Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 05/03/2011
ISBN-13: 9781451612752
ISBN-10: 1451612753

Psychological Suspense. In her second disquieting novel (after the Gold Dagger-winning Blacklands), author Belinda Bauer returns to the small, isolated English town of Shipcott, where a killer appears to be stalking the ill and elderly. Though local cop Jonas Holly investigates initially, he's forced to relinquish the case to an abrasive, bullying detective, though he too is unable to stop the killings. Jonas, caring for an MS-afflicted wife and under pressure from all sides, has also begun receiving taunting letters that appear to be from the killer. The tension soon becomes unbearable, and the tale's "deliciously unsettled conclusion" (Library Journal) begs comparison to both Minette Walters and Ruth Rendell.

Publisher: Mulholland Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 04/20/2011
ISBN-13: 9780316129510
ISBN-10: 0316129518

Legal Thriller. When prosecutor Rachel Knight of the Los Angeles D.A.'s office is told by her boss not to look into the sordid death of a close friend and colleague, she doesn't hesitate to step in and investigate further. This, of course, could be a career-ender, but the more she delves into Jake's death, the closer she comes to putting her life at risk as connections to Latino street gangs and pornography rings become apparent. Debut author Marcia Clark was one of the prosecutors during the O.J. Simpson trial, so she knows her investigative and legal details--but, with believable characters and a fast-moving plot, she's also got a "flair for fiction" (Booklist).

Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 05/10/2011
ISBN-13: 9780307595867
ISBN-10: 0307595862

Suspense Fiction. After a chilling first chapter, author Jo Nesbø turns our attention to Oslo detective Harry Hole, a man seemingly on the edge of a breakdown. The first snow has fallen, and a woman has been killed, the only witness a spooky snowman wearing the victim's scarf. Convinced that a serial killer is at work, Harry begins to track other deaths associated with snowmen though his colleagues think he's imagining connections; only a recent transfer, the secretive Katrine, believes in him. With clear prose, well-drawn characters, and layers upon layers of suspense, The Snowman is the superlative 5th entry in a "consistently superior" (Booklist) series.

First Chapter  

Publisher: Minotaur Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 04/26/2011
ISBN-13: 9780312384692
ISBN-10: 0312384696

Financial Thriller. When his hedge fund collapses soon after the start of a promising Wall Street career, Jimmy Cusack, a former blue-collar youth with a pregnant wife, takes a job he's reluctant to accept. His new employer--a powerful corporate fund that makes money no matter the market--seems to be involved in some shady business practices; their latest investment strategy involves driving down the stock price of a Reykjavik bank. With a great deal of insight into the lives of the super-rich, a likeable protagonist in Jimmy, and energetic writing, this second thriller from Norb Vonnegut will appeal to fans of Joseph Finder.

First Chapter  

Publisher: Tor Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 09/21/2007
ISBN-13: 9780765348531
ISBN-10: 0765348535

Medical Thriller. After being stung by enough rare jellyfish to send him into a coma for three years, Jack Koryan awakens to find himself in the possession of unusual memory capabilities. Meanwhile, pharmacologist Rene Ballard finds that Alzheimer's patients in a successful drug trial of toxins taken from the same jellyfish are committing acts of great violence after getting stuck in horrible flashbacks from childhood. Naturally, the drug company does not wish to make these unpleasant side effects known, as they stand to make millions from the drug. Well-researched and delving deeply into ethical and contemporary issues, this is likely to appeal to fans of Michael Crichton as well as Robin Cook.

Publisher: Random House
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 10/01/2002
ISBN-13: 9780345433107
ISBN-10: 0345433106

Thriller. Let's talk about the characters in The Syndrome: there's Nico, a beautiful but disturbed young woman tortured by memories of an abusive childhood. She also appears to be an assassin. There's Nico's sister Adrienne, equally beautiful but unscarred by memories she believes were placed into her sister's brain. Then there's Dr. Jeff Duran. He's Nico's psychologist, but he's got a far more complex history than either of the sisters. One of these people is dead. The other two will be as well if they can't figure out the secrets that the Prudhomme Clinic, which is dedicated to secret mind-control experiments, is keeping. Read this for the exciting world-wide chase, but remember it for all you'll learn about mind-control and amnesia.

First Chapter  

Publisher: Dutton
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 06/11/2009
ISBN-13: 9780525950752
ISBN-10: 0525950753

Thriller. At the heart of this book is a bioweapon named "Slick"--created to prevent explosions, it may do more harm than good, especially when the guy who may be carrying it happens to have developed anterograde amnesia, which makes him unable to retain memories for more than five minutes. San Francisco-based forensic psychiatrist Jo Beckett is tasked with examining this man after he panics during a routine landing at the airport; what he does and doesn't know about Slick is buried somewhere in his brain, and it's up to Jo to prevent disaster. This is the 2nd in the series starring Jo, after The Dirty Secrets Club.

Publisher: Mira
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 03/01/2010
ISBN-13: 9780778328278
ISBN-10: 0778328279

Suspense Fiction. After he survives a near-fatal head injury, photojournalist Josh Ryder is plagued by strange, vivid flashbacks to life as a pagan priest in 4th-century Rome. He eventually gets help from a past-life research group called the Phoenix Foundation, which allows him to explore a recently excavated tomb containing memory stones said to provoke past-life regressions. The stones would prove the existence of reincarnation--and challenge the all-powerful Catholic Church. When one of the lead researchers is killed, Josh is caught up in a web of murder and deceit as his flashbacks come ever more frequently. The Reincarnationist is followed by The Memorist and The Hypnotist.

First Chapter  

Publisher: Dutton
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 08/17/2010
ISBN-13: 9780525951773
ISBN-10: 0525951776

Psychological Thriller. Boulder psychologist Alan Gregory (in his 18th appearance) has new neighbors, and he's not sure he likes famous lawyer Mattin Snow or his socialite wife. His instincts prove prescient when, after their housewarming party (to which Alan was not invited), a guest claims that Snow raped her. Though Alan's wife, deputy district attorney Lauren Crowder, becomes involved in the case, as does his best friend, detective Sam Purdy, Alan is left out in the cold--but nevertheless becomes ethically entangled. A mixture of suspense and details of Gregory's home life make this an enjoyable read for series fans. Newcomers might want to start at the beginning, with Privileged Information.