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Thrillers and SuspenseJune 2015
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"I want to stand as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all the kinds of things you can't see from the center." ~ Kurt Vonnegut (1992-2007), American writer
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New and Recently Released!
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| GBH by Ted LewisCrime Fiction. British crime novelist Ted Lewis died in 1982, not long after GBH was originally published in Great Britain. Considered something of a "lost masterpiece," as it has long been out of print, GBH is a gritty and gripping tale set in London's pornography industry in the 1970s. Two intertwining narratives -- one in the past, one in the present -- chronicle a blue-movie kingpin's violent fall from power, thanks to a rat within his own criminal syndicate, and his increasingly paranoid time in his bolt hole on the coast. If you're the squeamish sort, take the title as a warning -- it stands for Grievous Bodily Harm. |
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| Pleasantville by Attica LockeLegal Thriller. Fifteen years have passed since the events in Black Water Rising, when lawyer Jay Porter was anticipating the birth of his first child. Now, grieving his wife and caring for two kids while his law practice falls apart, Porter is barely scraping by. That's when he agrees to represent murder suspect Neal Hathorne. Neal's the nephew and campaign manager of a black mayoral candidate whose opponent just happens to be the DA whose office is prosecuting Neal. With nuanced characters, shifting and manipulative political allegiances, and a powerful black community, this is a sophisticated and satisfying legal thriller. |
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| Borderline: An Annika Bengtzon Thriller by Liza MarklundScandinavian Crime Fiction. In her 9th appearance, reporter Annika Bengtzon has returned to Stockholm after three years in Washington, D.C., and immediately gets involved in a murder scene that suggests that a serial killer may be at work. When her husband, Thomas, and his fellow European delegates are kidnapped in East Africa, she must scramble to negotiate for their release (chapters from Thomas' perspective show unbearable conditions and the constant fear of death and dismemberment). With a tip of the hat to Stieg Larsson's series, this Nordic noir offers violence aplenty -- as well as a bit of humor. |
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| The Memory Painter by Gwendolyn WomackSuspense Fiction. This debut -- which blends neuroscience, romance, and action -- teeters on the brink of science fiction, for everything seems linked to past lives, shared dreams, and pharmaceutical research. Centering on a young couple's shared visions of an ancient mystery, complete with historical flashbacks, The Memory Painter is fast-paced, unique, and has been compared to books as diverse as The Time Traveler's Wife, Outlander, and The Da Vinci Code. |
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| Red Dragon Rising: Edge of War by Larry Bond and Jim DeFeliceThriller. In this 2nd entry in the Red Dragon Rising series, a Chinese assassin is following government agent Mara Duncan and the scientist she rescued in Shadows of War. With the help of Navy SEALS, she's trying to smuggle him out of Vietnam as China begins its invasion, while also preventing full-out war with China. This is a fast-moving, action-packed series, so it's best to read them in order; from here, there are two more (Shock of War and Blood of War). |
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| Edge: A Novel by Jeffery DeaverPsychological Suspense. This Jeffery Deaver novel doesn't star his well-known series characters Kathryn Dance or Lincoln Rhyme, but Deaver fans will likely be tantalized by what could be a series opener starring a government agent who protects individuals targeted for murder or kidnapping. (We haven't seen a sequel yet, however, and this book was first published in 2010.) Though it lacks the roller-coaster-like plot twists that Deaver specializes in, the strong characterization, compelling story, and ingenious methods employed by hero and villain alike make for a tale sure to keep you on the "edge" of your seat. |
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| Edge of Dark Water by Joe R. LansdaleSuspense Fiction. May Lynn had always wanted to be a star, despite her terrible start in life, so when her teenage friends find her body at the bottom of a river, weighed down with a sewing machine, they decide to take her ashes to Hollywood. But in Depression-era East Texas, the only money they have access to has already been stolen once, and somebody wants it back. Regional dialogue, representations of the prejudices of the time, and an intelligent if uneducated narrator make this a compelling look at the 1930s as well as a suspenseful, entertaining adventure for four people who long to escape their suffocating Texas town. |
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| The Edge of Normal: A Novel by Carla NortonSuspense Fiction. Still struggling to live a normal life after years of torture at the hands of a sadistic kidnapper, Reeve LeClaire (new name, new face, years of therapy) reluctantly agrees to help with the rehabilitation of another rescued abductee, a young girl named Tilly -- only to discover that Tilly's abductor is not only still at large but still pursuing her. Armed with knowledge that Tilly has shared only with her (and not with the police), Reeve begins to investigate the predator's identity. If tales of victimized women who survive to help those in similar situations are your cup of tea, you're in luck. You can also try Others of My Kind by James Sallis... or wait until the sequel, What Doesn't Kill Her, is published at the end of this month. |
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| Santa Fe Edge by Stuart WoodsLegal Thriller. In this 4th and most recent book to star hotshot lawyer Ed Eagle, there's a lot going on. Ed's ex-wife has escaped a Mexican prison and plans to finish Ed (and his new wife) off, once and for all. Ed's client, pro golfer Tip Hanks, has bigger problems than a charge of murder, and both a new CIA recruit and established agent Holly Barker (from author Stuart Woods' Holly Barker series) are hot on the trail of an ex-CIA operative (turned assassin) who's decided to set up shop in Santa Fe. Plenty of action, sex, humor, and scheming make for "entertaining escapist fare" (Booklist). |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Durham County Library
300 N. Roxboro Street
Durham, North Carolina 27701
919-560-0100
durhamcountylibrary.org
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