Publisher: Viking
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 07/13/2010
ISBN-13: 9780670021871
ISBN-10: 0670021873

Psychological Suspense. Fans of Tana French's previous novels might recognize Dublin cop Frank Mackey from his appearance in her well-received 2008 novel, The Likeness; here he commands center stage. As a teenager in 1985, he left the violence and dysfunction of his family and neighborhood behind, though the love of his life didn't show up to join him as they had planned. Twenty years later, when her suitcase is found in the abandoned house where they were supposed to meet, Mackey reluctantly returns to the suffocating environment he grew up in. When the detective in charge of the case refuses to let him get involved, Mackey must use all his skills as an undercover cop to investigate on his own. Suspenseful, beautifully written, and emotionally intense, this is another winner for French.

Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 07/06/2010
ISBN-13: 9780312534905
ISBN-10: 0312534906

Suspense Fiction. Screenwriter Patrick Davis was flying high after selling a screenplay, but it all went to hell when he was fired from the movie and sued by both the lead actor and the production company. His marriage isn't doing too well either. But life's about to get worse--way worse. A series of short DVDs delivered one by one to his house let him know that he and his wife have a very serious stalker--one whose actions are about to go from merely watching to directing as well. We'd rather not give anything else away--suffice it to say that They're Watching is full scary "twists and turns and unexpected revelations" (Booklist).

Publisher: Forge
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 06/22/2010
ISBN-13: 9780765323361
ISBN-10: 0765323362

Thriller. Fans of classic Westerns will want to get their hands on this action-packed sequel to Strong Enough to Die. This fairly new series stars fifth-generation Texas Ranger Caitlin Strong, a formidable foe for those on the wrong side of the law. In Strong Justice, Caitlin joins forces with her sometime lover, a Special Forces veteran, to rescue a girl from a Mexican sex-slave operation run by a psychotic killer. Then there's the threat of a guerilla war led by a renegade Mexican commander. If that doesn't keep you glued to your seat, readers interested in Texas Ranger history will also enjoy a storyline featuring Caitlin's legendary grandfather, who kept the peace in isolated Texas towns of the 1930s.

Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 06/01/2010
ISBN-13: 9780802119377
ISBN-10: 0802119379

Political Thriller. Political troubleshooter Joe DeMarco has been asked to find out who leaked the information that led directly to the death of a CIA agent working deep undercover in Iran. The reporter who printed the confidential information isn't sharing her source with the judge who demands it, but when Joe finally gets a name, it turns out to be fake. Who is the mysterious informant, and why do so many people seem to want to kill him? Not only is the CIA involved, but the FBI, Russian mobsters, a high-tech gamer, a hit man, and a florist all have their reasons for wanting control over the unknown man. Featuring the action, humor, insider detail, and whirlwind plot that the series is known for, this 5th entry is a sure bet for fans. Newcomers can enjoy it or start with The Inside Ring.

Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 07/06/2010
ISBN-13: 9780312595678
ISBN-10: 0312595670

Psychological Suspense. On a beautiful sunny day (the sort of day that causes unprovoked happiness) Vancouver Island realtor Annie O'Sullivan shows a house to one last friendly prospective buyer--and is kidnapped at gunpoint. Held captive in a remote cabin and made to follow rules that dictate when she can eat, bathe, and even speak, Annie is brutalized physically and psychologically for a year before she can escape. Now, in sessions with her therapist, Annie shares her story--of her trauma, of her escape, and of her ongoing fear and anger, for her kidnapper has yet to be found. Psychologically intense, this debut is "sure to leave readers looking over their shoulders for a smiling stranger" (Booklist).

Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 07/13/2010
ISBN-13: 9781439183366
ISBN-10: 1439183368

Crime Thriller. American pot entrepreneurs Ben and Chon are pretty happy with their lucrative marijuana operation (though Ben wants out, in order to become a philanthropist), which they run out of Laguna Beach, California. But when a Mexican drug cartel wants a piece of the action, they're not about to go along quietly. Ben, an eco-friendly Berkeley grad, and Chon, a former Navy Seal, go to great (and ingenious, and bloody) lengths to recover their kidnapped confidante (and bedmate), Ophelia, and get out from under the thumb of the cartel's leader, Elena "La Reina" Sanchez Lauter. Savagely witty, blood-spattered, and violent, Savages is a must-read for strong-stomached fans of Elmore Leonard or Carl Hiaasen.

Publisher: Vintage Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 07/10/2007
ISBN-13: 9781400096145
ISBN-10: 1400096146

Suspense Fiction. Revere Falk joined the Marines and learned Arabic to escape a dismal future as a lobsterman, but his language skills--though in high demand--are putting him in harm's way. Now an interrogator with the FBI, Falk's been assigned to a Yemeni prisoner held at Guantanamo Bay. While he's at the notorious prison camp, the body of an American reservist washes up on a Cuban beach, and Falk is put in charge of the investigation. But it soon becomes clear that there's a lot more to both cases than Falk can readily ascertain, and both the Cubans and his own superiors have stakes in them that don't necessarily match up with Falk's own moral code. With a strong sense of place, this is a good choice for readers interested in books with topical and timely themes.

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Publisher: Pocket Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 04/01/2005
ISBN-13: 9780743457972
ISBN-10: 0743457978

Thriller. In 1953, when the CIA sends ex-Marine hero Earl Swagger to Havana as a Congressman's bodyguard, the city is a playground for the wealthy, run by the mob. Swagger's unaware that it's also a growing hotspot in the burgeoning Cold War between the U.S.S.R. and the U.S., but when the CIA asks that he eliminate a troublesome young revolutionary named Fidel Castro, he finds himself learning rather quickly as political gamesmanship and brutal violence erupt all around him. This is the 3rd in the popular Earl Swagger series, and thanks to strong writing, a great eye for detail, and that aforementioned violence, action fiction "doesn't get any better than this" (Kirkus Reviews).

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Publisher: Henry Holt
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 04/27/2009
ISBN-13: 9780805089004
ISBN-10: 0805089004

Thriller. Mercado Suarez is not supposed to be in the U.S. A Cuban police officer, she's entered the country illegally to look into (and exact revenge for, if need be) the death of her father in a hit-and-run accident in Fairview, Colorado. Posing as a maid gives her access to the homes of Fairview's wealthy and connected residents, but it forces her to confront uncomfortable questions about her father's life in America (why, for example, was the former intellectual acting as the city's rat-catcher?). As in any good noir thriller, tension and violence abound, but author Adrian McKinty is equally skilled at creating well-rounded (and even likable) characters.

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Publisher: Shaye Areheart Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 12/30/2008
ISBN-13: 9781400048687
ISBN-10: 1400048680

Thriller. The top-secret, shadowy organization known as the White Orchid believes that assassinations--of the right people, of course--can make the world a safer place. Currently under their crosshairs is none other than Cuba's long-time leader, Fidel Castro. Former CIA agent Carolina Perez, who's been working toward this moment for years, has been assigned to deliver the death blow, but Castro's own conflicted minister of health has been pulled into the conspiracy as well. Thanks to a complicated plot, the suspense of Fidel's Last Days is "as thick as an authentic café cubano" (Publishers Weekly).

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Publisher: Random House
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 05/20/2008
ISBN-13: 9780345502988
ISBN-10: 0345502981

Thriller. In his 4th appearance, Russian detective Arkady Renko winds up in Cuba when the body of a Russian embassy official is found floating in Havana Bay. It's possible that the body is that of an old friend, but Renko is unwilling to make a positive identification; before too long, Renko has killed an attacker, garnering the attention of not only the Russian diplomatic community in Cuba but the Cuban officials themselves, who are none too fond of Russians in the wake of the U.S.S.R.'s dissolution. With his usual skill with vibrant settings, devilish conspiracies, and the melancholy Renko himself, author Martin Cruz Smith has created another modern masterpiece.

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