Psychological Suspense. Months after the events of In the Woods, Dublin detective Cassie Maddox is still struggling (she hits the shooting range to calm her nerves) when she learns that a young woman named Lexie Madison has been killed. Not only is Lexie Madison the identity that Cassie had created as an undercover agent several years previously, the dead girl is her exact look-alike. So, who is this girl--and where did she come from? Despite the danger, Cassie decides to investigate the murder by posing as Lexie, making The Likeness, like its Edgar Award-winning predecessor, an intriguing mix of psychological suspense and police procedural.

Thriller. FBI agent Tony Wolf is hiding out in rural North Carolina when his cover is blown after he rescues two kidnapped children. Until that point, Wolf had been relatively safe from the drug-crazed bikers gunning for him (he'd infiltrated their gang during his last assignment with the FBI). In fact, not even the FBI--or his wife--knew where he was. But now he's determined to fix the problem once and for all--and that means finding the FBI mole responsible for informing the bikers. Breaking Cover is a fast-paced, action-filled read that builds to a finale that "will leave even icy-veined thriller fans panting for breath" (Booklist).

Crime Thriller. When their downstairs tenant dies, debt-ridden Tom and Anna Reed feel like they've won the lottery--there's $400,000 stashed in his kitchen and no reason not to keep the money for themselves. Too bad the money didn't exactly belong to the dead man, but rather came from a drug deal gone bad--and there are now several not-so-nice people looking for both the money and the missing drugs. So, do regular people Tom and Anna keep the money or cut their losses and give it back? Read this "stellar performance" (Publishers Weekly) to find out--and be wary of any sudden windfalls.

Spy Fiction. In this sequel to A French Country Murder, someone has broken into the Provence home of ex-CIA operative Louis Morgon. After Morgon shares his suspicions that the break-in was more than just a simple burglary, his friend (and local gendarme) Jean Renard arrests a small-time crook. But the break-in is just the tip of the iceberg, as Louis is soon branded a terrorist, putting the lives of everyone he cares about at risk. In his effort to clear his name, Louis travels from his idyllic French town to Washington, DC; those who have read A French Country Murder will recognize the mastermind behind the dastardly plot.

Thriller. When his FBI Hostage Rescue Team is ambushed during a drug raid, Web London is the sole survivor, largely because he froze (uncharacteristically) before entering the fray. Although he managed to take out the unmanned machine guns that killed his team as well as save a little boy, Web is tormented with guilt, and despite his outstanding service with the FBI, suspicion begins to swell. Soon, the heroic Web seeks counseling as he tries to find out who was behind the ambush. What this all-too-human hero learns in counseling and during his investigation combine to create a complicated and gripping storyline.

Corporate Thriller. Trapped in a job he hates, young Adam Cassidy, a low-level employee at a high-tech corporation, is caught attempting to manipulate the system and is offered a choice by his bosses--prison, or spying at the headquarters of their competitor, Trion Systems. But when he accepts their offer and lands an upper-level job at Trion (for which he is totally unqualified and unprepared), he finds that though he dislikes spying on a man he's come to admire, he certainly does like the big salary, the perks, and the knowledge that prison isn't in his future. Fast-paced, suspenseful, and with ever more difficult ethical dilemmas to ponder, Paranoia should satisfy Meltzer fans.

Thriller. Decent people accused of a crime they didn't commit? Check. Conspiracy and corruption? Check. Tough choices to make when it comes to protecting one's family? Check. There's a lot for Meltzer fans to like in this action-packed story of Jake and Carolyn Donovan, who were unjustly accused of massacring 16 people and sparking one of the U.S.'s worst environmental catastrophes. Now, after 15 years in hiding, they've been discovered--and with a 13-year-old son in tow they must elude the FBI while fighting to clear their names. "Exciting and very plausible," says Booklist.

Thriller. An appealing leading man, a complex plot, and a plethora of details concerning high finance, drugs, and nuclear weaponry combine to create a tale sure to engage Meltzer fans. Seventeen years ago, someone killed Nicholas Neumann's father, and when new evidence implicating a Swiss bank comes to light, Nick heads to Zurich, where he quickly gets involved in a web of conspiracy. There's terrorism, espionage, and corruption galore in this "gripping tale of murder, money, and immorality" (Publishers Weekly).

Suspense Fiction. Assassin John Rain has just learned that he has a son, but his efforts to see the boy and possibly reconnect with the boy's mother have inadvertently put the two in danger from Japanese and Chinese gangsters. Though Rain has reached the point where he wants to retire from the killing game, he is forced to use his talents to save them, aided by an ally in the Japanese FBI, a sexy Israeli agent, and his friend Dox, an ex-marine sniper. Fortunately for fans, this is only the 5th in a series that as of 2008 numbers six. The 1st, Rain Fall, will be released as a movie in 2009.

Suspense Fiction. In his 7th (and most recent) appearance, criminal defense lawyer Jack Swyteck is called upon to help out a close friend, Theo, whom he'd saved from Death Row several years before. Theo (now a respectable bar owner) wants to know who killed his mother more than 20 years ago, and he may be willing to help out an escaped prisoner--and former gang buddy--in order to get the information. Hails of bullets, a little romance, and a murder or two provide the thrills and chills, and, as always in this series, the city of Miami provides a colorful background.

Suspense Fiction. It's a bad time to be a juror in Ford County, Mississippi, when the trial of Danny Padgitt gets started, but it's even worse when, nine years after being convicted and sentenced to life in prison, Danny is released...and the jurors from his trial start to die. No doubt it makes Willie Traynor, the college drop-out who made his newspaper's reputation by reporting on the story, more than a little nervous. Though not quite in the vein of the legal thrillers on which John Grisham built his reputation, The Last Juror has both courtroom scenes and suspense, plus an intimate look at small town life in the South.

Spy Fiction. Legendary (if treasonous) CIA spymaster Jay Tice, who was convicted of Cold War espionage, has recently escaped from his maximum-security prison cell. Agent Elaine Cunningham has been assigned to recapture him before his disappearance becomes public knowledge, but the more she learns, the more she comes to realize that the facts don't add up. Without giving too much away, it's safe to say that in this chase-and-be-chased tale, no one and nothing is to be trusted. With terrific descriptions of the Washington, DC landscape, rich examples of classic spycraft, and a fair amount of action, there's something for everyone in this intriguing tale.