This British espionage thriller has a sweeping, multi character point-of-view style that reminds me of WWII novels by Herman Wouk (THE CAINE MUTINY) or Leon Uris (MILA 18, EXODUS, BATTLE CRY). Two families are caught up in a web of espionage that spans two decades,...
Back when I was a newly-minted CIA officer, the Alec Guinness movie version of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy was played during new analyst training. Until then, I'd never been one to read spy thrillers. Of course, I had to read all the George Smiley books after that. Over...
As a rule, I’m not fond of the serial-killer-with-mommy-issues-preying-on-young-women trope but this thriller breaks the mold. The book is so cleverly plotted that you don’t recognize the trope until the very end bursts like a dam, leaving you torn between gasping in...
Over the years, Rankin has put his iconic Edinburgh police detective John Rebus through the wringer. In the latest, MIDNIGHT AND BLUE, Rebus is 60-something and in jail for the murder of his longstanding frenemy, Morris Gerald Cafferty, one-time lord of the city’s...
The master of spy fiction, is of course, John le Carré. TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY is the classic Cold War counterintelligence tale. There’s a Soviet mole within the Circus, the author euphemism for British Intelligence. George Smiley is the retired spymaster called...
Every other Sunday, my Mystery Review newsletter carries a review of a book I loved and think you will, too. Basically, I'm recommending what to read while you wait for my next book! But if you're a big reader like me, one book every two weeks is not going to cut it....
This is a Russian nesting doll of a book, with multiple literary devices nested inside a wider puzzle. The pundits have called it a thriller, which is stretching the definition in my view, but it sure drips with intrigue and deception! The book has a mathematical...
It's been 12 years since I released THE HIDDEN LIGHT OF MEXICO CITY. On the eve of Mexico's presidential elections, an attorney discovers collusion between the country's powerful Minister of Public Security and a notorious drug cartel leader, making him a target...
DEAD WATER is a deep dive into a British police investigation, set against the beautiful light and harsh seas of the Cornwall coast. First in Berrick Ford’s new Cornish Crime series, the compelling atmosphere and relatable characters make it a fast, page-turning read....
It’s the long-awaited next book in the mystery series set on Mexico’s Isla Mujeres on the Caribbean coast. TANGLED ISLA is full of island atmosphere, familiar characters, and the real places that have made the series such a fan favorite. When last we saw her, Jessica...
With a propulsive pace, this Savannah, Georgia police procedural delivers a compelling plot and an unlikely duo of cops who will steal your attention and (possibly) your heart. Tate Drawdy is a homicide detective in Savannah, Georgia, by way of Princeton and a wealthy...
Clear your schedule! Coming at you fast and low is a top-notch espionage military thriller with an eye-opening lesson in how China projects power around the world today. Don Riley is the Deputy Director of Operations (DDO) at the CIA, in charge of all HUMINT...
THE SPY COAST by Tess Gerritsen This excellent thriller, with a cast of characters to root for and deft plotting, is one in a recent string of bestsellers built on the trope of retired spies called back into action because of an operation in the distant past that went...
THE BONE RECORDS by Rich Zahradnik is a wonderfully edgy “everyman” thriller but don’t expect a Clark Kent action story. THE BONE RECORDS gives us a down-on-his-luck drama with a compelling sense of place and villains who are still fighting the Cold War. Raised by his...
The Secret Hours by Mick Herron is a must-read spy vs spy thriller. Like John le Carré’s A LEGACY OF SPIES, which tells the backstory of his iconic spy thriller THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD, this tale of espionage cross and double-cross reveals past lives of...