Portrait of a Spy

Posted on February 8, 2012 by Janet

by Daniel Silva
Gabriel Allon is an artist, restoring valuable pieces of art. He is also a retired Israeli spy who travels with his wife, Chiara. On one of his trips to England, he spots a possible suicide bomber and follows him with the intent of killing him before the detonator is pressed. Just before he pulls the trigger, he is tackled by British police and the bomber kills eighteen innocent people. Gabriel is pardoned for his attempt of murder only by working with the CIA to put a stop to terrorism. He must convince Nadia, the daughter of the terriorist Gabriel killed 5 years earlier, to help them discover who the head man is. Portrait of a Spy is number eleven in the Gabriel Allon Series.

Shining Through

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Mary

>Susan Isaacs is usually an author of womens fiction and mysteries but she has written two spy novels. Shining Through is her fourth novel, a World War II spy thriller. It was made into a movie with celebrities Michael Douglas, Melanie Griffith and Liam Neeson.
Linda Voss is a secretary in love with her boss. As common place as that theme is, Linda’s dream comes true when the wife of her boss, John Berringer, leaves him for another man and circumstances allow for their marriage. John is a high profile lawyer doing work for European countries in the late 1930′s. Both he and Linda speak German which is essential for handling the business transactions frantically happening on the continent. They are drawn into espionage through their law firm, and Linda volunteers for a spy mission when their marriage begins falling apart. This gripping novel with its romance and twisting plot kept me hooked. All of Susan Isaac’s books have been New York Times best sellers!

Shock Wave by John Sandford

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Keri

Mega-chain store, PyeMart is coming to small town Butternut Falls, Minnesota. Apparently not everyone is happy about this development. Bombs start going off, the first one in PyeMart headquarters in Michigan and the second at the local PyeMart construction site in Butternut Falls, killing and injuring several people. Virgil, who works for the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, is sent to Butternut to help the local law enforcement and the ATF with the investigation. The plot is suspenseful and moves along at a rapid pace as Virgil attempts to solve the crime before more people are killed. Unfortunately for him, it seems that half the town is unhappy with PyeMart, including many local merchants, as well as trout fishermen who don’t want the Butternut River polluted. Finding out the exact motives of the bomber proves difficult until Virgil decides to use some unorthodox methods to attempt to narrow down the search for the bomber quickly. Not only is the plot compelling, but Virgil himself is an extremely likeable and believable character with a string of ex- wives, long hair, a fishing boat, and a wardrobe consisting of classic rock band tee shirts. Shock Wave is the 5^th novel by John Sandford starring detective Virgil Flowers. Although it is helpful as far as some of the character development, it is not necessary to have read the previous books in the series.

Waking Hours

Posted on February 2, 2012 by Janet

>by Lis Wiehl

Tommy Gunderson, former NFL linebacker, is taken down by the seemingly supernatural strength of an elderly woman who he finds trespassing on his property. The woman appears to be a little crazy as she is gutting a frog and yelling at him in what sounds like Latin. Later that night, Tommy is informed that a teen he’s been mentoring, is suspect of maliciously murdering a teenage girl. Dani Harris, a forensic psychologist, is called to investigate the case. Many of the East Salem’s teens were at the same party as the victim that night. When the teens are questioned, none of them can remember what happened. Tommy’s new passion is being a PI and he works with Dani to help solve the crime. They both start having haunting nightmares, strangely wake at 2:13, and find items moved around when they awake. There is definitely something sinister happening in New Salem, NY. Waking Hours is the first book in the East Salem Trilogy by New York Times bestselling author Lis Wiehl.

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Linda

Gideon’s Corpse by Douglas J. Preston and Lincoln Child.
A plume of radiation above New York City hints that a major city will be vaporized. Ten days to find the terrorists. And Gideon Crew, tracking the mysterious terrorist cell from the suburbs of New York to the mountains of New Mexico, learns the end may be something worse–far worse–than mere Armageddon.

Buried Secrets by Joseph Finder

Posted on December 22, 2011 by Judi

Nick Heller, private “spy”, is called upon to investigate the kidnapping of Alexa Marcus, the daughter of a friend and billionaire. Heller is a former Navy Seal/Black Ops agent with connections in various government agencies, and he uses those contacts in his efforts to learn why Alexa was taken, who are the kidnappers and what do they want? As a video feed comes into her father’s computer showing Alexa buried underground, and left with a limited supply of air, food and water, Heller realizes that this is a life-or-death race to locate her. In a shadowy world of secrets and conspiracies, Heller fights to find the truth and is drawn into a world of international subterfuge and deadly opponents. This is a fast paced, suspenseful thriller with interesting characters and many plot twists and turns. Author Joseph Finder has created a fascinating and complex main character in Nick Heller–first introduced in the book Vanished. Buried Secrets is a novel that will draw you in from the start and will keep you glued to the pages until the end–a wonderfully written story!

The Hypnotist by Lars Kepler

Posted on December 7, 2011 by Judi

At a gruesome murder scene in Stockholm, a 15 year-old boy is found alive, despite his severe injuries. In order to obtain information about the attacker, police Detective Joona Linna asks Dr. Erik Marie Bark to hypnotize the victim. Bark hesitates but agrees, recalling one of his earlier cases when hypnotizing a patient went horribly wrong. The hypnotism of victim Joseph Ek provides information about the killer, but also sets in motion a series of violent and unpredictable acts against the doctor and his family. Linna and Bark must race to discover who is behind the violence before an innocent child is killed. The Hypnotist is a taut psychological thriller filled with action, suspense, unexpected twists and occasional intense violence. This is the first novel by Lars Kepler (actually a husband and wife writing duo), and the beginning of a planned series of novels featuring Detective Joona Linna.

The Man From Beijing

Posted on November 14, 2011 by Janet

by Henning Mankell

Swedish author Henning Mankell starts off this adventure with a furious ride! When a journalist arrives to photograph one of Sweden’s dwindling villages, he finds a mass murder has occurred and the bodies are still warm. Traumatized by fear that the murderer may still be in the village, he escapes the scene to find help. Alas, so strong was his fear that he succumbs to a heart attack causing him to swerve in front of a semi. With his last breath, he is able to utter the name of the village. When authorities investigate, they find the village that had consisted of 21 people, now filled with 19 corpses as well as their slaughtered pets. Who would do such a heinous crime and why?

When this horrific news is broadcast, Birgitta Roslin, one of Sweden’s Supreme Court judges, realizes she has seen the village somewhere before. Searching through he mother’s papers, she finds a photo of her mother’s childhood home that matches one of the homes on the news. Curious and wanting connection with her mother’s family she sets off to find out if it is indeed the home of her mother’s foster parents. She finds clues that she thinks are important, but the local authorities are not interested.

This journey will have you traveling across the world and back in time to solve the mystery. While the title gives a clue to the involvement of China, you’ll also make a track to mid 1860’s America, and also a side adventure to Africa. The perpetrator is known midway through the story, but the “what will he do next” will keep you reading. Have a fun ride while reading The Man from Beijing.

Lethal by Sandra Brown

Posted on October 17, 2011 by Judi

>Looking for a fast-paced thriller? Look no further than Lethal by Sandra Brown. Honor Gillette and her 4 year old daughter Emily are busy making preparations for a birthday party when their home is invaded by a strange man–Lee Coburn–who insists there is something in the house left there by her deceased husband. Coburn is the object of a manhunt as a suspect in a mass killing at a trucking warehouse where he was the only person left alive. He convinces Honor that whatever is hidden is a danger to all of their lives–a key to information that will identify the leader of a drug, weapons and human trafficking operation. The three of them are on the run in the swamps and bayous of Louisiana, unsure of who to trust in both the local police and FBI. The story races to it’s conclusion, all the while keeping the reader wondering–who are the good guys and who is behind all of the killings? With taut suspense and fascinating characters, Lethal will keep you guessing until the end! Brown has many other titles available at Manhattan Public Library, including Tough Customer and Smash Cut.

Back of Beyond by C.J. Box

Posted on September 1, 2011 by Judi

>

Author C. J. Box delivers a riveting mystery thriller in his new book Back of Beyond. Cody Hoyt, a troubled police detective and recovering alcoholic, is drawn into an investigation when his AA sponsor is found dead in a burned out house. The murder is staged to appear to be a suicide, but Cody’s careful investigation leads him to believe it is a homicide. Determined to solve the crime, Cody’s investigation leads him to a wilderness outfitter in Yellowstone National Park. The outfitter leads tourists on long treks into the Yellowstone back country and Cody is stunned to learn that his son is on the trip, along with his soon-to-be step father. Cody frantically races to catch up with the group as participants in the expedition are being murdered one by one. Full of interesting characters, vivid descriptions of the Yellowstone scenery and plot twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the end, Back of Beyond is a story that will keep you reading well into the night! C.J. Box is also the author of the award-winning Joe Pickett series, beginning with Open Season.

Sherlock

Posted on September 1, 2011 by Rhonna

BBC is well known for creating quality entertainment and Sherlock is no exception. Starring Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes and Martin Freeman as Dr. Watson, this new adaptation is set in modern-day London, managing to maintain the familiar details from Doyle’s book while adding a modern atmosphere. Prepare for yourself for a fast-paced thrill with a British wit.

Iron House by John Hart

Posted on August 2, 2011 by Judi

>
John Hart’s latest novel, Iron House, is an intense, taut thriller with non-stop action and suspense. Michael and Julian are brothers who are growing up in Iron House, an orphanage where abuse is common and fear is ever-present. As the oldest, Michael is Julian’s protector. After a violent incident, Michael is forced to flee the orphanage and they go on to live very different lives–Julian is adopted by a wealthy family and Michael is forced to flee the orphanage. He survives by his wits and strength on the brutal streets of New York and is eventually taken in by a mob boss. The mob becomes his family and he is trained to be a hit man. Michael meets and falls in love with a woman who has no idea about his background and he tries to leave the violent life he has known. But walking away from the mob is not easy, and all that Michael cares about is threatened. There are plots and subplots and twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the end. This is a thriller, but also a story about love in its many forms and about the longing for family and belonging that we never outgrow. Themes of trust, forgiveness and redemption are woven into the story along with action and suspense. Readers need to be aware that there is a high level of violence in the fast-paced story line. Be prepared to stay up late into the night reading this novel–it is one that you won’t want to put down! Hart has won two Edgar Awards for his previous books Down River and The Last Child.

Eve, a Novel by Iris Johansen

Posted on May 13, 2011 by Linda

In Eve, Johansen’s gripping 11th Eve Duncan novel, and the first of a trilogy, the forensic sculptor zeros in on the kidnapper and serial killer who years earlier abducted and murdered her seven-year-old daughter, Bonnie.

For the first time, light is shed on forensic sculptor Eve Duncan’s past, and brings to the forefront the father of Eve’s missing daughter. When Eve tries to find out if the mysterious John Gallo had anything to do with Bonnie’s disappearance, she ends up as bait in a perilous game between Gallo and dangerous ex-military men.

Gone by Mo Hayder

Posted on May 2, 2011 by Judi

In this taut and riveting suspense thriller, Detective Inspector Jack Caffery is called to investigate a carjacking. He finds that 11 year old Martha remained in the car after her mother was thrown out by the thief. When the suspect taunts the police and threatens another kidnapping, it becomes clear that the target is not the vehicles but the girls. Caffery knows that the longer a child is missing, the more likely that they will not be found alive. As he races to find the perpetrator, the case takes unexpected twists and turns and he realizes that they are chasing a clever criminal with access to police information. Sgt. Flea Marley is the police diver who sets off to explore underground canals on her own, on a hunch that clues may lies beneath the ground. When she turns up missing, Caffery must search for both missing the children and a friend. In Gone, Hayder sets a fast-paced tempo and the mood is chilling. Her portrayals of distraught parents, frustrated policemen and an emotionally drained Caffery are realistic and believable. This is a novel that will keep you in suspense until the very end!

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter

Posted on February 14, 2011 by Janet

>This book is one of those that you become part of, it’s as if you have known the story all along. Larry never fitting in with people, has lived his live being made fun of and ridiculed. So, when an opportunity comes up for Larry to prove that he is worthy to be one of them, Larry grabs it. That opportunity turns into a lifetime nightmare. Thirty years later, Larry is still wondering about that night, while the rest of the town “knows” he was the one that was responsible, although nothing was ever proven. When a second event occurs in Larry’s little town, Larry is everyone’s suspect. While recovering in the Hospital, Larry wonders if maybe he did have something to do with the second victims demise. Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin, is a murder mystery with character development that keeps you thinking even after it’s all said and done.

Little Apple Bookworm

Category Archives: Suspense