Closing Costs - Bracken MacLeod

Bracken MacLeod's new novel, Closing Costs, has just released. If you like thrillers, then this is a book for you!

Nelle and Evan have just closed on their 'forever' home. It's perfect - there's only one neighbor they can't see and their property backs onto a state forest. Uh huh....you're getting an inkling aren't you...? Nelle is alone when a man invades her home...

MacLeod uses one of my favorite devices, writing a past and present narrative from two points of view - Elle and Mack, the invader. The pivot point is the sale of the house. Where did Elle and Evan get the money for such a house? Who is Mack and what does he want? You'll be quite surprised by the answers to both questions. MacLeod throws in a nice turn I hadn't expected.

Closing Costs reads like a movie in the vein of Bruce Willis. Nelle and Mack just keep getting up again and again, going far beyond what you would think the human body could tolerate. But, like those movies, suspend your disbelief and keep turning pages. The action is non stop and the tension is really high! And you've just got to know how it all turns out. 

I'm not sure I liked Elle very much, even though I was behind her need to best or escape Mack. Mack is, as my gran used to say, a piece of work - a violent misogynist. MacLeod's depiction of him gave me the shivers. 

Closing Costs could perhaps shortened up a bit - the escapes, near misses and more started to lose their impact after so many times. See for yourself - here's an excerpt of Closing Costs.  And make sure your doors are locked. 

(Gentle readers, this one's probably not for you - there are definitely trigger situations.)

Falling - T.J. Newman

Falling is T.J. Newman's debut novel. And I just have to tell you the story behind the book before I tell you how much I enjoyed Falling!

T. J. Newman, a former bookseller turned flight attendant, worked for Virgin America and Alaska Airlines from 2011 to 2021. She wrote much of Falling on cross-country red-eye flights while her passengers were asleep. But getting it published was a whole 'nother thing.... From the publisher:

"Bookseller turned flight attendant writes sensational thriller set on an airplane, gets rejected by forty-one literary agents before finding the right one, and then sells it in a major multibook deal to the first editor to whom it's submitted." 

I am most definitely not a fan of flying. (You might not be either after this tale!) This isn't a spoiler, but is the publisher's description...." You just boarded a flight to New York. There are one hundred and forty-three other passengers onboard. What you don't know is that thirty minutes before the flight your pilot's family was kidnapped. For his family to live, everyone on your plane must die."

Oh, great premise! There are so many ways this plot could unfold - and Newman gives us enough twists and turns to make you dizzy. Newman's familiarity with commercial flying gives her setting and characters detail and believability.  The characters are all intense, from the captain, the flight crew and the 'bad guy'. I think Jo, the lead flight crew member was my favourite, but Big Daddy is a close second. Just as intense is the action - it just never lets up. And that means I couldn't stop turning pages. Easily done in a day. 

Yes, you might have to suspend belief a few times, but just go with it. 

Falling reads like an action movie - think Die Hard and Speed. The film rights have already sold to Universal Pictures. (Betcha those first forty one agents that said no are kicking themselves!)

Looking for an addictive read for the the beach bag? Pick up Falling! And I can't wait to see what Newman writes next. 

Breakout - Paul Herron

Breakout is Paul Herron's debut thriller. 

Jack Constantine is an ex-cop, currently serving time at Ravenhill Prison for murder. Its Kiera Sawyer's first day on the job as a guard at the prison. And it's also the day a massive hurricane hits the coast - with Ravenhill right in it's path. What to do? Well the warden makes a decision - gather the employees and leave - and hope the National Guard shows up to evacuate the 800 prisoners. He leaves the cells locked, but an underling opens the doors - and now each and every prisoner is free, including Jack. And one lone guard who missed the bus.

What a great premise eh? I immediately thought of Bruce Willis and his Die Hard movies. Breakout reads like a movie - and that's no surprise as Herron has worked on over twenty seven television shows. 

Jack is a complicated lead character - part criminal, part cop. The reader isn't ever quite sure which path he'll take. And Sawyer is too darn innocent -she want to save everyone. She did surprise me though. But things are down to save yourself. The prison isn't going to stand up to the hurricane. Their only option is get over to an adjacent old lock up that has tunnels to hide out in 'til the storm passes. But first they're going to have to get past every killer, every gang and the downright crazy on the way there. Oh and a few of the guys that Jack put away.

Herron has come up with some terrifying obstacles for Jack, his cellmate Felix and Kiara. His descriptions of time and place were really good. I could easily picture the prison and where they were and where they were trying to go. The storm's increasing power is mentioned at the beginning of every chapter, ramping up the tension. The action is pretty much non stop, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat.  Gentle readers, this is definitely not the book for you. Visceral violence abounds. But seriously, this one screams movie. Read an excerpt of Breakout. 

Thanks to Grand Central Publishing for the review copy.

Just Get Home - Bridget Foley

No word of a lie - I read Bridget Foley's new book, Just Get Home in a day (and a bit of the night!)

See the crack on the cover? Uh huh - earthquake time in Los Angeles. Single mom Dessa is on a rare night out with her friends, having left her young daughter with a new babysitter. Beegie is a foster home runaway who is headed back as she has nowhere and no one else. 

Now, I have no experience with earthquakes other than the news. But Foley's descriptions were terrifying. Even more disquieting is the behaviour of those who see this disaster as a chance to loot - and worse. (Gentle readers take not that there are more than a few triggering situations in Just Get Home.) "The earthquake isn't the real disaster, Dessa. The disaster is what happens after."

Initially the two characters are each on their own. Their paths cross more than once and they end up travelling the same way together. It is the action and danger that propels the book forward at a breakneck speed, but Foley has also developed her characters. Dessa loves her daughter Oliva to the moon and back, but she is struggling mentally and financially. Beegie's story broke my heart - "Because if you care about something it has power over you. Caring can give someone else the ability to control you and the only real way to own yourself was to let go." 

Their journey is fraught with danger at every turn. I (barely) resisted the urge to flip ahead in the book to see if things worked out the way I wanted. Just Get Home reads like an action movie - and I can absolutely see it on the big screen. Five stars as I couldn't put it down.

Never Far Away - Michael Koryta

I discovered Michael Koryta a few books back and have been a fan ever since. He writes fantastic thrillers. His latest is Never Far Away.

Okay, the prologue was crazy good and I was immediately hooked! Nina disappeared ten years ago in Florida, presumed dead. She left behind two children in their father's care. In Nina's place, Leah was born. Leah has kept a low profile, working as a wilderness guide in a remote area of Maine. And, yup guessed it - the past comes a calling and her children are in danger.

Koryta has created a great lead in Leah. I liked her right away. She's not a trained killer or secret agent. But you know what they say...don't poke the mama bear. She'll do what she has to do to protect her kids. The kids, Hailey and Nick, are also well drawn - their thoughts, responses, emotions and interactions with Leah ring true. Now, onto the men in pursuit of Leah. They're two stone cold hit men on a mission, especially the one called Bleak. (great name!) But...here's the fun bit. If you've read If She Wakes, you're going to know this name - Dax Blackwood. Yes, the young hit man is also interested in Leah and her pursuers. But is he there to help or hurt? I love this antagonist - his dialogue and thoughts are so unpredictable. Is he crazy or cunning?

The action is non-stop in Never Far Away and kept me up late with the 'just one more chapter' mantra running through my brain. The plot is inventive and unpredictable. Some twists require a grain of salt, but just go with it. Koryta is a master of this genre.  An escapist novel that reads like a movie. I can absolutely see it on the screen. Here's an excerpt of Never Far Away

You Can Go Home Now - Michael Elias

I like finding new authors or taking a chance on a book. Such was the case with the newly released You Can Go Home Now by Michael Elias.

Nina Karim is a tough Queens detective. Ask her why she became a cop and she'll give you her stock answer - but not the truth. The truth is she wants revenge on the man who killed her father. Until she hunts him down, she works cold cases. A disturbing pattern emerges as she peruses the latest stack of files. Dead men - and all their widows were in the same shelter.

Right off the bat, I liked Nina - her irreverence for authority, her drive for answers and her own brand of justice. I'm a sucker for troubled lead characters. Supporting players were just as well drawn. Nina's boyfriend, a loan shark is more often the voice of reason. But he too is happy to bend rules.

Elias is a screenwriter and that skill added wonderfully to the 'readability' of the book. (It kind of reads like a movie) The emotions, twists, turns and action all leapt off the page. The dialogue, the investigations, the settings all really well done. And there's lots of current social issues woven in to the plot. It moves along at a good pace. There are a few plot pieces that I wondered about, but didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book.

But what I liked the most? Nina. She was a fantastic protagonist. And I'd like to hope that the little opening left in the final pages is enough to bring Nina (and Bobby B.) back for a second book. Read an excerpt of You Can Go Home Now.

Gentle readers - there are some triggering scenes and topics in this novel.

Cold Storage - David Koepp

Okay, so the cover of David Koepp's new novel Cold Storage pretty much telegraphs a sci-fi read. And yes, there is a terrifying fungus that has lain dormant for twenty five years that has managed to escape the containment facility it was stored in and is threatening human kind.....whew.

Now, sci-fi is not my usual genre. But - Cold Storage is so much more than it's premise! It's non stop action - and its funny. I know - didn't expect that, did you? Either did I. But, what this book such a great read for me was the characters and the dialogue.

The beginning of the book introduces us to the both the fungus and two 'bioterror' agents charged with containing and destroying the threat. Koepp's characters are richly fleshed out with lots and lots of detail. And as we fast forward twenty five years, we meet the two young security guards who will cross paths with the deadly fungus. Oh my gosh, I loved Teacake, the male security guard. His inner thoughts and out loud dialogues were so much fun to read. His partner Naomi is the calmer of the two and they played well off each other.

Every player in the book, no matter how fleeting their time, gets that same detail. So yes, I was caught up in the page turning, non stop action for sure. But it was those characters and that detail that had me staying up late to finish this one.

Koepp's debut novel makes for entertaining, addictive reading. And here's the reason why - Koepp is a noted screenwriter, having penned some films you might have seen.....Jurassic Park, Mission: Impossible, Spider-Man and Panic Room to name just a few. Yep, Cold Storage reads like a movie. And I can absolutely see this one making it to the screen.

Completely far fetched, but so much fun to read. See for yourself - here's an excerpt of Cold Storage.

The Chain - Adrian McKinty

There's been lots of publicity surrounding the release of Adrian McKinty's latest novel - The Chain. Did it live up to the hype? Oh yeah it did - thriller readers are going to want to pick up this one!

The premise is a frightening (and pretty dark) one...

"Your phone rings. A stranger has kidnapped your child. To free them you must abduct someone else's child. Your child will be released when your victim's parents kidnap another child. If any of these things don't happen: your child will be killed."

Takes the chain letter concept to a whole new level doesn't it?

McKinty has created a great lead character in Rachel. She's a divorced, single mother battling breast cancer. Why in the world have her and her daughter been targeted? I love books that place an everyday person in an extraordinary position. Can they beat the odds? Thwart the 'bad guys'? Pull off the impossible? Rachel is a force to be reckoned with.

Action is the word of the day in The Chain. The plot is driven forward by twists - most of them ones I could not have predicted. I love being caught unawares by a book. So, the game changes frequently and Rachel has to react and respond to the newest directive. Now, I must admit - some of those plot lines require a few grains of salt. And that's okay - this is pure escapist, entertainment reading.

I had a three day weekend lately - and I devoured The Chain on that extra day. It's addictive, propulsive reading that will consume the reader. The Chain is an action packed thriller film just waiting to be made. See for yourself - here's an excerpt of The Chain.

No Exit - Taylor Adams

How's this for a premise? Snow storm, isolated rest stop, no communication and five strangers. And one of them has a girl in a cage in the back of their van.....

That's the bare bones plot of Taylor Adams' latest book No Exit. Darby is the young woman who drives into the rest stop to wait out the storm. She's also the one who sees the young girl - and vows to rescue her.....

Oh this one reads like a movie for sure! There are so many roadblocks thrown at Darby as she attempts to save not just the girl, but herself. Adams throws in more than one unexpected twist and turn along the way. Yes, some of them are far-fetched, but go with it. No Exit is most definitely action packed. Readers will be on the edge of their seats with each new revelation.

The characters are a bit cliched. It's hard to believe that Darby survives each new curve thrown at her. But the reader can't help but urge her on. And the 'baddies'? Not hard to spot, but easy to hate.  The actions and dialogue attributed to the seven year old girl do seem like they would come from an older child.

There are most definitely some gruesome parts and creepy conversations. Kudos Taylor Adams - you made me squirm! That tension and action never really lets up. And I was fooled by the ending. *appreciative nod*

No Exit reads like a movie and I wouldn't be surprised to see it on the big screen. But until then - here's an excerpt.

The Last Act - Brad Parks

I've really enjoyed Brad Parks' last two stand alone suspense novels and was looking forward to reading his latest - The Last Act.

The premise is one I always enjoy - 'everyday guy in a bad situation'. In The Last Act it is an actor named Tommy Jump. The work has dried up, he has a child on the way and he needs monehy. Then he receives an offer from an FBI agent he knew when they were kids. Go undercover in a prison and cosy up to a banker convicted of working for a drug cartel. The FBI needs documents the banker he has hidden in order to bring the cartel down. The pay they're offering would set up Tommy nicely - and it's only for six months. Tommy takes the job......And you just know something's going to go wrong......

Oh boy! Parks has written an absolutely addicting read! Tommy is a great lead character and you can't help but cheer him on. There are some chapters from his girlfriend Amanda as well and I liked her just as much. The drug cartel is also given a voice. As we hear from them, it just ramps up the danger factor as we realize what Tommy has gotten himself into.

Parks put lots of stumbling blocks in front of Tommy as he tries to elicit the information the FBI needs. Often I find I can guess where a plot is going to go - but Parks truly surprised me with the first big twist in the book. I did not see it coming. And he follows up with several more twisty turns I had not anticipated. There are many red herrings along the way to keep the reader guessing as well.

And yes, some of the plotting requires a few grains of salt, but just go with it. The Last Act reads like a movie and I can absolutely see it on the big screen. Here's an excerpt of The Last Act. Brad Parks is firmly on my 'must read' list of authors - I can't wait for his next book!