Thrillers Archives - Page 2 of 4

Morphing Into his Victims Thoughts and Becoming Their Worst Nightmare…”It”, by Stephen King

For anyone who is already fearful of clowns, author, Stephen King’s novel, It, will be a true reading and watching nightmare. King has an amazing talent for bringing out the very worst (or the best depending how you look at it) in his maniacal, extremely clever, wicked main characters. Such is the character in It, who is Pennywise, the evil clown, who can morph himself to fit his victims thoughts. Quite a nightmare for those who try to stop him.

The place is Derry, Maine, which seems to have a deep, dark hold on author King. Back in the day, there were seven teenagers who survived the attack of children by something that came up from the sewer to hideously murder children. It picked on those who had various types of negativity in their lives. The seven teens had abusive or ill- caring parents, poverty, illness, ethnicity, a stutter, obesity, and chronic short-sightedness. As adults, they vowed to return to their hometown to confront the evil without a name…….It.

The newer movies by screenwriter Gary Dauberman and Muschietti, splits the book into two parts. This gives more detail ad attention to the teenagers, then the same in adulthood. The movie works well because it takes time with the kids, showing their comradeship as much as their fears. It is recommended to read and watch Stephen King’s It in a well-lit environment.

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Not Even Children are Safe…”Jack & Jill”, by James Patterson

Jack and Jill, another in the Alex Cross series of detective mysteries by American author, James Patterson, is another nail biting novel depicting a complex search to find the perpetrators of various murders in the Washington, DC area. The most disturbing of them being the murder of a child……not even children are safe.

A Senator is found murdered and then, the unthinkable, a little girl is found murdered ad left in front of the elementary school where Alex Cross’s son attends. As Cross is feverishly trying to connect the dots to the murders, the killer, or killers, strike again. It seems that only Alex Cross has the skills to expose the killer, but will he figure it out in time?

In this, the author’s third novel about police detective and psychologist, Alex Cross, he presents a true roller coaster of a heart pounding, intense, jolting plot………giving credence to those who say that James Patterson is “the aster of the nonstop nightmare”.

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Skeletons of Scandal, Violence, and Murder in the Closet…”Crime Scene”: A Novel by, Jonathan Kellerman and Jesse Kellerman

The American team of father and son, Jonathan Kellerman and Jesse Kellerman have co-authored a page turning fictional novel entitled, Crime Scene: The Novel. A star athlete turned coroner’s investigator is drawn into a brutal, complicated murder. The novel is a true example of a psychological thriller at its best.

Clay Edison is the Kellerman’s main character, the coroner’s investigator whose normal job capacity entails determining natural causes or foul play in each body he examines. Figuring out motives and chasing down suspects is not a normal part of his job description. What should have been an open and shut case proves to be anything but that.

A loyal and defiant daughter of a dead professor convinces Clay to take a closer look at her father’s death. What appeared to be a nasty, fatal fall down the stairs turns out to be a grim and brutal murder. One key piece of information Clay finds is that a colleague of the professor had died in almost the same manner. The dead professor had many skeletons in his closet involving scandal, violence, and the murder of a coed.

The authors know they have a truly great work created when author, Stephen King says of the father and son writing team……… “Brilliant page turning fiction……..A rare collaboration where the sum is truly greater than the parts…….an extraordinary work of detection, suspense, and supernatural mystery”.

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Out For Revenge….”House of Spies”, by Daniel Silva

In quoting one reader………many thriller writers are writing about ISIS, but few grasp its history or even the fundamental nature of its barbarity. Instead, they plug into a cookie cutter plot and promote the result as something profound, when it is anything but……and worse are the authors who bash readers with their personal politics rather than being creative enough to give their characters life with actions that reveal what the author is “trying” to communicate. That quote, in this reader’s opinion, is such a fair and very impressive comment on the honesty and integrity written into the new book by author, Daniel Silva. As a continuation of his best seller of 2016, The Black Widow, his new offering, House of Spies continues the work of Gabriel Allon, who is out for revenge. He is dead set on hunting down a despicable, dangerous terrorist who goes by the name of Saladin.

Gabriel Allon has now assumed the position of chief of the Office, another term for Mossad, in Israel. Various other Silva characters have been brought back into House of Spies to help enrich and embolden the plot. As does usually happen, one loose end that is overlooked by the ISIS mastermind, gives Gabriel something to cling to as he begins to get closer to the world’s most dangerous terrorist.

Even after a long, successful string of novels, Silva still finds new ways to create surprises for his readers. One had assumed that once Gabriel Allon was said to have left field work, his importance might be insignificant. But with genius writing and character development, Gabriel will still carry the novels to come.
House of Spies “is just the type of relentless, high powered, headline – beating thriller that readers have come to expect from Daniel Silva, one of the truly great, must-read authors of his time.

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Place of Secrets, Mystery and Witchcraft…”Into the Water”, by Paula Hawkins

If reading a “sleep snatcher” mystery is your forte` then London born author Paula Hawkin’s book, Into the Water is perfect for your next read. Hawkin’s Girl on the Train was a mega hit both as a book and on film. She has a method of telling the story using many characters, each with their own issues, then weaving them all into the finished plot. She has also been given kudos for making each chapter brief, yet jam packed with pieces of the plot puzzle.

Nel Abbott had lived in Mill House by the river her entire life. “The Drowning Pool” as it was called since medieval times was just as much a part of her memory growing up as anything else. It was an intimidating place of secrets, mystery, and witchcraft. Nel had been so consumed with interest in the stories of “troublesome” women who had their lives taken in the Drowning Pool……..some walked in of their own choice, but others had “assistance”………. unsolicited assistance. It is suspected that Nel, a single mother of a teenager, had unwanted assistance in her death in the “Drowning Pool”. And with that, Into the Water takes the reader on an unsettling journey to find the truth.

Hawkin’s “delivers an urgent, twisting, deeply satisfying read that hinges on the deceptiveness of emotion and memory, as well as the devastating ways that the past can reach a long arm into the present”. You know what “they” say……..”Beware a calm surface……you never know what lies beneath”.

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Unfolding at A Frenetic Pace, Being Told in Two Tenses at Once…Past and Present…”The Black Book”, by James Patterson

It is quite a quandary when one is accused of murder and they cannot remember a single detail of the incident. And, that person was also caught up in the shooting and sustained near fatal injuries. Such is the premise of the story line in The Black Book by James Patterson. Author Patterson has been a very prolific mystery writer with several series over a period of several years. In this book, Billy Harney comes from a family of cops in Chicago, and has the ethic that he will do anything to excel at his job.

Avid readers have, at times, become disenchanted with Patterson’s work, claiming that he was basically just pumping out books for royalties and not giving much attention to the structure and intensity of the plot, as he did in Along Came a Spider, and Kiss the Girls. However, The Black Book seems to have revived their enthusiasm for Patterson’s work. Even Patterson himself admitted that The Black Book was his best work in years. The plot is said to unfold at a frenetic pace, being told in two tenses at once……past and present. Even the most adept fans thought they had figured out the end of the book, only to find that the actual ending was a complete surprise and was excellently delivered.

Most of the time, Patterson’s books are checked out of the library by many readers, because they do not feel the commercialized mysteries are worth buying. However, The Black Book has changed their minds….. they are just hoping they do not have to wait another several years for another block buster mystery. The Black Book left its readers wanting more.

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Dangerous Little Lies We Tell Ourselves Just to Survive…”Big Little Lies”, by Liane Moriarty

It seems like any other school fundraiser, but P&C Trivia Night at the local public school in Pirriwee ends with disaster. Author Moriarty is known for her knack for creating main characters who are so believable that any one of us could know them as a next door neighbor, or a friend at PTO.

Big Little Lies is a complicated, yet also simple, story of ordinary people who end up in an extraordinary situation. The reader knows that one character will not be living at the book’s end, but they have no clue as to which character, until the very end of the book. Will it be gregarious, passionate Madeline, who does not use her “filter” if confronting a foe, especially her ex-husband or his new, younger wife. Will it be Celeste, the town beauty who can stop small town traffic with her looks, and the sight of her two energetic twin boys. Or, will it be the young newcomer, Jane, who is a very young single mom, who the others have decided to mentor. The reader finds out after reading through the “brilliant take on ex-husbands, second wives, mothers and daughters, school booard scandal, and the dangerous little lies we tell ourselves just to survive”.

Moriarty writes books that keep the reader page turning into the wee hours of the morning, just too good to put down. The film adaptation, by David E. Kelley, tells the tale of three mothers of first graders, whose seemingly perfect lives unravel to show the truth…… even to the point of murder. The film stars Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, and Shailene Woodley.

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In the Midst of Thousands of Tourists, There is a Psychotic Mass Murderer on the Loose…”Cross the Line”, by James Patterson

In American author’s James Patterson’s 24th in the Alex Cross series, readers will not be disappointed! In his usual way of writing, Patterson incorporates headlines out of the current events happening today. The book takes place in Alex’s own city of Washington DC, where crowds and chaos reign. And in the midst of thousands of tourists, there is a psychotic mass murderer on the loose.

Alex gets a call about a driver being shot as he drives on Rock Creek Park. Just as Cross begins his interrogation with this new case, another call comes in that is hitting too close for comfort. The Washington chief of detectives, who happens to be Alex’s wife’s boss, has been murdered. He was also Alex’s former boss. The plot expands to include several suspects, two high profile cases, a panicked city, and their leader has been snuffed out, leaving chaos.

The differences in opinions on the cases cause great strain in the marriage of Alex and his wife Bree. She is in the middle of a catch 22 in trying to save her marriage while at the same time scrambling to stop the murderer from striking again. Another cog is thrown into the mix when an entire group of criminals are massacred in a warehouse that they were utilizing as a meth lab. The killer, who speeds around DC on a fast motorcycle has made himself the judge, jury, and executioner. Alex and Bree must out think the psycho before he includes them both in his evil plan.

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Perfect Storm of Greed and Corruption…”The Whistler”, by John Grisham

American author, John Grisham has sold over 300 million copies of his books since writing The Pelican Brief in 1992. His newest offering is The Whistler, which he calls a bit of a different style than he usually writes. He has enlisted the character of Lacy Stoltz, who is an investigator for the Florida Board on Judicial Conduct. She is a lawyer who responds to complaints about perceived dishonest judges. In being called upon to investigate a certain judge who has been accused of skimming millions from Indian owned and operated casinos, she quickly realizes that this particular investigation could prove to be very personally dangerous. But, she did not expect it to be deadly.

The 493 Indian casinos in the United States make more than any regular casino……..they gross more than $30 billion (from 2015 figures). And, they have different rules……they pay no taxes, and 90% of their money is in cash. Grisham saw this as a “perfect storm” of sorts for greed and corruption to surface. Since corruption, thrills, and suspense are sellers in novels, Grisham’s combination should be a winning combination for another award winning book. He has had 28 consecutive number one best sellers on the New York Times fiction bestseller list. His wife, Renee, convinced him to put a different spin on The Whistler. She told him, “to stop preaching, get off your soap box and just write a legal thriller”. So, that he did…….with none of the usual serious social injustices incorporated. In recent interviews, Grisham has hinted that there might be a Lacy Stoltz sequel or sequels.

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Almost More Than One Person Can Handle…”Escape Clause”, by John Sanford

Author John Sanford is best known for his fictional mystery series involving the Prey series and latest, the Virgil Flowers’ series. In his newest book, Virgil Flowers is faced with two so-called storm fronts that he must handle. In the one case, two very rare Amur tigers have gone missing, and the fear is that vicious poachers have stolen them to sell at a premium to unscrupulous people who in turn use the various dismembered body parts for traditional Chinese medicine. As if that was not enough, Virgil’s girlfriend, Frankie, has a sister named Sparkle who has brought immeasurable trouble to herself and in turn to Virgil and Frankie. Almost more than one person can handle……can Virgil do it?

As one reviewer puts it……”there is no shortage of action that includes plenty of blood, guts, gore and bawdy language”. Not a book for anyone other than adults. The conclusion of most who were given the chance to preview Escape Clause, gave it high praise and very highly recommended the read as well.

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