The Hit by David Baldacci

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Judi

David Baldacci’s latest thriller The Hit, featuring Will Robie (The Innocent is the first in this series) is a fast-paced, action packed story with plot twists and surprises at every turn. Robie, a CIA assassin, is asked to hunt down and eliminate a fellow agent Jessica Reel. Reel has killed two CIA employees and it appears she has turned on the US. But are things as they initially appear? As Robie gets more involved in the case, and more mysteries and murders are revealed, he begins to doubt the reasons for the mission he has been assigned. He uncovers a plot that could have far-reaching effects on the world and must race to prevent a global catastrophe, all the while searching for a rogue agent. Complex and compelling characters, conspiracies and an intricate plot make this a fascinating and memorable story.

Suspect by Robert Crais

Posted on May 2, 2013 by Judi

In his new crime thriller, Suspect, Robert Crais introduces two characters who are traumatized and in need of a partner. Scott James is a police detective who was involved in a shoot out that left him severely wounded and his partner dead. Maggie is a German Shepherd and a marine bomb dog who was injured in the line of duty when her handler was killed by a bomber in Afghanistan. They become partners when Scott is accepted into the canine unit of the LAPD. Each comes to rely on the other as they cope with nagging injuries and PTSD and have to learn to trust each other. As Scott goes through the canine unit training, he also is investigating his own shooting and trying to determine who killed his partner. He encounters corruption, greed and murder and he and Maggie must learn to protect each other in order to survive. This is a gripping, fast-paced mystery with well-drawn characters and a complex plot. The connection between Scott and Maggie is touching and their eventual dependence on each other provides a poignant aspect to the story–a tale that grips the reader from the first page! Hopefully there will be more stories about Scott and Maggie as they work together.

The Racketeer by John Grisham

Posted on January 12, 2013 by Mary

Malcolm Bannister is a lawyer that got caught-up in an unfortunate money laundering scheme. Never intending to help a client hide ill-gained money he now is in a federal prison camp in Maryland. As a lawyer and the camp librarian, Malcolm meets and helps many of the inmates challenging the system and hoping to find a loophole to get out. Now Malcolm is working the system as he applies the ‘rule of 35′. Rule 35 allows for the reduction of a sentence if a defendant provides “substantial assistance in investigating or prosecuting another person.”. Malcolm is put in a witness protection program after identifying the killer of a federal judge. Now known as Max, and with a new face courtesy of plastic surgery, we are lead on a wild storyline with unusual schemes never knowing if this is trickery or truth.

Band of Sisters

Posted on November 21, 2012 by Janet

by Cathy Gohlke

Maureen O’Rielly and her younger sister flee Ireland in hopes of connecting with Colonel Wakefield in America, who had promised their father, 20 years previously via a letter, to help them any time they were in need. When they arrived in Ellis Island, Maureen’s sister had to stay in the hospital on the island. Maureen was torn, she didn’t want to leave her sister, but she had to find the Wakefield’s and a job.

As it turns out the Colonel was dead, and the son-in-law threw Maureen out without consulting his sister-in-law, Olivia. Olivia discovers evidence that Maureen O’Rielly’s father was truly connected to her father and sets out to find Maureen. In the mean time, Maureen finds a job where her co-workers start mysteriously disappearing. Maureen has suspicions and goes to great lengths to find out what has happened to them. Band of Sisters tells of the mistreatment of newly immigrated women and of an American group of women banded together to help them.

In the Night Room

Posted on October 27, 2012 by Janet

by Peter Straub

Timothy Underhill and Willy Patrick had several things in common, they were both authors, they had both lost a child they loved, and they were both troubled. Willy had man trouble and was running for her life, while Timothy had email trouble. It seems he’s getting emails from people of his past, who are dead.

In the Night Room is told with alternating chapters from Willy and Timothy, until they meet. Now, Timothy’s life is also in danger and they are on the run together. Timothy knows what must be done to save Willy and himself, but he doesn’t like it.

The Last Victim by Karen Robards

Posted on October 22, 2012 by Judi

Author of many popular romantic suspense novels, Karen Robards has created a new series in the genre of paranormal suspense. Dr. Charlotte Stone is a psychiatrist and an expert in criminal psychology, studying serial killers and their motivations. As a teen, she was the sole survivor of a killer known as “The Boardwalk Killer”, and new murders are taking place with the same methods, leaving police to believe this killer has resurfaced. The FBI approaches Charlie, asking for her insights into the case. She has never revealed to anyone that she is able to see the ghosts of the recently murdered, and despite her reluctance to become involved in the case and with the spirits of the murdered, she agrees to help with the case. Along with the FBI, Charlie has unexpected assistance from the ghost of a murdered prisoner that she had been interviewing, Michael Garland. The Last Victim is the first in a planned series featuring Dr. Charlotte Stone and her ghostly assistant Michael garland, and the series is off to an exciting start.

The Butterfly Cabinet

Posted on October 20, 2012 by Janet

by Bernie McGill

The Butterfly Cabinet is set in Ireland, telling a long kept secret from the castle back in 1893. Maddie McGlade, now in her nineties, the year 1968, begins the story of her life and the things she witnessed as a servant under Harriet Ormond. Harriet also tells her end of the story through her prison diaries.

Harriet never put up with any nonsense from her children. They had to learn a lesson, if she didn’t punish them they would never become the obedient children they should. Maddie, and other servants in the house, thought Harriet went too far in her discipline. The sevants risked Harriet’s ire by sneaking food and drink to the children during long durations of learning how to behave. When the youngest child is found dead, Harriet is accused and thrown in prison. It seems that Maddie has a guilty conscious and must tell her story to someone before she dies. This book was inspired by a true story of the death of the daughter of an aristocratic Irish family at the end of the nineteenth century.

Relic by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

Posted on October 11, 2012 by Judi

This fast-paced and suspense-filled novel begins with an archaeological expedition to a remote area of the Amazon. Artifacts from the Kothga culture are discovered, including a representation of the evil god Mbwun–a half-man, half-reptile creature, and all are crated and shipped to the New York Museum of Natural History. But no one from the expedition lives to tell about their discoveries. Years later, the museum is set to unveil a new exhibit “Superstition”, which includes artifacts from many cultures that represent evil and superstition, including the Mbwun statue. Problems begin at the museum when gristly murders begin taking place. FBI Agent Pendergast and graduate student Margo Green each have theories about the deaths, but are ignored by museum directors. Then on the night of the exhibit opening, terror spreads through the museum. Relic is a gripping page-turner as the heroes are forced to explore remote and dark tunnels underneath the museum and as others battle to escape the monster roaming freely through the museum.

Relic is also the first book in a series of thrillers by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child that revolves around the Sherlock Holmes-like character of FBI Agent Aloysius Pendergast. Next in the series is Reliquary.

Backfire by Catherine Coulter

Posted on September 26, 2012 by Linda

Backfire, the 16th book in Coulter’s FBI Thriller series begins when San Francisco Judge, Ramsey Hunt, is presiding over a murder trial. The proceedings take a radical turn when the prosecutor, O’Rourke is suddenly nowhere to be found. Judge Hunt suspects that O’Rourke’s life has been threatened–But a twist–Judge Hunt is shot as he stands on the patio of his home. Hunt, a longtime friend of FBI agents Lacey Sherlock and Dillon Savich receive news of the attack just as Savich receives a note: “You deserve this for what you did.” Who is behind the shooting of Judge Ramsey Hunt? Who is threatening Savich?Where is the missing prosecutor? Savich and Sherlock race to San Francisco to find out–watching their backs all the while. Enjoy the entire series, which begins with The Cove.

The Devil You Know by Wayne Johnson

Posted on July 14, 2012 by Judi

15 year old David Geist steps forward at a track practice to defend a handicapped student from being bullied, resulting in the bully tormenting and threatening David. At the same time, his estranged and abusive father is trying to re-enter the lives of David, his mother and his younger sister Janie. His father Max plans a canoe trip for himself and the children to the Boundary Waters of Minnesota,hoping for a reconciliation. However, Max’s inability to admit that he does not have the experience nor the knowledge to plan the trip leaves the family ill-prepared for a canoe trip into the wilderness. When Max has a disagreement with a group of men outside a motel, he incites anger in the group, who track the family through the wilderness. Eventually their confrontation leads to violence and death. David is the only uninjured person in his family and must save Max and his sister from the remaining men. His journey to escape and survive tests both his mental and physical limits, forcing him to find strength and bravery within himself. In The Devil You Know, author Johnson offers insights into the thoughts and feelings of the characters and the descriptions of the characters and landscapes are elegant and detailed–more so than the usual suspense novel. David’s character is a touching portrait of a young man trying to protect the people he loves–his caring and protective relationship with his sister is heartwarming and believable and his conflicted feelings for his abusive father are also realistic. This is a riveting psychological thriller and coming-of-age story that is fast-paced and full of suspense as well as a story about family relationships.

In the Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming

Posted on July 12, 2012 by Mary

Is a hot July in Kansas getting you down? How about spending a few hours in frigid New England during a December snowstorm? In the Bleak Midwinter is a riveting mystery by Julia Spencer-Fleming set in Millers Kill, a small town in the Adirondacks of New York. This first story begins a series with Clare Fergusson, an ex-army helicopter pilot and rector of St. Alban’s Episcopal Church and the local chief of police, Russ Van Alstyne. A baby is found in a box on the steps of the St. Alban’s Episcopal Church by the new-to-town former Army chaplain and she calls for the assistance of the police to identify the parents. This tough, former helicoptor pilot is a determined and kindhearted sidekick to the chief of police and the sparks begin to fly between these two as they cross paths looking for answers. This chiller is guaranteed to give you goosebumps during the hottest 100 degree July days. There are six books in this series with the seventh due out late 2012.

Catch Me by Lisa Gardner

Posted on June 25, 2012 by Linda

In four days, someone is going to kill me…At 8pm on January 21st, twenty-eight-year-old Charlie Grant believes she is going to be murdered and she want’s Boston’s top homicide detective, D.D. Warren, to handle her death investigation. Her death will be up close and personal, no evidence of forced entry, no sign of a struggle. Charlie tells a chilling story: Her two childhood best friend were murdered on January 21st, two years apart. Now only Charlie remains to count down her final hours. Gardner’s latest edition to the D.D. Warren Series, Catch Me is a scare-your-socks-off thriller, packed with enigmatic characters (some good, some crazily evil) and superb storytelling.

A Walk Across the Sun by Corban Addison

Posted on March 25, 2012 by Judi

>17 year old Ahalya and her 15 year old sister Sita are made homeless orphans when a tsunami sweeps through their town in coastal India, killing everyone they know. As they try to make their way to a convent school in another town, they are abducted and sold to a brothel owner in Mumbai, leaving the girls caught up in the brutal world of sex trafficking.
After losing a high-profile case, Washington, D.C. attorney Thomas Clarke has fallen out of grace at his law firm and elects to take a sabbatical at a non-profit agency in India, with the hopes of re-connecting with his Indian-born wife as well as escaping his job. Clarke is faced with the horrors of human trafficking at his NGO, and with the corrupt systems that allow it to flourish. Becoming involved with the cases of Ahalya and Sita, he attempts to locate the girls and free them from their enslavement.

This is a compelling thriller whose plot has many twists and turns with well-defined, strong characters. Addison has offered eye-opening insights into the horrific world of the international sex slavery trade, but he also offers hope and redemption through the portrayals of the characters who work tirelessly in dangerous situations to free enslaved women, often under dangerous circumstances, and offer them a better life. A Walk Across the Sun is a riveting, thought-provoking novel that depicts both the worst that can be found in humanity as well as the resilience and hope that can be found in the human spirit despite the most awful circumstances. This is a story that will remain with you long after reading the last page.

Micro by Michael Crichton and Richard Preston

Posted on March 12, 2012 by Mary

If you love the natural world and like to fantasize about life and death struggles, then Micro is for you. Written by Richard Preston, author of science novels such as The Hot Zone, this unfinished manuscript of Michael Crichtons’ is a sci-fi fantasy about humans that have been shrunk to the size of thumbtacks.
Young researchers at a Massachusetts university are flown to Hawaii to work for a cutting edge nanotechnology company. Their expertise with plants and bugs is useful in this companies research. Little do they know that they are pawns in a scheme to further research the nano world themselves by being shrunk. They also will be watched to see if the bends which are a side effect of the process, causing internal bleeding and death, can be analyzed and eliminated.
The mercenary owner of Nanigen wants to perfect and sell micro sized drone aircaft and other technology to the highest bidder. Drake cares nothing about the deaths caused by the technology, his only interest is in the profits and fame.
The students are in a fight for their life when they encounter the insects of the island in their small state. Even the smallest ant is a huge threat to their existence. The descriptions of their encounters with grubs, wasps, spiders and being swallowed and caught in the craw of a myna bird are intriguing and frightening.
The characters, though not well developed, are in an interesting struggle for life and make this an intriguing science fiction tale.

The Rook by Daniel O’Malley

Posted on February 17, 2012 by Emilyn

>“Dear You,
The body you are wearing used to be mine.”
So begins the wonderfully imaginative debut novel The Rook by Daniel O’Malley. Myfanwy (pronounced like “Tiffany”) Thomas opens her eyes to find herself standing in a park in the rain surrounded by bodies wearing latex gloves. She finds two letters addressed to herself in her coat pockets containing instructions for how to either slide herself into the life of the old Myfanwy Thomas, the previous owner of the body, or how to run and begin a new life for herself with a new name. Myfanwy obviously chooses to stay and take up the responsibilities and life of Thomas (as she calls the old owner of the body), which turn out to be complicated and very surprising. Thomas was a “Rook,” one of eight heads of the organization known as the Checquy that protects the United Kingdom from supernatural threats. Someone was obviously trying to remove Thomas from the picture and Myfanwy is saddled not only with the challenge of quickly learning how to run a secret organization and control the supernatural powers she inherited along with her body but also with the task of sussing out the conspiracy behind her memory loss and how the increasing number of supernatural attacks since she woke up in the park is related to her existance.

This is a totally enthralling, complex, and darkly humorous debut that should appeal to readers who enjoy Jim Butcher or Neil Gaiman.

Little Apple Bookworm

Category Archives: Suspense