tragedy threw him off his game. A chance encounter gets this damaged man going again, tracking down two rogue terrorists with big plans for a very deadly weapon. Booklist, which says that series debut One Rough Man "flows like the best of Vince Flynn," also calls Logan "an action hero to watch," which you can do throughout the series; the 3rd, Enemy of Mine, was published earlier this year.

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