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Thrillers and Suspense January 2021
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| Take it Back by Kia AbdullahStarring: Londoner Zara Kaleel, who left behind her high-powered legal career to work as a rape counselor; disabled teen Jodie, who is referred to Zara after accusing a group of Muslim boys of assaulting her.
Read it for: the well-developed characters; Zara's compelling efforts to navigate her fraught position -- as a Muslim herself, she faces censure from all sides of the case as she tries to advocate for her client. |
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| Double Agent by Tom BradbyWhat it is: the intricately plotted sequel to Secret Service, which continues the story of MI6 agent Kate Henderson.
Her mission: to investigate allegations that the Prime Minister might be a Russian agent, a case which could end her career for good.
Is it for you? Part of Agent Henderson's case involves child abuse, which some readers might want to know about going in. |
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| Fool Me Twice by Jeff LindsaySeries alert: Fool Me Twice is the 2nd entry in the series of thrillers starring likeable rogue Riley Wolfe, an ambitious master thief always up for a challenge.
The prize: This time, Riley is strong-armed into stealing a priceless Raphael painting from deep in the Vatican by "an arms dealer who scares the crap out of other arms dealers."
The problem: It's not just any Renaissance painting -- Riley's target is a fresco, meaning he has to find a way to steal an actual wall. |
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The Nemesis manifesto
by Eric Lustbader
Dedicating her life to protecting her country after surviving an unspeakable tragedy, DOD black-ops field agent Evan Ryder investigates a hostile cabal behind the assassinations of her fellow agents. By the best-selling author of Blood Trust.
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Fool Me Twice
by Jeff Lindsay
Series alert: Fool Me Twice is the 2nd entry in the series of thrillers starring likeable rogue Riley Wolfe, an ambitious master thief always up for a challenge.
The prize: This time, Riley is strong-armed into stealing a priceless Raphael painting from deep in the Vatican by "an arms dealer who scares the crap out of other arms dealers."
The problem: It's not just any Renaissance painting -- Riley's target is a fresco, meaning he has to find a way to steal an actual wall.
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| Blackout by Marc ElsbergWhat it is: a fast-paced and compelling German novel that is part eco-thriller and part techno-thriller and which throws into stark relief the fragility of modern civilization.
What goes down: thanks to a group of hackers, the entire European electrical grid. As the blackouts spread and the stalled nuclear plants start leaking radiation, characters across the continent must fight for survival as society begins to collapse around them. |
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| Seven Years of Darkness by Chŏng, Yu-jŏngWhat it's about: childhood trauma, murder, and not-so-buried secrets in a remote village in South Korea.
About the author: You-Jeong Jeong is a bestselling author of several novels in her native South Korea, but so far only Seven Years of Darkness and The Good Son have been translated into English.
For fans of: the creepy atmosphere and well-developed characters of Icelandic author Yrsa Sigurðardóttir. |
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Little eyes
by Samanta Schweblin
A metaphorical tale depicts a complex and relatable world where connections with people from all walks of life engage in internet encounters that lead to unexpected love, transformative adventure and unimaginable terror. By the award-winning author of Fever Dream.
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| The Neighborhood by Mario Vargas LlosaWhat it's about: Set in Peru during the Fujimori dictatorship of the 1990s, this gritty and suspenseful novel follows the downfall of a wealthy engineer after a scandal involving blackmail and the murder of a tabloid journalist.
Read it for: the portrayal of corruption and high-stakes political maneuvering against a noir-inspired backdrop.
About the author: Peruvian Nobel Prize-winner Mario Vargas Llosa has worked in journalism and politics and is the author of fiction and nonfiction works across many genres. |
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The Believer
by Joakim Zander; translated by Elizabeth Clark Wessel
Topics of note: the privatization of police forces, the radicalization of young Muslim men, neighborhood violence in Stockholm spurred on by outsiders, and a vast conspiracy that connects all three.
Starring: Three Swedes -- human rights researcher and functional alcoholic Klara Walldéen (first seen in The Swimmer), trendspotter Yasmine Ajam, and her depressed, radicalized brother, Fadi.
What reviewers say: "Impressively complex characters and stark atmospherics" (Publishers Weekly).
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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