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Best Heist Thrillers

Camino Island: A Novel
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
"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."
"I’ve gotten several books recently that were a waste of effort (mine and the author’s), but I am happy to report this was nto the case."
"Not one of Grisham's best but still entertaining."
"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'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."
"It starts out with some promisingly interesting characters pulling off a heist, 4 F Scott Fitzgerald manuscript, from the Princeton U library."
"I guess I am one of those kind of readers looking for entertainment that wraps everything up in a neat little package and the bad guys pay for their crimes."
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Camino Island: A Novel
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. a fresh, fun departure . a most agreeable summer destination.” — USA Today “Tasty . a most agreeable summer destination.” — USA Today.
Reviews
"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."
"I’ve gotten several books recently that were a waste of effort (mine and the author’s), but I am happy to report this was nto the case."
"Not one of Grisham's best but still entertaining."
"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'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."
"It starts out with some promisingly interesting characters pulling off a heist, 4 F Scott Fitzgerald manuscript, from the Princeton U library."
"I guess I am one of those kind of readers looking for entertainment that wraps everything up in a neat little package and the bad guys pay for their crimes."
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Prison Fling: A Dark Bad Boy Romance
Prison made me an animal. But an innocent girl began writing me, pen pal style. Laney Evans, with big brown eyes and a trusting smile. Because prison’s made me into a beast, hungry and ravenous. A hotter than Hades story line, with a few twists and turns, and sweet heat romance to boot! Once started reading this steamy passion filled goodness I was freaking hooked! Ms Dee is superbly creative and incredibly insightful when it comes to descriptive characters and in crafting the type of story that gets you out of your own head and completely absorbed into one hell of a book.
Reviews
"Don’t count on getting any chores done once you start reading one of their books."
"The Main story is great, I cannot describe the feelings i felt while reading it.."
"I've been reading Cassandra Dee books for quite some time and I think she is a great author who writes hot steamy stories that you fall in love with the main characters and always want the story to continue, and now you add another author with her great skills and you've got a phenomenal experience."
"I made it all the way through this painful book so that I could give it a fair review. There is a definite error in the marketing of this book that says the two are "pen pals" --they never write to each other, they just have a disgusting and implausible sexual relationship in the prison itself."
"Words and phrases that were repeatedly used were childish and downright laughable at times — “boobies”, “melons” and “unnnhhh!” were used over and over again. This read like a rough draft by a 15-year-old girl...or boy, considering how many times the main character said “boobies”. I’ve read plenty of romance novels, so I’m not a prude in any way, but that was just plain old nasty."
"Please stop with the "boobies.""
"Couldn't stand the characters."
"Worst writing style ever."
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Best Spies & Political Thrillers

The Short Drop (The Gibson Vaughn Series Book 1)
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
"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)."
"As an old retired IT guy it made sense to me where it needed to and was not written for the 17 year old."
"This book caught my attention from the sample on Kindle and held it through half a week while I told myself I had time of other already purchased books to read."
"His characters are beautifully developed and appropriately psychologically complex, so much so that the reader doesn't know who the "bad guy" is and might even fall in love with him or her in the meantime. 4.5 stars. Note: Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Thomas & Mercer, for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review."
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Best Literary History & Criticism

Camino Island: A Novel
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. a fresh, fun departure . a most agreeable summer destination.” — USA Today “Tasty . a most agreeable summer destination.” — USA Today.
Reviews
"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."
"I’ve gotten several books recently that were a waste of effort (mine and the author’s), but I am happy to report this was nto the case."
"Not one of Grisham's best but still entertaining."
"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'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."
"It starts out with some promisingly interesting characters pulling off a heist, 4 F Scott Fitzgerald manuscript, from the Princeton U library."
"I guess I am one of those kind of readers looking for entertainment that wraps everything up in a neat little package and the bad guys pay for their crimes."
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Best Murder Thrillers

Blood on the Tracks (Sydney Rose Parnell Series Book 1)
A young woman is found brutally murdered, and the main suspect is the victim’s fiancé, a hideously scarred Iraq War vet known as the Burned Man. Do yourself a favor and give this bright talent a read.” —John Hart, multiple Edgar Award winner and New York Times bestselling author of Redemption Road. Barbara Nickless has written a twisting, tortured novel that speaks with brutal honesty of the lingering traumas of war, including and especially those wounds we cannot see. I fell hard for Parnell and her four-legged partner and can't wait to read more.” —Vicki Pettersson, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Swerve. Barbara Nickless has fashioned a beautifully drawn hero in take-charge, take-no-prisoners Sydney Parnell, former Marine and now a railway cop battling a deadly gang as she investigates their purported connection to a recent murder. Skilled in evoking emotion from the reader, Nickless is a master of the craft, a writer to keep your eyes on.” —Chris Goff, author of Dark Waters. “Barbara Nickless’s Blood on the Tracks is raw and authentic, plunging readers into the fascinating world of tough railroad cop Special Agent Sydney Rose Parnell and her Malinois sidekick, Clyde. Haunted by her military service in Iraq, Sydney Rose is brought in by the Denver Major Crimes unit to help solve a particularly brutal murder, leading her into a snake pit of hate and betrayal. Full of the suspense that holds you on the edge of your seat, it’s also replete with acts of bravery, moments of hope, and a host of feelings that keep the story’s intensity level high. An active member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime, she has given workshops and speeches at numerous writing conferences and book events.
Reviews
"Here's a quick rundown, without spoilers: THE HEROINE -- At first, it appeared this was going to be another female character who somehow seems to do everything right despite all the angst she has to lug around. Her scene descriptions are vivid, and the attention to the thoughts of her main character Sydney is wonderful. ADDITIONAL WRITING THOUGHT -- The author uses transcripts of the main character's notes, interviews, journals, etc. I don't subtract stars if an author chooses to include language or sex, just letting potential readers know both exist in this book. For me, I enjoy when an author drops clues throughout the book that add up to a strong justification when the murderer is finally revealed, and I personally thought this could have been handled a little better. HOWEVER...even with the "twists" issue, the story is excellent and I found myself really liking the character of Sydney Parnell."
"Since I enjoy reading police procedural novels, I didn’t need to go past the summary description that this one included a K-9 partner to immediately select it as my Kindle First choice. While this is an especially interesting police procedural story since Sydney Rose Parnell and Clyde are part of a railroad police force, it goes much deeper."
"I was hooked from the first chapter - drawn in by the main character, Sydney, who hides her complex and compassionate nature beneath a stoic exterior."
"The story gives you the information about her past little by little, which made me love her character even more. I was pleasantly surprised when I finished the story and the second book popped up."
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Best Kidnapping Thrillers

The Butterfly Garden (The Collector Trilogy Book 1)
As her story twists and turns, slowly shedding light on life in the Butterfly Garden, Maya reveals old grudges, new saviors, and horrific tales of a man who’d go to any length to hold beauty captive. Dot Hutchison is the author of A Wounded Name , a young adult novel based on Shakespeare’s Hamlet , and the adult thriller The Butterfly Garden .
Reviews
"This review does not contain spoilers, however, I do discuss points included in Amazon's summary description; if you consider those spoilers, avoid this review. -o-. 'The Butterfly Garden' is told in alternating first and third-person-limited perspectives: the main character relates her story to FBI agents following her rescue from the Garden. When used by experienced writers (Rothfuss' 'Name of the Wind' is a good example), a nested story can be very effective. It was hard to believe in the setting, both that it could exist (how do you find contractors to build this sort of thing?). The third person portions tended to exposition, which made those times in the story feel like they moved more slowly. The 'twist' at the ending was unnecessary, without adequate foreshadowing to make it satisfying for the reader."
"The first problem is the setting; It's hard to picture the "butterflies" ( The kidnapped girls) being kept in some kind of enormous greenhouse (big enough to hold a pond for swimming, a waterfall, a cliff, a glorious garden, a kitchen, rooms, hallways, essentially and entire compound) inside an even bigger greenhouse on the killer's private house grounds. Such a colossal structure wouldn't slip by prying eyes for the nearly 30 years that the Gardener has been abducting girls. You're led to believe that the survivor, Maya, may or may not be on the right side but then she starts singing like a canary right after that and the mystery is lost. Maya was protecting her former roommate who was the one butterfly who had escaped 10 years prior, pregnant with the Gardener's child. That's all.The author seemed to be more concerned with reminding the reader every few pages that a butterfly was being raped or beaten by the Gardener and his son instead of moving the story forward at an even pace. The fact that the only time Maya shows any emotion is when she's developing affections for the Gardener's other son, Desmond (who discovers the truth and doesn't go to the police until 6 months later) is infuriating."
"I reread the end 3 times to make sure I was reading it correctly because it made so little sense."
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Best Serial Killer Thrillers

A Dark Lure
Twelve years ago, Sarah Baker was abducted by the Watt Lake Killer and sexually assaulted for months before managing to escape. She has won the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award for Romantic Suspense, the National Readers’ Choice Award, and the Romantic Crown for Best Romantic Suspense and Best Book Overall.
Reviews
"I was not interested at all in the dysfunctional family drama, the legal thriller which looked a bit boring to me, and the silly-looking teenage supernatural hunter book one of a series. By romance, I'm talking the whole nine yards - she noticing his biceps, deeply tanned skin, masculine appeal and yearning for what she has denied herself all these year, etc., this is it. As another reviewer said, this book was similar to "The One That Got Away" in it's plot of the one serial killer victim that escaped, but with serious PTSD which she fights to overcome. It is ridiculous that a just retired cop would lure the killer he still believes to be on the loose to the home of the victim that got away (not going into how he knew that) and not warn her or anyone else there of the danger. Yet, there are many readers who love books about strong female lead characters that overcome tremendous odds to survive. I also agree that there was rich texture in the depiction of the surroundings, which is the rugged Canadian northwest, which adds flavor to the book."
"Admittedly, the hero and heroine fit the standard expectations of the genre - she's tough and feisty, he's ultra cool and masculine without undermining her, and their attraction is immediate despite differences between them - but these characters also have some depth with their complicated histories, and the well-developed secondary characters bring a lot to the story and make it feel more grounded. In the end, I looked past these story elements because it is a romance, which often involves a degree of fantasy, and I enjoyed the story, which really is well written."
"What I liked: The book is told from different people's perspectives which normally would bother me but in this book it worked. The book just needed an epilogue like 6 months down the road to show where everything was at."
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Best Organized Crime Thrillers

Camino Island: A Novel
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
"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."
"I like John Grisham novels enough to buy them without downloading a sample first but this one was kind of "meh" compared to his other ones."
"Great book by Grisham."
"JOHN ALWAYS WRITES REALLY WELL.. AND THIS STORY CERTAINLY WILL EDUCATE YOU ABOUT THE RARE BOOK INDUSTRY."
"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'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."
"It starts out with some promisingly interesting characters pulling off a heist, 4 F Scott Fitzgerald manuscript, from the Princeton U library."
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Best Vigilante Justice Thrillers

The Girl Who Lived: A Thrilling Suspense Novel
As the anniversary of the murders approaches, Faith Winters is released from the psychiatric hospital and yanked back to the last spot on earth she wants to be—her hometown where the slayings took place. Wracked by the lingering echoes of survivor’s guilt, Faith spirals into a black hole of alcoholism and wanton self-destruction. Finding no solace at the bottom of a bottle, Faith decides to track down her sister’s killer—and then discovers that she’s the one being hunted. From the mind of Wall Street Journal bestselling author Christopher Greyson comes a story with twists and turns that take the reader to the edge of madness. exhilarating ending with a few surprises... Sharp characters enmeshed in a mystery that, particularly in its final lap, is a gleefully dizzy ride.” – Kirkus Reviews.
Reviews
"I am a huge fan of the Jack Stratton Series, by Christopher Greyson, so I was excited to receive The Girl Who Lived. The Girl Who Lived is a bit darker, it deals with survivors guilt and addictions that manifest themselves after a horrendous crime and the aftermath. I think anyone reading this book that can relate to her anxiety, despair, and emptiness will appreciate her struggle."
"Liked this book very much."
"Wow what a read."
"If you enjoy psychological thrillers and reading at a fast pace, not wanting to stop, The Girl Who Lived is the book for you."
"I liked the twists and turns."
"Very readable, nice plot, original characters."
"Not one of my favorites."
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