Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 02/01/2011
ISBN-13: 9780802119643
ISBN-10: 0802119646

Suspense Fiction. When a carjacker steals a car with an 11-year-old in the backseat, everyone expects the girl to be released. But she isn't, and the carjacker, chillingly, hints that she won't be the only preteen to disappear. Despite his dislike of children, DI Jack Caffery is assigned the case; meanwhile, his colleague, police diver Flea Marley, is ignoring protocol and risking her own life to follow up other leads. Their personal relationship is under increasing strain as well, but this tension only adds to the pleasure of reading this intricately plotted, "first-rate" (Kirkus Reviews) novel, the 5th to feature Jack and the 3rd for Flea.

Publisher: St. Martin's Minotaur
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 02/01/2011
ISBN-13: 9780312375065
ISBN-10: 0312375069

Psychological Suspense. Ishigami is a lonely Japanese math teacher infatuated with his next-door neighbor Yasuko, a lovely woman who kills her deadbeat ex-husband to protect her daughter. Not only does Ishigami help her dispose of the body, he devises a clever cover story for her when the police begin to investigate. But problems build--despite Ishigami's ability to counter every police move, the involvement of an old colleague threatens to destabilize his plans for himself and Yasuko, and Yasuko herself begins to break down--and pull away. A bestseller and prize-winner in Japan, this is Keigo Higashino's first novel to be translated into English.

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Publisher: Atria Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 02/15/2011
ISBN-13: 9781451602067
ISBN-10: 1451602065

Suspense Fiction. Though Liz Marklund is a bestselling author in Sweden and has cowritten a book with James Patterson (The Postcard Killers), Red Wolf is her solo debut in the U.S. It's also the 5th in a series starring journalist Annika Bengtzon, rather than the 1st, so keep that in mind if you find yourself confused by anything. The plot centers on Annika's investigations into Communist and Socialist protests and terror attacks of the 1960s and '70s; one of her contacts is killed, and his death turns out to be just one of many. Like other Scandinavian authors, Marklund makes good use of Stockholm and small-town settings; if you can't get enough Stieg Larsson, give Liz Marklund a try.

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Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 02/01/2011
ISBN-13: 9781602399907
ISBN-10: 1602399905

Thriller. This posthumously published novel by the author of the Brady Coyne mysteries follows the Supreme Court nomination of Massachusetts judge and Vietnam War hero Thomas Larrigan. Larrigan's squeaky clean, a family man who's never put a foot wrong. Or has he? An FBI check brings up some secrets Larrigan would rather keep hidden, including an abandoned Vietnamese wife and daughter who are now in the U.S....so in comes a Marine-buddy-turned-hitman to clean up Larrigan's "mess." Known for "his perceptive characters and flowing style, [William] Tapply caps his career with a brilliant and intriguing story" (Library Journal).

Publisher: Jove Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 01/27/2009
ISBN-13: 9780515145823
ISBN-10: 0515145823

Thriller. Having recovered--at least physically--from his last assignment, CIA agent John Wells is sent to Afghanistan to investigate a resurgence of Taliban activity. Terrifyingly, it's all just part of a much larger plot that stretches from China to Russia to North Korea, where North Korean submarines just botched a CIA plan to rescue an intelligence source. There's clearly a mole in the CIA--but who is it? The Ghost War is the 2nd in a series, following the Edgar Award-winning The Faithful Spy. The 5th, titled The Secret Soldier, published in February.

Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin's Minotaur
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 09/04/2007
ISBN-13: 9780312374310
ISBN-10: 0312374313

Political Thriller. Inspector O works for North Korea's Ministry of People's Security; he's been told to photograph a certain car as it passes a hilltop at dawn, but the camera malfunctions. Although he realizes he's been set up to fail, he doesn't know why--or by whom--but it's quite clear that he's in danger; to get answers, he must find a small boy's killer and negotiate shifting alliances. The detailed depiction of a totalitarian regime closed to Western eyes combines with a strong mystery element to create a highly-praised debut--the 1st in a series--that may appeal to fans of Martin Cruz Smith's Arkady Renko novels.

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Publisher: Forge
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 12/01/2009
ISBN-13: 9780765349804
ISBN-10: 0765349809

Thriller. In this 13th fast-paced adventure to star Kirk McGarvey, North Korean police officers have assassinated a Chinese general, paving the way for war. But wait! A mysterious visitor informs the former assassin/former CIA director/current university professor that it was actually an ex-KGB agent behind the killings--and not necessarily the North Koreans. Can McGarvey prevent a third World War? He took on Osama bin Laden in an earlier escapade, so chances are good. Readers looking for insight into the North Korean way of life (like that seen in James Church's Inspector O books) won't find that here, but they will find action and excitement aplenty.

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Publisher: Tor
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 09/29/2009
ISBN-13: 9780765357496
ISBN-10: 0765357496

Thriller. Kim Jong-il, the North Korean dictator himself, has just invited Demo Dick, the Rogue Warrior, to visit him at his North Korean compound. Why? Well, the man's a fan! Having read all the books (for the uninitiated, Demo Dick Marcinko is author Richard Marcinko's alter ego--he's a commando and an author!), he knows that only Dick can find his missing son. And while Demo Dick initially declines the invitation (politely), the CIA strongly suggests that he take it. Dick is "as funny and dangerous as ever" (Publishers Weekly), making this 12th in the series a strong choice for techno-thriller fans with a sense of humor.

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Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 12/02/2008
ISBN-13: 9780312384128
ISBN-10: 0312384122

Military Thriller. After a politically embarrassing incident in the U.S., Navy Commander Dan Lenson has been sent to South Korea to oversee a major international naval task force that is involved in anti-submarine exercises in the waters between Korea and Japan. All is going fairly well until a typhoon--and several hostile North Korean submarines--move into the area. This fast-paced story is sure to please fans of naval warfare and political intrigue; the 10th Dan Lenson thriller is "well up to Poyer's excellent standards" (Kirkus Reviews).