FATAL OPTION

CHRIS BEAKEY

This twisty and unpredictable psycho-thriller reminds us how vulnerable we are to doing the wrong thing for the right reasons. The plot is straightforward; a family-oriented person gets into a traffic accident, but the results are far from uncomplicated. The book gains momentum, and the reader must turn the pages to discover what happens to this ordinary family battling far from ordinary events. My advice to you is to not drive in the snow, and if you do, avoid what happens in this involving and irresistible look at something that could happen to all of us.

THE DRY

JANE HARPER

I was unfamiliar with the brilliant writer of the equally excellent mystery, The Dry. Ms. Harper’s writing is piercing while developing fascinating plots and backstories. I read The Dry in two days. The descriptions of Australia rang true, which added authenticity to this mesmerizing, beautifully crafted debut mystery. The characters were mightily conceived and believable. The Dry transported me to a foreign land where anything could happen. Grab this book as soon as possible; you will have no regrets.

WRECKED

JOE IDE

I review a lot of mysteries and thrillers. Many are mediocre, and only a few stand out, especially from first-time writers. Joe Ide has written excellent puzzles, I.Q. and Righteous. Both are captivating. Wrecked is the third of the I.Q. series. Isaiah Quintabe, IQ for short, is a Long Beach, California-based P.I. He earned his rep by solving small and big cases.

In Wrecked, Isaiah is asked to find a missing person, the mother of his putative girlfriend. The action starts from page one and never stops until the novel concludes. I will not reveal much of the plot. Only those humans are capable of horrendous behavior, especially during war. Pictures, videos, and blackmail are all fragrant ingredients in Wrecked, the third entry into what should be a terrific series.

INVISIBLE DEAD

SAM WIEBE

Sam Wiebe is an impressive writer. I loved his first novel, Last of The Independents. As soon as I started it, I wanted him to draft another book. And he just did, writing another moody, atmospheric, grey, and reflective novel, Invisible Dead.

It takes place in Vancouver, B.C., Canada. The plot is initially straightforward. A girl went missing a long time ago. Dave Wakeland, an earnest P.I., wants to discover what happened to the missing girl. Unfortunately, more than a few good and evil people do not want her found. We accompany Dave as he deals with Vancouver’s meanest, deadliest, and scummiest. This is what being a P.I. is like—just hard-nosed reality in all its glory and gloom.

How Dave carries himself propels the reader rapidly through the story. Take a day or two to familiarize yourself with Dave Wakeland, a P.I. who has lived through a lot but can still talk about it. Once you read Invisible Dead, you will cheer and root for another outstanding Dave Wakeland novel. I know I will.

BRIGHTON

MICHAEL HARVEY

I will quote Stephen King, “Brighton is the f**king bomb.” I started this outstanding and superb novel yesterday and finished it this afternoon. Brighton reminds me of Dennis Lehane at his best, which is the highest praise I can offer. Every page provides subtleties and inferences that ask the reader to keep reading. And believe me, the rewards are worth the effort.

Brighton has it all. Crime, criminals, drugs, scumbags, inveterate gamblers, cops, lawyers, and reporters. This recipe for trouble starts in Boston in the 1970s. Families and friends are doing what they must to survive. So, what if people are shot, strangled, drowned, and stabbed? All part of the fabric of America. The beauty is how the writer seams together all the events and characters to make Brighton one of the most intriguing, fascinating, and time-monopolizing novels I have read.

THE FIELDS

ERIN YOUNG

The Fields by newcomer Erin Young is outstanding from the first page until the last. The action is detailed and sometimes graphic, encouraging readers to remember Thomas Harris and The Silence of the Lambs.

The Fields takes place in the American Midwest, evoking images of millions of acres of farmland populated by never-ending corn stalks. It is here where newly promoted investigator Sgt. Riley Fisher of the Black Hawk County Sheriff's Office starts her day. Farmers discover a body while using a drown. When Sgt. Fisher inspects the scene, she finds that the victim was a friend many years ago. Bodies pile up as quickly as clues as Fisher attempts to untangle a frightening and logic-defying series of homicides.

The author plans on a series with Sgt. Fisher is the star attraction. Readers will hope that the author can write as quickly as they can read.

A VOICE FROM THE FIELD

NEIL GRIFFIN

This is another winning entry in the Newberg Novels written by Neal Griffin. This time out, Tia Suarez is in the middle of a human trafficking ring that threatens to destroy her career when she investigates a missing girl. The locals do not want the case. Eventually, the feds—led by an unidentified and mysterious security agency—big foot the case, leaving Tia and her boss out in the cold. Tia does not doubt that a girl has been kidnapped, but the federal boys have a different objective in mind. They want to bring down a pervasive gang that claims to want to defend America and what it stands for. Tia must convince her chief and her colleagues that a missing girl is hiding in the small town of Newberg.

Readers will instantly like and care for Tia as she battles police department bureaucracy and the Federal government security agency that nobody seems to have heard of. I read this in a few days. When you buy A Voice from the Field, be prepared to do nothing but get involved in a splendid and absorbing story.

COLD BLOODED TRADE

KERRY COX

Cold Blooded Trade by third-time novelist Kerry K. Cox has written an intriguing and uncommon procedural. The novel sheds light on the obscure and horrifying business of tracking, killing, and delivering rare and unusual reptiles to the highest bidder. Undercover agent Nick Tanner of the U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service is assigned to track down and arrest a violent and well-connected group of international smugglers based in Louisiana selling snakes, turtles, lizards, and crocodiles.

The story is well thought out, and the characters are engaging and heroic.

Fans will cheer for agent Nick Turner as he seeks justice in this enthralling procedural.

A LONESOME PLACE FOR DYING

NOLAN CHASE

A Lonesome Place For Dying by Nolan Chase is the real deal. What reader can resist experiencing a blue-eyed coyote? And a heart in butcher paper left on a back porch. And that is just the beginning of A Lonesome Place For Dying by Nolan Chase, a first-time novelist who has already out-paced most of his peers in the police procedural genre.

Ethan Brand is the newly appointed police chief of Blaine, Washington, a small town near the Canadian border. His first case is a homicide and missing person case involving drugs, money, and fraud committed by a multi-generational crime family.

The writer uses bright-line imagery of the police chief and his deputies. We also gain an understanding of the crooks and their motives. A cat-and-mouse game soon develops, and the reader is compelled to live inside this well-told, exciting, and realistically drawn story. Here is hoping that Nolan Chase has a long and illustrious career.

THE FOURTH ENEMY

ANNE PERRY

The Fourth Enemy: A Daniel Pitt Novel by multi-talented author Anne Perry once again shows what an excellent storyteller she is. The book unfolds when Malcolm Vayne, an influential businessman and newspaper publisher, finds himself in legal trouble. Daniel Pitt is a well-known lawyer consulted by his friend and policeman Ian Frobisher to ascertain Pitt's outlook on convicting the wealthy and powerful Vayne.

Pitt has problems within his law firm as a new head partner takes the case and soon runs into trouble as an essential witness is killed, and conviction is in doubt.

The Fourth Enemy: A Daniel Pitt Novel reminds the reader that some things never change. Money, influence, and political power ruled Edwardian England, and the legal machinations look similar to those around us in the 21st century.

Anne Perry again dazzles the reader with detail, perfect plotting, and pacing, keeping the reader on edge throughout this well-written and imaginative story.

EARLY GRAVE

PAUL LEVINE

It has been my pleasure to read all of Paul Levine's novels, especially his Jake Lassiter books, of which there have been many. And unlike some writers, every Lassiter mystery is enthralling, witty, and raucous. Paul Levine started this fantastic series with To Speak For The Dead and has now concluded it with  Early Grave.

Jake Lassiter, formerly of the Miami Dolphins, became a rough-and-tumble everyman's lawyer after his career petered out in the N.F.L. Killers, drug dealers, extortionists, you name it, and Jake defended the alleged perpetrator. All the while having a romantic time with the ladies and even taking over guardianship of his nephew, Kip. Now Jake is old and in mediocre health. One night, he watches his friend's son playing high school football and takes a vicious hit. The coach sends him back in, and therein lies the problem. The player seems paralyzed and deathly injured. Jake sees this and decides that High School football is too dangerous and contributes to Chronic Traumatic encephalopathy, the illness that can lead to grave diseases and strokes. Jake decides to file suit to stop football from playing in Florida until safety reforms are integrated. What follows is a topical and necessary examination of America's most popular sport, centered around realistic, sympathetic, and greedy people who stand to lose financially if Jake and his legal team pull off a miracle.

Paul Levine provides a well-written, logical, and entertaining novel that shines a bright light on Jake and all that has been endearing to his readers over the past 32 years.

SLEEPLESS CITY

R.F. COLEMAN

R.F. Coleman is as good a police procedural writer as there is. And that says a lot in a sometimes overcrowded field filled with mundane and banal writing and writers. Coleman has many novels, most recently writing for the late great Robert Parker estate.

It has been a few years since Coleman's last effort using characters of his imagination. And the reader is better off for it. The Sleepless City focuses on Nick Ryan, an Afghanistan veteran who worked undercover for NYPD. Nick's father was also NYPD and became a modern-day Serpico, exposing corruption and deceit among his fellow cops, and for that, there are consequences. A few wealthy citizens hire Nick. While on this job, he also agrees to help a young cop, the son of a major power player within NYPD. The tension mounts as he continues his initial investigation. Eventually, a reporter for a small paper attempts to discover what Nick is up to; as this happens, fires, shootings, and mayhem occur. The Sleepless City is a vastly entertaining procedural that will leave readers begging for more. And who better to meet that demand than R.F. Coleman, a master crime fiction writer.

CATCH AND RELEASE

TRACE CONGER

Catch And Release by Trace Conger grabs its audience at page one and never lets up. Readers stay engaged and laser-focused in Conger’s newest and memorable Connor Harding thriller.

Somebody needs finding, and Connor Harding is the go-to when trouble brews. Harding is asked, A.K.A. forced to find the person who killed a hit man's family. Connor has few clues and not much time to succeed.

He follows a trail of postcards sent to the hit man, each describing the violence suffered by the victims. The action is swift, and the writing concise as Connor gets closer to finding the doer of the crime. Or so we think.

Catch And Release is captivating, unpredictable, and great fun. Conger is an established crime writer with an extensive back list that should be read by anyone who appreciates a great crime novelist.

FINDING JAKE

BRYAN REARDON

This involving tale is not available until 2015 but please pick it up when you can. The novel deals with a family and a school shooting. I am not going to say anything else. The book is incredibly good.

POINT OF BALANCE

J.G. JURADO

I just finished this outrageously absorbing and fantastic thriller. I was completely taken in and captured by its premise, which is not new. Someone wants to kill the President of the United States. You say,” big deal”, seen it and read it. Sorry – you most definitely have not read this story. From the very beginning this book is imaginative and the characters are delineated with spectacular clarity and precision. You know who is good and who is not, but what will they do to remain that way? Betray everything that they believe in and for what? Read this book today. But today better be a weekend because there will be nothing more urgent than finishing this original, mesmerizing, and truly unpredictable novel. This is why you read.

THE SHADOW BROKER

TRACE CONGER

I was fortunate to obtain a promotional copy of this outstanding P.I. novel by Trace Conger. I had not heard of this writer and started reading it with minimal expectations. Wow—was I wrong. Believe me, Mr. Conger knows how to write and write amazingly well. I am in love with the Shadow Broker and Mr. Finn the protagonist in this creative, diverting, and involving novel. The characters are colorful, dynamic, and realistically drawn. The dialog is believable given what this wonderful novel is about.

I was dejected when I finished “Shadow Broker.” Only when I read that Mr. Conger is working on his second book was I again as happy as I was when reading this well-written and entertaining novel.

SCAR TISSUE

TRACE CONGER

I am not a snob when it comes to my P.I. novels. Give me believable characters, a plausible plot, and beautifully written prose. That is all anybody wants. Mr. Conger supplies all of these with style, grace, and elegant simplicity. Mr. Finn is a defrocked P.I who takes on jobs that others may not want or be able to accept. This time he does a good deed for his ex-wife. We all know the saying “No good deed goes unpunished.” Mr. Finn gets his in spades. A maniacal thug, a down-to-earth mobster and a misguided doctor all come at Finn with their own agenda. Money, drugs, violence in insignificant amounts and credible dialogue make Scar Tissue a must buy and read. More good news: Mr. Conger is hard at work with another Finn book. Stay tuned. I know that I will.

THE PRISON GUARD’S SON

TRACE CONGER

I am a huge fan of the Mr. Finn Novels. The Prison Guard’s Son is no exception. Right from the jump I was captivated and involved with the story. This time Mr. Finn is hired to find two men who would rather not be found. Why, I will not reveal. The story is straight forward, and the action is sudden and surprising.
The Mr. Finn novels are professionally written and offer a superior example of the P.I. novel. Here is my suggestion – Get on the case right now. Buy all three of the Mr. Finn novels and feel what it is like to be a P.I.

FIVE WILL DIE

TRACE CONGER

“Five Will Die” by Trace Conger is an enthralling and vastly superior police procedural. The pages disappear at astounding speed, and the novel holds you captive from page one. Five Will Die is a beautiful novel that delivers on every page.

The narrative unfolds in a rural Ohio town as we meet the Sheriff, a former Cleveland homicide detective relocated in hopes of getting cats out of trees instead of catching murderers. The Sheriff receives a threatening note, and soon after, bodies start dropping. Is a serial killer on the move, or are the crimes unrelated? Do the victims share common victimology, or is it all just coincidence? Soon the F.B.I. is asked to help. The interplay between the locals and the feds is entertaining, and mentioned databases like V.I.C.A.P. and N.C.I.C. ring actual. Conger knows his subject well. He is a gifted storyteller who has provided us with an extraordinarily satisfying procedural. Readers will hurry to buy and read the author's hugely diverting backlist.

GRAVESEND

J.L. ABRAMO

I was absolutely enchanted and enthralled by this outstanding crime novel. But it was much more than a novel about good guys and bad. It was a magic roller coaster ride through Brooklyn and the rest of New York.

The characters are as real as life and as difficult and memorable. Every page describes people and situations that have or could happens to any of us. The police are fragile and vulnerable, and their families suffer from their devotion to duty. We want the detectives to overcome adversity, make the arrest, and clear the case. But like life, some of the cases are too difficult to close and sometimes nobody gets collared

The bad guys in this gorgeous story are bad and deserve their fate. Their victims are innocents who are in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Make sure that you buy this book. See Brooklyn and its inhabitants like you have never seen them. What a book.