Best Thrillers
Twenty years before, amid strange staff disappearances and allegations of fraud, panicked investors sold Cleveland’s largest bank in the middle of the night, locking out customers and employees, and thwarting a looming federal investigation. Iris, a young engineer working her first job out of the office, finds herself assigned to map out a floor plan for the bank building which has been empty for two decades. Just as Beatrice did 20 years before her, Iris quickly recognizes that there’s something not quite right at the bank and she soon learns that the building is not as empty as everyone thinks.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"When I was a regular shopper at my local bookstores, my initial selection was based off thickness (how I discovered Robert Jordon and Terry Goodkind and others of that epic length writing). THE DEAD KEY, however, is largely one single, long wind-up, the pacing not really picking up till well past the last quarter. moments rolling, the suspense tight with wonderment and discovery, simply an exquisite plotline that has made the game a cult classic. And the ending... well, a completion within the same emotional level as Arturo Pérez-Reverte's 1993 novel, THE CLUB DUMAS had concluded with (the novel may be recognized by more as the later movie, THE NINTH GATE). All in all, enjoyable, yet I do have to wonder how even more fantastic these elements would be if the book was the same 477 pages but made tauter in pacing, richer in action, and, yes, even more deeply layered."
"All-in-all, I found it a worthwhile read although I do wish the end of the book would have provided a bit more insight into how the characters from the earlier period fared."
"It was a complicated story line but worth reading as I did want to find out the mystery behind the key and what happened to the two main characters."
"Her use of two major characters in different times yet in the same location brings new meaning to "Hot in Cleveland"."
"The story concept is interesting: an important bank mysteriously closes overnight. When I was about 1/3 into the story it seemed that n.o.t.h.i.n.g. Reading the early reviews, I was sure I was reading a different book. For example, in most instances, we don't read about the secretary's workday, we read about her thinking about her workday or thinking about the personalities of the people she works with, or wondering where her friend is, or wondering about the significance of papers she sees. For example, the engineer meets her boss at the building and explains to him some of the work she has done, but (from the reader perspective) this is merely retelling what the engineer already mused about in the previous pages: she went to the eighth floor, to the room on the left; it was dusty; she made some measurements; she went to the next room; she saw papers on the floor; she wondered why the papers were left behind; she made some measurements; she looked at some of the papers; she wondered what the papers meant; she decided to take some of the papers with her to look at later; she went to the next room; she made some measurements. I second that thought."
Almost twenty-five years after the infamous art heist at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum—still the largest unsolved art theft in history—one of the stolen Degas paintings is delivered to the Boston studio of a young artist. Some writers sit down and begin a novel without knowing where it will end, trusting the process to bring their story to a satisfying conclusion. The first time I encountered art collector and museum founder Isabella Stewart Gardner in 1983, I fell in love. I wanted to hang out with her, walk lions down Boston streets with her, buy famous paintings, and do all kinds of outrageous things that would scandalize the stuffed shirts around us. Then in 1990, she burst on the scene, or at least her namesake, Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, did, when two men dressed as police officers bound and gagged two guards and stole thirteen pieces of art, including Rembrandt's Storm on the Sea of Galilee , Vermeer's The Concert , and works by Degas and Manet from the collection. But despite the media taking the theft international, suspects who ran the gamut from the Mafia to the Vatican, and the lack of any arrests, I just couldn't find my story. I was thinking I might do something like Irving Stone or Gore Vidal would, writers whose books I loved, and considered a fictionalized biography. But embracing the entirety of Isabella Gardner's action-packed life was too daunting--some things never change--so, once again, Belle was shelved. Around this time I began taking a series of art courses that toured galleries and museums with a well-known artist for a guide. She opened my eyes, not just to the wonder of what we were seeing, but to the complicated worlds of creating, collecting, curating, and selling works of art. One day, as I was ruminating on how difficult life was for anyone in the arts and feeling more than a bit sorry for myself, my missing link appeared in the form of a question: What would any of us be willing to do to secure our ambitions? So I expanded my cast of characters and gave each one a temptation their egos couldn't resist, including a struggling artist willing to make the ultimate Faustian bargain, and then I added them to the mix of art theft, art forgery, the Gardner Museum heist, and, of course, my buddy Belle. Shapiro convincingly depicts the rarefied art world that lionizes a chosen few and ignores the talented, scrabbling outsiders on the fringe. She knows art history, painting techniques, and how forgers have managed through the centuries to dupe buyers into paying for fakes .
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Claire Roth, the book's intelligent and talented protagonist, lets the reader into her contemporary artist's world, and lets the reader feel the pressure of preparing for a gallery show."
"If you're interested in art you'll find this book very well done."
"Intriguing story with many twists and turns that gives insight to the world of art collecting and dealing."
"Delightful ditty about (obviously) art forgery, its history, and a modern take on the ancient practice."
"I'm not completely through the book yet but I am enjoying it so much that I wanted to tell people who are interested in art and the artworld, it's a great story."
"If you are interested in the art world of galleries, agents, and competition between artists, this is a very compelling read."
"This book is about a talented artist trying to find her way out from under being shunned from the art world from a previous scandal... only to find herself being mixed up in a new one."
"The story is far-fetched and predictable at the same time; the writing is repetitive; the characters seem totally lacking in, well, character."
The defendant, David Hanson, was Mick’s close friend in law school, and the victim, a TV news reporter, had reached out to Mick for legal help only hours before her death. “[In] Myers’s impressive debut…the gripping plot builds to an ending that’s a complete shocker.” — Publishers Weekly , Starred Review. When a young reporter is found dead and a prominentPhiladelphia businessman is accused of her murder Mick McFarland finds himselfinvolved in the case of his life. The defendant, David Hanson, was Micks' closefriend in law school, and the victim, a TV news reporter had reached out toMick for legal help only hours before her death.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I'm retired after 35 years of practicing criminal law as a public defender and having lived it, I really hate the melodrama of legal thrillers. First, I've never been employed in a private law practice, but I'm aware of the pressures that cause some lawyers to bend the ethical rules, so I can say that what transpires here is within the realm of possibility. Second, having been first chair in a number of capital murder trials, I can tell you that from a legal procedure standpoint, Mr. Myers is virtually spot on."
"The book moves at a brisk pace, with new developments in each chapter."
"If you love procedural legal dramas and mysteries you will love “A Criminal Defense’ by William L. Myers Jnr…. This is filled with clever courtroom angst, conflict and drama. A young female journo is found dead and a prominent businessman is the accused… and our male Lead – Mick McFarland, defence attorney extraordinaire is in for the case of his life!"
"This book cost 1.99 and it was equally as good as books I paid 14.99. A well written book."
"And this author's knowledge of the criminal justice system makes the story sizzle. He makes sure you know there is more going on in this murder trial than meets the eye. And that is high praise from a reader with a low tolerance for mediocre writing."
"This book starts out like many other lawyer based mysteries a criminal defense attorney, the central figure, a murder and a totally unlikable client for him to defend."
"Rarely does a writer hold such drama at such a high level from beginning to end."
"First, this was a twisty read, and even though this type of lawyers/murder/trial /with a large cast of characters story is very familiar, I just didn't see what happened ... next."
Best Legal Thrillers
Tracy Crosswhite has spent twenty years questioning the facts surrounding her sister Sarah’s disappearance and the murder trial that followed. “Dugoni does a superior job of positioning [the plot elements] for maximum impact, especially in a climactic scene set in an abandoned mine during a blizzard—which is melodramatic but nevertheless effective.” — Publishers Weekly. “ My Sister’s Grave is a chilling portrait shaded in neo-noir, as if someone had taken a knife to a Norman Rockwell painting by casting small town America as the place where bad guys blend into the landscape, establishing Dugoni as a force to be reckoned with outside the courtroom as well as in.” — Providence Journal. Robert Dugoni is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and #1 Amazon Bestselling Author of the Tracy Crosswhite Series : My Sister's Grave, Her Final Breath (September 2015) and In the Woods (May 2016).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Also, the author needs to work on names and naming conventions. As I said, I'm not sorry I read the book and would recommend it to someone who was looking for a easy crime read."
"* Superior intelligence or strength (she shoots, she runs, she out wits the killer). * Invokes trust or likability (I would want her as my friend or CSI). The story begins with the discovery of the remains of Tracy’s murdered sister."
"This is the second of Robert Dugoni's book's that I've read from the Tracy Crosswhite series (I read the 3rd book first, don't ask me why!)."
"Told between present day events as well as flashbacks, this story reads exactly like a thriller movie with the courtroom scenes reading like a Law and Order episode. Dugoni did not create an overly complicated crime that made it hard to keep track of all the moving parts but he told a compelling story that kept me hooked until the very end."
"The connection between the two sisters is strong and the reader feels the family dynamics throughout the book."
"I have already purchased the second book and can't wait to read what Tracy Crosswhite's newest adventures are."
Best Crime Thrillers
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
Find Best Price at Amazon"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."
Best Mystery
Twenty years before, amid strange staff disappearances and allegations of fraud, panicked investors sold Cleveland’s largest bank in the middle of the night, locking out customers and employees, and thwarting a looming federal investigation. Iris, a young engineer working her first job out of the office, finds herself assigned to map out a floor plan for the bank building which has been empty for two decades. Just as Beatrice did 20 years before her, Iris quickly recognizes that there’s something not quite right at the bank and she soon learns that the building is not as empty as everyone thinks.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"When I was a regular shopper at my local bookstores, my initial selection was based off thickness (how I discovered Robert Jordon and Terry Goodkind and others of that epic length writing). THE DEAD KEY, however, is largely one single, long wind-up, the pacing not really picking up till well past the last quarter. moments rolling, the suspense tight with wonderment and discovery, simply an exquisite plotline that has made the game a cult classic. And the ending... well, a completion within the same emotional level as Arturo Pérez-Reverte's 1993 novel, THE CLUB DUMAS had concluded with (the novel may be recognized by more as the later movie, THE NINTH GATE). All in all, enjoyable, yet I do have to wonder how even more fantastic these elements would be if the book was the same 477 pages but made tauter in pacing, richer in action, and, yes, even more deeply layered."
"I left off one star because the main characters are too much alike, in fact all the women especially but the men as well seemed like slight variations of the same personality."
"Several low-level female employees at the bank discover that something is awry (in both time periods), and their attempts to solve the mystery puts them in serious danger."
"The story concept is interesting: an important bank mysteriously closes overnight. When I was about 1/3 into the story it seemed that n.o.t.h.i.n.g. Reading the early reviews, I was sure I was reading a different book. For example, in most instances, we don't read about the secretary's workday, we read about her thinking about her workday or thinking about the personalities of the people she works with, or wondering where her friend is, or wondering about the significance of papers she sees. For example, the engineer meets her boss at the building and explains to him some of the work she has done, but (from the reader perspective) this is merely retelling what the engineer already mused about in the previous pages: she went to the eighth floor, to the room on the left; it was dusty; she made some measurements; she went to the next room; she saw papers on the floor; she wondered why the papers were left behind; she made some measurements; she looked at some of the papers; she wondered what the papers meant; she decided to take some of the papers with her to look at later; she went to the next room; she made some measurements. I second that thought."
Best Suspense
Twenty years before, amid strange staff disappearances and allegations of fraud, panicked investors sold Cleveland’s largest bank in the middle of the night, locking out customers and employees, and thwarting a looming federal investigation. Iris, a young engineer working her first job out of the office, finds herself assigned to map out a floor plan for the bank building which has been empty for two decades. Just as Beatrice did 20 years before her, Iris quickly recognizes that there’s something not quite right at the bank and she soon learns that the building is not as empty as everyone thinks.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"When I was a regular shopper at my local bookstores, my initial selection was based off thickness (how I discovered Robert Jordon and Terry Goodkind and others of that epic length writing). THE DEAD KEY, however, is largely one single, long wind-up, the pacing not really picking up till well past the last quarter. moments rolling, the suspense tight with wonderment and discovery, simply an exquisite plotline that has made the game a cult classic. And the ending... well, a completion within the same emotional level as Arturo Pérez-Reverte's 1993 novel, THE CLUB DUMAS had concluded with (the novel may be recognized by more as the later movie, THE NINTH GATE). All in all, enjoyable, yet I do have to wonder how even more fantastic these elements would be if the book was the same 477 pages but made tauter in pacing, richer in action, and, yes, even more deeply layered."
"I left off one star because the main characters are too much alike, in fact all the women especially but the men as well seemed like slight variations of the same personality."
"Several low-level female employees at the bank discover that something is awry (in both time periods), and their attempts to solve the mystery puts them in serious danger."
"The story concept is interesting: an important bank mysteriously closes overnight. When I was about 1/3 into the story it seemed that n.o.t.h.i.n.g. Reading the early reviews, I was sure I was reading a different book. For example, in most instances, we don't read about the secretary's workday, we read about her thinking about her workday or thinking about the personalities of the people she works with, or wondering where her friend is, or wondering about the significance of papers she sees. For example, the engineer meets her boss at the building and explains to him some of the work she has done, but (from the reader perspective) this is merely retelling what the engineer already mused about in the previous pages: she went to the eighth floor, to the room on the left; it was dusty; she made some measurements; she went to the next room; she saw papers on the floor; she wondered why the papers were left behind; she made some measurements; she looked at some of the papers; she wondered what the papers meant; she decided to take some of the papers with her to look at later; she went to the next room; she made some measurements. I second that thought."
Best Crime Fiction
Surrounded by quirky, fascinating characters as dedicated to one another as they are to their new partner, Harmony must learn to trust her team—and a new romantic interest—on a dangerous and deadly mission that conjures up memories she’d much rather forget. Craig Schaefer’s books have taken readers to the seamy edge of a criminal underworld drenched in shadow through the Daniel Faust series; to a world torn by war, poison, and witchcraft by way of the Revanche Cycle series; and across a modern America mired in occult mysteries and a conspiracy of lies in the new Harmony Black series.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"“Harmony Black” is set in the same universe as the Faust series and there are major spoilers for that series in the first chapter. So I’ll start by saying if you want to read or haven’t finished the Faust series, do that before reading this. I think that he was quite successful- I liked her a lot even though she clearly harbors some misconceptions about Faust :) I’ll probably still read the rest of the Faust books- I think that one of the “spoilers’ is misleading- but I definitely look forward to reading more about Harmony. But although Harmony can definitely be read as a standalone- and a separate series- I still wish that I had read all of the Faust series first."
"I had never heard of Craig Schaefer before, but now I will be seeking out more of his books. Before today, there were only two books I ever found so captivating that I read them straight through, cover-to-cover, in one go."
"The novel is written like a normal crime story, except the bad guys are demons and the agent is a witch. In a nutshell, about every 30 years 6 children disappear from their cribs in a small town called Talbot Cove, Michigan. The team who is assigned to hunting down "Hostile Enemy 17" include Harmony, the witch; Jessie, a half-breed, female "Big Bad Wolf';" April, an older lady in a wheel chair; and Keith, a computer hacker. Sounds crazy, but this combination works to make this a great story about chasing down Hostile Enemy 17, aka the "Boogey Man.""
"And although there are occult elements in this novel, don't let that put you off if you happen to dislike such reads; the supernatural portions are so successfully integrated into the storyline that after you've finished reading, all you will be aware of is a darned good crime novel with a dedicated, yet whacky cast of characters. Normally I would add more insights and impressions about such a fine book, but I'm afraid I'm practically jumping out of my skin to read more by this author, having already downloaded another of his books!!"