A masterful thriller - read this book and see
922499
Cyril Landry is dead.

Sort of.

Forced to go underground after making the wrong enemies, Landry watches over his high school-age daughter every day - anonymously, of course - as she leaves school. When a seemingly random school shooter comes within a hair's breadth of murdering Landry's daughter, the ex-Navy SEAL and assassin eliminates the threat but begins to suspect that someone knows he's alive.

And that someone will not stop until Landry is flushed out into the open.

Author J. Carson Black takes the unfortunately all-to-familiar school shooting scenario and adds a diabolical twist, weaving a tale that is by turns gripping, pulse-pounding and heartbreaking. One of the top thriller authors working today, Black peppers the story with witty, believable dialogue and a backstory that will keep you guessing right to the end.

In THE SHOP and now in HARD RETURN, J. Carson Black has constructed a deceptively complex antihero: a stone-cold, utterly professional assassin who cares about nothing more than his wife and daughter, both of whom believe him dead. HARD RETURN also features a spellbinding appearance by Jolie Burke, the female counterpoint to Cyril Landry and a riveting character in her own right.

HARD RETURN offers everything I look for in a thriller: murder, deception, believable action, outstanding dialogue, and political intrigue. It's almost a cliche to make this statement, but I'll do it anyway - if you're going to read just one thriller this summer, it should be HARD RETURN.
2104216
The Accident is an riveting thriller.  It all takes place during one fateful day and is centered in the world of book publishing.  Isabel Reed, a literary agent, has come into possession of a manuscript that she knows will be notorious.  It will make her rich beyond her dreams.  The manuscript is about the life of a man named Charles Wolfe, and the secrets he's gone to every length to hide during his lifetime.  Charles is one of the richest men on earth and has a multinational news corporation.  If this book goes public, Charles is in big trouble.  Not only will it bring him down, but it has ramifications for heads of state, presidents, and many people very high up. Thus, he will do everything possible to prevent this book from going into print.

Meanwhile, Isabel has given a copy of the manuscript to her assistant, Alexis, and to an editor named Jeff.  Copies of the manuscript, though supposedly secret, seem to sprout up all over the place.  With Charles' legions on their back, those in possession of a copy are killed and the manuscript confiscated.  What is in this memoir and is it true or a hoax.  Isabel believes it is all true and is trying her best to elude the goons who are after her.

The book is a fun thriller, sometimes a bit difficult to follow because there are the bad guys, the CIA, the FBI, the cops, the mercenaries and the paid killers. On the other side are those in the publishing field trying to make a buck off this manuscript.  Trying to keep track of who is who can be difficult.  However, that is not as important as following the tracks of the manuscript - who has it, who gets killed for having it, and where it is headed next.

Who is the author and what are his motives in all of this?  I must admit that I got sucked into this book early on and despite myself, could not put it down.  It catches the reader and keeps its claws in deep.  While this is a more literary thriller than most, it shares the same lines as most thrillers do so there is nothing truly unique about it except for its setting in the publishing world.  I liked the book and recommend it for a great airplane or beach read.
1633255
Two shocking deaths are the catalyst for Glynn's riveting thriller. A small-time drug dealer with a big ego, Noel Rafferty, is gunned down in a local beer garden; hours later, his uncle, also Noel Rafferty, is killed in a car accident. The Rafferty family is reeling from the double tragedy, but none is more distressed than Gina Rafferty, aunt of one, sister to the other. Gina cannot accept the supposed coincidence of the deaths, especially after the last words her brother spoke to her the night before. Riddled with questions, she investigates on her own, a David in search of Goliath, a young woman with no power or resources, but plenty of courage. Although she has no proof, Gina's instincts lead her to the halls of power and men she has revered, all of whom have feet of clay.

They say politics makes strange bedfellows and a recent deal brokered in London is no exception. A new skyscraper complex, Richmond Plaza, has attracted funding from an American equity firm, thanks to the careful shepherding of property developer Paddy Norton and endorsed by soon-to-be Prime Minister Larry Bolger. Norton and Bolger have a long working history, as well as ties to Gina's brother, the now-deceased Noel Rafferty. Unfortunately, Gina's questions pose a threat to the Richmond project, to Paddy's grand plans and possibly to Bolger's future as Taoisech (prime minister). When Gina contacts Mark Griffin, a young man deeply affected by a family tragedy in his childhood, the dark secrets of the past are unleashed to the detriment of the power brokers, politicians and investors in Richmond Plaza.

Glynn's plot never lets up, from the two deaths at the beginning of the story to a shocking example of gangland violence in a confrontation in a warehouse, from the accident that took the lives of Griffin's family to a stand-off in the glass-walled Richmond Plaza, where Gina holds a gun as the SWAT team gathers. Dreams of power and fortune are run aground in a drug-fueled haze of one greedy man, while another faces the consequences of his family's activities on his behalf. Dublin is on the cusp of greatness with its new complex until Gina takes aim and brings the pretenders to their knees. Prescient in his choice of topic, Glynn has written a stunning modern thriller that addresses the moral ambiguities of the times and the acquisitive ambitions of the wealthy. Luan Gaines/2010.
1300611
David Baldacci questions the edge between good and evil in his newest thriller. And causes us to look inward and realize that each of us has the ability to be both. Like the Coxes and Sam Quarry, our choices define us. It is a page-turner and though it is reminiscent of Absolute Power, it was different enough to keep my interest. I'm also glad he has returned to the saga of Sean King and Michele Maxwell.

Another reviewer said that the action is unbelievable, what thriller is believable? Thrillers are fiction and as such, draw us into a world we do not ordinarily inhabit. Baldacci creates fictional situations with complex characters that entertain us and cause us to stay up late and read. What better praise can you give a book than that? --Thus, it's a real thriller in my book.
2132798
The Talhoffer Society by Michael Edelson is a well-crafted thriller that promises to grab you by the throat and hurl you across its pages.

Using the fledging martial art known as HEMA (Historical European Martial Arts  or, more simplistically, medieval broadsword fighting) as inspiration and backdrop, Edelson has spun a brilliant story of suspense, mystery, love, and redemption.

The central premise is this: all around the world, people are studying the ancient and, for all intents and purposes, completely impractical martial art of dueling with a two-handed longsword. Except: some secret society is hosting a clandestine, live-steel tournament where the best practitioners are invited to use their skills as they were truly intended  and being deadly weapons, well you get the idea.

Refreshingly, Edelsons use of violence is superbly tasteful, and consistently tempered by a healthy, human concern for life and subsequent guilt when harm is dealt. For a story about sword-fighting, this is remarkable, and very rare. And it is the sort of writing which expensive workshops the world over struggle to impart to their writers, many of whom have never seriously hurt anyone, let alone killed someone.

Meanwhile, hes got the obligatory love story woven in, yet instead of being desultory and extraneous, its crucial, unique, and beautiful. In fact Edelson dusts off more than one classical trope to tell his story, and normally I would look to them to find fault, except that he executes each one with the lan of a longtime pro. Honestly, its a very well put together novel.

Edelsons greatest accomplishment, in my mind, is his steadfast determination to tell a realistic story, while successfully maintaining interest. Writing is a record of a series of choices, and at every turn there are infinite possibilities to explore  some more likely than others. Oftentimes writers are confronted with difficult decisions, such as when a crossroads presents itself where one direction is plausible but boring, and the other is far-fetched but much more exciting.

It is easier (and lazier) to try to amp up the tension by making outlandish decisions, but after a point your readers suspension of disbelief will fail to sustain them in the world youve created. It is far more challenging (and impressive) to stick to realistic choices, and to have your story stay engaging and surprising.

This is because, as a general rule, real life is boring. (Thats probably why we like stories in the first place.)

Turning up the scrutinization dial real high to find something to complain about, I found the use of money within the story to be a bit too convenient to explain certain things, but in the interest of avoiding spoilers I won't go into detail. I will simply say that while Edelson has done fantastic work accomplishing some very difficult sells, a few of them he appeared to work less hard for. Also I think he couldve come up with a much better title.

Perhaps the highest praise I can offer is that The Talhoffer Society reads like a Dan Brown book. Im a slow reader (I read like I speak), and I nearly finished the book in just two sittings.
2481479
Okay. I love thrillers. I REALLY love psychological thrillers. In my 60+ years of reading, this book has to rank right up there in the top five. Two different cities, two killers, two identical crime sprees with identical clues, two chief investigators with remarkably similar names and families -- what the heck is going on?

To paraphrase one of the characters, "This is something out of Rod Serling and The Twilight Zone." I don't want to spoil the plot by revealing too much information, but Philip Fleischman has combined elements of Jungian psychology, neurology of the criminal mind, the theory of synchronicity, the Three Wise Monkeys and the Japanese game of Yu-Gi-Oh into a logical criminal investigation. Yes, he really did it.

The characters are quickly, but we'll-defined, the two main families sympathetic and the police investigative procedures are solid. But it is the mind-blowing twists and turns that will keep you turning the pages until the end. You won't want to put it down to eat or sleep. Get this book and make sure you don't start it unless you have the time to finish it, because you will resent having to put it down before you are finished. Take this trip!
3405718
I can place "The Analyst" in the list of those precious books I will never forget

It is a terrific psico-thriller with a creepy tint, the intensity of a blockbuster every step of the way and the power to get deep enough to probe the functioning of the deep recesses of the human mind

It is so well written that you can perceive rather than learn the different array of emotions exuded by his main dynamic character throughout all the pages from beginning to end, and for me this is the feature that sets its apart from the pack

The main topic is original, and the structure of the plot too, depicting with a psychological view how an individual identity life, career and reputation is destroyed and how in turn he can rise from the ashes and exact his revenge to finally get even with those who can conspired to destroy him, using only his intelligence and education as his main resource, to plan strategies with designated steps and succeed battling in a hostile, tough, world

The ending, dissapointing in many thrillers of this kind, (whodunnit), is very well solved and in line with the quality of the whole book (rumplestilskin, the bad guy is finally unmasked)

This book invites to try other works of Mr Katzenbach, something I will surely do shortly

As I said at the beginning I will put this book in my amazon listmania list, because I loved it

Great job
3825510
This book is so fast-paced and sensational;  just what a thriller should be.  Unfortunately, it does something a thriller NEVER should do -- give away the killer in the first 1/3 of the book.  With one sentence, Phillip Margolin handed me the ending of this book and that's why it only warrants four stars from me instead of five.  One thing that Margolin does do is explain right away what the title of the book means in a quote by Francis Bacon, "Revenge is a kind of wild justice."  And, therein lies the essence of this book -- REVENGE.
Phillip Margolin gives us a cast of characters each one more despicable than the next.  Vincent Cardoni is a brilliant surgeon;  he's also an abrasive and arrogant cocaine addict.  Justine Castle is his beautiful soon-to-be ex-wife;  also a surgeon with a dubious past.  Clifford Grant is another surgeon who also has a side business -- he sells donor organs on the black market but, unfortunately, his donors didn't agree to give him their organs.  All three of these doctors work for the famed St. Francis Hospital in Portland, Oregon.  The first piece of advice that Margolin should be giving people is to STEER CLEAR OF THIS HOSPITAL.  When an isolated cabin in the woods is searched as a result of an anonymous tip, a gruesome plot unfolds taking the reader on a roller coaster ride.  Vincent Cardoni is arrested and hires Frank Jaffe, a renowned criminal attorney and his daughter, Amanda, who is just starting out in her father's firm.  All of the evidence points to Cardoni and, even if he isn't guilty, everyone abhors him so much that he might just as well be guilty.  The plot thickens and Cardoni claims he is being set up. When Cardoni disappears and the crimes suddenly begin again in his absence, the real story starts.
Having read Margolin's bestseller, Gone But Not Forgotten, many years ago, it's hard not to want the same thrill each time you read a book by this author.  I'm sure it must be harder for Margolin to live up to these expectations.  While Wild Justice is certainly not on a par with that book, it has enough plot twists and turns to satisfy most readers of this genre.  Like I mentioned before, if only he hadn't made it so easy to figure out, it would have been a much better read.
1881502
What would you do if you were told your best friend could be a serial killer? You wouldn't believe it, you'd say, "Of course not. You have some bad information."

What would you do if you were then given evidence that your best friend--someone who knows you inside and out--was actually a serial killer, and is hiding secrets you could never have imagined? How much would it take to convince you that it was actually true, that one of the closest people to you in your life is capable of such unthinkable evil?

This is one of this book's core questions, which plagues the protagonist, John. As if that wasn't enough, John is the police detective actively pursuing the trail of evidence which leads him to his friend's front door.

And if THAT wasn't enough, John's friend David--the suspect--is a trained clinical psychologist, with an intimate understanding of not only John's private life, but of the workings of the human psyche, with a particular interest in the psychology of fear.

Oh, and if THAT wasn't enough, John is engaged to be married to Emily, someone David also cares very deeply for.

It's an ambitious set-up to a compelling suspense thriller, a book I literally read cover-to-cover without putting it down. What really shines about this book isn't even the deliciously wicked tangle of characters, motivations and plot twists that kept me turning pages. For me, it was the character of David himself, and you can tell author Eric Praschan conceived David to be a quintessential villain in the same mold as Michael Douglas' Steven Taylor in "A Perfect Murder" (1998). He's an educated, successful, highly functional man who feels the pressure closing in on him, and as it does you can sense the character losing his sanity and humanity, even as he plots even more intricately to accomplish his ultimate goals and get away with it. Someone so close to you, so intimately connected and enmeshed in your life... this is the kind of villain who is best able to manipulate, to prod the embers of fear and really get them churning. Not only does David understand John and Emily's fears almost better than they do themselves, he becomes consumed with the drive to exploit them. He is brilliant, resourceful and without conscience. He's a great villain.

To better understand how these two characters (John & Emily) understand and experience their fears, Praschan has written two alternating first-person perspectives, a feat very few authors manage to pull off. As a reader I experienced no discontinuity between the two, but I was confused at first as to why it was being done. It wasn't until the last third of the book that it made sense: it's only by seeing the story from both of their points of view do we get a better picture of just how effective David is at manipulating their fears.

However there's one place where i felt the book was a bit weak, and that's at the end, where David's intrigues and machinations begin to strain credulity. Certain questions started tickling the back of my mind about just how long it would have taken these well-laid plans to be carried out with no one noticing... where he got all his help from with no one asking questions... I found myself saying, "ok, David's a smart guy alright, but is he THAT smart...?" However this is not unique to "Blind Evil"; many other suspense thrillers also suffer from this, especially as the drama builds to its climax. Ultimately the book is about fear and the author takes some dramatic license so his characters can complete their overall story arcs, and the things that challenged my suspension of disbelief were not so egregious that it ruined the story. But it was enough that I remember it, and that's why I've rated the book 4/5 stars.

All in all, great suspense story, very effective villain, good read. Highly recommend, and I'm looking forward to what Praschan is working on next.

(Note, I read the paperback version, not the Kindle version of this book.)
3478797
I just finished this thriller in practically one sitting - if you've read it you'll know what I'm talking about!!  If you haven't.....put it on your to-read list.  Full of twists and turns, you do NOT want to miss this one.
1262050
This book tells a story of real life tragedy through the (often comedic) voice of a resilient little girl. Its events take place in what was once a booming northeast mill town -- Manchester, NH -- really putting it on the literary map. In KooKooLand, Norris depicts the often chilling and over-dominant nature of household patriarchs in 1960's America -- mainly her father. Her constant struggle for his approval, while being terrorized by his unhinged maniacal ways, keeps you at the edge of your seat. I love this book. It is a thriller, and I hope to see it receive the widespread attention it deserves. If at all interested in character development and the complexity of human nature, this book is a MUST.
3564542
Prepare to be thrust into the middle of an action-packed thriller, starting on page 1. Author Mark Henshaw wastes no time on preambles or stage-setting; bullets are flying by page 3, with a rookie CIA agent as their target. How she gets from streets of Caracas to the alleys of Beijing and then to the deck of an aircraft carrier under full attack is as fascinating a tale as you'll find in any book written in the last 20 years.

"Red Cell" is written as a series of action vignettes -- seemingly unrelated at first, but finely detailed and deftly worked together like puzzle pieces until the reader finally sees the entire picture.

If you can't put down the best efforts of Tom Clancy or Dan Brown, you're going to love this book as well. Grab a copy and settle in for one of the most intriguing spy thrillers you're likely to read this year or next.
1848242
It's a good rule of thumb that if you just want to read a few chapters of a novel before going to bed DO NOT start a novel by Lisa Regan. I found Aberration nearly impossible to put down and I would have read the whole thing in one sitting if not for the necessity of sleep.

To me one of the hallmarks of a great thriller is fully-realized characters that readers can come to care about or at least understand. Aberration has these kinds of characters in spades, particularly the protagonist Kassidy Bishop. It's always a treat to see a strong female protagonist, but Kassidy is not some kind of superwoman. She is tough and determined when it comes to her job, but she is also vulnerable and emotionally repressed due to the horrors of her past.

The killer is a fascinating villain and it was chilling to read the chapters that are told from his point of view. He's a monster, of that there is no question, but it's difficult not to feel some kind of empathy for him as the story plays out. To me that is the mark of a great character.

Aberration is filled with twists that will keep the reader turning pages. The final twist comes in the form of a quietly powerful ending that sent a chill up my spine.

Regan is an extremely talented writer and I will be looking forward to reading whatever she comes up with next.
2552151
"Herald Square" is a terrific read -- a meticulously researched, deftly plotted thriller that draws you effortlessly into the author's world.  Jefferson Flanders evokes late-'40s New York with style and wit, but this book is no mere period piece: it's a suspenseful story of loyalty and deceit, of human longing and the nature of truth, played out amidst the uncertainty and moral relativism of the early Cold War.  In the middle of it all is Denny Collins, a hardboiled newspaperman caught up in a game much bigger than himself.  Denny is in way over his head and yet, like so many of the Greatest Generation, he does what needs to be done.  In the end he epitomizes Raymond Chandler's ideal of the hardboiled hero: he's "the best man in his world and a good enough man for any world."  Denny Collins is a wonderful character and "Herald Square" is a wonderful book -- you should get to know them both, pronto.
3945404
You are going to put this terrific thriller at the top of your list of great suspense books of the year.  This complex legal - financial novel is about power politics and the drug trade. It is not a quick read, but you will find it difficult to set aside. The husband - wife team(Diane Henry and Nicholas Horrock) who put this mystery together in 1991 as "Blood Red, Snow White" crafted an exceptional book. It is only now getting the attention it deserves
Alec Anton is powerful and powerless. He is a retired prosecuting attorney turned corporate lawyer. Working on defending a couple of crooks involved in high finance of international shipping, he is pulled away by the troubles of a neighbor whose son has disappeared. Was he in the drug business? His legal cases become entangled with romance, money, power, duplicity, sex, and lonliness as we learn Alex is as stupid as other men. The suspenseful cross currents frustrate and enrage, and pull you in.
Characters are well developed. The story makes sense and unfolds only too rapidly whirling Anton into pools of corruption and evil. The good guys aren't. One shocking murder leads to more, and help isn't available from any of his normal sources. It has a good beginning, a well developed middle, and a horrifying ending that fits. There are plenty of good stories from judges, prosecutors, cops, bailiffs, custom agents, legal secretaries, narcs and crooks. You will learn some plausible tales about financing the cocaine business, including the terror and death that it brings.
Don't start this book late in the day, or when you have stuff that needs to get done.
3780544
David Wolstencroft is rapidly establishing himself as one of the new major players in the thriller genre. He is the creator of the British television series "Spooks" (seen in the United States on the A&E network under the name "MI5"), which is in the midst of its fourth season in Britain; published a brilliant novel last year entitled GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS; and is now repeating the latter feat with CONTACT ZERO, his latest --- and better --- work. CONTACT ZERO is one of those books that gets under your skin and crawls all around you every minute you're reading it, a story you can't put down not only because you can't wait to see what happens next but also because you can't wait to find out what is really, really going on.

CONTACT ZERO centers primarily, though not entirely, on Ben Locke, a recent graduate of the MI6 School of Spycraft. Locke is on assignment when he is framed, Hitchcockian style, for a crime he did not commit. He quickly finds out that most of the other members of his graduating class have been framed in mid-assignment as well and in fact have been murdered.

The only exceptions are Ben and two others, Nat Turner and Lucy Matthews, alive and on the run. The three share an uneasy and at times painful past, the memories of which they are forced to set aside in order to focus on the future. Cut off and abandoned by their superiors, their only hope is a legendary, and probably illusory, entity known in the spy craft mythos as contact zero --- a hope of last resort, when all one knows is wrong and the world stands against you.

The trio --- and one other --- set forth on a journey that takes them literally around the world, a journey fraught with danger and mistrust, where they have to follow their instincts as to when to rely on one another and when to rely on themselves. Think of Dirty Harry being led by his nose around San Francisco, running from pay phone to pay phone, and you'll get a faint glimmer of what Wolstencroft puts the fledgling agents through. He does a masterful job of rendering his complex plot line understandable, exciting, and very, very readable, all the while maneuvering everything toward a highly satisfying conclusion.

Wolstencroft demonstrates that he has talent and ambition in equal and complimentary parts. And --- not to give anything away, of course --- I have the feeling he is merely getting warmed up. Highly recommended.

  --- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
1100232
Wow! This book has it all. An edge of your seat thriller that does NOT bog down into the same old same old halfway or even three-quarters of the way through it. The suspense keeps up right until the final paragraph.
It has hints of The Americans (TV show) in it. Not directly, but if you watch that show you'll understand the comparison I'm making.
The characters were very well  defined, believable, and the plot was excellently constructed and never flagged. Great dialogue, some very good twists and turns.
I loved it. I definitely want a sequel. The only thing I didn't like about it, being an author myself, is that it made me jealous that I haven't written something like this, LOL.

Obviously with reviews that are this glowing, the average reader will think,'Is this a friend or relative giving her a great review?' and the answer is NO. In fact, I rarely ever read women writers, LOL. But the concept that this book presents was intriguing enough that I decided to read the first couple of pages, and at 1:30 a.m. I forced myself to put it down or be sleepy all day the next day at work.

If you are a fan of spy fiction, police procedural s, urban/family drama, thrillers etc, you need to read this book. I read 2 + novels a week and have done so for over twenty five years, and this is simply one of the better books I've read in years.

Note to the author: Give us a sequel, or sell this for movie or TV, or both!