Best Espionage Thrillers
A decade ago, fourteen-year-old Suzanne Lombard, the daughter of Benjamin Lombard—then a senator, now a powerful vice president running for the presidency—disappeared in the most sensational missing-person case in the nation’s history. “This live-wire debut begins with a promising lead in the long-ago disappearance of the vice president’s daughter, then doubles down with tangled conspiracies, duplicitous politicians, and a disgraced hacker hankering for redemption...Hang on and enjoy the ride.” — People. “Unbridled power and relentless revenge converge in the exciting, tightly plotted The Short Drop ...The multifaceted Gibson has the makings to support a long series.” —SouthFlorida.com.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"That said, I did enjoy the second half of the book which did keep moving from beginning to end, holding my interest without my having to push myself to read it like I did for the first half of the book. So, when the central plot line in The Short Drop turned out to be the fact that a current Presidential candidate's 13 year old daughter had been kidnapped, I merely wrote that off as a coincidence."
"I’ve found that thrillers, particularly those with a political bent, can be a little light on character development and a little heavy on the unbelievable-and-over-the-top plots. The characters are well developed, complex and multi-faceted, flawed and susceptible to injury (both emotional and physical)."
"I pretty much finished the book to see how the main character arrived at the same conclusions I had, long before him."
"Given that there were over 1500 other reviews, none of which I read (never do), anyone reading this review can read any of the others for what they are worth. As for my point of review, I look for several things: plot, character development, interesting story line, feasibility of the story being told, and how well the story kept me involved. I certainly hope and expect it to be just as good."
In an enthralling new historical novel from national bestselling author Kate Quinn, two women—a female spy recruited to the real-life Alice Network in France during World War I and an unconventional American socialite searching for her cousin in 1947—are brought together in a mesmerizing story of courage and redemption. So when Charlie's parents banish her to Europe to have her "little problem" taken care of, Charlie breaks free and heads to London, determined to find out what happened to the cousin she loves like a sister. “Both funny and heartbreaking, this epic journey of two courageous women is an unforgettable tale of little-known wartime glory and sacrifice. “Kate Quinn delivers an enthralling tale filled with breath-taking narrative that will make the reader feel as if they’re in the back of the roadster, riding along with the raucous Eve and courageous Charlie on their clandestine adventures. “Kate Quinn strums the chords of every human emotion with two storylines that race over continents and through decades to converge in one explosive ending.” (Marci Jefferson, author of Enchantress of Paris). “The Alice Network... perfectly balances a propulsive plot, faultlessly observed period detail, and a cast of characters so vividly drawn that I half expected to blink and see them standing in front of me. “A powerful story filled with daring and intrigue, The Alice Network will hook readers from the first page and take them on an unforgettable journey.” (Chanel Cleeton, author of Next Year in Havana).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Two different timelines, one set in 1947, the other starting in 1915, weave together to tell at gut-wrenching, heartbreaking story of brave women determined to make a difference in the most difficult of circumstances."
"The character’s personalities and the story itself truly came to life with Maarleveld’s performance and took this already great story to another level of grandness that was unsurpassed."
"But let me tell you about the book; The Alice Network is more than just one woman's tale of finding her cousin; it more than one man's struggle to right the wrong he committed; and it's even more than a old women's desire for revenge! But The Alice Network is unique TO ME, as that the story has a ring of truth to it, and though I am English and studied WW1 and WW2 in secondary (High) school, I was taught very little about the women's role in the war, outside of the home front and nursing, so after reading this book, I started reading all I could about Louise de Bettignies, who was a spy for the British in World War 1, under the pseudonym Alice Dubois!!"
"I like how her character evolved from being a quiet girl who just wants to earn a living during the war to a cunning spy to a post war drunken Eve filled with guilt. And yes, she has an annoying character where she couldn’t get over her cousin Rose and her being stubborn and selfish, but I could see it from her standpoint."
"Unfortunately, the plot/character development fell short."
In the #1 New York Times bestselling series’ latest thriller, Mitch Rapp finds himself alone and targeted by a country that is supposed to be one of America’s closest allies. Forced to make a decision that will change his life forever, Rapp quits the CIA and assembles a group of independent contractors to help him complete the mission. Facing an international incident that could end his political career, the President orders America’s intelligence agencies to join the Saudis’ effort to hunt the former CIA man down. The Mitch Rapp story begins with American Assassin , followed by Kill Shot , Transfer of Power , The Third Option , Separation of Power , Executive Power , Memorial Day , Consent to Kill , Act of Treason , Protect and Defend , Extreme Measures , Pursuit of Honor , The Last Man , The Survivor, Order to Kill, and Enemy of the State. He initially found inspiration from his father, the former director of Interpol, and still draws on his contacts in the intelligence community to give his books such realism.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"If you have read anything written by the late Vince Flynn and/or anything written by Kyle Mills then you have already learned this one has got to be an excellent reading adventure."
"Kyle Mills is doing a great job of carrying the torch for Vince Flynn."
"The question is not "is it Vince?"
"I am looking forward to the next Mitch Rapp story."
"I think It's obvious Vince Flynn was still heavily invested in the series, and I believe he would be very pleased with how Mills has continued it."
"Vince Flynn was a master storyteller at intrigue and espionage but added heart to every story."
"And even more egregious is how Mills changed Kenndy from a tough assertive woman to just a women. Cannot believe ANYONE that loved and respected Flynn would give this awful book a good review. Addendum: If anyone saw the horrible trailer for the movie of Mitch Rapp you will see the destruction of Flynn's glorious characters is complete."
"Flynn is gone RIP so is the Mitch Rapp we so enjoyed."
Best Conspiracy Thrillers
A generous offer of money convinces Mercer to go undercover and infiltrate Bruce Cable’s circle of literary friends, ideally getting close enough to him to learn his secrets. John Grisham is the author of thirty novels, one work of nonfiction, a collection of stories, and six novels for young readers.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I was originally expecting a few more "thriller" elements, but I'm actually glad that Grisham did not include chases or high suspense, because I think they would have weakened the story in the end."
"Another issue with the book was the basic unbelievability of the idea that an insurance company would consider a young, underachieving woman potentially valuable in uncovering a master thief who was hiding extremely valuable manuscripts that had been stolen from Princeton University - enough so that they would invest heavily in her as an undercover agent. I had no desire to stay up all night finishing the book, but I don't think it was meant to be an all night thriller - just a very pleasant read for lovers of books and book business."
"If John Grishams name was not on this book,it would have never been published.It is banal ,trite and dull.Save your money and time,it isn't worthy of either one.."
"I know I'm spitting in the wind, but every time a Grisham book is recommended to me, I groan and say no, and this one demonstrates why. This book is at best a formulaic caper, with a plot that is so predictable that the "surprise" ending comes as no surprise and characters who give "wooden" a whole new meaning."
"It starts out with some promisingly interesting characters pulling off a heist, 4 F Scott Fitzgerald manuscript, from the Princeton U library."
"I'd gotten to the point where I thought I knew what to expect from him, so I automatically buy his new books the day they're first available."
"Worst Book ever!!! It is a waste of time."
Best Political Thrillers
A SECRET THAT WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO BE FOUND. However, when an unknown group immediately becomes interested in her work, Alison realizes John Clay may be the only person she can trust. - Gail Ward "You'll miss a great experience if you don't read this book." "After I finished "Breakthrough" at 11pm in bed I immediately bought his next book; "Amid The Shadows" without even reading the synopsis or the reviews. Being retired and having read several hundred Kindle books, I can honestly say this has to be the most exciting heart pounding story I have yet read on my Kindle. I give it 10 stars out of 5 and - as another reviewer said "I guarantee you'll be downloading his next book.... As a postscript, I finished the book, found that the author had another Amazon book available, Amid the Shadows, and immediately downloaded it. I expect great things from Mr. Grumley and am looking for his next book.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I am going to buy the next book now to see how the story continues."
"I am 72 years old and I have been reading science fiction since I discovered the genre 68 years ago."
"Then there is secondary plot of two government Navy commanders who are an investigative team and they are looking for a secret robot sub that went down without provocation in the Caribbean."
"It began to unravel a bit, though in the end where weak character arcs gave way to action setpieces. Given a bit more time for research and a bit more character development (such as a villain who had more than simplistic warmongering as a motive), this would have been a rolicking read; I fear that with the quick schedule of his first three releases, though, Grumley is going for quantity and skirting quality."
"The book is a little over 300 pages but I read it in 2 days. Instead of the World Series and college football, maybe I read the next 2 books."
"There was never a dull moment as the various story lines, all of which are interesting in themselves, race to converge into one action filled plot. Aside from the action, the book raises interesting moral questions about human interactions with other species and with our planet, the morality of powerful people who are not elected government officials and the consequences of the mindless obedience of the military."
"I loved the mixture of a thriller like Clive Cussler & Tom Clancy and a mixture of SciFi like Bob Mayer's Area 51 series and the original classic mini TV series "V", which had me knowing ahead of time what the "Ring" was actually transporting. I also thought it was very different and very interesting that most of the characters were not in their twenties or early thirties which is very unusual for a thriller."
Best Terrorism Thrillers
In the #1 New York Times bestselling series’ latest thriller, Mitch Rapp finds himself alone and targeted by a country that is supposed to be one of America’s closest allies. Forced to make a decision that will change his life forever, Rapp quits the CIA and assembles a group of independent contractors to help him complete the mission. Facing an international incident that could end his political career, the President orders America’s intelligence agencies to join the Saudis’ effort to hunt the former CIA man down. The Mitch Rapp story begins with American Assassin , followed by Kill Shot , Transfer of Power , The Third Option , Separation of Power , Executive Power , Memorial Day , Consent to Kill , Act of Treason , Protect and Defend , Extreme Measures , Pursuit of Honor , The Last Man , The Survivor, Order to Kill, and Enemy of the State. He initially found inspiration from his father, the former director of Interpol, and still draws on his contacts in the intelligence community to give his books such realism.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Claudia in my opinion does not read like the person who would fit into the scheme of a operator like Rapp seems to be."
"Another entertaining addition."
"Another great book in the series."
"Typical Rapp story."
"If you enjoyed the other books read this one and enjoy."
"I've rad all of Vince Flynn's books and the new author stays true to Flynn's characters and style!"
"I️ love the fact that Kyle incorporated all the old villains of past books and had them working for Rapp."
"Kyle's books are better on this one I'm my opinion because in the others Mitch was less real."
Best Assassination Thrillers
In the #1 New York Times bestselling series’ latest thriller, Mitch Rapp finds himself alone and targeted by a country that is supposed to be one of America’s closest allies. Forced to make a decision that will change his life forever, Rapp quits the CIA and assembles a group of independent contractors to help him complete the mission. Facing an international incident that could end his political career, the President orders America’s intelligence agencies to join the Saudis’ effort to hunt the former CIA man down. The Mitch Rapp story begins with American Assassin , followed by Kill Shot , Transfer of Power , The Third Option , Separation of Power , Executive Power , Memorial Day , Consent to Kill , Act of Treason , Protect and Defend , Extreme Measures , Pursuit of Honor , The Last Man , The Survivor, Order to Kill, and Enemy of the State. He initially found inspiration from his father, the former director of Interpol, and still draws on his contacts in the intelligence community to give his books such realism.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I think It's obvious Vince Flynn was still heavily invested in the series, and I believe he would be very pleased with how Mills has continued it."
"Kyle Mills is doing a great job of carrying the torch for Vince Flynn."
"If by book 17 one does not need to be page after page retelling who: Irene Kennedy, Stan Hurley, Marcus, Scott, Claudia, Mike, and Alexander are."
"Claudia in my opinion does not read like the person who would fit into the scheme of a operator like Rapp seems to be."
"Another entertaining addition."
"Another great addition to the Mitch Rapp series."
"I've rad all of Vince Flynn's books and the new author stays true to Flynn's characters and style!"
"Kyle's books are better on this one I'm my opinion because in the others Mitch was less real."