thriller

Book List: Fiona Quinn

 

Fiona Quinn writes “smart, sexy suspense with a psychic twist.” The series that started her path to becoming a USA Today bestselling author, the Lynx Series, is centered around a character that her readers love. Click on the titles in Fiona Quinn’s Book List to find out more about each of them.

In the Lynx Series, Lexi Sobado protects the greater good through her finely tuned psychic awareness and the expert operators charged with protecting her.

 

 

Weakest Lynx”  read my review here, one of the NBR ‘beach read’ choices that year.

Missing Lynx
Chain Lynx

 

 

 

Cuff Lynx”  read my review here.

Gulf Lynx
Hyper Lynx

Marriage Lynx

The FBI Joint Task Force Series Iniquus, the ex-special forces teams that Lexi works with, partners with an FBI Joint Task Force. Pulse pounding series.

Open Secret
Cold Red
Even Odds

Panther Forcefocuses on international action adventures. So much fun!

Wasp

 

 

 

 

 

“Relic”   read my review here.
Deadlock
Thorn

Strike Forcethe members of the Iniquus strike force are highlighted in each book. With psychic suspense, romance, murder, and mystery woven into each, Quinn’s fans have loved the guys tasked to discover the truth behind various operations.
In Too Deep
Jack Be Quick
Instigator

Delta Force Echo Series – The guys of Iniquus star in Action Adventure Romance.
Danger Signs
Danger Zone
Danger Close

Cerberus Tactical K9the K9s steal the show in the Iniquus K9 romantic suspense mystery thrillers.
Survival Instinct
Protective Instinct
Defender’s Instinct
Warrior’s Instinct’
Rescue Instinct”
Hero’s Instinct”
Guardian’s Instinct

The Kate Hamilton Novella SeriesA former science teacher from Boston goes to Virginia to hide out, but finds that danger follows her even to the small town where she grew up. Excellent novella series.  🙂

Mine
Yours
Ours” 

Fiona Quinn (as Lexi Sobado) has also been a Visiting Detective at Kerrian’s Notebook. Click on the links to take you to the individual posts.

Read “Visiting Detective Lexi Sobado

and “Everyday Carry (EDC) for Police,” one of KN’s most popular Visiting Detective pieces.

 

If you like intelligent women with unusual talent, a taste for danger, a bit of romance, and lots of action, check out Fiona Quinn’s always entertaining books.

 

 

 

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2023 ThrillerFest Awards

Thriller writers bring us thrills and chills and keep us turning the pages long into the wee hours of the morning. We love those stay-awake reads! Check out the 2023 International Thriller Writer ThrillerFest Awards finalists and winners. The winners were  announced in NYC on June 3rd. (indicated in red) Congratulations to all!

BEST HARDCOVER NOVEL
Delilah S. Dawson – THE VIOLENCE
Jennifer Hillier – THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK
Alma Katsu – THE FERVOR
Jennifer McMahon – THE CHILDREN ON THE HILL
Chris Pavone – TWO NIGHTS IN LISBON
Catriona Ward – SUNDIAL

BEST FIRST NOVEL
Lauren Nossett – THE RESEMBLANCE
Sascha Rothchild – BLOOD SUGAR
Hayley Scrivenor – DIRT TOWN
Stacy Willingham – A FLICKER IN THE DARK
Erin Young – THE FIELDS

BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL NOVEL
Mary Burton – THE LIES I TOLD
Mark Edwards – NO PLACE TO RUN
Minka Kent – UNMISSING
Freida McFadden – THE HOUSEMAID
Wanda Morris – ANYWHERE YOU RUN
Holly Wainwright – THE COUPLE UPSTAIRS
Loreth Anne White – THE PATIENT’S SECRET

BEST SHORT STORY
Dominique Bibeau – RUSSIAN FOR BEGINNERS (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine)
Barb Goffman – THE GIFT (Down & Out Books)
Smita Harish Jain – PUBLISH OR PERISH (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine)
Joyce Carol Oates – 33 CLUES INTO THE DISAPPEARANCE OF MY SISTER (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine)
Anna Scotti – SCHRÖDINGER, CAT (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine)
Catherine Steadman – STOCKHOLM (Amazon Original Stories)

BEST YOUNG ADULT NOVEL
Melissa Albert – OUR CROOKED HEARTS
Gillian French – SUGARING OFF
Kate McLaughlin – DAUGHTER
Francesca Padilla – WHAT’S COMING TO ME
Courtney Summers – I’M THE GIRL

BEST E-BOOK ORIGINAL NOVEL
Bill Byrnes – EVASIVE SPECIES (Self-published)
Diane Jeffrey – THE COUPLE AT CAUSEWAY COTTAGE (HarperCollins)
Grant McKenzie – THE SEVEN TRUTHS OF HANNAH BAXTER (Self-published)
Rick Mofina – THE HOLLOW PLACE (Self-published)
Carrie Rubin – FATAL ROUNDS (Self-published)

 

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Books of Note – July 2023

May and June brought more waiting rooms, surgery, and loads of sitting/lying around time. Here are a few of the books I’ve happily enjoyed instead of having to count the number of ceiling tiles.

“Burning Eden” by Sarah Bewley – Overworked and understaffed, Sheriff Jim Sheppard has three murders to solve while wildfires burn throughout the county.  A new doctor arrives in town and unwittingly becomes a factor in those murders. Bewley keeps us riveted in “Burning Eden” with a plot that delivers a surprise villain, a fabulous dog, and an annoying reporter as counterpoints to the wonderfully written, complex  lead characters. A ‘wow’ ending has me hooked and looking forward to a return to Eden County in “Frozen Eden.”  (Coming next year)

“Witch Hunt” by Cate Conte – First in the ‘spell-binding’ Full Moon Series, featuring Violet Mooney, crystal shop owner with mysterious, undeveloped powers she didn’t know she had. Murder, magical transport from spot to spot, reappearing relatives, unhappy townspeople, and other-worldly shenanigans, all play a role in this delightful series. “Witch Way Out,” book #3, is out now as well.

“The Midwife’s Touch” by Sue Harrison – Filled with wonderful descriptions of customs, food, and clothing of the period, this book combines the powerful stories of the prejudices people have against what they don’t understand, with the greed that overtakes their sanity. I turned the last page and was so disappointed that the book had ended. But, it is the first book in a trilogy, and to quote a line from the book, “We start from there.”

“Killers of a Certain Age” by Deanna Raybourn – nominated for multiple awards. 60 something,  lady assassins are betrayed and elect to get their revenge in the ways they do best. Wicked fun, clever twists. Never underestimate smart women. Ever.

“The New Girl” by Daniel Silva – #19 in the intense Gabriel Allon series. Throughout history, political leaders have made deals with the enemy in order to work on a common goal, each accepting that the other has special skills to achieve success. Now chief of the Israeli intelligence agency, Gabriel Allon is approached by a progressive leader in Saudi Arabia, a sworn enemy of Israel. They must work together behind the scenes to save the ‘new girl’ while preserving the stability of a more modern Middle East. Silva has created a riveting, complex plot, written in part because of the brutal killing of a real-life journalist as well as the deaths of more than 50 other journalists in one year.  Contains kidnapping, Middle East tensions, and the grim realities of negotiations with some not very nice people.

 

Happy Reading!

 

 

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Books of Note – April 2023

As many of you know, I’ve been side-lined quite a bit recently because of too much rain, pesky knees, and other boring stuff. Waiting rooms have frequently been places to catch up on that towering TBR pile, so here’s some of what I’ve enjoyed during April.

The Plea” by Steve Cavanagh – Excellent legal thriller with a ‘no way he can win this’ case. Smart writing, clever solution.

Apollo Murders” by Chris Hadfield- fantastic reimagining of Apollo space shuttle history. ‘What if?’ is explored in a page-turner from real life astronaut Hadfield with an entertaining look at the competition between Russia and the U.S. in the Space Race. Not sure if I could ever go into space after reading this one. Whew! 

Rum & Choke” by Sherry Harris – latest entry in Agatha nominated Seaglass Saloon series. Chloe Jackson, a librarian from Chicago, inherits part ownership of a bar in Florida. She’s an unexpected heroine who didn’t anticipate she would love the life at the beach, while solving a murder or two. She’s a runner, can sail, and has a soft spot for a hunky local. Great series.

Portrait of a Thief” by Grace D. Li – terrific art heist book dealing wonderfully with Chinese influences and national art crimes. Debut novel, nominated for multiple awards, also explores revealing character studies of the participants who seem to be in it only for the thrills.  

No Time for Murder” by Bruce W. Most – busy guy helps out a persistent politician neighbor (wife of a recently deceased friend) just so he can get her off his back and meet his writing deadline. This obsessive list-maker uncovers things he would never have guessed about the couple and exposes the chinks in his own marriage, while solving a suspicious death.

Muddled Through” by Barb Ross – book #9 in Award winning Maine Clambake Mysteries – Page turner featuring Julia Snowden that has me counting the weeks until book #10. Get the whole series!

Rising Tiger” by Brad Thor – American Scot Harvath adventure – based in India, revealing cultural and law enforcement differences between two countries. Harvath must work within those confines to discover who killed a valued friend and colleague.

More notes coming soon. Happy Reading!

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2022 ThrillerFest Awards

Thriller writers bring us thrills and chills and keep us awake long into the wee hours of the morning. We love those stay-awake reads! Check out the 2022 International Thriller Writer ThrillerFest Awards finalists and winners (indicated in red). Congratulations to all!

 
BEST HARDCOVER NOVEL
 Megan Abbott – THE TURNOUT
S. A. Cosby – RAZORBLADE TEARS
Alice Feeney – ROCK PAPER SCISSORS
Rachel Howzell Hall – THESE TOXIC THINGS
Alma Katsu – RED WIDOW
Eric Rickstad – I AM NOT WHO YOU THINK I AM

 

BEST AUDIOBOOK
 S. A. Cosby – RAZORBLADE TEARS (Narrated by Adam Lazarre-White)
Samantha Downing – SLEEPING DOG LIE (Narrated by Melanie Nicholls-King and Lindsey Dorcus)
Rachel Howzell Hall – HOW IT ENDS (Narrated by Joniece Abbott-Pratt)
Gregg Hurwitz – PRODIGAL SON (Narrated by Scott Brick)
Nadine Matheson – THE JIGSAW MAN (Narrated by Davine Henry)

 

BEST FIRST NOVEL
 Abigail Dean – GIRL A
Eloísa Díaz – REPENTANCE
Amanda Jayatissa – MY SWEET GIRL
David McCloskey – DAMASCUS STATION
Eric Redman – BONES OF HILO

 
BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL NOVEL
 Joy Castro – FLIGHT RISK
Aaron Philip Clark – UNDER COLOR OF LAW
C. J. Cooke – THE LIGHTHOUSE WITCHES
Jess Lourey – BLOODLINE
Terry Roberts – MY MISTRESS’ EYES ARE RAVEN BLACK

  
BEST E-BOOK ORIGINAL NOVEL
Greig Beck – THE DARK SIDE: ALEX HUNTER 9
John Connell – WHERE THE WICKED TREAD
Wendy Dranfield – LITTLE GIRL TAKEN
E.J. Findorff – BLOOD PARISH
S. E. Green – MOTHER MAY I
Andrew Kaplan – BLUE MADAGASCAR
Karin Nordin – LAST ONE ALIVE

 

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Book List: The Scot Harvath series by Brad Thor

 

 

The Scot Harvath series by Brad Thor, delivers action that never stops. The highly successful twenty-one novels feature counterterrorism as the central theme, more topical with each new title.

 

Back in 2013, when I reviewed “Takedown,” Thor arranged for an entire year of “Thrills, Threats, and Thor.” He invited his fans to read each of the books (one a month) in order, starting in January, 2013, with the first, “The Lions of Lucerne.” Thor’s website has videos and extras about each of the books and of course, an opportunity to buy them.

 

Scot Harvath is well written, with depth and a sense of humanity despite the gravity of his tasks. We experience moments of his deep commitment and never question his patriotism as the books unfold. “Takedown,” first published in 2006, dealt with post September 11th terrorism action in New York City. See my review here.

If you’d like to try the Thor reading plan, here are the books in order. Click on the titles:

January’s Book: The Lions Of Lucerne
February’s Book: Path Of The Assassin
March’s Book: State Of The Union
April’s Book: Blowback
May’s Book: Takedown
June’s Book: The First Commandment
July’s Book: The Last Patriot
August’s Book: The Apostle
September’s Book: Foreign Influence
October’s Book: The Athena Project
November’s Book: Full Black
December’s Book: Black List

Additional books published since then are (in order):

Hidden Order

Act of War

Code of Conduct

Foreign Agent

Use of Force

Spymaster

Backlash     read my review here

Near Dark

Black Ice

Rising Tiger – pre-order


Please visit www.bradthor.com to read about the current books in the Scot Harvath series, as well as Thor’s new release coming in July, 2022, “Rising Tiger,” the highly anticipated #22.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Jump into June with Four Books, Four Genres

 

 

The books couldn’t be more different, but each is a great read in its own genre. Each has the potential to be fodder for a TV or big screen movie, with thoroughly interesting characters and visually descriptive writing.

 

Cozy Mystery

“Kernel of Truth” by Kristi Abbott, is the first in her Popcorn Shop Mystery series set in Grand Lake, Ohio. It’s an engaging murder mystery, complete with a personable poodle and a gourmet popcorn shop.

Rebecca Anderson hesitates when she hears screams coming from outside, having to choose between taking her sauce off the stove and investigating the screaming. Her conscience and her dog’s interest prevail and she discovers that the screams are from her friend’s chocolate shop next door. Her beloved friend, Coco, is dead and Rebecca’s life is about to change in unexpected ways.

 

While coping with the shock, Rebecca’s ex works to get her back, and Coco’s niece publicly denounces Rebecca with having ulterior motives. Accused of theft, her popcorn business in peril, and her reputation besmirched, Rebecca must solve the murder of her friend in order to regain the trust of the customers and the town. The characters are well-drawn in this nicely plotted beginning to the series. Recipes included.

 

Thriller

Nick Heller is back in “House on Fire,” the fourth entry featuring the former Special Ops soldier, now Boston P.I. An Army pal dies from a drug overdose and Heller is drawn into an investigation about the death. Who’s responsible? The easy answer is to blame the buddy himself, but Heller agrees to dig deeper.

 

In typical Finder fashion, “House on Fire” combines current events with a page-turning thriller. Undercover work reveals a surprising ally and loads of twists to surprise the reader. Family politics, personal tragedy, greed, government contracts, and billions at stake drive the story. Who can be trusted? Will Heller get out of this alive? Not everyone does. Prepare to be thoroughly entertained.

 

Legal Suspense

Functioning within the limitations of sporadic donations, the overworked guardians find the evidence to exonerate the wrongly incarcerated. The ‘Guardians’ in the title refers to Centurion Ministries, an organization that Grisham learned about some years ago while conducting research for another project. The work the Centurions did and still do, stuck with Grisham and this story is based on an actual case written about in the New York Times in 2018.

 

Grisham’s writing is compelling as fictional Cullen Post, a pastor and lawyer, doggedly pursues every lead to help those with one last hope. Post is not in it for the money, only justice for those less fortunate. The process followed to uncover new evidence in the various cold cases, with some witnesses long dead, and evidence lost or buried, is grueling and sometimes dangerous. A well-written, fascinating read, one of Grisham’s best.

 

Non-Fiction

“The Lost City of the Monkey God” by Douglas Preston, is non-fiction, but the events described are so wildly dangerous that it reads like page-turning fiction. The search for the ancient White City begins deep in a Honduran rainforest, probably untouched for hundreds of years.

 

Preston presents a fascinating look at the tremendously complicated planning that a legitimate investigation of a major archeological site requires. Helicopters, sophisticated technology, local government with access to permits and soldiers to guard the expedition, the hundreds of thousands of dollars spent even before the explorers put boots on the ground, the right people to pull it all together, all come into play.

 

The field of archeology appears to be highly competitive and the expedition itself was surprisingly controversial, but the group of which Preston was a part, was the first to document their expedition and findings and go through official channels. The book includes photos of the search, finding the astonishing cache of artifacts, and an insane snake story, but also discusses Preston’s serious brush with death. Preston and half of his (and subsequent) expedition people contracted a potentially lethal parasitic tropical disease, one that is hundreds of years old. The interviews and research in “The Lost City of the Monkey God” are thoroughly footnoted and documented, and also reference modern epidemics and pandemics. Excavation of this extraordinary site continues today.

 

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