Review: One Second Away by Rick Mofina

One Second Away

by Rick Mofina

Release Date: April 28, 2026

2026 Doubleday Canada

Softcover ARC; 400 Pages

ISBN: 978-0385701983

ASIN: B0FJ7YXY96

Audiobook: B0FJBDDJGZ

Genre: Fiction / Thriller

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

3.75 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

One sunny day in California, Jessie is hugging her nine-year-old son, Dylan, goodbye at the airport. He's travelling by himself, all the way across the country, to visit his father, Jessie's soon-to-be ex-husband, and his grandparents. Several hours later, Jessie gets a frantic call from Dylan's grandmother in New York. Dylan is missing.

In a second, Jessie's world turns upside down. The AirTag she'd stuck in his backpack says he's still at LAX. The airline insists that he was picked up at JFK by an elderly couple claiming to be his grandparents—but Jessie's in-laws insist they haven't seen him. Dylan has disappeared into thin air.

At the same moment, miles away, in Toronto, a train operator loses control of a subway train, and the fiery crash injures dozens of passengers. Jessie doesn’t know it yet, but this crash is inextricably linked to Dylan's disappearance. She has to find out how—and where her son is.

 

My Thoughts

One Second Away is one of those books that I read with a lot of trepidation as it took several of my fears and put them into one book: one, the fear of losing a child; two, the fear of being in train/plane collision; and three, having no control over any of it. This author grabbed your attention with a train crash right at the beginning of the book and pretty much never let up on the tension from that point on. 

 

While I enjoyed this quite a bit, I did struggle with Jessie as a main character.  I could certainly forgive her abrasiveness when wanting to know more information from the police about her missing child, but it irks me to no end when a person thinks they have a right to know everything and even barges in on a scene that is being criminally investigated and could compromise evidence. This was Jessie. Don't be Jessie. While brilliant when it comes to computers (something I'll come back to in a moment), she was not very good with personal relationships. While I understood her being abrasive with the police as they thought she was a suspect, she was like that with her friends as well. And for such a brilliant computer coder/designer, she spent most of her time running around the country like a chicken with her head cut off rather than doing any of her brilliant computer stuff. I know she had a team to help her, but why wouldn't she help them too? Why wouldn't she at least try to take some of the information herself and try to figure it out? She kept hinting at how it could be personal, so why share everything she had with others when they may not be trustworthy? I just didn't get it. 

 

Where this book really shines however, is the plot. This is not a character-driven story by any means, so the fast, tension-filled plot redeems the lack of character development. This is one of those books I kept picturing as a movie as it moved pretty quickly and the tension never let up. And I kept thinking of the movie Speed, how fun it was, but how silly some of the scenes were because you had to suspend belief for a lot of the movie. This is exactly the way it was in this book. Great action scenes, but you just had to go with it. I didn't find it difficult to figure out the culprit(s) in this book, but as I mentioned the character development was one-dimensional, at best.

 

Verdict

One Second Away was a fun, propulsive thriller that was heavy on tension and plot, but light on character and character development. You had to suspend belief quite a few times and just go with it, but that was okay, although I am sure those with more technological know-how might have different thoughts about this. I liked how the author managed to pull all the threads together even if I thought the reason was flimsy in the end. If you like fast-paced thrillers, this one might be for you. 

 

Review: It Should Have Been You by Andrea Mara

It Should Have Been You

by Andrea Mara

Release Date: January 13, 2026

2026 Pamela Dorman Books

Softcover ARC; 384 Pages

ISBN: 978-0593832097

ASIN:  ‎ B0F4QBTJLN

Audiobook: B0F6PVJPHN

Genre: Fiction / Thriller

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

2 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

You press send and your message disappears. Full of secrets about your neighbors, it’s meant for your sister. But it doesn’t reach her – it goes to the entire local community WhatsApp group instead.

As rumor spreads like wildfire through the picture-perfect neighborhood, you convince yourself that people will move on, that this will quickly be forgotten. But then you receive the first death threat.

The next day, a woman has been murdered. And what’s even more chilling is that she had the same address as you – 26 Oakpark – but in a different part of town. Did the killer get the wrong house? It won’t be long before you find out…

 

My Thoughts

It Should Have Been You actually had an interesting premise. You type a really snarky message on WhatsApp intended only for your sisters to see and realize afterwards that you accidentally sent it to the entire group. By the time you realize, too many people have seen it and the word has spread. Logically, this can and does happen to people. I've even seen it at work when someone hits the 'reply all' button but really should have just hit the reply button to privately message someone.  Luckily, at work, it's just been funny and nothing serious, and you get the nice instructions on how to reply to people properly in your socials, but this one was quite serious.  And for the first hundred pages, I actually enjoyed the mess, the panic, the discussions, and other whatevers happening around the message despite the lack of character development. And the sloppiness of the execution of the story sort of fit along with what was happening in the story.  Then, the tone changed and I found myself starting to roll my eyes and descended into the pit called 'unbelievable' and to mimic some of the references thrown around in the book, came to a 'That's all folks!' ending for me. 

 

The story followed Susan and her family, but it was told mainly from Susan's POV. It didn't really matter whose POV as I didn't really connect with any of them as there was little in the way of character development. And I don't know if switching the POV helped the story or hindered it as the transitions between characters weren't smooth at all. It just made it difficult to emphasize with any of them.  And even if Susan was the MC, she was definitely whiny and annoying as she made mistake after mistake, not thinking anything through, and while I sympathize with the fact she had a baby four months ago, it got old blaming baby brain on every...single...thing...she...did...wrong. And what really rubbed me the wrong way, especially as a retired teacher, where were the consequences from her job? She was a teacher and saying what she did about a student, hell no.  The focus was on the family dynamics and how it exposed the sisters' lives, but it certainly goes much deeper than that.

 

So, this leads us into the execution of the story.  At first, it was interesting and somewhat compelling as I could imagine a scenario like that happening.  And while thrillers do tend to push the improbable, they still have to be believable, and unfortunately, there were too many things that you had to accept as the story went along.  When you start getting into hard-to-believe scenarios, the tension disappears and all you want to do at that point is finish the book, which is exactly what happened to me.  I mean, when you try to throw in too many things in a pot of stew, but don't actually know how to cook the stew, you get a mess. This analogy sums up the plot exactly in this book; too many things thrown in to mix up the plot and you've got a bit of a mess. 

 

Verdict

It Should Have Been You definitely had relevance to today's social media world and the SNAFU that can happen when you do something you shouldn't, but what really bugged me were the lack of consequences for everyone involved, including the 'friendship' that happened in the end. What? While I enjoyed the mess and the confusion and the panic that occurred when the message first went out, the lack of development in both the plot and the characters turned me right off the rest of the book.  I'm glad to see other people enjoyed this book, but I was not one of them.  

 

Review: The Last Orphan by Gregg Hurwitz

The Last Orphan (Orphan X, #8)

by Gregg Hurwitz

Release Date: February 14, 2023

2023 Minotaur Books

Audiobook & Ebook; 352 Pages & 11h32min

ISBN: 978-1250252326

ASIN: B09TYQVFJ5

Audiobook: B09YGFNHX1

Genre: Fiction / Thriller

Source: Copy from publisher

 

3.75 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

When Evan Smoak broke with an off-the-books assassin program for the government and went deep underground, he left with a lot of secrets in his head that the government would do anything to make sure never got out. Having eliminated most of the Orphans in the program, the government will stop at nothing to eliminate the threat they see in Evan. But Orphan X has always been several steps ahead of his pursuers. Until he makes one little mistake...

Now the President has him in her control and offers Evan a deal - eliminate a rich, powerful man she says is too dangerous to live and, in turn, she'll let Evan survive. But when Evan left the Program he swore to only use his skills against those who really deserve it. Now he has to decide what's more important - his principles or his life.

 

My Thoughts

The Last Orphan is the eighth book in the best-selling Orphan X series, and while this one was somewhat different from previous entries, I liked the change. And by different, I mean Evan was off his game just the slightest which made him question a lot of things in his life including his morals, his values, who he could trust, and what he wants from life.

One of the highlights for me has always been Evan’s personal evolution as he learns about the world and how to interact within it. This is especially interesting as he continues to navigate, and develop, his relationship with Joey as well as the newish people he has met over time. I was glad to see some previous characters included in this book and that Evan has kept in contact with them; this continues his character development and his learning process to develop friendships and not just use people for those situations in which he finds himself. While I was disappointed not to have too much of Mia and Peter in this installment, I did understand the reasons why.

The actual plot felt a little flat and tired, but I also felt like the author is taking this series in a new direction and this book is needed in order to do so. And by flat and tired, I am comparing it to previous books in this series so it was still quite good, with lots of action and all the usual stuff you would expect in an Orphan X novel.  When Evan was tasked with the job in this book by the president of the US, despite everything I learned about Evan, I still wasn’t sure what he would do when he eventually found his target.

Verdict
The Last Orphan had lots of twists and turns, and while not quite as good as previous novels in this series, it still delivered.  The characters are always complex, and you never know what is going to happen from one scene to the next.  I love listening to this series as the narrator, Scott Brick, is outstanding and really brings the story to life. While you could read this as a standalone, I do not recommend it as you will gain a better appreciation for Joey and Orphan V if you are familiar with the background stories.

 

Review: Danger Close by Cameron Curtis

Danger Close (Breed Thriller, #1)

by Cameron Curtis

Release Date: February 7, 2021 (Part of boxed set released February 23, 2025)

2025 Inkubator Books

Ebook Edition; 294 Pages 

ASBN: 979-8703664940

ASIN: B0DWFWZQFB

Audiobook: B09NCB5YBG

Genre: Fiction / Thriller

Source: Review copy from publisher 

 

4 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

Ex-Delta Force sniper Breed has spent most of his life at war and now he’s trying to make some time for peace. But when a veteran from his old unit is murdered in El Paso, Breed feels duty-bound to bring the killer to justice. A feeling that only grows stronger when his friend’s widow and son are also murdered.

As he uses all his specialist skills to uncover the truth, Breed finds himself working with some unlikely allies - a devious CIA operative, and a determined Latina reporter. Together, they uncover a conspiracy to launch a massive attack on US soil.

The terrorists are confident – they have powerful friends in the Mexican cartels and US law enforcement. But they have reckoned without one thing—Breed. 

 

My Thoughts

Danger Close is the first book in the Breed Thriller books and they really hit the ground running.  I thoroughly enjoy this book and liked the fact the story was a nice blend of action and plot whereby the action didn't really override the plot.  Sometimes the story can be so full of twists and turns and action that character development as well as plot development is left by the curbside, but I didn't feel this in this book.

 

Set in Texas and Juarez, the descriptions of the places made me feel like I was right there. With Juarez ripped apart by the drug cartels and Texas dealing with the fallout, it was the perfect setting for a crime dealing with sex traffiking as well as guns and drugs traffiking.  The action scenes are quite good and while this is not quite the death culling that I have read in some books, the casualties were still high. However, my heart nearly broke when Breed learns the personal story of one of the sex traffikers who escaped her situation and the horrible treatment she received. I mean, we are talking about children being kidnapped and forced into this situation.  While not as graphic as some I have read, sometimes leaving it to the imagination can be worse as my imagination can think up all sorts of horrible things without having the descriptions. The sense of danger hanging over Breeds' head the entire time was so visceral, I kept waiting for the metaphorical axe to fall every chapter.  I have to also say, the plot of this book actually made me cold considering how realistic it is in today's world. 

 

Breed is a great main character and I enjoyed learning about him throughout the book.  While the story is quite heavy on the action side, it does allow time for some character development and gives you some sense of Breeds's character.  While they are only glimpses, it has made me curious to learn more about him and what drove him to the Special Forces as well as what drives him now. I love the camaraderie that exists between Breed and his fellow ex-soldiers, and I understood the anger in him when one of them was shot down in cold blood.  I felt like the relationships were real.

 

Verdict

Danger Close was a really good first book in the Breed Thriller series. There are some trigger warnings to this book as it does contain discussions around sex traffiking, sexual abuse (towards minors as well), drugs, gun traffiking, and general violence and upheaval. It also contains themes about family, loyalty, friendship, secrets, trust, and betrayal.  Quite a bit to pack into a shorter book, but it works quite well. There were some twists and turns that I did not expect which is why I read the whole thing in one night as I couldn't put it down. Looking forward to the next book. 

 

 

Review: The Wickedest of Things by Russel Barrie

The Wickedest of Things

by Russel Barrie

Release Date: September 30, 2023

2023 Independently Published

Ebook Edition; 441 Pages

ISBN: 978-1739060718

ASIN: B0C71YFYHK

Genre: Fiction / Thriller

Source: Review copy from author

4.5 / 5 Stars

Summary

Reid Sheraton is a man in search of a challenge, designing games to keep his haunted mind busy to avoid his past. But when his company is bought by the Horizon Corporation, the mysterious Esin has other plans. At Horizon, the greatest event is their Labyrinth, a vast maze of puzzles and trials meant to test their people and push them beyond their limits. Esin wants to win, and in Reid she sees her chance.With that, the two are swept up in Horizon, a world of dazzling technology, corporate intrigue and a drive to change the world. But as the Labyrinth approaches, sinister things are in motion at Horizon. One man’s ruthless maneuvering corrupts their technology with a betrayal so deep nothing will be the same.As Reid, Esin and the players enter the Labyrinth, something will go murderously wrong…

 

My Thoughts

The Wickedest of Things was a really fun read, but it does have a somewhat slower build up so you can get to know the characters, the company, and some other important pieces of information that play a huge role later on in the story. It takes patience, but the payoff is worth it. The author's writing is so engaging though, that I didn't really mind. And to be honest, I needed some time to organize my thoughts around some of the concepts/themes in this book. 

It says a lot about an author's writing strength when my favourite character happens to be AI. ACESO was developed as a leading-edge medic, capable of withstanding bombs, artillery fire, and other such attacks in order to save people in very dangerous situations. She was compassionate and caring, and wanted to really learn how to interact with people. I absolutely fell in love with her character. So, when everything when bust, and I still felt so much compassion for this AI machine, I have to give credit to the author's writing skills. 

The character building is quite exceptional. While most of the book is from Reid's POV, the author doesn't neglect his secondary characters, so you really appreciate their strengths and weaknesses and root for them all. I especially developed a fondness for Aster, the engineer who created ACESO; he really showed strength when it was needed and was always there for his team mates. And even though Reid has an eidetic memory, it wasn't used to further along the story and get them out of difficult situations, but more as a personality trait, useful when needed, but not something used as a overused plot device, something for which I was grateful.  

While the plot did start off slowly, I still found it really interesting. The whole concept of AI and how it should be used came up constantly in this book, with the owner of the company having more a pacifist bent while one of his vps longed to take the company into a more offensive mode.  And there were some players willing to pay a lot of money for this developed technology. So when the vp decides to take matters into his own hands, things take a turn to the nasty side and this is where the book picked up and literally took off.  The whole point of this story was for the company to challenge this labyrinth again, something they do every year, and the prizes for the winning team are huge, including grant money for their departments. Made up of a series of locked-room puzzles, it's meant to challenge the players; it was the perfect scenario to unleash a devastating machine on the players and to see how everything would play out.  There were so many twists and turns, it left me dizzy. But I couldn't stop turning the pages and stayed up late to finish. 

And while the book was great, the ending...just ended. While there was a bit of a conclusion, and I wasn't disappointed with what happened, there were a lot of threads left dangling and I wanted to know what happened.

Verdict

The Wickedest of Things was both heartbreaking and visceral, flipping back and forth between aggressive behaviour and tenderness, showing the complexity of AI technology and what could happen when technology is capable of showing human understanding and empathy. It's both frightening and compulsive at the same time.  And while I love science-fiction, I am definitely not ready for this in my real world. Full of well-developed characters and a complex plot, I highly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in the complexities of artificial intelligence and what that could mean for humans.

 

Review: The Search Party by Hannah Richell

The Search Party

by Hannah Richell

Release Date: January 16, 2024

2024 Atria Books

Ebook ARC Edition; 352 Pages

ISBN: 978-1668036068

ASIN: B0C7RPDKZR

Audiobook: B0C7YZKPGS

Genre: Fiction / Suspense

Source: Review copy from publisher

3.5 / 5 Stars

Summary

Max and Annie Kingsley have left the London rat race with their twelve-year-old son to set up a glamping site in the wilds of Cornwall. Eager for a dry run ahead of their opening, they invite three old university friends and their families for a long-needed reunion. But the festivities soon go awry as tensions arise between the children (and subsequently their parents), explosive secrets come to light, and a sudden storm moves in, cutting them off from help as one in the group disappears.

My Thoughts

The Search Party is an atmospheric, destination thriller that was decent. A group of friends get together to check out a new glamping venture that is being started by one of the friends, and soon resentments, secrets, and tensions start to boil to the surface.  I always enjoy ''locked-room" types of thrillers and while in this one they all get stranded on a a bluff during a wild storm, it still has the same affect. You've got the missing person, the storm, the atmosphere, the secrets, the tension, the possible murder, being shut off from the outside world, and the investigation, all the elements of a good suspense novel.

The location itself was the best part of this book as I loved the atmosphere of the wilderness and the 'glamping'.  And I really enjoyed how so many elements of the landscape were revealed slowly to the reader in order to avoid giving away necessary plot points; and it would have been very easy to figure things out if the author had used more description. But you learned about the layout of the bluff along with the characters, something I thought was quite good.  This actually added to the atmosphere of the book as I never really knew what was going to be revealed about the land next. 

Unfortunately, the author didn't continue this type of writing with the characters although she did try. When you try too hard to make a character seem guilty or possibly dark, I don't think it necessarily works and in this one, it actually led me right to who it actually was quite early in the game.  It's not that I didn't enjoy the twists and turns the author employed, but I was able to see right through them.  I think it would have been better if other people had been targeted as well as it would have maybe made me think differently, especially when a certain comment was made with regards to Dominic. Now I am not giving anything away by revealing this, or who made the comment, but when that happened, I knew who it was.

One of the reasons I didn't give it a higher star rating had to do with certain treatment towards a younger character in this book. I get that the author was using the tactic to cause doubt in the reader, but the fact no one was more outraged over what happened bothered me. And why would you keep secrets about an adoption, especially in the circumstances in which Kip was raised? Weak plot point in my estimation and rubbed me the wrong way. For a group of friends who are supposed to be so close, it just didn't make sense.  

 

Verdict

The Search Party started off quite strongly, and the author is very skilled as a writer. I did like how the atmosphere of the setting was used to drive the story, but wish it was used a lot more than it was as it would have added more depth to the tension and secrets running through the group.  While the characters were interesting, they were definitely not original, and the use of one of them to propel the story bothered me a great deal.  Overall, the ending was satisfactory as all the loose ends were tied up, but I did think it was easy to figure out who the villain was in this story. I do recommend this book to anyone who likes these 'locked-room' type of thrillers. 

 

Review: Collateral Damage by J.A. Jance

Collateral Damage (Ali Reynolds, Book #17)

by J.A. Jance

Release Date: March 14, 2023

2023 Gallery Books

Kindle Edition; 320 Pages

ISBN: 978-1982189150

ASIN: B09JPKLGSY

Audiobook: B09KYKPLKH

Genre: Fiction / Thriller

Source: Review copy from publisher

2 / 5 Stars

Summary

After spending twenty years behind bars, Frank Muñoz, a disgraced former cop, is out on parole and focused on just one thing: revenge. 

For Ali Reynolds, the first Christmas without her father is riddled with grief and uncertainty. But when Stu Ramey barges into her home with grave news about a serious—and suspicious—accident on the highway to Phoenix involving B.’s car, things reach a breaking point.

At the hospital, a groggy, post-op B. insists that Ali take his place at a ransomware conference in London, as troubles brimming around High Noon come to light. But questions remain: Who would go to such lengths to cut the tech company from the picture? And what if Ali and the rest of the team are also in danger?

 

My Thoughts

Collateral Damage continues the long-running series featuring Ali Reynolds, and honestly, I was not a huge fan of this book.  While there was definitely an interesting story line buried somewhere in there, it got lost within the excessive amount of character description given for each character and I grew very frustrated with the reliance on Frigg to solve every problem.  And the dialogue was supposed to be witty, but I found it excessively wordy and annoying.  

 

Let's start with the large number of characters, shall we? Because the story swings across decades and states, there are a number of people involved of which to keep track. This is not inherently a problem except the author went to considerable pains to give the reader background information on each one of them, trying to draw sympathy for people who may have not made good choices in their lives as adults and are now living in difficult circumstances.  There is only so much of this you can take before you start rolling your eyes, wondering what exactly is the purpose here.  Honestly, if that was her point, going overboard like that, and leading the reader on in this way, is not necessarily the best way to about it. Subtlety works a lot better, in my opinion. And to make a character unpleasant without motivation also leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

The plot itself could have been great, but too many threads seemed to be flying all over the place with little explanation or follow-up.  There were leaks that were not resolved, threads that were never explained, and the reliance on Frigg to solve everything drove me nuts.  So, we've got this AI source, both inadmissible and unlikely to be caught, digging up information, while everyone else runs around on his instructions, conveniently overlooking some of the characters first introduced.  And there is a clear delineation between those who are compassionate and those who are not.  Personally, I like my stories, and my characters, to be somewhat more complicated than this.  

Verdict

Collateral Damage had a good premise, but got lost in too many story lines and characters. The plot itself seemed to be a jumble of threads whereby the author only connected the ones that were convenient, but overlooked some important details that made me roll my eyes.  I didn't feel any connection to the characters because the descriptions didn't allow me to, telling me they made poor choices as adults, rather than letting me feel how their choices affected them.  And for the love of everything, please get rid of the A.I. and the reliance on Frigg to solve anything the main characters can't do easily. If you want to try a book by this author, I recommend one from the Joanne Brady series before venturing into this series. 

 

Review: How I'll Kill You by Ren DeStefano

How I'll Kill You

by Ren DeStefano

Release Date: March 21, 2023

2023 Berkley

Kindle Edition; 352 Pages

ISBN: 978-0593438305

ASIN: B0B4R71G46

Audiobook: B0B622M43T

Genre: Fiction / Thriller

Source: Review copy from publisher

DNF

Summary

Sissy has an...interesting family. Always the careful one, always the cautious one, she has handled the cleanup while her serial killer sisters have carved a path of carnage across the US. Now, as they arrive in the Arizona heat, Sissy must step up and embrace the family pastime of making a man fall in love and then murdering him. Her first target? A young widower named Edison—and their mutual attraction is instant. While their relationship progresses, and most couples would be thinking about picking out china patterns and moving in together, Sissy’s family is reminding her to think about picking out burial sites and moving on. It becomes clear that the grave site she chooses will hide a body no matter what happens; but if she betrays her family, will it be hers?

 

My Thoughts

How I'll Kill You had an interesting premise and I was anticipating a wild ride. But that was nothing like the reality. Sigh! Unfortunately, I couldn't even make it halfway through this book.  By the time I called it quits, nothing had really happened and I was getting frustrated by the annoying dialogue and the lack of plot.  

 

At first, I thought I could just plow through this, but in reality, there were just too many plot holes for me to keep going.  The girls deliberately picked a small town to try to fit into, but that whole concept made me frustrate and I wondered if the author had ever lived in small town.  I have, and believe me, it is not easy to go unnoticed in such a place where everyone know everyone and their business.  You can't just walk into such a place and go "My Aunt Sophie who lived on such and such a street died and left me a fortune and we are trying to work out things with a lawyer", as everyone will know who Aunt Sophie is.  But that is exactly what happened in this book.  No one ever questioned Sissy's story.  Really? Not buying it. 

 

The biggest problem I had was developing sympathy for the characters.  I don't necessarily have to like them, but understanding why they do the things they do and what happened to them often develops sympathy even if you don't agree with their actions.  The way the story was told actually left me feeling detached and I wasn't feeling very empathetic towards any of them.  In fact, by the time I DNF the book, I was visualizing Aron Beauregard showing up and sending them to play in the town's Playground to finish them all off.  That's how annoyed I was.  

Verdict

How I'll Kill You didn't live up to the tension and suspense that was promised.  Unfortunately, the story is full of prose that meanders all over the place and characters that I didn't find that interesting or memorable, were actually kind of shallow and one-dimensional.  I did think the author had a great idea and would like to see what kind of work is produced in the future, but for me, this one ended up being more of a love story rather than a thriller, but one that was shallow and didn't really have any emotional depth.  I really tried to give this one a shot, but I just couldn't.

 

Review: Dark Horse by Gregg Hurwitz

Dark Horse (Orphan X, Book #7)

by Gregg Hurwitz

Release Date: February 8, 2022

2022 Minotaur Books

Kindle & Audiobook Editions; 432 Pages

ISBN: 978-1250252302

ASIN: B092T8LJLB

Audiobook: B094DPKFHX

Genre: Fiction / Thriller

Source: Review copy from publisher

4.25 / 5 Stars

Summary

Aragon Urrea is a kingpin of a major drug-dealing operation in South Texas. He's also the patron of the local area—supplying employment in legitimate operations, providing help to the helpless, rough justice to the downtrodden, and a future to a people normally with little hope. He's complicated—a not completely good man, who does bad things for often good reasons. However, for all his money and power, he is helpless when one of the most vicious cartels kidnaps his innocent eighteen year old daughter, spiriting her away into the armored complex that is their headquarters in Mexico. With no other way to rescue his daughter, he turns to The Nowhere Man.

Now not only must Evan figure out how to get into the impregnable fortress of a heavily armed, deeply paranoid cartel leader, but he must decide if he should help a very bad man—no matter how just the cause.

 

My Thoughts

Dark Horse is the next entry in the Orphan X series, and this is one of my favourites series out there. While not the most suspenseful book of the series, it is definitely a solid entry and a lot of fun to read. The story seemed to focus more on relationships and Evan's growing sense of how to fit into a world he knows little about, except as an assassin.  

 

Evan's character development has always been one of the strengths of this series.  Both he and Joey have come to a crossroads in their lives where they need to figure out who they are and who they wish to be as well as the people they want in their lives. Having lived a solitary life for so long, with few people he could trust, Evan is slowly learning about having fun and enjoying life.  Unfortunately, having been an assassin for so long, and having been involved in such a secret program, he has enemies all over the place, and in some pretty high government levels, enemies who do anything to see him dead. The author does a great job with Evan as he comes to terms with his more humane side and accepts that his lethal side will always be a part of him. 

Joey and Dog have been favourites of mine since they joined the Orphan X world a few books ago and I always look forward to their appearances.  It's hard to imagine comedic episodes in a thriller novel, but the author manages to do this very well in scenes involving Joey, Evan, and Dog, including some emotional ones. Who knew you could get emotional over a plant and some coloured rocks?  

This one has Evan helping a drug kingpin, one who daughter has been kidnapped by a rival drug cartel. This mission becomes quite complicated, and puts Evan into quite a moral dilemma as he has to decide to help a leader of a drug cartel with questionable morals.  I thought the author did a great job showing the human side of this world, something I didn't think was possible, demonstrating the shades of grey that exist in everyone's world. I even grew to like Aragon, which I never would have suspected.  But make no mistake, the author didn't shy away from the brutality either, especially when Evan infiltrated the Leones compound to rescue Aragon's daughter.  As always, the writing style was captivating, drawing me into the story, dark and quite intense.  While the beginning was a bit slower than usual, the last quarter of the book was intense and a bit brutal.  

 

Verdict

Dark Horse is a fun, action-packed book. There is quite a bit of soul-searching for Evan as he is trying to come to terms with his life as an assassin and his newish life as a regular person, someone who is trying to recognize that not everything is black or white.  I felt the author did a great job developing Evan's character and his interactions with the other characters was enjoyable.  While this one started out a bit slower than usual, it definitely ended quite differently and I couldn't put it down. I am looking forward to the next book in this series, The Last Orphan, which I have already received for review. An old nemesis is coming back into play and I can't wait!

 

Review: Sierra Six by Mark Greaney

Sierra Six (Gray Man, Book #11)

by Mark Greaney

Release Date: February 15, 2022

2022 Berkley

Kindle Editiion; 528 Pages

ISBN:978-0593098998

ASIN: B0951LWVM1

Audiobook: B09B46LBYT

Genre: Fiction / Thriller

Source: Review copy from publisher

4 / 5 Stars

Summary

Before he was the Gray Man, Court Gentry was Sierra Six, the junior member of a CIA action team.

In their first mission they took out a terrorist leader, but at a terrible price--the life of a woman Court cared for. Years have passed and now The Gray Man is on a simple mission when he sees a ghost: the long-dead terrorist, but he's remarkably energetic for a dead man.

A decade may have gone by but the Gray Man hasn't changed. He isn't one to leave a job unfinished or a blood debt unpaid.

 

 

My Thoughts

Sierra Six is the next entry in the Gray Man series and I really enjoyed this one, far more than the previous entry, probably because I finally got to learn more about Court Gentry's past and how he became involved in the program.  And while I have become disenchanted with dual story lines lately, this one worked rather well and was actually necessary in order to understand the present day circumstances in which Court finds himself implicated.  

 

While I don't think this was my favourite Gray Man novel at this point, it was still entertaining. As mentioned above, I do think the dual story line worked rather well, and I actually found the earlier one to be rather more interesting than the present-day one as I was fascinated by Court's learning process and his integration into the 'team'.  Both story lines also had really good action scenes where I was literally flipping the pages, detailed descriptions which made me feel like I was right in the midst of the action, and some good moments between the characters that actually became rather emotional, something that I find lacking in some thriller novels. And I am always happy to have Zach Hightower in any shape or form so it was fun to learn more about his and Court's early days and how they interacted.  I do wish the author would develop the female characters a bit more in his novels however; I think it's time for some bad-ass female characters to make an appearance who are not necessarily evil or sketchy.  And I do think it's time for Court to wrangle with Susanne Brewer; I've been looking forward to that book for a long time.

I have always enjoyed Court as a main character and over the course of the series, he has definitely grown a lot.  It was a lot of fun to learn more about his early days and some of the mistakes he made trying to fit in as a team member rather than work solo.  The author makes no punches when it comes to the fact that Court is guided by his own moral compass, and make his decisions because of that compass, having little to do with anyone else.  It is always interesting to see him flip at a moment's notice from this kind and attentive person to a killing machine with one goal in mind, his target, at a moment's notice, and I always look forward to those moments when it happens as the author is so skilled at doing it.  This is where Greaney is at his best, writing those action scenes where Court is hunting down and doing what he needs to do to get the job done.  

Verdict

Sierra Six is a solid entry in the Gray Man series. It's fast-paced, action-packed, and weaves Court's early days in to the present day rather seamlessly as it explores the effects of earlier missions on present-day activities.  While I do think some of it could have been edited for a tighter story, it was still a fun and interesting read, and I liked learning more about Court, what makes him who he is. I am definitely looking forward to the next book in this series, and recommend it to anyone interested in the thriller genre. 

 

 

Review: The Treadstone Transgression by Joshua Hood

The Treadstone Transgression (Treadstone, Book #3)

by Joshua Hood

Release Date: April 5, 2022

2022 G.P. Putnam's Sons

Kindle Edition; 375 Pages

ISBN: 978-0593419793

ASIN:B094GPDNVP

Audiobook: B097CDSPYD

Gnere: Fiction / Thriller

Source: Review copy from publisher

3.5 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

The most pressing issue on Adam Hayes' mind is planning his son's upcoming 5th birthday party. After years of operating in the world's most dangerous spots for Treadstone, he's ready to call it quits, but the feeling isn't mutual.

 

 Levi Shaw, Treadstone's director, calls Hayes back for one more mission. It's a walk in the park. You don't even have to go in with the strike team. I just need you to set up the safe house. You'll be home in time to pick up the birthday cake.

 

 But nothing is ever easy where Treadstone is concerned. When the mission is blown only Hayes is left alive, and everyone, it seems, is determined to correct that oversight.

 

My Thoughts

The Treadstone Transgression is the next entry in Robert Ludlum's Treadstone series featuring Adam Hayes, and while it was fast-paced and a lot of fun, I don't think it had quite the impact of the first two books.  This one has Adam in Haiti to extract a whistleblower, and naturally, not everything is at it seems and everything goes downhill for Adam the minutes he steps foot on Haitian soil.  There were a few things that did push the envelope and your belief system a bit too much in this one, and I think that's why I didn't quite enjoy it as much as the first two books.

 

First of all, Adam is a reluctant hero which is why I enjoy his character so much.  His only goal is to be reunited with his wife and child, but the powers-that-be in the government always seem to have other plans for Adam and push his aging body to the limits in one difficult assignment after another.  This fuels his anger so often his missions are full of angst as he drives himself to extremes in order to return home in one piece, both physically and mentally.  

 

For the most part, the story lines were believable, and although I appreciate the author trying to put a little of the Haitian culture into this book, some of it kind of pushed the limits.  With the masks? Yes, I get that as I know people who lived there, but would most people just stick around when bullets and guns are going off around them? I don't think there are too many places where bystanders would do that.  But I do think some of it was over the top which made it more of a struggle to read for me. 

 

I do think the plot was the weakest part of this book.  While the author's writing style is engaging and he definitely knows his way around technology and military terminology, I did feel like the some of the suspense that kept me flipping pages in the previous books was missing.  Maybe it was the over-the-top action that threw me out of the story or just some questionable actions, but something was lacking.  My sympathy for Adam did not lessen however, and I felt empathetic towards his situation and the people who keep using him to fight their battles, despite his insistence that he is through with Treadstone.  

 

Verdict

The Treadstone Transgression was not the strongest entry in this series, but it was still enjoyable.  The author is knowledgeable, and I was happy when I saw the action was to take place primarily in Haiti as I think the place's struggles need to be more highlighted, something this book definitely does.  However, the overall plot was a bit over the top for me, and while the action was fast-paced, you do have to suspend belief at times and just kind of go with it.  But I am not yet through with this series, and plan to read the next book (The Treadstone Rendition, March 7 2023) in this series as I am invested in Adam and his desire to be with his family.  

 

 

Review: Shadow Target by David Ricciardi

Shadow Target (Jake Keller, Book #4)

by David Ricciardi

Release Date:  June 15, 2021

2021 Berkley

Kindle Edition; 3223 Pages

ISBN: 978-1984804693

ASIN: B08KPCY9MC

Audiobook: B08KWLH4BX

Genre: Fiction / Thriller

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

4 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

When his small plane crashes in the Alps, Jake is the only survivor. A rescue helicopter soon arrives, but the men inside are not there to save anyone. They are determined to complete the murderous job they started.

 

Jake escapes from the mountainside deathtrap, but it won't be the only attempt on his life. If he's to have any chance at surviving, he'll have to find out who's behind the killings. But the circle of people Jake can trust is distressingly small as he suspects that someone inside the Agency is feeding his every move to the very people who are trying to end his life.

Jake's quest takes him to the candle-lit cathedrals of Paris and the rain-slicked streets of London. He makes contact with old friends and new enemies along the way—but his true nemesis may be closer than he imagines.

 

My Thoughts

Shadow Target is the next entry in the Jake Keller series, and I enjoyed it tremendously.  I find this series is deceptive in its storytelling as it seems simple in its concepts and in its story lines, but there is an underlying depth and deception that has been there since the first book and I am curious as to how it will all play out in the end.  If you've read the previous instalments, this one is a bit different, and although I was a bit skeptical at first about where it was headed, it soon picked up and I read the rest in one sitting.  

 

I enjoy Jake as a main character and this book really picked up on his character development as we learned a lot more about his past and how it has affected his present as well as his psychological state. There was a lot of introspection about his personal life and how so much was stolen from him because of previous situations and while I wasn't sure how to take all of this, it definitely worked in the end.  Seeing this side of Jake made you much more empathetic towards his character and some of the hard choices he has to make while doing his job and the impact those choices have on his psyche.  It was rather interesting.

 

One of the strengths of these books is Jake's willingness to work with other people and I always like it when previous characters show up in these books.  I think part of this is the author's way of showing that everyone needs to feel connected to someone else no matter the job they do and I found this kind of intriguing, this exploration of human connection and the toll the lack thereof can have on a human body.  Very subtle piece of writing, but it did make me think about a lot of things.

 

At first I wasn't sure about the plot as it didn't seem the same as in previous novels; it felt much more like a suspense novel with a huge mystery twist to it rather than a full-on thriller.  Despite Jake's having to avoid a few attempts on his life, the first half was more contemplative. But then, bang! It picks right back up, with a twist I should have expected but didn't (probably because I was paying too much attention to the relationship issues), and things were right back into what I would expect from this author and a thriller novel.  There was also a lot of subtle intrigue, some of it carrying over from previous books, ones that I don't know if a reader new to the series would pick up on unless familiar with the earlier books and the situations that created them, intrigues that will continue in future books.  

Verdict

Shadow Target is definitely one of my new favourite thriller series (right up there with the Orphan X books), and while this one started a bit differently than the previous instalments, it was still as strong as previous entries.  I like that the author can be versatile in his writing style and still write intricate plot twists and relatable characters.  While this could be read on its own, I do recommend reading them all in order to get a good understanding of the relationships and political goings-on that were only lightly explained  And while this book does have a satisfactory ending, there are some intrigues that will definitely be continuing in the next book and I can't wait to see how it all plays out. 

Review: The Kobalt Dossier by Eric Van Lustbader

The Kobalt Dossier (Evan Ryder, Book #2)

by Eric Van Lustbader

Release Date: June 1st 2021

2021 Forge Books

Kindle Edition; 352 Pages

ISBN: 978-1250751218

ASIN: B08GJQ12C9

Audiobook: B08H8VNH4R

Genre: Fiction / Thriller

Source: Review copy from publisher

3 / 5 Stars

Summary

After thwarting the violent, international, fascist syndicate known as Nemesis, Evan Ryder returns to Washington, D.C., to find her secret division of the DOD shut down and her deceased sister’s children missing. Now the target of a cabal of American billionaires who were among Nemesis’s supporters, Evan and her former boss, Ben Butler, must learn to work together as partners – and navigate their intricate past.

Their search will take them from Istanbul to Odessa to an ancient church deep within the Carpathian Mountains of Romania. And all along the way, an unimaginable enemy stalks in the shadows, an adversary whose secretive past will upend Evan’s entire world and everything she holds dear.

 

My Thoughts

The Kobalt Dossier is the second book in the Evan Ryder series, and while I enjoyed it, there was definitely much less suspense and edge-of-your-seat thrill to this instalment than in the previous one. This one focused quite a bit on Evan's family background and because of this, the thriller portion of the novel seemed to take a backseat and got lost in the background story line. This had a huge impact on the book as a whole as I felt like I was reading a book about relationships rather than a thriller novel.

Evan is one of those characters where is must be really difficult for an author to create as you want a reader to be empathetic towards them, but also make the reader realize they are cold-blooded assassins at the same time.  While the first book was able to achieve this balance, I don't think this book was able to do so as it went too far to the emotional side as Evan learned more about who were her parents and what happened to her as a child.  It's not that this information wasn't important, but it did take away from the overall impact of the novel and Evan did not seem like the same character from the first book.

Benjamin is still my favourite character and I was glad to see him out in the field in this one.  There was a bit of relationship-issue stuff I could have done away with, but for someone like him to survive in this world, he has to be a little bit bad-ass so it was nice to see that side of him.  I also like that he was not quite so trusting of the information that Evan received and questioned her sources all of the time.  Thank you Mr. Ben! You would think Evan would be more careful considering what happened in the first novel.

By the end of the book, I could see the manipulations of one of the characters to both Evan and Kobalt, but I still don't know why and for what purpose.  A lot of the book seemed to be set up to set the stage for the next book in the series as the author needed to set up Evan and other characters for something that is going to happen.  Unfortunately, this book felt more like a filler to me and was not as interesting, from a thriller point of view, as the first book.  I definitely liked the background information we learned about Evan and her family, but thought the actual action was boring.  I didn't buy into the reason for the kidnapping and I definitely did not buy into the conflict in this book as I thought it was silly and the explanation was both unbelievable and brushed over. Overall, the whole Kobalt story line frustrated me: I just can't buy into glossed over reasons for why people do things.  

 

That little twist at the end though, is interesting. Written in alternating POV, the chapters are short and you do have to pay attention to all the nuances, which I like. 

 

Verdict

The Kobalt Dossier focused quite a bit on Evan's background in order to set up the next book in this series.  And while the psychological part was intriguing and I liked learning more about Evan, unfortunately, doing this put a damper on the thriller portion of the novel which I didn't really find all that interesting nor believable.   However, a little twist in the ending makes me hopeful things will pick up quite a bit in the next book.  While you could read this one as a standalone, I do recommend you pick up the first book in the series to get some background information on our characters and what is happening. 

 

Review: Ocean Prey by John Sandford

Ocean Prey (Lucas Davenport, Book #31)

by John Sandford

Release Date: April 13, 2021

2021 G.P. Putnam's Sons

Kindle Edition; 431 Pages

ISBN: 978-0593087022

ASIN: B08DMVCQNL

Audiobook: B08L8F4B2J

Genre: Fiction / Thriller

Source: Review copy from publisher

3 / 5 Stars

Summary

An off-duty Coast Guardsman is fishing with his family in the Atlantic just off south Florida when he sees, and then calls in, some suspicious behavior in a nearby boat. It's a snazzy craft, slick and outfitted with extra horsepower, and is zipping along until it slows to pick up a surfaced diver . . . a diver who was apparently alone, without his own boat, in the middle of the ocean. None of it makes sense unless there's something hinky going on, and his hunch is proven correct when all three Guardsmen who come out to investigate are shot and killed.

They're federal officers killed on the job, which means the case is the FBI's turf. When the FBI's investigation stalls out, Lucas Davenport of the U.S. Marshals Service gets a call. The case turns even more lethal and Davenport needs to bring in every asset he can find, including a detective with a fundamentally criminal mind: Virgil Flowers.

 

My Thoughts

Ocean Prey is the next book in the Lucas Davenport series, and I was really excited to learn that Virgil Flowers would be featured in this book as well.  These two characters are so different on so many levels that having them work together is always a treat.  Unfortunately, it didn't quite work out that way as Virgil was paired with Rae, another US Marshall, and the two of them didn't really interact personally.  I'm not really sure what the author is planning in the future with his two lead characters, and I don't object to the two of these characters working together, but I think it will be interesting to see how he merges these two worlds.

 

I have always enjoyed both Lucas and Virgil as main characters, but I have to say that Lucas' character didn't quite ring true to me in this one.  If you are a long-time reader of this series, you will be familiar with what happened in the previous book so will understand what I am talking about. And some of Lucas' struggles should have continued into this book, but there was nothing about it in this book; and when something major did happen, you only get a backhanded report of how Lucas dealt with the situation.  And how Rae dealt with it as well.  This actually bothered me as I wanted to be much more empathetic after a shock like that than I was, and believe me, I was shocked and saddened by what happened.  But Lucas came back clinical and cold, which I get, but I would have liked to have seen some emotion, you know? 

Personally, I was a bit disappointed when I learned that Virgil and Lucas would not actually be working together, but would be working on the CASE together.  Again, I think the author is trying to merge the main characters into a single series, but it won't happen in a single book.  This didn't actually impact my overall rating for the book, it was just my own disappointment.  Lucas worked to basically keep Virgil and Rae alive while they went undercover.  Some of that usual banter you expect to see from Virgil is definitely present in some of his scenes, and I couldn't help but laugh out loud at some of the antics.  Gotta love Virgil!

The pace felt a bit off in this book compared to previous books.  I can't explain it unless you've read the previous books, but it just felt...fragmented.  The pace was fine, and I didn't mind the technical descriptions of the diving as I find the information quite interesting never having done a dive myself.  I'm not always crazy about how Lucas is used to come in and save the day as I feel this is getting to be an overused trope, especially when Lucas and Bob come in and find a clue so quickly, one that the FBI agents would have been capable of finding themselves.  It's just not that believable anymore. Plus, there were a few things that were a bit puzzling throughout the book, like the crime blokes not frisking RAe and Virgin on a regular basis to ensure their own safety, and one of the ringleaders developed this trust in Virgil for no reason that I could see.  It just didn't make sense.  These guys are long-time mafia ruffians; they wouldn't suddenly make mistakes like this.

Verdict

Ocean Prey was a bit of a disappointment for me, but there were some highlights as well.  Some of the comedic moments that I loved in earlier books did, at times, make an appearance, and I definitely admired the technical descriptions in this book.  The pace was a bit slow and bit disjointed as if the author couldn't quite figure what he wanted to do with his characters and his story, but while I was disappointed because it didn't feel up to his earlier efforts, it was still an okay book.  Would I read another book in this series? Yes, because I am curious as to what the author is planning with regards to Lucas and Virgil.  For new readers, I do recommend you start at the beginning as the earlier books are better, but you could read this one with no problem. 

 

Review: The Treadstone Exile by Joshua Hood

Robert Ludlum's The Treadstone Exile (Treadstone, Book #2)

by Joshua Hood 

Release Date: February 2nd 2021

2021 G.P. Putnam's Sons

Kindle Edition; 400 Pages

ISBN: 978-0525542629

ASIN: B08817JBNK

Genre: Fiction / Thriller

Source: Review copy from publisher

3.5 / 5 Stars

Summary

After the revival of Operation Treadstone, former agent Adam Hayes has retreated to Africa, determined to leave behind the black-ops CIA program behind for good. As a former Treadstone operative, Hayes knows just how destructive the program can be, as it turns government agents into nearly superhuman assassins. But his quiet life in Africa changes irrevocably, when, while attempting to complete a charitable mission in Burkina Faso, Hayes is attacked by extremists. Forced to make an unexpected landing, his plane is damaged and he is left in a hornet's nest of trouble.

In order to get back in the air, Hayes agrees to transport a passenger--Zoe Cabot, the daughter of a tech baron--to a small coastal city. But just after Hayes completes his flight, Zoe is kidnapped. During his search for Zoe, Hayes funs afoul of multiple enemies, including a rogue Treadstone operative, all of whom are searching for him--and for the information about a wire transfer of millions of dollars bound for the relief effort in Burkina Faso. In an action-packed, twisty showdown, Hayes must outrun the factions that are hunting him, and prevent the theft of the much-needed millions from one of Africa's poorest nations.

 

My Thoughts

The Treadstone Exile is the second book in the Treadstone series, and I enjoyed it quite a bit.  After the events of the previous book, Adam has been pretty much kicked out of the U.S. and has retreated to Africa, and when we meet him again, one of his first thoughts is that he is proud that he has not killed anyone in over five months.  This would not make sense unless you were familiar with the Treadstone universe and the intense training he received as an assassin while in the program, something he is trying really hard to leave behind him.   I found this thought intriguing, the inner monologue one of the things I enjoyed so much about the first book.

I enjoy Adam as a main character, and his inner monologue makes me smile a lot of the time as it's so sarcastic.  And while on the outside he presents as this tough assassin who is almost frightening in his invincibility, the inner monologue makes him human and empathetic, something I really appreciated.  He goes from killer machine to psychologically distressed throughout the book, but only the reader has full insight into this distress.  I also like how he doesn't just jump into the role of a killing machine, but tries really hard to avoid killing people if possible; it is rather refreshing to read a book that is not just multiple shoot-em-up scenes, although there were plenty of those too, just not necessarily caused by Adam. 

 

The other characters in the book weren't quite as developed as Adam. so I just had a passing interest in them, other than Shaw with whom I am rather intrigued.  There is a story there that is begging to be told, but I am not quite sure what it is.  

I also have to say that I love the descriptions of the various arsenal that was used this book as I have a very limited knowledge of guns and things that go boom.  And I am married to a guy who has served in the armed forces for thirty years, and have watched countless thrillers as well as read them.  Sorry, my eyes roll back into my head whenever hubby yells at the tv because there is no way that gun can be shot that way without kickback as I just don't care; it was all about the action for me.  However, when an author can explain things  in layman's terms so that I can picture it in my mind, I love it. 

The story itself was mostly written from Adam's POV, but there were times when the story was interrupted to show others POV, such as Shaw and Carpenter.  I didn't mind learning more about what was happening in Washington, but it did have a tendency to slow down the story, and it really gave away too much of the story, especially Carpenter's.  One of the advantages to a good thriller is not necessarily knowing who are the good and bad guys as well as having issues shrouded in grey.  When it's too much 'us against them', it can get a bit dreary.  

What the author has done though, it take a concept and twist it to make it his own, and it works.  The writing style works very well, and he has created a main character that is very likeable, but is still deadly, with plenty of action and intrigue.  I really feel like this book, and the previous one, have simply just laid the foundation for what should be some interesting times ahead for Adam and Shaw. 

 

Verdict

The Treadstone Exile was well-written, and the author's writing style definitely has a way of pulling you into the story.  I enjoyed Adam as a main character and thought he developed quite nicely, but didn't really feel much for the secondary characters, especially Zoe.  The plot was a bit disjointed at times, and I had to re-read sections because I thought I had missed something important.  Despite this, I am still looking forward to the next book in this series as the story was definitely set up with another one in mind.