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Thrillers and SuspenseMay 2016
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"The first chapter, Marcus, is essential. If the readers don't like it, they won't read the rest of your book." ~ from Joel Dicker's The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair
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| Dodgers: A Novel by Bill BeverlyCrime Fiction. East, a Los Angeles gang member who works as a lookout, is only 16 when he's sent to Wisconsin as part of a group to kill a witness hiding out there. Along with three other teens (including his younger brother), he must traverse an entirely alien America, where as young black men they stand out far more than they did in L.A. Observant and cautious, East is a complex character, one who is good at what he does but not entirely hardened by his life. Recommended for fans of Richard Price, this debut is a "searing novel about crime, race, and coming-of-age" (Booklist). |
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| The Advocate's Daughter by Anthony FranzeLegal Thriller. Sean Serrat is a successful D.C. attorney on the short list for a nomination to the Supreme Court. Which might be a problem -- a violent incident from his youth, should it become public, would torpedo his career. But this concern is eclipsed when his daughter's body is found in the high court's library and her African American boyfriend is accused of her murder. Though the police are sure they've got their man (some believe that the arrest is racially motivated), Sean is not, and his ensuing investigation turns up dangerous secrets among the Washington elite. With an exciting story and an insider's view of the world of the Supreme Court, this is a good bet for fans of legal thrillers. |
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| Twisted River: A Novel by Siobhan MacDonaldPsychological Suspense. On page one of this atmospheric debut, a man closes the trunk of his car, obstructing his children's view of the dead woman enclosed there. They don't notice. But what has happened? And who's the woman? The twisty, turning route to that moment started when two families -- one Irish, one American -- agreed to swap homes to get away from their troubles (money woes, bullied children, faltering marriages) but only managed to exacerbate them -- and create new ones. Richly detailed when it comes to character motivations, economic pressures in both New York and Ireland, and the locations themselves, Twisted River is an absorbing experience. |
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| Cold Barrel Zero by Matthew QuirkTechno-Thriller. Details abound in this fast-paced novel -- how to avoid a drone, how to convert a car into your own personal safety deposit box -- but not at the expense of action, of which there is plenty. The complex story revolves around a group of American black ops agents led by John Hayes, who has been accused of committing war crimes, and the hunt to find him and his team before they launch an attack on U.S. soil. Caught in the middle is his former friend, Tom Byrne, who's been recruited by the U.S. government to find Hayes, but who struggles with his loyalties and is unsure whom to trust. "Hair-raising," says Booklist of a novel that is "even more chilling for its air of plausibility." |
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| Rain Dogs by Baron R. BirtcherCrime Fiction. In 1976, Vietnam vet Colt Freeland and his buddy Snyder are happy enough with their small-time pot farm in the wilds of Northern California. But the U.S. War on Drugs is gaining strength, and further south, the Mexican and Colombian cocaine trade is ramping up. Events conspire to force the California duo right into the middle of a much bigger problem than they ever anticipated, stuck between a desperate Mexican drug lord, his Colombian competitors, and the local border cops. With plenty of action, this is "the real deal," enthuses Publishers Weekly. |
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| The Quest by Nelson DeMilleThriller. Originally published in 1975 and rewritten (to nearly twice the original length) and republished in 2013, The Quest follows three journalists in the 1970s as they follow up on a tip from a dying priest. Originally in Ethiopia to cover that country's civil war, their quest for a scoop changes focus when the mortally wounded priest, who claims to have been imprisoned for decades, tells them he's found the Holy Grail. Captured by rebel forces and then kicked out of the country, the three -- driven by different motivations -- plan their return. Fans of Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code may be interested in this early take on a historical mystery. |
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| The Truth about the Harry Quebert Affair by Joel Dicker; translated by Sam TaylorSuspense Fiction. In 1975, a teen girl disappeared in rural New Hampshire. In 2008, author Marcus Goldberg, struggling with inspiration, visits his mentor, famed writer Harry Quebert, and is shocked when the body of the missing teen is found on Harry's property. Harry is soon arrested for the crime (the girl had been his underage girlfriend in 1975), and Marcus has found the topic for his next book. Styled as a novel-within-a-novel, this complex and twisting story comes in at a hefty 600+ pages as it follows Marcus' efforts to find out what happened in 1975. |
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| Blood on Snow: A Novel by Jo NesbøScandinavian Crime Fiction. Olav is a soft-hearted criminal limited by his skills; the only thing he's got any talent for is "fixing" problems -- which means killing people at the request of his heroin kingpin boss. Unfortunately, he's been assigned to kill his boss' wife...and whether he does or doesn't, he's in the dangerous position of knowing rather too much about his employer. And that's before he falls in love with his target. Set in Oslo in the 1970s, this "jewel of a novel" (Booklist) was followed by Midnight Sun, which shares its setting. |
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| Cop Town: A Novel by Karin SlaughterSuspense Fiction. In 1974, Kate Murphy finds herself way out of her depth as a rookie Atlanta cop. Raised on the wealthy side of town, she's been given a uniform that's too large and teamed with blue-collar Maggie Lawson. Neither woman gets any respect -- not even Maggie, whose brother and uncle are cops -- but they soon join forces to investigate unofficially when no one else will listen to their ideas about the serial killer who's been targeting police officers. This compelling stand-alone novel by veteran author Karin Slaughter provides a fascinating glimpse at the 1970s, especially when it comes to addressing sexism and racism. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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