"Only a man with a damaged canvas of his own can truly be a great restorer." ~ from Daniel Silva's The Confessor |
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| Brighton: A Novel by Michael HarveyCrime Fiction. Before he became a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Kevin Pearce grew up in gritty Brighton, MA, where he committed a horrible act of violence -- one that he got away with. Nearly three decades on, having avoided Brighton ever since, he's returned to a neighborhood embroiled in a series of murders that could bring to light his own bloody past. Told from multiple points of view, this intense and descriptive novel is sure to appeal to fans of Dennis Lehane's Boston-based crime novels. |
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| Before the Fall: A Novel by Noah HawleySuspense Fiction. It's a foggy summer night when a corporate jet goes down off the coast of Martha's Vineyard. With the exception of a recovering alcoholic and the four-year-old boy he manages to save, everyone on board dies. As the news media scramble to cover the story (the victims included the wealthy owner of a 24-hour news channel and an indicted financier), the backstories of everyone involved slowly unfold, leading some to question whether the crash was accidental. The survivors, meanwhile, become the center of unwelcome attention. A "pulse-pounding story, grounded in humanity," says Booklist. |
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| I'm Thinking of Ending Things by Iain ReidPsychological Suspense. On a cold, snowy night, a man and his girlfriend visit his parents on a remote farm for an awkward dinner, followed by strange, creepy detours to both a Dairy Queen and a deserted high school. It's at the high school that Jake disappears, leaving his girlfriend -- the never-named narrator, who's been thinking about ending things with him anyway -- stranded. Uneasiness soon escalates to terror in this slim, unnerving debut, which will keep you guessing 'til the very end (and likely heading back for a reread to see what you missed). |
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| The Crow Girl by Erik Axl SundScandinavian Crime Fiction. In this disturbing U.S. debut by the Swedish writing duo known as Erik Axl Sund, the mutilated bodies of tortured young boys are being dumped in public places around Stockholm. Already worn down by the realities of police work, Detective Superintendent Jeanette Kihlberg catches the case, which loses resources when the children are identified as undocumented immigrants. A harrowing and deeply dark look into sexual abuse and post-traumatic stress, this chilling novel is the 1st in a trilogy that has proven popular in Europe. |
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| Security: A Novel by Gina WohlsdorfSuspense Fiction. This unusual debut incorporates elements of horror fiction and slasher flicks with a literally cinematic writing style -- multiple perspectives unfold side by side, as if two different cameras were displaying the action in split-screen. It's a bit hard to describe, but the blood-soaked story itself will capture attention anyway: as an opulent California hotel prepares for its invitation-only grand opening, it's clear that a killer is stalking the halls, and despite the best security that money can buy, the bodies are piling up. Nods to genre staples are everywhere in the text, adding an element of fun for true aficionados of creative storytelling. |
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If You Like: Daniel Silva
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In Daniel Silva's complex, sophisticated novels featuring Gabriel Allon, the Israeli intelligence agent-cum-art restorer embarks on dangerous missions across the world. A brooding and ruthless hero, Allon tracks down quarries just as haunted; solid and meticulously researched backgrounds and the histories of particular eras, people, and places always play a vital role in these well-crafted, suspenseful tales. We know that the 16th in the series, The Black Widow, is out this month; if you're waiting impatiently, try one of the books below (novels by Robert Littell and John le Carré may also suit).
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| Red Star Burning: A Thriller by Brian FreemantleSpy Fiction. Charlie Muffin has long been an excellent agent for MI5 -- Red Star Burning is the 15th in the long-running series -- but his luck may finally be running out. He's hidden not only his marriage to a high-ranking Russian intelligence agent but also the existence of their daughter -- and their lives may be in danger if he can't find a way to smuggle them out of Russia. But when his secret is exposed, Charlie has to outwit both governments in order to save his family -- and his career. Plausible scenarios, complex characters, and contemporary characters are some of the similarities between the Charlie Muffin and Gabriel Allon series. |
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| Mission to Paris: A Novel by Alan FurstBoth Alan Furst and Daniel Silva write evocative, atmospheric spy novels that share moods of bleak melancholy, complex plots, and solid research. However, while Silva's are set in the present (albeit with a deep awareness of the past), Furst's are set in the 1930s and '40s, and Mission to Paris is no exception. Twelfth in the loosely connected Night Soldiers series, it stars Hollywood movie star Fredric Stahl, filming in Paris on the eve of 1938's Munich Appeasement. While the Germans wish to use him for their own purposes, Stahl has other ideas, and ultimately gets caught up in a dangerous game of politics and espionage. |
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| Body of Lies: A Novel by David IgnatiusSpy Fiction. Roger Ferris is a Jordan-based CIA agent obsessed with taking down the elusive "Suleiman," a key al-Qaeda operative about whom little is known. Expanding on a scheme the British used -- successfully -- against the Nazis, Ferris develops a plan to destroy Suleiman and damage al-Qaeda in the process. Unfortunately, the manipulations and deceptions inherent in his efforts to turn terrorists against each other begin to affect his personal and professional relationships. Like Daniel Silva, author David Ignatius writes knowledgeably about espionage, global intrigue, and contemporary political affairs -- and offers a nuanced, conflicted protagonist. |
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| The Red Room by Ridley PearsonSpy Fiction. Ok, this one's a little different -- the main appeal here for Gabriel Allon fans is the fact that an art piece is the center of the action. Security expert (and art trader) John Knox and his partner, former Chinese spy Grace Chu, are in Istanbul, having agreed to orchestrate a brief meeting and broker a trade. But they quickly find that they're prey to some unknown threat -- and that's before Grace is kidnapped and John is shot at. Plenty of tradecraft and political commentary will satiate Gabriel Allon's many fans -- and there are four in the series (starting with The Risk Agent and ending with White Bone, out this month) for those who get hooked. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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