A Dead Draw

Author: Robert Dugoni

Series: Tracy Crosswhite #11

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Release Date: May 27, 2025

The newest addition in the Tracy Crosswhite series does not disappoint and will leave fans aching for more from one of the best writers out there.

Tracy Crosswhite has dealt with killers and the worst of the worst without losing her cool. Now she must deal with Erik Schmidt, a sociopath worse than she has ever dealt with who is a suspect in two cold cases she is trying to solve. Schmidt has connections to Tracy’s past that are cause her haunting nightmares and flashbacks to Cedar Grove, her hometown and the death of her sister. When Schmidt gets out on a technicality, Tracy is afraid he is going to come after her and her family, something she refuses to let happen.

The Tracy Crosswhite series by Robert Dugoni is one of my very favorites. I have enjoyed all the books in the series but none have been able to compare to the first one and how amazing it was. That is until now, A Dead Draw is the closest to My Sisters Grave, and that’s saying something being Book 11 in the series. Dugoni is a fantastic storyteller and the way he ties elements together from previous books is amazing. With each additional book he has managed to make Tracy relatable to readers, especially now that she has a family and has changed courses in her career that could make her and the series slow down, instead it takes it up a notch. A lot of series get boring after a few books but Dugoni has found a way to keep the fire alive in this one and I can’t wait to see how things will continue to play out in the next book in the series.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

The Summer Guests

Author: Tess Gerritsen

Series: The Martini Club #2

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Release Date: March 18, 2025

A high stakes thriller with the perfect mix of tension and drama on every page.

Maggie Bird was looking for a quiet life after retiring from being a spy. She settles in Purity, Maine and tries to move on but her old life won’t leave her behind. She has a group of friends that have a past like hers and together they work to help the local police chief, Jo Thibodeau, in finding a local missing teenager. The case isn’t going to be easy with twists and turns at every new clue, Maggie and her friends are going to have to work fast in order to discover the truth before more lives are lost.

The second book in the Martini Club is a slam dunk of a thriller by Tess Gerritsen. Maggie and her book club friends are the perfect get away for readers wanting a good read to get away from the everyday life. As they tackle this new mystery Maggie and police chief are going to have to learn to trust each other and that isn’t always the easiest. I liked the interactions between these characters and the way they each used the skills they learned over the years to help the people around them. Even though Maggie wants a quiet life she can’t help but get involved when others are in danger, and she just might be the only person able to solve the case. This is a great addition to a fun series that thriller fans will not want to miss.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

The Boomerang

Author: Robert Bailey

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Release Date: May 1, 2025

A fast-paced thriller full of all kinds of twists and turns making for a super-fast and fun read.

Eli James has worked for the president as his Chief of Staff and seen him through all kinds of trials, including his secret battle with cancer. Just when things look bleakest, they take a turn as his condition improves, but as the president shows signs of improvement Eli finds out his daughter is now sick. At each new turn of events, he finds a crazy cover up going from the top of Big Pharma all the way through the White House and with each new piece of evidence he finds himself and his family in more danger. Only wanting to save his daughter Eli and his family flee and find themselves in a crazy war to survive.

Now this was a fun read! I enjoyed the fast-paced thrill ride with each page and new danger the characters faced. This book pulled me in and didn’t let go until the last page finished, I loved the characters, especially Eli and the love he had for his family. For me, that is what drove the story, the strong sense of family connection and protection Eli had kept me wanting to see him have a safe and successful outcome. After several reads that have been lackluster in the past few months it was nice to have this one be quick and enjoyable. So many books have become the same old same old and it is getting a little harder to find good entertaining ones. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy the fast-paced action with great character connections throughout.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Rift

Author: Steven James

Series: Rift #1

Publisher: Sky Turtle Nova

Release Date: October 29, 2024

Steven James has crafted a master suspense story that will be impossible for readers to put down.

Sahara O’Shaughnessy has moved in with her grandmother after the death of her father and a falling out with her mother. Sahara starts working at the local library and things get strange when she finds a “rift” into the realm of lore. Her grandmother has told her stories of ghosts and haunts for a long time and now she might just be seeing it firsthand.

Steven James is a master storyteller and his newest, Rift, starts what I’m sure to be a fantastic trilogy. The first book in this new trilogy is just the start of a story that will take readers deep into the lore of chilling ghost stories set within the Appalachian Mountains and full of tension. Sahara has a complicated past with her family dynamics, a fact that will probably help many readers connect with the characters. Most of us have some kind of family drama that will help us relate to these characters. That is one of the best things about a book written by James, amazing characters, along with the best storyline and writing that is out there. There are so many books written and available today to choose from that it can be hard to know what is worth reading, but anytime I see a book written by James I know it is going to be a homerun. I would recommend this book to any readers that like a griping tale that will be hard to put down.

The Silent Watcher

Author: Victor Methos

Series: Vegas Shadows #1

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Release Date: December 1, 2024

The Silent Watcher takes the phrase, Deadly Silent, to a whole new level with this crazy thriller.

Piper Danes is an attorney who has had to take a step back from being a lawyer and is now a guardian ad litem with her first case. She wanted this change, knowing how a GAL helped her when she was young and needed it most and wants to help youth that need her now. When she is assigned to help 15-year-old Sophie Grace, the only survivor of her family’s murder, she has the help of Judge Hope Dawson and Detective Lazarus Holloway. With each clue they uncover more and more danger pointed at not only Sophie but each of them as well as they hunt a serial killer that hides in the shadows.

The Silent Watcher has a fantastic ending, but you must be patient for the great build up. The first chapter starts with good tension and then it dies out for a while before it picks back up and gradually takes off. It will help readers to know that this is the first book in the start of a series so the buildup will be worth sticking with. Piper is a great character with a lot of heart, and I found myself really wanting to see her come out safe and happy by the end. Lazarus got on my nerves for some reason, not even sure if I can pinpoint what it was about him that annoyed me, just something didn’t sit right with him as a character. I do think I will pick up the next in the series to see what is going to happen with these characters. The Silent Watcher is a good book for fans of suspense thrillers.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

The Last Orphan

Author: Gregg Hurwitz

Series: Orphan X #8

Publisher: Minotaur

Release Date: February 6, 2024

The next installment in the Orphan X series is full of action and the usual Orphan antics.

Evan Smoak is back as Orphan X, an orphan that was taken in and trained up to be an assassin for the government. He has left his life as an assassin and puppet for the government and now uses his skill set to help those in need as The Nowhere Man. As time has gone by though his ability to avoid those in the government wanting to find him has been harder and harder and now the higher-ups are wanting him for a job. The President wants Evan to eliminate a man she sees as a threat and uses his past to get him to do her bidding. Evan now must decide how far he is willing to go to stick to his principles and keep his life.

I have decently enjoyed the Orphan X series but with book 8 I found myself ready for the story to be over. I would have liked to see more between Evan and his sometimes love interest and her son, instead of a snippet here and there. For most of this story I found myself skimming the pages for what might be interesting and leaving the rest behind. As always, Evan’s interactions with Joey are some of the best moments and bring the story a breath of fresh air. Fans of the series might possibly enjoy this one, but it wasn’t one I can highly recommend.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

The Butcher and the Wren

Author: Alaina Urquhart

Series: Dr. Wren #1

Publisher: Zando

Release Date: July 25, 2023

A slow start but a massively entertaining ending.

Tales from true crime podcast host following a medical examiner and serial killer. Deep in the Louisiana bayou, a killer is hiding and waiting for just the right moment to strike. Dr. Wren Muller has been working as a forensic pathologist with a deep dark secret. Her past has helped her solve every case brought in front of her until now, and if she is able to dive deep into what this killer is doing, it will take her back to the past she has tried so hard to escape.

I have had this book on my shelves for months and when I finally decided to pick it up. I was kicking myself for not reading it sooner! It was a bit of a slow start but by the end I loved the twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. Wren is a fun character that once the big reveal happened for her as a character, I sat with my mouth open in shock loving how it played out. I connected with Wren to begin with and then even more so as the twists presented themselves and I loved it even more. I didn’t realize until reading it that it was the start of a series and more is to come which makes me so happy and will continue to dive into this series. I would recommend this to anyone who loves suspense thrillers with fantastic twists.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Lost to Dune Road

Author: Kara Thomas

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Release Date: April 16, 2024

What seems to be true might not be the safest thing to believe in this twisty tale of murder and danger at every turn.

Lee Ellerin worked as a reporter until she was discredited and has now been working as a private investigator. She uses her reporting skills to help solve cases for a lawyer who has helped her in the past. When the case that cost her career comes back around in connection to a new one, Lee is thrust back to Dune Road where it all began and has to work all the angles in order to try and solve cases old and new before she is stopped.

Lost to Dune Road was a very twisty tale of murder, abuse of power, and danger at every turn. I enjoyed the way Thomas crafted the cases to connect over time and how Lee worked to solve them, not only to prove herself innocent of what lost her the reporting job she loved, but also to help a mother find answers to what happened to her daughter. The relationship forged between Lee and the mother trying to figure out what happened to her daughter. While this wasn’t my favorite book so far this year, I did enjoy the mystery and suspense of it and was eager to see the outcome. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a suspense book with a lot of good twists and turns.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Friends in Napa

Author: Sheila Yasmin Marikar

Publisher: Mindy’s Book Studio

Release Date: April 1, 2024

A dark, twisty and sometimes funny story that will take readers on a trip to wine country for a decent read that fell short by the end.

When a group of friends from college get together for a weekend in Napa, things don’t go as planned. Tensions start from the beginning of the trip with a brick through a window and then old issues between friends pop up and friendships that have lasted a long time start to come unraveled within a short amount of time. When one friend ends up dead, the rest have motives and secrets to stay hidden.

I was really looking forward to this book; it promised an interesting plot with some humor but it fell short of my expectations. I thought the suspense was good at times but the humor that was inserted felt forced. I didn’t really have a connection with any of the characters which always takes me out of the story, and once that happens it is hard to get reconnected. The setting was one of the best aspects of the book, I felt I was in the Napa Valley even though I have never been. I do feel this is the right book for some, but it just wasn’t for me. Those that like humor within their suspense will enjoy this one.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Fatal Domain

Author: Steven James

Series: Travis Brock Thriller #2

Publisher: Tyndale House

Release Date: April 9, 2024

Another fabulous thriller by Steven James that is full of intertwined moments making for a complex and amazing story.

Travis Brock works as a redactor at the Pentagon and with his eidetic memory he is able to remember everything he reads which makes him very valuable to the wrong people. Travis is still working on getting over the pain of his wife dying in the fire at their house that left him with burns on his body. When evidence surfaces that his wife might actually be alive and be the one behind the fire, Travis and his team are pulled into a bigger plot that could mean trouble for the whole country.

Steven James has been called a “Master Storyteller” for a reason. He has a way of crafting amazing stories that are twisted and full of puzzle pieces that all fit together nicely at the end for an amazing story. His stories are not the kind you can read haphazardly and not pay attention to every detail; you will definitely miss key details needed for the rest of the story. I love the way he drops crumbs throughout that may not make sense until you get to the end and when they fit together puts a smile on my face. James is the kind of author that as soon as I know he has a book coming out I am waiting by the mailbox for it to come in and start devouring the pages. I would recommend reading the first book in this series before starting this one for sure. Fans of Steven James and anyone who loves a good suspense book will not want to miss this one.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.