Psychological Suspense. Nearly 20 years ago, young Billy Peters disappeared: it's presumed that he was murdered by Arnold Avery, a serial killer who confessed to killing several other children and burying them on the moors. Now, Billy's lonely 12-year-old nephew, Stephen, is determined to find his uncle's body as a way to heal his still-grieving family. But digging in the moors turns dangerous when Stephen starts writing Avery, now in prison and growing ever more interested in his unidentified pen pal after he realizes the writer is a child. Set in southwest England, this debut novel is an excellent choice for fans of literary dramas and psychological suspense.

Noir Suspense. When a Hell's Kitchen warehouse belonging to his mob-connected brother goes up in flames--killing three squatters--former NYPD detective Jackson Steeg feels obliged to investigate despite his distaste for his brother's work. The discovery of six bodies, some of them mutilated, in packing crates at the site of the fire amps up the stakes, and soon Jake is tangling with some of the most dangerous men in Manhattan, not to mention stepping on the toes of the investigating police force. This 3rd Jackson Steeg novel features evocative descriptions of New York's distinctive less-gentrified neighborhoods and the kind of writing that fans of noir fiction will love.

Thriller. Fans of the movie Memento will quickly get into this tale, told in reverse, of a man in police custody accused of murdering his wife. Nick Quinn has lost the love of his life and is being relentlessly questioned about her death when a mysterious man offers him a timepiece that will allow him to go backwards in time and--hopefully--prevent his wife's murder. Of course, it's never that easy, as Nick soon learns when the things he changes have horrible ramifications for friends and family. Original in both plot and the telling of it, this is "one of the best thrillers of the year" (Booklist) and is already on its way to becoming a film.

Thriller. Despite his desire to stay out of the limelight, with a name like his, Bob Lee Swagger probably can't help but be a badass. But, being a former Marine, he's a badass with a sense of honor, which is offended when a fellow ex-sniper is said to have gone off the rails and killed several aging Vietnam protestors. Working with FBI agent Nick Memphis (fans will remember him from Bob Lee's debut in Point of Impact) to clear Carl Hitchcock's name, Bob Lee steps into the sights of some very dishonorable men. Gun nuts and suspense junkies will love the non-stop action in this 6th in the series.

Technothriller. "'My name is David Tennant, M.D. I'm a professor of ethics at the University of Virginia Medical School, and if you're watching this tape, I'm dead.'" Though he's fairly calmly filming his thoughts, Tennant's suspicions about the supercomputer he's building for the NSA have grown stronger in the wake of his colleague's death. Believing it to be murder--and that he himself may be next on the hit list--Tennant goes on the run with the NSA hot on his trail. His quest to prevent the unethical use of the supercomputer is complicated by visions of being Jesus Christ--and by the computer itself. Thriller fans who appreciate science fiction will enjoy this twisty thriller, which also muses on the nature of God (and requires a leap of faith).

Suspense Fiction. Brad Denning is a successful architect and a devoted husband and father, but he's never been able to shake the guilt he has felt since childhood: "When I was a boy, my kid brother disappeared." Brad's lingering guilt and unanswered questions mean that when a man shows up at his office one morning claiming to be the long-lost Petey, Brad takes him in. This turns out to be a dangerous mistake and results in a more than year-long struggle as Brad tries to put his family back together again. "Cain and Abel rematched," says Kirkus Reviews, before complimenting author David Morrell's storytelling and pacing.

Suspense Fiction. Starting off with a killer of a first line--"Stromsoe was in high school when he met the boy who would someday murder his wife and son"--Storm Runners follows police officer Matt Stromsoe as he hits rock bottom after an explosion meant to kill him takes his family instead. Though Stromsoe eventually moves on with his life, taking a job with a private security firm and working as a bodyguard for a weather reporter with a stalker, the man who killed his family isn't out of his life forever. With insight into such wide-ranging topics as rainmaking and the Mexican mafia, Storm Runners is a quick and satisfying read.

Thriller. When a newspaper interview goes horribly wrong, 24-year-old newbie journalist Henry Parker finds himself holding the smoking gun, accused of murder, and on the run from both the NYPD and a vicious killer. Oh yeah, and the FBI and the mob are after him too. To clear his name, Henry must find a package that everyone believes he already possesses--with only the help of an unsuspecting NYU student. His tale, which opens with the line "Right as I'm about to die, I realize all the myths are fake," should "thrill any suspense junky," says Publishers Weekly.

Thriller. "It was Graham Greene who said a story has no beginning or end," says London police detective Ali Barba, who's on medical leave when an old school friend begs her to attend an upcoming reunion. Cate Elliot, whom Ali has not seen in eight years, fears that someone is after her unborn baby; when she and her husband are fatally hit by a car, Ali finds herself investigating their deaths. Her search, which takes her to Amsterdam on the trail of frozen embryos, also puts her in the path of some very dangerous criminals. This is Australian author Michael Robotham's third of four novels, all of which feature members of the Metropolitan police force. Ali Barba first appeared in Lost.

Crime Fiction. When a book starts off with the line "I got away with murder once, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen again," you know you're in for a thrilling ride. Roadside assistance operator Jessie Dancing--the narrator of this story--thinks she's left her past (which includes standing trial for murder) behind. But a call that comes in to her call-center after a car accident changes all that when she hears what sounds like the driver being murdered. Police called to the scene find lots of blood--but no body. The driver's wife is sure he's alive. But Jessie isn't convinced--and when she returns to the scene of the accident (which happens to be in the town she fled from years ago), she gets caught up in a murder investigation that will threaten her new life.