Koncocoo

Best Suspense

Blood on the Tracks (Sydney Rose Parnell Series Book 1)
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
"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."
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The Midnight Line: A Jack Reacher Novel
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Lee Child returns with a gripping new powerhouse thriller featuring Jack Reacher, “one of this century’s most original, tantalizing pop-fiction heroes” ( The Washington Post ). Reacher takes a stroll through a small Wisconsin town and sees a class ring in a pawn shop window: West Point 2005. Reacher wonders what unlucky circumstance made her give up something she earned over four hard years. So begins a harrowing journey that takes Reacher through the upper Midwest, from a lowlife bar on the sad side of small town to a dirt-blown crossroads in the middle of nowhere, encountering bikers, cops, crooks, muscle, and a missing persons PI who wears a suit and a tie in the Wyoming wilderness. Praise for The Midnight Line “Puts Reacher just where we want him.” — The. New York Times Book Review. [and] suggests something that has not been visible in the series’ previous entries: a creeping sadness in Reacher’s wanderings that, set here among the vast and empty landscapes of Wyoming, resembles the peculiarly solitary loneliness of the classic American hero. “Puts Reacher just where we want him.” — TheNew York Times Book Review “A gem.” — Chicago Tribune. I don’t know another author so skilled at making me turn the page, at putting me in the thick of it all.” — The Times. “Compulsively readable.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review) “[A] multifaceted novel about dealing with the unthinkable . [and] suggests something that has not been visible in the series’ previous entries: a creeping sadness in Reacher’s wanderings that, set here among the vast and empty landscapes of Wyoming, resembles the peculiarly solitary loneliness of the classic American hero. “Child does a stellar job this time by not following his customary formula; his usually stoic hero who rarely displays softness and compassion is hit hard emotionally by this case.”’ — Library Journal (starred review).
Reviews
"Even though the movie rights belong to Tom Cruise, Lee Child has no reason to reduce the size and presence of his star character. The longest journey begins with but a single step and Mr. Child takes his readers on what appears to be a simple quest to make things right. This novel is a perfect example of how someone's imagination has allowed them to create an interesting, insightful, and enjoyable read while informing us about two major problems affecting today's society. When you finish reading it, and I'll bet that you won't want it to end, the artistry with which Mr. Child tied all of his subplots together will be wonderfully apparent."
"Instead, Reacher, a former Army MP major, puts on his Military Police cap and does some serious sleuthing from the opening scene where he finds a West Point class ring in a pawn shot in Rapid City South Dakota to his search to find the rightful owner of the ring in Wyoming. He decides that maybe he can help the owner of the ring and immediately starts gathering clues to identify this fellow West Pointer. Of course, as the story develops, a simple lost and found case becomes dangerous as Reacher creates enemies in the oxycodone and fentanyl drug trafficking business. I am guessing some readers are going to be unhappy that there is less violent action in The Midnight Line than in a typical Reacher story. Update 2: I wrote this review two months ago and predicted this new Reacher novel would go right to the top of the best seller list, which is where it stands on this first day of publication."
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Origin: A Novel
The #1 New York Times Bestseller from the author of The Da Vinci Code Bilbao, Spain Robert Langdon, Harvard professor of symbology and religious iconology, arrives at the ultramodern Guggenheim Museum Bilbao to attend a major announcement—the unveiling of a discovery that “will change the face of science forever.” The evening’s host is Edmond Kirsch, a forty-year-old billionaire and futurist whose dazzling high-tech inventions and audacious predictions have made him a renowned global figure. Navigating the dark corridors of hidden history and extreme religion, Langdon and Vidal must evade a tormented enemy whose all-knowing power seems to emanate from Spain’s Royal Palace itself . On a trail marked by modern art and enigmatic symbols, Langdon and Vidal uncover clues that ultimately bring them face-to-face with Kirsch’s shocking discovery . -- People Magazine "A brisk new book that pits creationism against science, and is liable to stir up as much controversy as The Da Vinci Code did. In Origin , the brash futurist Edmond Kirsch comes up with a theory so bold, so daring that, as he modestly thinks to himself in Brown’s beloved italics, “ It will not shake your foundations. And just like he was in his original exploits ( Angels & Demons and The Da Vinci Code ), Dr. Langdon is once again wrapped up in a global-scale event that could have massive ramifications on the world’s religions. Origin is a familiar blend of travelogue, history, conspiracies and whodunit, with asides on everything from the poetry of William Blake to the rise and fall of fascism in Spain." Dan Brown is the author of numerous #1 international bestsellers, including The Da Vinci Code, Inferno , The Lost Symbol , Angels & Demons , Deception Point, and Digital Fortress .
Reviews
"I love Dan Brown's novels, his writing style, and his extensive use of history/tech in most of them, and I always learn something when I read his books. Brown has a plug and play format that he follows, and as I read this book, it's basically Robert Langdon at some educational/art venue where a friend/colleague, etc. There was supposed suspense, in that you want to find out what in the world Langdon's friend had to say before his murder--and of course, you have to wait until the end to find out."
"Although Brown’s writing will not rank well among the great classics, his books turned into film will pack theaters and encourage history buffs to travel Europe. KEY POINTS Using history, science and religion for a thriller is one of the better ways to incite curiosity among readers. Excerpt. ‘…“If you’ve read my books,” Langdon’s voice continued, “you will have heard me use the term ‘God of the Gaps.’ That is to say, when the ancients experienced gaps in their understanding of the world around them, they filled those gaps with God.”. The sky filled now with a massive collage of paintings and statues depicting dozens of ancient deities. “And yet, over the centuries, scientific knowledge increased.” A collage of mathematical and technical symbols flooded the sky overhead. “As the gaps in our understanding of the natural world gradually disappeared, our pantheon of gods began to shrink.”. On the ceiling, the image of Poseidon came to the forefront. “As you know, the same fate befell all the gods—dying off, one by one, as they outlived their relevance to our evolving intellects.”. Overhead, the images of gods began twinkling out, one by one—gods of thunder, earthquakes, plagues, and on and on. These gods did not ‘go gentle into that good night’; it is a messy process for a culture to abandon its deities. Spiritual beliefs are etched deeply on our psyches at a young age by those we love and trust most—our parents, our teachers, our religious leaders. Therefore, any religious shifts occur over generations, and not without great angst, and often bloodshed.”. The sound of clattering swords and shouting now accompanied the gradual disappearance of the gods, whose images winked out one by one. Finally, the image of a single god remained—an iconic wizened face with a flowing white beard. Zeus, more than any other god, resisted his own extinction, mounting a violent battle against the dying of his own light, precisely as had the earlier gods Zeus had replaced.”. On the ceiling flashed images of Stonehenge, the Sumerian cuneiform tablets, and the Great Pyramids of Egypt."
"After the first few chapters the book hits a road block - it stops being a DaVinci code knock off and becomes something else. I also realized that the small passage of time directly related to the lengthy descriptions of art, books, etc. The early chapters describe the museum at Bilbo and I went online while I was reading to see pictures."
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Best Ghost Suspense

The Demon Crown: A Sigma Force Novel (Sigma Force Novels)
To save mankind's future, the members of Sigma Force must make a devil's bargain as they join forces with their most hated enemy to stop an ancient threat in this gripping adventure from #1 New York Times bestselling author James Rollins. Strangest of all, this inexplicable threat traces back to a terrifying secret buried a century ago beneath the National Mall: a cache of bones preserved in amber. An ancient horror. ―. dormant in the marrow of those preserved bones. ―. is free once more, nursed and developed into a weapon of incalculable strength and malignancy, ready to wreak havoc on an unsuspecting world. “Rollins’ latest Sigma Force novel is one of the best in the series....The mix of science, history, and high-concept adventure is always first-rate in a Rollins novel....Devotees of Clive Cussler and Steve Berry are no doubt reading Rollins already, but if they’re not, what’s keeping them?” ( Booklist (starred review)). “Bone-chilling.” (Publishers Weekly (starred review) ). “Bestseller Rollins’s epic...features exotic locales, heroic quests, quixotic villains, action galore, and enough science and scientific curiosities to titillate even casual readers....Rollins’s characters are as large as his landscape in this vast and vastly entertaining thriller saga.” ( Publishers Weekly (starred review)). About James Rollins JAMES ROLLINS is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of international thrillers that have been translated into more than forty languages. Rollins' rare blend of action, suspense, and knowledge was also mentioned by the Huffington Post, which stated that "After Crichton passed away in 2008 he clearly passed the baton to James Rollins, who like Crichton, is a renaissance man." This hands-on knowledge of medicine and science helps shape the research and scientific speculation that set James Rollins books apart.
Reviews
"He and his team of scientist were on an island off the coast of Brazil where all life has been destroyed, expended, and overcome by a species outside a mind's eye. Gray, Seichand, Kowalski, Professor Ken Matsui, Palu, and Aiko are at the site trying to stop the evil that threatens the world. Kat, Monk, Elena Delgado, and Sam Benett are putting together the missing pieces between the bit of amber and James Smithson.This threat may be more than Sigma can understand or halt. Rollins tales are epic and they feature exciting settings, daring quests, idealistic scoundrels, action abundant, and plenty science and methodical inquisitiveness to titillate even casual readers."
"I'm a long time reader of James Rollins and as good as his other Sigma Force books are, I would have to say that this is clearly his best to date."
"Would love to see new stories in the Sanguine Series!"
"I also like the fact there is more fact than fiction in Rollins' books."
"James Rollins keeps you up late hoping to find a calm space so you can put the book down."
"New twist for the Sigma team."
"JR never fails to keep you on the edge of your seat."
"As usual, Mr. Rollins delivers."
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Best Horror Suspense

It
Now a major motion picture Stephen King’s terrifying, classic #1 New York Times bestseller, “a landmark in American literature” ( Chicago Sun-Times )—about seven adults who return to their hometown to confront a nightmare they had first stumbled on as teenagers…an evil without a name: It . But the promise they made twenty-eight years ago calls them reunite in the same place where, as teenagers, they battled an evil creature that preyed on the city’s children. The amazingly prolific King returns to pure horror, pitting good against evil as in The Stand and The Shining. Moving back and forth between 1958 and 1985, the story tells of seven children in a small Maine town who discover the source of a series of horrifying murders. But there is enough material in this epic for several novels and stories, and the excessive length and numerous interrelated flashbacks eventually become wearying and annoying.
Reviews
"When I was on a school field trip in the seventh grade, I took Stephen King's "IT" with me to read. I'd gotten into reading Stephen King two years before by way of a trip over the previous summer to my uncle's house. He had a collection of Stephen King novels and I'd started reading them with Pet Sematary, which had been adapted to the big screen two years before. In the intervening time, I'd devoured Salem's Lot, Carrie, Firestarter, and Misery, and The Shining. Whereas as a kid I identified with those elements as mapping directly onto my friends and setting, I did it unconsciously. I appreciated how well King encapsulated the distance between childhood and adulthood and all the roads we travel in between. King doesn't use mere words to tell stories, he uses meanings themselves, woven seemingly seamlessly into shades of context and pigments of innuendo and occasionally bright, obvious splashes of unobfuscated emotion that jar you because...hey...in real life that's how it works. And in getting that right, King manages to make the impossible elements like the supernatural nature of IT and the relationship IT has with the town of Derry and the inhabitants there...normal."
"Seven outcasts form a bond in order to defeat It, deeming themselves The Loser’s Club. Thinking they defeated It as children, they lead a life outside of Derry until the murders start happening again. Twenty-seven years later, The Loser’s Club makes their way back to Derry to defeat the evil once and for all. With the way King goes into details, it’s like you are actually in the book right beside the characters as they go through the horrors of every day life of living in Derry. His style definitely works by making you really feel terrified as you read, as if It could actually reach out and grab you at any minute. “…she took her washcloth and leaned over the basin to get some water and the voice came whispering out of the drain: ‘Help me….’”. -Stephen King, It. I loved the way this book was formatted. The book is split up into 5 parts, alternating between childhood and adulthood in the perspective of every member of The Loser’s Club. “Can an entire city be haunted?”. –Stephen King, It. This novel wouldn’t be what it is without the addition of the Derry Interludes at the end of every part. She wasn’t a major part of the storyline; therefore, I really didn’t care to hear about her life. Also I feel the need to mention one specific scene that just did not sit well with me, mainly because the ages of the characters at this point in the novel."
"I still own the paperback edition but I went only trough several chapters because the presentation (in my opinion) was hard to read the words very tiny, so I never finished it."
"I’m not going to lie...when I first saw the thickness of this book I was a little intimidated, I like to read as much as anyone just about but I like books that can hold my attention and “It” is definitely doing a great job of that!"
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Best Occult Suspense

The Man of Legends
Jillian Guthrie, a troubled young journalist, stumbles onto a tantalizing mystery: the same man, unaged, stands alongside Ulysses S. Grant, Theodore Roosevelt, and Gandhi in three different photographs spanning eighty-five years of history. Creator of the landmark original miniseries V , he also produced The Six Million Dollar Man and created iconic Emmy-winning shows such as The Bionic Woman , The Incredible Hulk , and Alien Nation . He has presented his unique graduate-level seminar, The Filmmaking Experience , at UCLA, USC, NYU, Loyola, New York Film Academy, the National Film and Television School (UK), Moscow State University (Russia), and many others.
Reviews
"It was intriguing, the writing grabbed me and pulled me through the first 150 pages."
"The author did a masterful job of weaving together the stories of the major characters with those of the minor ones. The main character was condemned to an eternity of wandering the earth, but the author did not reveal the reason until maybe halfway through the book. The true reason this man was being pursued through the centuries and across continents was also revealed in the latter chapters. I enjoyed the tales told by the main character of interactions with famous people throughout history. One last thought -- Although many people are telling their stories throughout this book, I had no trouble keeping them straight."
"Also, I'd like to say up front here that, "the start of this book was boring/confusing/you-have-to-read-past-100-pages", is a common theme, even among five star reviews. After he woke up, he almost immediately gave a description of himself by looking in a mirror--something I absolutely hate since I simply CANNOT connect with a character that way--and after that, the book launched into a literary ocean of frustration, confusion, and boredom. Seriously, I really do hate critical reviews, but at some point around page 60 all I wanted to do was start bashing my head against the wall. Honestly, how many times do you have to observe someone handing out charity money to understand that yes, obviously, he’s a good guy? I had no idea who was actually relevant to the story later on, and who was just a convenient prop for demonstrating bits of information or more of Will’s “character”. Off the top of my head I’d say like Angels and Demons, but that book had me hooked from the first chapter. This one only fed me vague hints about some mysterious darkness, in a manner that was prominent enough it was obvious I should care about said hints, but so vague and with so little information there is no way I could possibly know enough to feel genuinely disturbed as, yes, I so obviously should have. It was the fact that I was 83 pages in, and I still hadn’t been given a single legitimate reason why I should WANT to keep reading. I’m absolutely positive a lot of people will love this book, and that it will get its fair share of glowing reviews."
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Best Paranormal Suspense

Year One: Chronicles of the One, Book 1
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER. A stunning new novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts— Year One is an epic of hope and horror, chaos and magick, and a journey that will unite a desperate group of people to fight the battle of their lives… It began on New Year’s Eve. As word spreads that neither the immune nor the gifted are safe from the authorities who patrol the ravaged streets, and with nothing left to count on but each other, Lana and Max make their way out of a wrecked New York City. In a world of survivors where every stranger encountered could be either a savage or a savior, none of them knows exactly where they are heading, or why. ” -- New York Times Book Review. NORA ROBERTS is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 200 novels, including The Obsession, The Liar, The Collector, Whiskey Beach, and many more.
Reviews
"I love all of her trilogies, and I own every single book she's written to include the JD Robb In Death Series."
"Intense story with a very probable future earth."
"Once again Nora Roberts gives us characters that you can love and cheer for as well as ones to cheer against."
"Started a little slower for me than some it about 1\4 of the way through pulled me right in."
"Not what I expected as the story played out."
"I don't usually read Nora Roberts, but the theme of this book intrigued me."
"I've always loved Nora but this book was different, had an different feel, and I loved it!"
"I read when I am walking on the treadmill and 90 minutes passed before I knew it."
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Best Political Thrillers & Suspense

The Short Drop (The Gibson Vaughn Series Book 1)
A decade ago, fourteen-year-old Suzanne Lombard, the daughter of Benjamin Lombard—then a senator, now a powerful vice president running for the presidency—disappeared in the most sensational missing-person case in the nation’s history. “This live-wire debut begins with a promising lead in the long-ago disappearance of the vice president’s daughter, then doubles down with tangled conspiracies, duplicitous politicians, and a disgraced hacker hankering for redemption...Hang on and enjoy the ride.” — People. “Unbridled power and relentless revenge converge in the exciting, tightly plotted The Short Drop ...The multifaceted Gibson has the makings to support a long series.” —SouthFlorida.com.
Reviews
"That said, I did enjoy the second half of the book which did keep moving from beginning to end, holding my interest without my having to push myself to read it like I did for the first half of the book. So, when the central plot line in The Short Drop turned out to be the fact that a current Presidential candidate's 13 year old daughter had been kidnapped, I merely wrote that off as a coincidence."
"I’ve found that thrillers, particularly those with a political bent, can be a little light on character development and a little heavy on the unbelievable-and-over-the-top plots. The characters are well developed, complex and multi-faceted, flawed and susceptible to injury (both emotional and physical)."
"As an old retired IT guy it made sense to me where it needed to and was not written for the 17 year old."
"This book caught my attention from the sample on Kindle and held it through half a week while I told myself I had time of other already purchased books to read."
"His characters are beautifully developed and appropriately psychologically complex, so much so that the reader doesn't know who the "bad guy" is and might even fall in love with him or her in the meantime. 4.5 stars. Note: Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Thomas & Mercer, for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review."
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Best Psychological Fiction

I Am Watching You
Anna’s best friend, Sarah, hasn’t been telling the whole truth about what really happened that night—and her parents have been keeping secrets of their own. Someone knows where Anna is—and they’re not telling. Covering crime for so long, she watched and was deeply moved by all the ripples each case caused, and the haunting impact on the families, friends and witnesses involved.
Reviews
"However, when the author moved to subsequent chapters (everything else in third person), the phrases and partial sentences continued. The other stylistic device used over and over was the introduction of a secret at the end of almost every chapter. When the guilty person is finally revealed, it was difficult to believe that the police would have neglected to perform a full investigation (the author tells us at the end that police only did a “cursory” investigation on the person). I hesitate to say more as it would potentially become a spoiler, but for me, this became a fatal flaw and made the ending feel forced."
"This story follows the perspectives of Ella, Sarah, Anna's father, and a private investigator in the year following Anna's disappearance. Although not to this extreme, I think most people can relate to being in a position where you question whether or not to say something or stay quiet and mind your own business."
"Fast-moving plot full of unpredictable twists; flawed yet sympathetic characters; realistic dialog."
"Each chapter was a cliffhanger that carried into the next chapter."
"Many POTs."
"I really enjoyed this book."
"This book grabbed me and kept me up until 3am two nights in a row, guessing until the end."
"I found this story a bit slow at first and then the tempo just building and building until I couldn't put it down."
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Best Mysteries

The Midnight Line: A Jack Reacher Novel
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Lee Child returns with a gripping new powerhouse thriller featuring Jack Reacher, “one of this century’s most original, tantalizing pop-fiction heroes” ( The Washington Post ). Reacher takes a stroll through a small Wisconsin town and sees a class ring in a pawn shop window: West Point 2005. Reacher wonders what unlucky circumstance made her give up something she earned over four hard years. So begins a harrowing journey that takes Reacher through the upper Midwest, from a lowlife bar on the sad side of small town to a dirt-blown crossroads in the middle of nowhere, encountering bikers, cops, crooks, muscle, and a missing persons PI who wears a suit and a tie in the Wyoming wilderness. Powerful forces are guarding a vast criminal enterprise. Praise for The Midnight Line “Puts Reacher just where we want him.” — The. New York Times Book Review. “A gem.” — Chicago Tribune “A timely, suspenseful, morally complex thriller, one of the best I’ve read this year . Child weaves in a passionately told history of opioids in American life. I don’t know another author so skilled at making me turn the page, at putting me in the thick of it all.” — The Times “Reacher is the purest distillation of the white knight in contemporary mystery fiction. As always in a Child novel, pace is fast, twists and turns surprise, characters are well-developed, dialogue is exactly right, and the plot is very plausible. One of the best thrillers I’ve read this year.” — The Washington Post “Jack Reacher has become arguably the most iconic fictional hero we have.” — Men’s Health “Compelling and moving . bold and mysterious.” — Associated Press “This, Child’s twenty-second book in the series, has heart to spare, and it proves the franchise has plenty of gas left in its tank.” — Minneapolis Star-Tribune “Compulsively readable.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review) “[A] multifaceted novel about dealing with the unthinkable . It’s automatic: Reacher gets off a bus, and Child lands on the New York Times bestseller list.” — Booklist “The book is very smart . [and] suggests something that has not been visible in the series’ previous entries: a creeping sadness in Reacher’s wanderings that, set here among the vast and empty landscapes of Wyoming, resembles the peculiarly solitary loneliness of the classic American hero. “Child does a stellar job this time by not following his customary formula; his usually stoic hero who rarely displays softness and compassion is hit hard emotionally by this case.”’ — Library Journal (starred review). A native of England and a former television director, Child lives in New York City.
Reviews
"Even though the movie rights belong to Tom Cruise, Lee Child has no reason to reduce the size and presence of his star character. The longest journey begins with but a single step and Mr. Child takes his readers on what appears to be a simple quest to make things right. This novel is a perfect example of how someone's imagination has allowed them to create an interesting, insightful, and enjoyable read while informing us about two major problems affecting today's society. When you finish reading it, and I'll bet that you won't want it to end, the artistry with which Mr. Child tied all of his subplots together will be wonderfully apparent."
"Instead, Reacher, a former Army MP major, puts on his Military Police cap and does some serious sleuthing from the opening scene where he finds a West Point class ring in a pawn shot in Rapid City South Dakota to his search to find the rightful owner of the ring in Wyoming. He decides that maybe he can help the owner of the ring and immediately starts gathering clues to identify this fellow West Pointer. Of course, as the story develops, a simple lost and found case becomes dangerous as Reacher creates enemies in the oxycodone and fentanyl drug trafficking business. I am guessing some readers are going to be unhappy that there is less violent action in The Midnight Line than in a typical Reacher story. Update 2: I wrote this review two months ago and predicted this new Reacher novel would go right to the top of the best seller list, which is where it stands on this first day of publication."
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Best Thrillers

Blood on the Tracks (Sydney Rose Parnell Series Book 1)
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
"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."
"The story gives you the information about her past little by little, which made me love her character even more. I was pleasantly surprised when I finished the story and the second book popped up."
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Best Crime Fiction

Two Kinds of Truth (A Harry Bosch Novel)
A South Florida Sun-Sentinel Best Mystery of 2017. An Amazon Book of the Month Harry Bosch is back as a volunteer working cold cases for the San Fernando Police Department and is called out to a local drug store where a young pharmacist has been murdered. Meanwhile, an old case from Bosch's LAPD days comes back to haunt him when a long-imprisoned killer claims Harry framed him, and seems to have new evidence to prove it. "[Connelly's] immaculate plotting and gift for bringing procedural intricacies to life now seem as strong as ever...he writes the best detective novels around. "Harry Bosch is a one-of-a-kind hero who started out pretty wild when he returned from Vietnam to become a cop, but over the years he's developed into someone you want to ride with. "Connelly's immaculate plotting and gift for bringing procedural intricacies to life now seem as strong as ever...he writes the best detective novels around. "[Two Kinds of Truth] is a reflection of Connelly's talent that after 19 books chronicling Bosch's career, this iteration feels fresh and authentic. "Expertly juggling both plots, Connelly mines the double murder for fascinating and frightening details...Connelly remains atop a heap of contemporary crime writers thanks to his rare ability to combine master plotting and procedural detail with a literary novelist's feel for the inner lives of his or her characters.
Reviews
"Two Kinds of Truth is an outstanding addition to the fabulous Harry Bosch series. This mystery series is one of my very favorites; Connelly has managed to create an authentic, likeable main character in Harry Bosch and has successfully provided him with a career path that lends itself to interesting cases and story lines. In Two Kinds of Truth, Harry starts out revisiting a cold case for the San Fernando Police Department. The other part of Two Kinds of Truth that I loved was the resolution of the cold case Harry was pursuing. And the other, malleable truth of politicians, charlatans, corrupt lawyers, and their clients, bent and molded to serve whatever purpose is at hand.” As the mother of three children, I have had to spend an inordinate amount of time this past year making sure my kids understand how important the truth is and how important it is to refuse to accept those that attempt to corrupt truth."
"The plot moves along quickly and reveals details that the reader should pay attention to as Harry unravels the twists and turns."
"I should say that I liked the part of Bosch going undercover."
"I love Harry Bosch, feel like I personally know him, more so now with the Amazon Bosch series!"
"I was surprised to run in to the Lincoln Lawyer character, something I was familiar with from the movies."
"Excellent book but then anything from Michael Connelly always is a great read."
"Once again,Harry is involved in multiple mysteries but this time it will take his best as he is forced to defend his name in one case and go under cover as an addict in the other."
"Mystery, interesting characters, human emotions, all the elements needed to tell a good story."
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