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

Hunting Time (Colter Shaw #4) by Jeffery Deaver

 Fourth in series is action packed and full of clever twists and turns.

Colter Shaw, the son of survivalists, works as a reward seeker and goes where the money leads. This time, he’s hired to find Allison Parker, a brilliant nuclear engineer, and her daughter, Hannah. They are on the run from her abusive ex-husband, John Merritt, who’s just been released early from prison. Shaw runs into a situation almost immediately — it seems that there are two hitman who are also tracking Allison. 

This was well written and kept me entertained. I like the main character, Colter Shaw, who is enigmatic and competent while also often proving to be the romantic interest of at least one woman or two. The details about Colter’s childhood training up in the mountain wilderness with his family are also interesting and educational. I like the series and definitely will continue.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this ebook ARC to read, review, and recommend. 

This is part of a series that should be read in order

Genre - action packed mystery suspense thriller

Livid (Dr. Kay Scarpetta #26) by Patricia Cornwell

 Crime thriller series that continues its strong storyline and memorable characters.

I've read most all of the books featuring Dr. Kay Scarpetta, the medical examiner and forensic pathologist who has always intrigued me. The plots veered a bit off the rails for awhile, but now seem to be back on track as Scarpetta does her job and focuses on interesting cases. She's back in Virginia testifying at a murder trial in Old Town Alexandria when the sister of the judge is found dead in their old family home. Soon there's an alphabet soup of agencies probing the killing and suspicions indicate that the villain might be a terrorist with an agenda. The murder weapon is unusual...and very scary. 

Always enjoy reconnecting with Kay and her gang including husband, niece, sister, and long time partner and sidekick, Marino. The science and medical details always fascinate and keep me coming back time and again to each new installment. I really like the writing style and the wide range of topics covered.

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend.

This is the 26th in a long running series that should be read in order from the beginning.

Genre - mystery, crime thriller

Secrets of the Nile (Lady Emily Ashton #16) by Tasha Alexander

 An historical mystery set in parallel timelines -- 1904 and ancient Egypt circa 1500 BCE.

Lady Emily and her husband, Colin Hargreaves, are on a holiday to visit Lord Bertram Deeley and visit the ancient tombs and view the treasures of Egypt. Along with other family and friends, they join Lord Bertram at his residence in Luxor after cruising the Nile. On that very eve, after a magnificent meal at his home, Lord Bertram dies of cyanide poisoning. Which of those in attendance could have killed him and why. Everyone is a suspect.

In the alternate story line, a family of artisans tasked with decorating the Pharaoh's tomb experience personal betrayals. Some ancient sculptures belonging now to Lord Bertram prove to be a way to help Lady Emily connect the dots and solve the crime.

Although this is the 16th in a series that I have never read, I thoroughly enjoyed this. I love historical fiction and am particularly partial to ancient times and Egypt. I liked what I learned of the main character, Lady Emily, definitely a forward thinking woman of her time. Now I really want to go back and start this series with all of the previous installments read in order. I like a cozy mystery with period details and descriptions of everything from food to clothes to social mores. 

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read, review, and recommend this book. 

This is the 16th in a series that I should have read from the beginning but this worked OK as a standalone though I definitely want more backstory.

Genre  -- historical mystery, Egypt

The Butcher and the Wren by Alaina Urguhart

 Short but intense first installment of a serial killer thriller mystery.

Dr. Wren Muller is a forensic pathologist working for the Medical Examiner's office in Louisiana. The city is plagued with a psycho murderer who is leaving some grisly scenes for the local police. The many victims have been tortured in ways that seem like medical experimentation gone wrong. Soon it is obvious to Wren that she has met the killer before. 

This was narrated from two points of view - that of the criminal and that of Wren. The story was fast and there was not much depth or history given of the main characters. The writing was a little stilted and the author had several phrases that became repetitive, especially when characters were snickering, snarling, or sniggering -- seemed really out of place. Not a fan of the writing and the ending was incomplete and abrupt thus paving the way for the next installment. Not sure if I will read it or not. The plot is predictable and there was no huge tension or suspense so I doubt I will bother as the conclusion seems obvious. Nothing new here.

Not really recommending. 

This is the first in a series.

Genre - serial killer thriller, crime

The Prisoner by B.A. Paris

 Convoluted psychological thriller that is much too improbable to be believable.

The narrative starts from the point of view of a young woman held captive in a pitch black room. Her husband is in another area of the same house and a ransom has been sent to his wealthy father. Amelie and Ned Hawthorpe have been kidnapped. By whom and why? Sure, their marriage was unusual and recent events have brought things to a breaking point, but things are just not making any sense.

Ah, why do I get sucked in to opening books like this. It was almost painful to read because the whole premise was so implausible and the plot went from one preposterous event to another. The characters were stereotypical and predictable. I did not care for any of them and, no matter how much I was meant to like Amelie, she got on my last nerve. I actually considered marking it DNF at about 25% but I forced myself to go on. I hoped that the story would eventually come together and make sense. Disappointed to report that even after all the revelations, it just required way too much of a buy in that I was not willing to afford. Also, I do not like reading about people held in captivity and the long, drawn out details about where they are being held and the conditions and how they search for escape, etc. The rags to riches bit I also could have done without. Too much in this tale was contrived and I can't recommend it. I will be taking a pass on future work by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this e-book ARC to read and review.

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.

Genre - psychological thriller

The Other Side of Night by Adam Hamdy

 A mystery with philosophical and psychological aspects that intrigue and linger.

A very unique novel that introduces the reader to interesting characters who dominate the story. There's Harriet Kealty, a disgraced and fired police officer, who finds a cryptic note inside a book that leads her to initiate a personal investigation that has mind blowing consequences. Harri is surprised when her sleuthing brings her to Ben Elmys, a man she had fallen for and been dumped by, only to discover that he is now the guardian of a boy related to the person who wrote that note. Intrigue and suspense as Harri tries to figure out what is really going on.

The story was interesting as I kept trying to guess and speculate what was really going on. Although slow at times and occasionally a bit confusing, I can't say more due to spoilers and it's best the reader know as little as possible to appreciate the twist advertised although I am sure some will see it coming. I am not a poetry person so those snippets did not appeal. There's lots of foreshadowing and hinting about further action in the narrative that I found tedious, and it took me much longer than usual to read, but I was entertained. Far-fetched? Yeah. Overly sentimental? Yeah. But I am sure the whole of it will appeal to many readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this e-book ARC to read and review 

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.

Genre - mystery, thriller, science fiction

The Maze (John Corey #8) by Nelson DeMille

 Convoluted thriller involving former NYPD Detective John Corey.

After leaving his previous job as a Federal Agent, John is recovering in Long Island when he is asked by a former lover, Detective Beth Penrose, to help her out with an investigation. John is hired by a local security company and infiltrates their organization trying to get to the bottom of a series of murders in the area. 

I was quite disappointed with this book and it took me forever to read. I did not like the cocky jerk of a main character who is sexist in the extreme and thinks quite highly of himself and his abilities. For the longest time, I wasn't even sure what the story was about as it was slow going and boring. The rest of the characters in the book were total stereotypes. The action (in the maze), when it came, went on and on and ended exactly as expected. I can't think of any reason to recommend this one but I would guess that the serious Corey fans will check it out. The plot went nowhere for ages until something finally happened. I did not enjoy Corey's interactions with the other people in the book and I won't be reading another in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for this e=book ARC to read and review. 

This is the 8th book in a long series.

Genre - crime thriller

Next of Kin by Kia Abdullah

 Oh my my.... what did I just read? Review follows now that my heart rate has returned to normal. This book delivered quite the visceral punch.

On a hot morning in London, Leila Syed agrees to help out her desperate brother-in-law by picking up 3-year-old Max and taking him to nursery. Unfortunately, Max doesn't make it to school. Leila has forgotten that he was strapped in the back seat and Max is found dead, inside the vehicle, in the parking lot of her office building several hours later. What happens next?

The book is divided into 3 different parts and focuses on the crime, the trial, and the aftermath. It is quite gripping and tense though the characters were so unlikable that I was sometimes unable to elicit any empathy for them. I was so torn in my emotions as various details were revealed and the narrative really kept me guessing.

What a great story as long as you can suspend disbelief and go with all the twists and turns. It's definitely more a domestic drama than a legal thriller as, even though I know next to nothing about the British legal system, I think the courtroom scenes were unrealistic. Something that was totally missing was extended interaction between Leila and her attorney. There was no trial prep and it all just seemed that was not the focus of the book. But, whoa, the drama!  

In any event, I enjoyed this one and have also really liked two other books I've read by this author. She has a knack of finding some very timely issues and writing great stories about them. I definitely feel that this novel will invite some lively discussion about several different aspects of the legal case and the nature of family and female ambition. The less you know going into the book, the better.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend. I am looking forward to the author's next book.

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.

Genre - marketed as legal thriller but really more of a domestic drama

Murder on Board (Kitty Underhay #10) by Helena Dixon

 A lovely return to familiar characters in this delightful cozy mystery.

It's always nice to go visit those you have come to know in the book world. The setting and the people are like old friends and reading another installment in a series feels like you're taking a vacation. I've enjoyed every episode featuring Kitty Underhay and all of the interesting cases and mysteries that she becomes involved with along with her beau.

This time, Kitty is trying to get a party organized for a friend of her grandmother. The festivities are going along just fine until a murder occurs on board a steamer river cruise that was engaged for dining and a birthday celebration. In addition, an extremely valuable necklace disappears from around the neck of the birthday girl when the lights dim for the cake presentation. Kitty and Matthew are obliged to help with the investigation and are surprised at some connections and discoveries that bring them up against an old nemesis.

I'm looking forward to another in this series as I always enjoy spending time in the 1930s with these characters. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC and I definitely recommend to that anyone who enjoys a good comforting and predictable cozy.

This is #10 in a long running and fun series that should be started at beginning.

Genre - cozy mystery, 1930s, Torbay, Dartmouth, Devon UK

The Iceman's Curse by Gary F. Jones

 Quirky characters and lots of action make this medical thriller an entertaining read.

A crazy luggage mix-up at the airport during a blizzard leaves Professor Louis Antoine, from Zurich,  stranded in Kirby, Wisconsin, and a pair of drug mules hot on his tracks. The situation becomes even more fraught when the Swiss prof realizes that the samples taken from a 1200 year old corpse that his team found in the Alps, and that he was bringing illegally for a colleague, are missing. Even more scary -- apparently those samples are infected with a virus that could result in some serious medical issues in the USA. The CDC sends their best woman for the job of containing and tracing this virus before it becomes an epidemic but way too many people could already be exposed.

This was fun and fast and I enjoyed it though it was predictable and there was far too much time spent with Frank on the run instead of on the actual medical situation with the virus. I liked the author's humor and his writing style, and will be looking for future books. The way it was written reminded me of the style of Carl Hiaasen and several passages were laugh out loud clever. I was just wishing for a lot more of the medical aspect instead of the focus on the criminals or the pop-up romance. I would say more drama than thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley and BQB Publishing for this e-book ARC to read and review. 

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.

Genre - medical drama, virus, romance

Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan

 I can't recommend this novel that is only marginally related to the description and synopsis given by the publisher. I almost stopped reading when the big shocker appeared at the 45% mark and I realized exactly what this whole book was going to be about.

Basically -- a lecture on every contemporary and controversial subject as the authors flex their virtue, tolerance, and understanding. You name it, this book has it: race, color, politics, the justice system, gender and sexuality, transgender, women's rights, spousal abuse, etc. If you like being told what to think and how to think, this is one for you.  It's not that I agree or disagree with the authors, mind, it's that every single concept of diversity is all mashed up in this singular story. I wish that I could just read a great plot with characters I could imagine all on my own without the author describing things in such detail as often much of that has nothing to do with the actual point of the novel. Perhaps I am an outlier, but I am tired of books trying to push a social agenda, and I should have known better than to pick up this one as JP has often been a miss for me because she does it all the time. Sometimes those twists that get tossed in her books are just too much for me to tolerate.

Despite how much I disliked the main narrative, the reason I gave the book two stars is because of the information about the bees. Now, that I found interesting. I like books with legal and courtroom drama, and I like a story with a medical slant, but some of that was quite obviously creative license. Anyway, I'm done and I think I can pass on any future books without FOMO.

I would love to discuss this book with others, especially the fact that there is some discussion about whether or not someone should reveal the fact that they are transgender. For real? Anyway, I see mixed reviews for this book and glad that people feel comfortable sharing their opinions. Others have written their thoughts much better than I can, but I don't recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this e-book ARC to read and review.

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.

Genre - contemporary fiction

Suspect (Kindle County #12) by Scott Turow

 Legal drama and high stakes investigation into a scandal involving a police chief.

Lucia Gomez has just been forced to a hearing because 3 male police officers have accused her of forcing them to have intimate relations in order to be promoted within the Highland Isle PD. Her friend, attorney Rik Dudek, is helping her navigate the federal grand jury investigation and Chief Gomez is insistent that these fake allegations are hiding part of a bigger issue within the community. Clarice "Pinky" Granum (granddaughter of Sandy Stern to those familiar with this series) is a bit of an outlier but she is working with Rik as they build a defense and response to the situation facing Chief Gomez. But, the accusations against the Chief are just the tip of an iceberg that is meant to cover up much more serious criminal activities.

I do not remember having ever read a book by this author before, and certainly none of the Kindle Country series, so I had no preconceived notions going in and it seemed to work fine as a standalone. I enjoy good legal drama and this case was complicated with lots of interesting details and side schemes that gave the whole plot a lot more substance. I enjoyed the writing style and the characters who were quite contemporary and diverse. It did seem to be a little bit too long and slow moving at different points along the way, but the narrative flowed well and came to quite an abrupt conclusion that left some questions. I may check out a follow up to this one if only to find my answers if they will be forthcoming in another novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this e-book ARC to read and review. 

This is part of a long running series and was the first one I had read.

Genre - legal thriller, drama, private investigator

Sometimes People Die by Simon Stephenson

 Slow burner of a medical thriller and mystery that asks some tough questions.

An unnamed Scottish doctor finds work at St. Luke's Hospital in east London. He's having a rough go as he is on probation after being suspended for his opioid addiction and theft of drugs. His daily efforts as a hospitalist are largely unrewarded as the sick get sicker and there's never enough money to help everyone. His small group of colleagues is made aware that something more sinister may actually be going on -- someone seems to be murdering the patients.

As much as I really wanted to like this novel, I found it hard to connect with the narrator because, not only was he unnamed, he was a drug addict unwilling to do the work to overcome his situation and largely not paying attention to most of what was going on around him. At times the story line seemed to skip and jump and go off on tangents that really slowed down the forward momentum of the doctor's search for the truth of what happened at St. Luke's. It was interesting, but also the fact that it was set in the 1999 kind of lessened my interest as well as that was a very long time ago. I found this sad and frustrating for the most part and the conclusion was very unsatisfying.

I love a good medical thriller and a complex plot with multidimensional characters and lots of interesting facts and details. This one fell a little short of being all that for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hanover Square Press for this e-book ARC to read and review. 

This is a standalone and is not part of a series.

Genre - medical mystery and thriller

Fatal Rounds by Carrie Rubin

 A drama with a medical setting that uses a boxing metaphor.

Liz Larkin is determined to prove that a respected trauma surgeon is intent on doing her harm. She selects the hospital he works at to do her internship and immediately begins her campaign to find out what he's done. Her backstory of a history of mental health issues makes her a very unreliable narrator. I hoped, however, that this was going to make the story unique.

As everyone around her is convinced that Liz is losing it and having some kind of delusional break from reality with her accusations and suspicions, she continues on her mission. When everything ends up exactly as I worried it would, I was extremely disappointed and let down. I didn't like Liz and the whole plot required more suspension of disbelief than I can manage. I was looking for a medical thriller and this was not it. The most interesting aspects of the narrative were the actual details about pathology and disease. I can't recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Indigo Dot Press for this e-book ARC to read and review.

This may be the first in a new series that I won't be continuing.

Genre - drama