Thrillers

THRILLER/SUSPENSE BOOKS

In his novel, ‘A Vanishing of Divas,’ Larry Long tells a mystery and suspense story about Kurt McBride, a lawyer who becomes more of a detective when he is hired by a wealthy socialite to protect her from an ominous person who is abducting her sorority sisters from North Western University of which she attended in the 1960s. For Kurt McBride, the events that unfold involve a suspenseful plot consisting of murder, black mail, kidnapping, and the sex slave trade.

In ‘Vanishing of Divas,’ the protagonist Kurt McBride is hired by socialite Carolie Safford from Tucson Arizona to protect her and find the person who is abducting her former sorority sisters. She feels threatened from a letter she received expressing intent on revenge. For McBride, the case becomes personal when he learns of his girlfriend’s death resulting from a car explosion. Kurt McBride is a man who once dreamed of being a famous world class lawyer and become a member of the upper class of society. He wanted fame, wealth, and recognition. His journey to uncover the case of the missing divas causes him to reflect on his past ambitions, losses in life, his values, and what is important in life. He is a character with unresolved demons in his own past and undergoes a personal transformation as he faces the many dangers when searching for the person responsible for his girlfriend Clem’s death.

The plot of the story can be described as a “Who Dunnit?” It is filled with many twists and turns with diverse characters that range from divas with deep secrets, ominous characters, and ruthless characters. The result is a cast of colorful characters that make uncovering the truth a challenge for McBride and the reader. ‘Vanishing of Divas’ is an engaging page turner with unexpected events that will keep readers asking, who dunnit? It is a fun read with a surprising climatic conclusion. The book is highly recommended to readers who enjoy a good ‘who dunnit’ mystery.

Tracy Roberts, Write Field Services

In her novel, ‘About Time Already,’ L.A. Noble tells a mystery and suspense story about a young woman by the name of Jenny Masters who returns to her hometown after nine years to find herself confronting her painful past. As Jenny faces her traumatic childhood memories, she unwittingly becomes entangled in a web of lies, murder, and blackmail, which results in a dangerous journey to uncover an explosive secret.

‘About Time Already,’ takes place during the summer of 2010. Jenny Masters left New Attica, Illinois after graduating from high school in order to escape a traumatic childhood. As a child, Jenny had been sexually abused by local doctor Dr. Samuel Roberts. She was not the only young girl to be preyed upon by the depraved doctor. In 2001, he killed a young girl he got pregnant. Dr. Samuel and his mother Sarah Roberts buried her body in the shed of the family home. From an early age, Jenny’s life had been entangled with the affluent Roberts family. Not only was she sexually abused by Dr. Samuel, but she also had become pregnant by Steve Roberts, Dr. Samuel’s half brother. Cold and calculating Sarah Roberts, the matriarch of the Roberts family, claimed to have had the baby adopted but then the baby died. After nine years living in Blessington, Illinois, Jenny returns to New Attica when she learns that her mother is in a serious car accident. The events that unfold involve murder, kidnappings, blackmail, uncovering dark secrets, and Jenny confronting her painful childhood and those who caused her such emotional harm.

‘About Time Already’ contains a diverse range of unique and colorful characters. Ashley and Heather are the town gossips who constantly watch and gossip about the activities of the other characters. Jenny’s friends, Michelle and Max, have a knack for solving murders and assist Jenny in her efforts to uncover the mystery while trying to make sense of their own relationship. Brothers Michael and Steve Roberts struggle with their own past with Jenny. Depraved Doctor Samuel and his mother Sarah are both scheming characters who will do anything, no matter how wicked, to protect the family name.

‘About Time Already’ is a literary mystery filled with many surprising twists and turns that will keep readers guessing the identity of the murderer right to the end of the story. Through a well-written and well-plotted narrative, readers will find themselves cheering for Jenny as she faces great danger and threats to her life. ‘About Time Already’ is highly recommended to readers who enjoy an entertaining page-turning mystery that keeps them engaged from start to end.

Tracy Roberts, Write Field Services

In his novel, ‘Lost Relic of the Gods’ author Jeffery A. Friedberg tells a story about a private eye who becomes embroiled in a quest to locate an ancient relic with great powers that could, if it falls in the wrong hands, destroy the world.

Jack Vane is a private eye and ex-Green Beret living in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Jack has had a tough life that included run-ins with the mob. He also has diabetes and is going blind in one eye. Although Jack is a gritty tough talking private eye whose language often includes profanity, underneath he has a soft spot with a great love for his pregnant wife. His life is suddenly turned upside down when a mysterious woman by the name of Charmant tries to enlist him in a secret global organization called the ‘No One” to help them locate and secure a powerful relic. The relic dates back 5000 years to the ancient Sumerians, where a demon bowl was created that gives great power to the one who possesses it. In the wrong hands, it could cause the destruction of the world. The story opens describing the history of the relic with an evil queen and priest attempting to obtain the relic to gain immortality, but in a vividly described scene, they fail to acquire the power and use it for evil.

After dismissing Charmant as a ‘nut,’ Jack returns home to find his pregnant wife dead. Jack, along with his brother-in-law, Little Boy, a spiritual Native American and ex Army Ranger, embark on a journey to hunt down his wife’s murderer and find the ancient relic. Throughout the journey, jack becomes embroiled in ancient Native American prophecies, supernatural events, and a plot that involves two organizations: “The No One” wants to save the world and “The Combine” wants it for power and destruction. The prophecy deals with an upcoming event that will take place on December 21, 2012.

Told in the first person, ‘Lost Relic of the Gods’ is an exciting adventure filled with Native American folklore and ancient supernatural mythology. A central theme of the story is good vs. evil with Jack struggling with his own internal demons that challenge his own spiritual and moral values. Readers will cheer for Jack as he undergoes his journey of spiritual growth and transformation that involves powerful visions and contemplating his past. Dark characters such as Bacca Harakan add dark intrigue and mystery to the story. Readers will experience graphic scenes of cruel revenge and harsh retributions. Friedburg is able to successfully integrate the world of a private eye with ancient mythology to create an intriguing and entertaining adventure. ‘Lost Relic of the Gods’ is an intense page-turning read about a complicated private eye who becomes the key to unraveling an ancient prophecy. The story will keep readers engaged from start to end.

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In his novel, ‘Machiavelli’s Desert’ author Lawrence Uhlin tells a Canadian espionage tale full of domestic and international intrigue. The plot of the story involves the consequences to Canada after a nuclear meltdown at the CANDU nuclear power plant on the Pacific Island of Arnivan. The result of the disaster causes the Prime Minister of Canada to make a secret decision that he believes will protect the country’s sovereignty. His decision sparks events that lead to blackmail, murder, espionage, theft, and political turmoil.

Mari Volser and Beau Metcalfe are Canadian National Security Agents who are given the task of discovering how the death of a Canadian scientist is connected to the disappearance of a scientist in Dallas, Texas. They follow the trail which reveals more than they could ever imagine. In the mean time, the Prime Minister, Nicholas Plato, agrees to secretly purchase the designs for a breakthrough technology using carbon conductivity and nanotechnology to transmit information and energy at close to the speed of light, revolutionizing the world of communications and saving Canada from becoming a third world country as a consequence of the penalties incurred for the nuclear meltdown by the World Court. The story that unravels is a fast paced saga filled with corruption, murder, and secret agendas.

‘Machiavelli’s Desert’ is an entertaining tale of political intrigue that consists of exciting plots with many twists and turns. Readers will find the plan of smuggling information using DNA coding a fascinating element of the plot. They will also enjoy uncovering the mysteries, secrets, and lies, and the surprising revelation of a much larger planned event.

I highly recommend ‘Machiavelli’s Desert’ as an entertaining read that not only provides a unique depiction of Canadian politics, but it is also an exciting tale of international mystery and suspense.

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In his book, ‘Winter,’ Maneesh Sharma tells an exciting adventure story filled with international mystery and suspense. It is a tale of one man’s obsession with an ominous and elusive being with a dark fixation for murder and stealing priceless historical paintings.

Alexander is a former scientist living in Chicago who left his job to become an art collector and manage an art gallery with his girlfriend Alexia. He is hired by the Vatican to retrieve a stolen painting from a mysterious man by the name of Winter. His pursuit of Winter leads him on an International hunt in such countries as England, Italy, and the United States. Winter is a mysterious creature disguised as a man who has eerie magical abilities that allows him to manipulate one’s thoughts and behavior. Alexander becomes fascinated with Winter’s magical abilities and horrified at his thirst to kill. Winter is a narcissistic creature that has been roaming the world and preying on innocence for centuries. The sadistic enjoyment he gets from his relationship with Alexander results in an obsessive need to have Alexander as a balance to his own existence.

‘Winter’ is an action packed adventure story that delves into the true nature of Man. Such themes that emerge include: nature of evil, love, the primal instincts of humanity, greed, selfishness, and our internal struggle to suppress our primitive genetic traits. Much of Alexander’s character development centers on his curiosity with the unexplained such as Winter’s magical powder as well as Alexander’s struggle to make sense of what Winter represents. As Alexander develops, the distinction between him and Winter becomes blurred, and as his obsession becomes realized, readers will be surprised by the results.

The narrative contained a few instances of clichés, however overall, it was well written. The plot of the story along with Winter’s and Alexander’s obsession with one another makes the book a very entertaining read. As well, the plot contains a lot of action and deadly confrontations. The story is a tale about the nature of Man’s true self and Man's propensity towards embracing his basic primal instincts. I highly recommend ‘Winter’ to readers who enjoy mystery and adventure wrapped in international intrigue.

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Recent world events, such as the threat of an al-Qaeda attack and the Wall Street meltdown, have left many wondering about the stability of the future. In his book, ‘Infinite Exposure,’ author Roland Hughes delivers a fictional story that exposes real life vulnerabilities.

‘Infinite Exposure’ tells a story about the events leading up to a major al-Qaeda attack that has a devastating global impact. Within the story, several international plots unfold and become entwined in a major al-Qaeda plot to steal money from one of the most powerful banks in the world. Kent Braxton, a CEO of First Global Bank in the US, is a young opportunist who is looking for a quick way to advance his career. He secures the services of Big Four Consultants to help migrate all of the bank’s data centers to one central location in India. The purpose is to save the Bank millions of dollars which he hopes will result in a promotion. Kent knows nothing about IT and the risks associated with offshoring such a powerful international bank with branches all over the world. The result of the migration will be one third of the world’s money supply will pass through the new data centre. The plot takes a turn when an al-Qaeda operative infiltrates the new data center and plots to steal all of the money. Meanwhile in America, a corporate shredder by the name of Lenny, implements a plan to illegally manipulate the bank’s stock in order to make billions when the bank falls. A software company becomes involved in the deal which further complicates matters. As well, members of the Reformed Nazi Party become involved with the processing of captured al-Qaeda members by harvesting their organs and stem cells. The entanglement of the various plots results in a horrifying global catastrophe.

‘Infinite Exposure’ is a well written story that exposes serious flaws in the business of moving jobs offshore. The major focus of the story reveals how the current policies and practices of Corporations and Governments can have devastating global ramifications. Themes of greed, arrogance, and selfishness, predominate throughout the story. Hughes lays out a plot that entails how easy it is to manipulate stocks to influence the success or failure of a business. Through a diverse range of intriguing characters, readers will see how arrogance and greed can lead to devastating consequences, particularly Kent’s emotional decline. Most notable is how CEOs lack IT understanding.

Hughes is able to successfully tie the plots together to create a page-turning tale of suspense. His technical knowledge and expertise add to the credibility of this type of event actually occurring. ‘Infinite Exposure’ is highly recommended to readers who enjoy high stakes suspense novels that reveal important messages about current world issues.

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In his thriller, Breaking a Sunbeam, author Geoff Hunter takes readers into a sinister and violent world where survival instincts are put to the test. The protagonist, Jake Winter, a happily married young man, becomes involved with three psychopaths by the name of Juel, Carl, and Roy. Jake’s beloved wife Kay is abducted by the three criminals when she stumbles across one of their violent escapades. To ensure his wife’s safe return, Jake is forced to join the gain and participate in their deadly activities. He becomes caught up in a dark and cruel world of violence, vengeance, murder, and unforgiving brutality. Jake participates in heinous acts that he never dreamed he would ever engage in. Kay, a prisoner in the ominous underground basement of her captors’ home, finds herself facing Roy, an insane and brutal serial killer carrying out his innermost violent desires of torture and killing young women.

Breaking a Sunbeam explores a number of dark themes. Juel, a psychologically damaged woman, exacts revenge on those who have committed terrible acts of abuse upon her as a child. To Juel, wiping her past clean is a form of self-healing. Jake finds himself in a moral and ethical dilemma; sympathizing with Juel as he takes part in her quest for revenge. As well, Kay finds herself in a situation where she must engage in violence to survive Roy’s demented obsessions.

The story is a fast paced thriller with many twists and turns that will captures readers’ attention from start to finish. Readers will empathize with Jake’s and Kay’s predicaments as well as the compelling bond that develops between Jake and Juel. Juel and Carl have similar qualities to the two leading characters from the movie, “Natural Born Killers.”

Settings were well described although scenes about the location of the town are a bit vague. The insight into the mind of serial killer Roy’s was rather ambiguous. His obsession with darkness and medieval torture could have been expanded to give a better understanding of how he developed his thirst for torture and killing.

Breaking a Sunbeam delivers fast paced and action packed elements that make for a good thriller. It is highly recommended to fans of the Thriller Genre.

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In his novella, Spies, author Will Williams gives readers a glimpse of the cold and closely controlled spy world. The protagonist, Phillip Anderson, a loyal and trusting spy working for the Secret Intelligence Agency, lives in two worlds: The life of a spy that is filled with danger and intrigue, and his private life of family and friends. Phillip’s two lives collide with fatal results. He is forced to come to the realization that in order to live, he must choose which world to live in.

The story immediately brings the reader into Phillip’s life-altering dilemma. Phillip is a sympathetic anti-hero caught up in a life he believed to be of no threat to his family. Coming to terms with his secret life and family life is a fundamental plot of the story.

As a novella, only Phillip’s character and personal development is presented. Because it is a short read, important characters such as the Director of the Spy Agency, Phillip’s family, and his fiancée are not developed. More presentation of these characters and details of Will’s missions with the Secret Intelligence Agency would have allowed for more engaging story lines. As well, more details regarding setting description would have added to the story.

Filled with action and adventure, Spies is a definite must-read. It is an entertaining and page-turning story that can be enjoyed in one sitting. The author clearly has the creativity and skill to write full length thriller novels. I hope to read one in the future.

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The Balkan Secret Conspiracy tells the story of a Canadian writer by the name of Zlata Pierce. As a child growing up in Croatia during Hitler’s reign of terror, Zlata and her family were victims of the brutality that took place within Croatia. Years later, Zlata emigrated from Croatia to Canada where she married and started a new life. By building a new life, Zlata tries to forget the memories of a terrifying time in Croatia, particularly, the deaths of her brother, father, and the brutal rape of her mother.

Zlata’s life is turned upside down when she receives an ominous phone call from a stranger. In an instant, she is taken back to a past she struggled to put behind her. She begins a quest to unravel the truth behind the brutal murder of her brother. To uncover the truth, Zlata embarks on a journey that involves murder, cover ups, exposing evil entangled with the supernatural, and confronting two former Nazis determined to stop her.

The story starts out as a vividly described life in Croatia during Hitler’s reign of destruction and terror. The details of life in Croatia during Hitler’s reign are compelling. The plot of uncovering the role the German SS officers played in the death of Zlata’s brother is an intriguing and engaging story. A cast of characters are introduced that include Zlata’s husband, a psychic, a bitter detective, and a forensic pathologist. Where the story loses some of its focus as a gripping thriller is the plot to resurrect Hitler using dark supernatural methods. It overshadows the main plot of uncovering the truth regarding Zlata’s brother’s death in order to come to terms with a painful childhood that cannot be forgotten. As well, the cast of characters could have been reduced to just a few to allow for more character development.

The Balkan Secret Conspiracy is a novel containing many elements that make a good thriller. The author is a promising writer of thrillers as well as historical fiction.

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Bryan Foreman’s debut novel, Killer Cain, is a fast-paced thriller that chronicles the deadly adventures of ATF agent John Cain. Cain, a seasoned agent, carries the emotional scars resulting from the dark and disturbing life as an ATF officer. He is a man riddled with the guilt and haunting memories of love and loss. Living a life focused entirely on his job, Cain becomes obsessed with a gun-dealing psychotic by the name of Bobby Ray Hooker.

Hooker, a racist and religious fanatic, escapes from prison and becomes dangerously fixated on Cain, the man he blames for his own loss. Cain and Hooker embark on a mad journey of payback where everything and everyone Cain cherishes becomes threatened. Cain and Hooker become embroiled in a twisted and sinister chase that takes both men from the seedy and crime ridden streets of LA, to the dark and deadly forests of Alabama, and finally to Cain’s brother and family in Oklahoma City.

Killer Cain is a captivating thriller filled with many surprising deadly twists and turns. The author takes readers into the vividly described violent world of guns and racist hate mongering fanatics. Although the dialogue may seem harsh to some, it gives a sense of realism to the twisted and deadly hate filled racists such as the KKK.

Within the violence and bloodshed, important themes of love, loss, and family become entwined with self-pity, guilt, and vengeance. Cain’s brother and family reveal Cain’s longing and painful guilt for the peaceful life that he gave up for a life of capturing criminals, and delving into the darkness they represent. My only question of a realistic approach to one issue is Cain’s brother and how quick he forgives indiscretions.

At the heart of Killer Cain, is a story of revenge and redemption. From start to finish, the thriller is a definite page-turner. I highly recommend the book to readers who enjoy engaging and action packed stories with unexpected twists and turns.

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Bruce Huntly's novel, Fusion, is an entertaining thriller focusing on an important social, economical, and political issue - the use of alternative fuels that could considerably reduce our dependence on oil. Specifically, the author examines the use of Cold Fusion as a viable alternative fuel.

The plot is action packed from start to end. The story, itself, centers on a young headstrong woman by the name of Kaylin Gordon. With possession of her late father's scientific research on Cold Fusion as a feasible alternative fuel, Kaylin becomes the target of an international plot. A group of powerful and dangerous men, eager to maintain control of the fuel industry at any cost, actively pursues Kaylin to acquire and suppress her father's research.

The author takes the reader on a suspenseful and dangerous journey from Canada to the United States, to Paris, and to Zurich. Kaylin and her friends, as well as allies, Milly and Matthew, hunt down, and combat those seeking to silence Kaylin.

Filled with suspense, the journey reveals many twists and turns. We think we know each character Kaylin meets, but are surprised to discover that some are not what they appeared to be.

Through a series of deadly conflicts involving Kaylin and her friends, Kaylin discovers she is not only fighting to protect her father's work, but also fighting to save her own life. The forces she is up against seriously underestimate this strong willed and physically powerful young woman.

The plot surrounding alternative fuels coincides well with today's concern about the high cost of oil, gas, and the damage we are doing to our environment. The book could easily be adapted for television or film. The international intrigue and suspenseful plot makes this book a real page-turner.

Because of the well-written dialogue, eloquent description of the various international settings, easy to understand technical terms regarding Cold Fusion, and an intense romance, the novel is a definite must-read.

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