The Seventh Sun (Dan Clifford #1) by Kent Lester

 Action-packed sci-fi thriller that screams for a film adaptation.

Read this if you are interested in emerging diseases, corporate greed, and global implications of new technologies.

When an acquaintance disappears while researching extinction events, prediction scientist Dan Clifford joins Rachel Sullivan, a marine biologist, as they race to prevent worldwide annihilation by primordial  substances found in the ultimate extremes of the ocean. 

I picked this up because I have an ARC of the second in the series on my TBR to review. So glad I did as it was rife with cutting edge and realistic science, had a fast pace, and packed with interesting characters. Can't wait to start the next installment.

This is the first of two in a series.

Genre - sci fi, thriller, science, disease

Look Both Ways by Linwood Barclay

 Fast-paced and totally entertaining, this thriller about organized, malevolent motors will have you devouring the pages.

It was supposed to be a day of crowning achievement for Sandra Montrose and her small public relations firm on Garrett Island. Months earlier, the islanders had agreed to accept and test the latest in autonomous driving vehicles known as the Arrival. Sandra has planned a celebration of success for the CEO  and her cohort to highlight and demonstrate the program vehicles to list of invited media. Almost immediately things go wrong. The autonomous vehicles are no longer taking orders from their passengers and have apparently collectively decided to take out all the humans. 

Even with the high body count and gory descriptions of vehicle malice, this was a fun read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I've long been a fan of Barclay and I like his writing style and his characters are always unique and a bit quirky. There's a lot more I could say about this book, but I do not want to spoil it for anyone. 

This is a standalone and not part of any series. I borrowed it from a friend.

Genre = thriller, suspense, scifi 

Three Widows (DI Lottie Parker #12) by Patricia Gibney

 Complex serial killer thriller will keep you guessing.

This twelfth book in one of my favorite detective series is longer and much more complicated than previous installments. Lots of characters to keep straight and a case that has more than the usual number of grisly murders. Lottie Parker and her colleagues are also experiencing some team infighting and drama that puts everyone at odds with others.

The Ragmullin team is investigating a series of disappearances with the beaten and mutilated bodies subsequently being found in unusual spots. It seems that the deaths are connected to a group of women who have come together to support each other after becoming widows. What secrets are they hiding that has made them a target for a deranged killer? 

I enjoyed this one but it is not one of my favorites in the series. Very convoluted motive for all the murders but the red herrings kept me trying to work out who was doing all the killing. I like the main character, Lottie, but her family annoys me and please -- let the woman bathe and eat once in awhile. It's past time for Lottie to get some happiness in her personal life as well.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for this e-book ARC to read and review. I can recommend the series and would also suggest anyone interested start from the beginning and read them in order. 

This is the 12th book in a series. Not a standalone.

Genre - mystery thriller, crime thriller, police procedural

The Guilty Girl (Detective Lottie Parker #11) by Patricia Gibney

 The eleventh in an excellent crime thriller series.

Detective Lottie Parker, a senior member of An Garda Siochana in Ragmullin (a fictional town in Ireland), has a very complicated case on her hands. A young teenage girl, Lucy McAllister, has been murdered in her home after throwing a huge unsupervised party. As the investigation begins, there is no shortage of suspects and a ton of evidence that just doesn’t make any sense. Lottie and her colleagues question all the party guests and find that there is much more going on but they can’t get answers — one girl claims she remembers nothing — was she drugged? Others claim they did not see or hear anything. Several attendees saw Lucy’s body and did not report it. What a mess. And then another young teen is found dead. Worst of all, it comes to light that Lottie’s own son, Sean, was also there that night. 

This was a fast read with many characters and a complex plot. I have always enjoyed this series, and indeed, is one of the few that I still keep up with as I like Lottie Parker. She’s a middle aged mom of three with a grandson and a crazy backstory full of all kinds of heartache and drama, but Lottie is sensible most of the time and doesn’t constantly put herself in jeopardy as she solves her cases. I like the setting and the Garda at the station have become like old friends. I will continue with the next installment.

This is the 11th in a series that should be read from the beginning, in order.

Genre - crime thriller, police procedural, Ireland, female detective

Night Shift (Jack and Laurie #13) by Robin Cook

 A fast paced medical thriller with a set of favorite characters.

Dr. Jack Stapleton and Dr. Laurie Montgomery are married with a couple of special needs kids. In addition, both are medical examiners for the state of New York, with Laurie being the chief. This long running series features the pair of doctors examining cases that are atypical and confusing. In this thirteenth installment, Jack is tasked with an autopsy that should be routine but that turns into so much more than he anticipated.  It seems there is a medical serial killer loose in the hospital and Jack is determined to find out who it is and stop them. 

I’ve read Robin Cook forever and that is saying something as I am well past middle age. I absolutely love a good medical thriller and this author usually comes through with a good case scenario that I can dissect and enjoy. Can I help it if at times I don’t want Jack and Laurie to be rescued by a last minute miracle — but sorry — they do always manage to figure out what is going on, identify the dastardly criminal, and save the day. I always love the forensic details and the medical stuff, the interesting characters, and the plots. 

Even if you haven’t kept up with the series, you can pick this one up and read as a standalone for the mystery and the intrigue alone. I do look forward to the next one by one of my favorite authors in this genre. 

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend. 

This is the 13th in a series that is best read in order but do what you want!

Genre - medical thriller (Robin Cook is a master)

Murder in an Irish Castle (Lady Eleanor Swift #12) by Verity Bright

 A perfect cozy mystery for the holidays.

I just really enjoy this series featuring Lady Eleanor Swift, her butler and partner in crime solving, Clifford, and her bulldog, Gladstone. This particular installment, the twelfth, is set in the tiny village of Derrydee in west Ireland. It’s Christmas, 1924, and Lady Swift has decided to visit a castle there that she has recently inherited. Along the snowy road right outside the estate, Ellie and Clifford nearly run over a body in the middle of the lane. They immediately obtain aid for the man, but he dies before they find out who he was and what he was doing way out there in the country. This is just the first of the mishaps, calamities, and dangerous situations that Ellie and Clifford will confront during their Christmas holiday in Derrydee. 

As always, the plot was well developed and it was extremely nice to get a conclusion that I’ve longed to see since I started the series. I always enjoy coming home to visit these characters and find them quite entertaining and often very funny. I like the writing style and all the period details so important in any historical fiction. This is definitely a good one to curl up with on a cold winter night.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend. This is one of the few series I still care to read and I can’t wait for #13.

This is #12 in a long running series that definitely should be read in order.

Genre - cozy mystery, historic circa 1920s