Suspense Fiction. Deep in the heart of Afghanistan, ex-Special Forces soldier Jack Pilgrim is searching for his friend and business partner Merc Conrad, who has disappeared with $2 million of the CIA's money. Although the CIA has threatened Jack with jail if he doesn't find--and return--Merc and the money, he also owes Merc his life. As Jack follows Merc's trail through chaotic border territory, he must fight off constant insurgent attacks for the chance to save Merc--who may also be his only hope for getting out alive. "A ripping good read," says Booklist. Fans of Joseph Conrad's The Heart of Darkness will appreciate the similarities.

Historical Suspense. It's late in 1944 and the Nazis have launched a last-ditch attempt to defeat the Allies: 2,000 English-speaking Nazi soldiers familiar with American culture are to be disguised as American soldiers in order to infiltrate the enemy's defenses. Of the 2,000 men led by Lieutenant Colonel Otto Skorzeny, 20 have a secret second agenda--an assassination that will change the course of history. The only man to figure out what the Germans are up to is a former NYC policeman who will need all his wits and training to defeat the nefarious Nazi plot. Publishers Weekly calls the meld of fact and fiction "thriller gold."

Thriller. When medical researcher Kate Raab's family enters the Witness Protection Program after her father Benjamin testifies in a money laundering and drug trafficking case, Kate refuses to join them. But when Benjamin goes missing--and is blamed for the death of his government contact--Kate immediately begins to search for him. Her search not only puts her own life in danger, but also forces her to consider the possibility that her father is not the man she thought he was. Although author Andrew Gross has coauthored five thrillers with James Patterson, this gripping tale is his first solo effort.

Crime Thriller. Detective Wyatt James of Tacoma, Washington, wants only one thing: to put an end to the operations of the biggest meth dealer in the Pacific Northwest, Howard Schultz (whose current alias is taken from another state mogul, the founder of the Starbucks coffee chain). Though Wyatt is aided by county prosecutor Mike Lawson, Howard proves a resourceful adversary, outwitting them again and again as he takes escalating risks in the search for greater success. Soon, Wyatt's obsession with the self-proclaimed "King of Methlehem" becomes unstoppable--and dangerous.

Western Thriller. On Montana's old Pettyjohn Ranch (now owned by businessman Wesley Balcomb), construction hand Hugh Davoren has found two thoroughbreds shot and buried in the ranch's dump. Soon Hugh's been fired--and thrown in jail--over a trumped-up charge that is only the beginning of what seems to be a plot to ruin his life. With the help of his friend Madbird, a Blackfoot Indian and Vietnam vet, and despite the hit man who's been sent after him, Hugh begins to investigate Wesley Balcomb's shady plans. Fans of Jim Harrison's novels and James Crumley's crime fiction will be pleased with this gripping Western thriller.

Police Thriller. Nate Rodriguez is a highly talented sketch artist who is still recovering from guilt over his father's death when he is asked to help with a serial murder investigation in which the killer--who targets biracial couples--leaves grisly drawings at his crime scenes. Biracial himself and subject to flashes of psychic insight, Nate agrees, but the portraits he draws put him in danger when the killer begins to stalk him. The drawings by both Nate and the killer are reproduced in the pages of this distinctive thriller, adding an intriguing element to the gripping story.

Spy Fiction. First published in 1915, The Thirty-Nine Steps features the first of five appearances by Richard Hannay, a Scotsman who moved to London in 1914 after years in Africa. He is almost immediately caught up in political intrigue when an American spy who pleads for help is killed in Hannay's own home. On the run from the real killers, Hannay must defuse a plot to assassinate the Greek Premier and destabilize Europe, which is already on the brink of war. Little does Hannay know that the assassination plot is only the tip of the iceberg. Shrewd, strong, and with a stiff upper lip, Richard Hannay has been the model for many other thriller heroes.

Spy Fiction. Gabriel Syme is a poet who has been recruited to a secret anti-anarchist branch of Scotland Yard. Using an argument with fellow poet--and anarchist--Lucian Gregory to gain entry to a meeting of anarchists, Syme manages to get himself elected as the local representative to the international Central Council of Anarchists. This is where the fun really begins--for Syme is not the only one wearing a mask. Keep an eye out for allegories galore in this espionage classic. First published in 1908.

Spy Fiction Satire. In pre-Castro Cuba, vacuum cleaner salesman Jim Wormold is a single father whose teenage daughter's spending outstrips his modest salary. To make a little extra money, he agrees to work for the British Secret Service, but lacking any actual inside information, he invents a ring of spies and sends his handlers fictitious reports. Imagine his surprise when the stories he creates start to come true and enemy spies attempt to kill him. This classic send-up was first published in 1958.

Spy Fiction. Set against the 19th-century conflict between Russia and Great Britain, Kim tells the story of an orphaned son of a British soldier living in Lahore, India (now Pakistan). During his travels with a Tibetan lama whom he has befriended, Kim is recruited by the British Secret Service to carry messages and accomplish other small tasks. Though Kim does get involved in the Great Game between the Russians and the British, this classic novel is as much about 19th-century India as it is about a boy who believed he was destined for greatness. First published in 1901.

Spy Fiction. This collection of short stories, published in 1928, is based on Maugham's own spying experiences during World War I. The interconnected stories feature the exploits of a sophisticated and aloof gentleman-spy named Ashenden--and are said to have influenced Ian Fleming's James Bond series. Because Ashenden is more of an observer than a fighter you'll find little in the way of gunplay here, but you'll certainly experience the life of a spy through Maugham's depictions of the Hairless Mexican, Mr. Harrington, the Traitor, and Ashenden himself.

Spy Fiction. Never underestimate silly, ineffectual aristocrats--they often turn out to be far more cunning than you'd expect. In the case of the Scarlet Pimpernel, he's used his cover as wealthy, foppish Sir Percy Blakeney to engage in rescuing French aristocrats during the French Revolution--at least until his wife unintentionally puts him in grave danger of being unmasked. This bestselling novel, which started as a play, was published in 1905, and is considered to be a precursor to the spy fiction genre and to the superheroes found in comic books.