THE LAST HAMILTON

JENN BREGMAN

The Last Hamilton by Jenn Bregman is a unique and fascinating mystery centering around the ancestors of Alexander Hamilton. The Last Hamilton is unique because it blends the history of the United States with an absorbing mystery. Additionally, it reminds and refreshes the readers about how vibrant the city of New York is. And how much history of our country has taken place in New York. As the story begins, Elizabeth Walker is found dead. Her husband and best friend attempt to find out who committed the crime. To find out, you must read the book; believe me, it is undoubtedly worthwhile.

NEMESIS: AN ORPHAN X NOVEL

GREGG HURWITZ

The 10th entry into the exhilarating Orphan X series is Nemesis by prolific action writer Greg Hurwitz. The beauty of Nemesis is that it can be read as a standalone or in chronological order, giving the reader a long TBR list. The main character, Evan Smoke, is a trained government assassin with a small cadre of friends. However, in this instance, he finds that his best friend, Tommy, has crossed the line. Tommy has ghosted Evan to help a friend's son; meanwhile, Evan is on the hunt for Tommy to seek revenge for Tommy's misdeeds. There is enough action within these two plots to keep the reader glued to the book for many hours in one sitting. The interplay between Evan and Tommy produces enjoyable dialogue, and the action is nonstop. Nemesis is for any reader who enjoys action, some bloodshed, and more than a little bit of tricky and outstanding plotting.

DEAD SAFE

GEORGE PRIOR

Dead Safe by George Prior is one of the best police procedurals I have read in the last five years. The story centers around a Beverly Hills business person who operates an establishment where people are guaranteed complete and absolute privacy to store any and everything imaginable. Things go south almost immediately. Blood is spilled, heads are cut, and multiple law enforcement agencies have no clues, no leads, but they do have two dead bodies and one 16-year-old rape victim. And this is all within the first few pages of this outrageously outstanding and engaging novel. Dead Safe takes place in Los Angeles. It introduces readers to the posh West Side of Los Angeles and the areas that nobody in their right mind should visit. Bodies fall, and bullets fly as more and more people are caught up in this fascinating, exceptional, and cinematic novel.

If you like superior writing, stupendous plotting, and an imaginative premise, buy Dead Safe by George Prior. And do not ignore Mr. Pryor‘s first novel, 78 Degrees and Bloody. These two books should be the beginning of a great and memorable series. Think John Sanford, Michael Connelly, and Lee Child. No kidding, George Prior is up there with the best of them.

OPEN SEASON

JONATHAN KELLERMAN

I have been reading John Kellerman and his Alex Delaware series for as long as I can remember. Open Season is one of the best in this long-running series. Alex Delaware is a child psychologist who works with his friend and L.A.P.D. Detective Milo Sturgis. They are investigating a murder scene of a woman who, not surprisingly, had aspirations to become an actress living in Los Angeles. Paradoxically, the toxicology shows that she had amounts of tranquilizers in her system, although her friends stated that she never used drugs. The book continues as other detectives investigate a case that is undoubtedly related to this first murder. Open Season is another entertaining and well-crafted novel by one of the masters in the field; I strongly recommend that you grab Open Season and read it as soon as possible. Check out his long backlist for others unfamiliar with Jonathan Kellerman's work. You will have a long list to read, making any reader happy.

JOSEPH FINDER

THE OLIGARCH’S DAUGHTER

Paul Brightman works on Wall Street. He makes good money and has a lifestyle to go along with it. He meets the love of his life at a function at the Metropolitan Museum in New York City. From there, all hell breaks loose. Who is this Russian woman who seemingly has no money yet and has parents who have wealth beyond anyone's imagination? Paul rapidly falls in love, and when his firm goes out of business, he begins to work for his girlfriend's father, who runs his own investment firm; illogical transactions, abrupt terminations of employees, and possible homicide make him wonder what is going on. Paul's world rapidly changes from idyllic to horrific.

Pick up The Oligarch's Daughter and block out two or three days to find out what happens to Paul Brightman and how he does or does not return to an ordinary life. This is an outstanding effort.

DEAD MONEY

JAKOB KERR

Dead Money by first-time writer Jacob Kerr is right on the money. Pick it up today if you want a novel with surprises and dark happenings. McKenzie Clyde is the chief security officer for Hammersmith, Inc. She is in charge of Roger Hammersmith‘s safety and well-being. Trevor Cannon is the chief technical officer for Hammersmith Inc., and Trevor Cannon is dead and probably a victim of homicide. As the story unfolds, we find that Trevor is up to no good, resulting in billions of dollars left frozen in his will. Roger has significant money on the line if it can not be recovered. He asks McKenzie to work with the FBI. Dead Money exemplifies a great mystery. There are intricacies and unpredictable happenings throughout. Dead Money combines the world of technology, which moves at the speed of light, with a genuine procedural. This book is for anybody interested in a fast-paced and well-written mystery. Readers will finish the book, hoping to see if the writer decides to make a series. That’s how good Dead Money is.

JOHNNY CARELESS

KEVIN WADE

Johnny Careless by talented writer Kevin Wade is everything that a crime novel should be and more; the main character is the son of an NYPD cop, so you might say that law enforcement is the family business. The chief gets a call to a drowning death, which, as readers know, can be very ugly. It’s even worse because the chief recognizes his friend Johnny. Intuition tells him that something is wrong with the crime scene. The chief has strong and long connections to his dead friend. The book takes place on Long Island, but not on Long Island, familiar to most readers. The writer provides interesting and nostalgic descriptions of Long Island and the chief as a determined and fascinating character. The additional players are also intriguing, adding humorous dialogue to an entertaining police procedural. Do yourself a favor, sit down, and buy Johnny Careless; you will not regret it for one second.

THE WEEKEND GUESTS

LIZA NORTH

The Weekend Guests by accomplished novelist Lisa North is a tremendous psychological thriller that kept me up at night. I could not put down the book until I finished, which tells me that The Weekend Guests is a novel worth buying and reading directly. The story occurs in a remote location over the weekend, where friends celebrate their friendship. The novel itself is straightforward. However, the atmosphere is eerie and makes the reader feel like nobody else is around. The book reads quickly, and many unpredictable events will shock readers.

The whole book is very well-written and engaging. I enjoyed the ending, as we see precisely what happens —or do we? The Weekend Guests is a novel worth reading, and I suggest you prioritize it when composing your to-be-read list.

THE MAILMAN

ANDREW WELSH HUGGINS

The Mailman by Andrew Welsh-Huggins is MY book. And it should be yours as well. Mercury Carter was a federal agent who now has to make a buck. His job is a freelance courier, which is precisely what it means. He delivers letters and documents—anything you can send. As the book starts, his job is to provide a package to a lawyer, seemingly mundane as in this genre. The carrier realizes something has gone wrong. He enters the lawyer's home and discovers a group of men committing a crime. Carter tells these guys he's not leaving until he delivers the package and has never missed a delivery. Due to the delay, the attorney who is expecting the package ends up being kidnapped. And sure enough, Carter and the attorney's husband give chase; however, the news gets worse as the lawyer's daughter is also missing. Who wants to kidnap the lawyer and the lawyer's daughter? The book was extraordinarily engrossing and challenging to stop reading. The Mailman is a book with action, unpredictability, and well-written prose. I highly recommend this book.

PALM BEACH ROGUES

TOM TURNER

Palm Beach Rogues by Tom Turner is another vastly entertaining mystery featuring his beloved characters, detectives Charles Crawford and Mort Ott. This time out, most of the action centers around a luxury yacht, gambling, and women available for sexual favors. There is the Russian oligarch, the English, Lord, a financier, and others you would not want to meet. The story center is around the murder of a Russian oligarch. But the problem is dozens of suspects wanted him dead. And, of course, nobody is willing to talk. Or, if they are willing, they are not answering the questions the detectives are asking. Palm Beach Rogues is terrific, just like all of Turner’s previous efforts. It is entertaining and full of cinematic imagery, laughs, and enough law enforcement jargon to keep even the most hard-core mystery reader entranced and captivated.

Turner writes with seemingly no apparent effort and never fails to put together an amusing and comical novel that should be read by anybody who enjoys procedures with a dash of humor a la Carl Hiaasen, the dean of the Florida mystery.

FORTH DOWN AND OUT

ANDREW WELSH-HUGGINS

Fourth Down and Out by Andrew Welsh - Huggins grabs the reader from the first page and doesn’t let go until the ball has crossed the goal line. The P.I. story features Andy Hayes, a somewhat infamous and reviled private eye in Columbus, Ohio, and the reader doesn’t know why. However, it has something to do with football, a massive deal in Ohio. Fourth Down and Out involves a missing laptop and 4 or 5 people looking for it for various reasons ranging from marital infidelity to financial shenanigans. The book moves quickly as the writer paints a vivid picture of Columbus and its distinctive characters. Welsh-Huggins has written many Andy Hayes mysteries, and I recommend that readers start with Fourth Down and Out and continue until the end of his back list.

THE CLOSE UP

PIP DRYSDALE

The Close-up by talented writer Pip Drysdale delivers a punchy, twisty, and fun story about unrequited love, blind ambition, and coincidence, all placed in Los Angeles, a city of dreams. The major player is Zoe, who moved to L.A. to become the next great American novelist. Her book sells very little, and she is forced to work at a flower shop where she reunites with a previous friend, Zach, who is now a movie star. Zoe and Zach put their heads together, looking for creative inspiration.

Zoe attracts a stalker who uses scenes from her first book to terrify her and keeps her from working on her second book despite her agent's criticism and her publisher's lack of concern and interest. Zoe's life is turned upside down as her stalker continues to harass her and wreak havoc.

The Close-Up is a superior thriller that offers a glimpse at "Hollywood" and the ambition required to make it.

ECHO

TRACY CLARK

Talented procedural writer Tracy Clark's Echo is the conclusion to her Harriet Foster series. To enjoy Echo to its fullest, the reader should read the first two of the series; however, it is a superb standalone. The dialogue and the multi-layered characters evidence the subtlety and depth of the story. The heroin is well-written, and the plot is thought-provoking. Additionally, the genre is made all the richer by featuring a female law enforcement officer, which is still rare in this traditionally male-dominated subject.

DEADBEAT

ADAM HAMDY

Deadbeat, by superior author Adam Hamdy, is a must-read novel. What happens when an ordinary guy has personal, financial, and legal trouble? Read Deadbeat and find out. Peyton is a regular guy except when he receives a thought-provoking offer- Kill somebody and get paid a lot of money. He listens to the offer, and the moral and ethical battle commences. If Peyton accepts the offer, does that make him a bad guy? Or just somebody without another avenue of escape.

The tension is never-ending, as the internal conflict threatens to spin out of control. Add a cast of shady characters and a healthy dose of desperation, and you will quickly see why Deadbeat is one of my favorites.

TIME WILL TELL

RITA MAE BROWN

Rita May Brown, the well-established mystery writer, loves and is knowledgeable about fox hunting. Time Will Tell draws readers into that world that serves to embellish this outstanding novel. Sister Jane Arnold finds a watch, enough for her to wonder how it got there and whose it is. A body is found, and of course, the sister is compelled to find out the owner of the watch and if the owner is the dead body in the field. Time Will Tell is populated with numerous characters as well as animals. Fox hunting is part of the story, and at times, readers 'heads will be dizzy by the terminology and the numerous characters in this beautiful mystery. Time Will Tell is a book I recommend for anybody, especially people who like fox hunting, a sport that is uncommon in the United States.

ONE OF US IS DEAD

PETER JAMES

The long-time British mystery and procedural writer Peter James has done it again with his newest novel, One Of Us Is Dead. The book starts with James Taylor attending the funeral of a friend. But weirdly enough, he recognizes a man in the front row of the church, and this man also happens to be Taylor's friend. But Taylor eulogized his friend two years ago, so how can this be? That anomaly is enough for Detective Roy Grace of Brighton; his curiosity is peaked while, at the same time, he's working several homicides as any police detective does. , A pattern develops, which is fascinating and delicately connects the deaths. Peter James is a solid procedure writer; I recommend One Of Us Is Dead. And I also suggest you check out his long and well-written backlist.

JOHNNY-BOY

A.F. CARTER

Johnny-Boy by super-talented crime writer A.F. Carter is another superior entry into his scary, violent, and realistic Baxter novels. Baxter is an imaginary rust-belt town struggling to recover as a new auto plant is being constructed, bringing with it jobs, drugs, sex workers, and overall malaise.

Johnny Boy is unoriginal, a hitman with a job(s) to do. And he excels at it. You do not want to meet him, period. But the beauty of the writer's prose is that you meet Johnny, nonetheless. He is the center of the wheel that drives this terrifying but realistic story because you realize that the world is filled with Johnny Boys.

Delia Mariola is the C of D, a.k.a. the Chief of Detectives in Baxter. Her interactions with Johnny are fraught with danger and unbearable tension. Good versus evil. The writer portrays grey areas of life, justice, and crime realistically, making this novel memorable, scary, and thought-provoking—a 100 percent winner.

THE PARIS ESCAPE

JAMES TUCKER

I am not usually a fan of historical fiction, but James Tucker's The Paris Escape has convinced me that I have been short-sighted. The book takes place in the U.S. and pre-war Paris as our two protagonists find themselves in transit to Paris via steamship. While on board, Henry and Laura meet David, a stowaway child, and the three instantly become family. The three arrive in the City of Light, and the reader hopes all will work out in these treacherous times. The story combines history, well-written fiction, and illustrative development of the characters, Paris, and the tumultuous times that they are experiencing. The Paris Escape is perfect for veterans and new fans of historical fiction.

DARK SPACE

ROB HART & ALEX SEGURA

Dark Space is a superior blend of suspense, mystery, and light sci-fi. Who could ask for more? Authors Rob Hart and Alex Segura combine their prolific talents to produce a book that keeps you up all night and the next day.

From the jump, we know something is wrong aboard the colonizing spaceship, The Mosaic. Its pilot is profoundly concerned, but paradoxically, the captain and the chief engineer are weirdly apathetic. Communication with the planate is spotty and unreliable. Colonist Timony receives a message from the Mosaic but is then ordered to delete it until a politician asks her to find out what is happening, mainly because the only other to read the message is dead. The action is fast, and the plot endures throughout the book. Readers who like Space Opera and mystery will jump on this book and never let it go until the last page.

TWO GOOD MEN

S.E. REDFEARN

Two Good Men by accomplished writer S.E. Redfearn has everything a mystery/procedural reader could wish for. A convicted sex offender moves next door to Dee and her eleven-year-old son. Nervous and anxious, Dee calls her brother for advice and peace of mind.

Flash forward, and the sex offender is dead. Even sex offenders deserve justice, and F.B.I. agent Patterson is assigned the case. Patterson questions Dee, but without results, the interview goes nowhere. Does Patterson bring on the good fight, or does he let it go because, as the saying goes, N.H.I. or "No humans involved?" Two Good Men explores right and wrong and whether it applies to heinous criminals and crimes, mainly sex-based offenses often victimizing the more vulnerable in our society.