Latest Books: September 2010 Archives

In Tom Harper's The Lazarus Vault, deep in the heart of London, the Monsalvat Bank is small, secretive and fabulously wealthy. When Ellie Stanton, an impoverished graduate student, is unexpectedly invited to join the firm, the privileged world they offer looks too good to turn down.

But soon Ellie realises that her life belongs to her employers - and they're watching her every move. Buried in their medieval vaults lies a closely-guarded treasure of immeasurable power - one inextricably bound up with Ellie's own history.

Now Ellie's only hope is to unearth the secret hidden in the vault. But getting in is only the beginning...

'Ironclad narrative skills with some of the most elegantly understated writing in the field.' Barry Forshaw, Crime Time

'In the tradition of The Da Vinci Code, a page-turner of a novel. Like Dan Brown, Tom Harper knows how to ratchet up the tension.' Choice

Tom Harper is Chair of the UK Crime Writers' Association. He was born in Germany and studied history at Oxford University. He's written nine novels including Lost Temple and The Book of Secrets. He lives in York with his wife and two sons.

The Underbelly is a mystery novella by Gary Phillips in which a semi-homeless Vietnam vet named Magrady searches for a disabled friend who has disappeared from L.A.'s Skid Row. The flashback-prone protagonist must deal with the impact of gentrification; take-no-prisoners community organizers; an unflinching cop from his past in Vietnam; an elderly sexpot out for his bones; a lusted-after magical skull; chronic-lovin' knuckleheads; and the perils of chili cheese fries at midnight.

Combining action, humor and a gritty street level point-of-view, The Underbelly was originally written in serial form on www.fourstory.org but has been expanded upon and re-written for this hardcopy version.

"The Underbelly is a swift, hard punch to the gut. An attention getter and definitely meaningful. Phillips is a writer who can keep you nailed to the page." --Edgar winner John Lutz

"Honesty, distinctive characters, absurdity and good writing -- are here in Phillips's work." --The Washington Post

In addition to The Underbelly, Gary Phillips is the editor and contributor to the bestselling Orange County Noir anthology, and his short story, "Blazin' on Broadway," from Phoenix Noir, has been nominated for a Shamus by the Private Eye Writers of America.

In debut author Todd Ritter's Death Notice, a small-town police chief teams up with a state police detective and an obituary writer to stop a killer who is sending the local newspaper death notices of his victims -- before they're killed. For Chief Kat Campbell, the crimes threaten her town, her family and her very life. For State Police Lt. Nick Donnelly, the case changes everything he thought he knew about the criminal mind. And for obituary writer Henry Goll, the link between police and killer, it becomes clear that the last death notice he receives could be his own.

"Unusually interesting people encounter unusually ghastly murders in New Jersey journalist Ritter's engaging debut." -- Publishers Weekly

"DEATH NOTICE is a tense and twisty whodunnit from a fresh new voice in fiction." -- Lisa Unger, author of FRAGILE

"Ritter has conceived a mystery that will remain in your memory long after you finish the book. Just don't read it when you're alone." -- Linda Castillo, author of PRAY FOR SILENCE

Todd Ritter was born in rural Pennsylvania to a book-loving mother and a father who dabbled in taxidermy. With that upbringing, it is no surprise he is now a mystery writer. An editor and journalist for more than 15 years, Todd began his career as a film critic while attending Penn State University. Currently, he lives in suburban New Jersey, where he is hard at work on the next Kat Campbell mystery.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Lee Child follows the electrifying 61 Hours with his latest Reacher thriller, Worth Dying For--a story that hits the ground running and then accelerates all the way to a colossal showdown.

There's deadly trouble in the corn country of Nebraska . . . and Jack Reacher walks right into it. First he falls foul of the Duncans, a local clan that has terrified an entire county into submission. But it's the unsolved case of a missing child, already decades-old, that Reacher can't let go.
The Duncans want Reacher gone--and it's not just past secrets they're trying to hide. They're awaiting a secret shipment that's already late--and they have the kind of customers no one can afford to annoy. For as dangerous as the Duncans are, they're just the bottom of a criminal food chain stretching halfway around the world.

For Reacher, it would have made much more sense to keep on going, to put some distance between himself and the hard-core trouble that's bearing down on him.
For Reacher, that was also impossible.
 
Worth Dying For is the kind of explosive thriller only Lee Child could write and only Jack Reacher could survive--a heart-racing page-turner no suspense fan will want to miss.

"Jack Reacher is the coolest continuing series character now on offer."--Stephen King, in Entertainment Weekly

Lee Child is the author of thirteen Jack Reacher thrillers, including the New York Times bestsellers Persuader, The Enemy, One Shot, The Hard Way, and #1 bestsellers Bad Luck and Trouble and Nothing to Lose. His debut, Killing Floor, won both the Anthony and the Barry awards for Best First Mystery, and The Enemy won both the Barry and Nero awards for Best Novel. Foreign rights in the Jack Reacher series have sold in forty territories. All titles have been optioned for major motion pictures.

From bestselling, award-winning author, Thrillermaster, and "father of the modern action novel" David Morrell comes a brand new, never-before-published gripping international thriller -- exclusive to Amazon Kindle. Contains a special Afterword, and a photo insert displaying the knives of The Naked Edge.

Once they were boyhood best friends, playing in the woods near their homes, pretending to be soldiers surviving behind enemy lines. Grownup, they belonged to Delta Force and later worked as protectors for the world's best security company. Now their lives have taken drastically different paths, pitting them against one another, forcing them to play their boyhood game again, this time to learn who dies.

The survival of a great city hangs in the balance as two friends-turned-enemies hunt one another and discover that there's a line between predators and prey, a line that's called The Naked Edge. From Rambo-creator David Morrell, the father of the modern action novel, comes a gripping international thriller that you won't want to end.

David Morrell is the author of FIRST BLOOD, the award-winning novel in which Rambo was created. He holds a Ph.D. in American literature from the Pennsylvania State University and taught in the English department at the University of Iowa until he gave up his tenure to write full time. "The mild-mannered professor with the bloody-minded visions," as one reviewer described him, Morrell is the co-founder (with Gayle Lynds) of the International Thriller Writers organization. His numerous bestsellers include THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE ROSE (the basis for a top-rated NBC miniseries broadcast after the Super Bowl), THE FRATERNITY OF THE STONE, THE FIFTH PROFESSION, and EXTREME DENIAL (set in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he lives). He is also the author of THE SUCCESSFUL NOVELIST: A LIFETIME OF LESSONS ABOUT WRITING AND PUBLISHING. His latest is THE SPY WHO CAME FOR CHRISTMAS, a holiday action thriller. Please visit him at www.davidmorrell.net.

In Thrillermaster James Patterson's newest, Don't Blink, written with Howard Roughan, New York s Lombardo s Steak House is famous for three reasons the menu, the clientele, and now, the gruesome murder of an infamous mob lawyer. Effortlessly, the assassin slips through the police s fingers, and his absence sparks a blaze of accusations about who ordered the hit.

Seated at a nearby table, reporter Nick Daniels is conducting a once-in-a-lifetime interview with a legendary baseball bad boy. In the chaos, he accidentally captures a key piece of evidence that lands him in the middle of an all-out war between Italian and Russian mafia forces. NYPD captains, district attorneys, mayoral candidates, media kingpins, and one shockingly beautiful magazine editor are all pushing their own agendas on both sides of the law.

Back off or die is the clear message Nick receives as he investigates for a story of his own. Heedless, and perhaps in love with his beautiful editor, Nick endures humiliation, threats, violence, and worse in a thriller that overturns every expectation and finishes with the kind of flourish only James Patterson knows.

"Patterson's novels are sleek entertainment machines, the Porsches of commercial fiction, expertly engineered and lightning fast." -- Publishers Weekly

Not making any bones about his bid for success, James Patterson once declared he wanted to be known as the king of the page-turners. While that may seem like a pretty grand ambition, Patterson is as worthy of that title as any author working today.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Vince Flynn returns with yet another explosive thriller, American Assassin, introducing the young Mitch Rapp, as he takes on his first assignment.

Before he was considered a CIA superagent, before he was thought of as a terrorist's worst nightmare, and before he was both loathed and admired by the politicians on Capitol Hill, Mitch Rapp was a gifted college athlete without a care in the world . . . and then tragedy struck.

Two decades of cutthroat, partisan politics has left the CIA and the country in an increasingly vulnerable position. Cold War veteran and CIA Operations Director Thomas Stansfield knows he must prepare his people for the next war. The rise of Islamic terrorism is coming, and it needs to be met abroad before it reaches America's shores. Stansfield directs his protÉgÉe, Irene Kennedy, and his old Cold War colleague, Stan Hurley, to form a new group of clandestine operatives who will work outside the normal chain of command--men who do not exist.

What type of man is willing to kill for his country without putting on a uniform? Kennedy finds him in the wake of the Pan Am Lockerbie terrorist attack. Two-hundred and seventy souls perished that cold December night, and thousands of family and friends were left searching for comfort. Mitch Rapp was one of them, but he was not interested in comfort. He wanted retribution.

Six months of intense training has prepared him to bring the war to the enemy's doorstep, and he does so with brutal efficiency. Rapp starts in Istanbul, where he assassinates the Turkish arms dealer who sold the explosives used in the Pan Am attack. Rapp then moves onto Hamburg with his team and across Europe, leaving a trail of bodies. All roads lead to Beirut, though, and what Rapp doesn't know is that the enemy is aware of his existence and has prepared a trap. The hunter is about to become the hunted, and Rapp will need every ounce of skill and cunning if he is to survive the war-ravaged city and its various terrorist factions.

As action-packed, fast-paced, and brutally realistic as it gets, Flynn's latest page-turner shows readers how it all began. Behind the steely gaze of the nation's ultimate hero is a young man primed to become an American Assassin.

Vince Flynn is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of nine previous thrillers, including Consent to Kill, Act of Treason, and Protect and Defend. He lives in the Twin Cities with his wife and three children. Visit his website at www.vinceflynn.com

In Thrillermaster Ken Follett's highly anticipated new novel, Fall of Giants, thirteen-year-old Billy Williams enters a man's world in the Welsh mining pits...Gus Dewar, an American law student rejected in love, finds a surprising new career in Woodrow Wilson's White House...two orphaned Russian brothers, Grigori and Lev Peshkov, embark on radically different paths half a world apart when their plan to emigrate to America falls afoul of war, conscription, and revolution...Billy's sister, Ethel, a housekeeper for the aristocratic Fitzherberts, takes a fateful step above her station, while Lady Maud Fitzherbert herself crosses deep into forbidden territory when she falls in love with Walter von Ulrich, a spy at the German embassy in London...

These characters and many others find their lives inextricably entangled as, in a saga of unfolding drama and intriguing complexity, Fall of Giants moves seamlessly from Washington to St. Petersburg, from the dirt and danger of a coal mine to the glittering chandeliers of a palace, from the corridors of power to the bedrooms of the mighty. As always with Ken Follett, the historical background is brilliantly researched and rendered, the action fast-moving, the characters rich in nuance and emotion. It is destined to be a new classic.
In future volumes of The Century Trilogy, subsequent generations of the same families will travel through the great events of the rest of the twentieth century, changing themselves-and the century itself. With passion and the hand of a master, Follett brings us into a world we thought we knew, but now will never seem the same again.

"Follett takes you to a time long past with brio and razor-sharp storytelling. An epic tale in which you will lose yourself." -The Denver Post on World Without End

Ken Follett's World Without End was a global phenomenon, a work of grand historical sweep, beloved by millions of readers and acclaimed by critics as "well-researched, beautifully detailed [with] a terrifically compelling plot" (The Washington Post) and "wonderful history wrapped around a gripping story" (St. Louis Post- Dispatch)

Fall of Giants is his magnificent new historical epic. The first novel in The Century Trilogy, it follows the fates of five interrelated families-American, German, Russian, English, and Welsh-as they move through the world-shaking dramas of the First World War, the Russian Revolution, and the struggle for women's suffrage.

Known around the world for his string of smash-hit spy thrillers touched off by 1978's Eye of the Needle, Ken Follett's taut tales -- spiked with more than a dash of sex appeal -- have earned this author (and sometime blues guitarist) a reputation as a master of international intrigue.

In April Henry's newest, Girl, Stolen, while waiting in the car for her stepmother, 16-year-old Cheyenne is accidentally kidnapped by Griffin, a dropout who steals the family's Escalade. When he realizes Cheyenne is blind, Griffin plans on letting her go. Then his father finds out her family is rich. Even if Cheyenne's father pays a ransom, will they ever let her go?

"Henry spins a captivating tale that shifts between Cheyenne's and Griffin's thoughts. Both are well-built, complex characters, trapped in their own ways by life's circumstances, which--paired with a relentlessly fast pace--ensures a tense read." - Publisher's Weekly

"This can't-put-it-down crime thriller unfolds through the viewpoints of both victim and criminal. ... Constantly interesting and suspenseful." - Kirkus

April Henry is the author of mysteries and thrillers for adults and teens. Girl, Stolen is her 10th book.

    In Bob Doerr's latest, Loose Ends Kill, once again a call from an old friend draws Jim West into the middle of a murder investigation. This time the police believe they already have the murderer in jail - Jim's old friend. When Jim discovers that even his friend's lawyers believe he is quilty, he knows he will have to go it alone. In doing so, he soon attracts the ire of the police, the defence attorneys, and, eventually, the killer. A fast paced thriller to the end!

"Loose Ends Kill is a great read! Reminds me of a Mickey Spillane effort and Jim West could be the next Mike Hammer. Definitely a great book for the armchair crime fighters out there. Loose Ends Kill is a keeper! Jim West is going to be busy! You'll see him again - I look forward to his next book. This is "Real Life Stuff" and Bob Doerr's been there!" - J. Al Cannon Jr., Sheriff of Charleston County, SC.

"Doerr does it again! Loose Ends Kill is another fantastic Jim West novel! His personal experiences in law enforcement have shaped another gritty murder mystery that keeps you turning pages... from cover to cover... until you reach the exciting end!" - Mike Angley, award winning author of Child Finder and Child Finder Redemption

Bob Doerr graduated from the Air Force Academy and had a twenty eight year career in the Air Force. It was a life style that exposed him to the people and cultures of numerous countries in Asia, Europe and to most of these United States. Bob specialized in criminal investigations and counterintelligence gaining significant insight to the worlds of crime, espionage and terrorism. His field work brought him into close contact with the investigative agencies of many countries and with the FBI and CIA. This background has helped Bob develop the fictional plots and characters in his books. Bob is now a full time author, with two mystery/thrillers already published. His book Cold Winter's Kill was a finalist for the 2010 Eric Hoffer Award.

In Nancy J. Cohen's latest, Silver Seranade, ace pilot Jace Vernon is forced to flee his home world after being framed for murder. He seeks justice, but S.I.N. agent Silver Malloy gets in his way. The platinum-haired beauty counters his every move in the quest to clear his name. As he makes it his mission to break down her defenses, he doesn't count on the personal consequences of success.

Silver refuses to abort her deadly mission even if it means killing the one man Jace needs alive to prove his innocence. Her resolve wavers when Jace's charms melt the barriers around her heart. Can she help him win his case, even if it means betraying her family and ruining her career?

"From start to finish, Silver Serenade throws an action packed thrill ride. It's fun and adventurous, and left me begging for more!" 5 Siren Stones, Siren Book Reviews

"A fun, entertaining, out of this world read!" Cheryl's Book Nook

"This fantasy erotic romance has a strong, sexy hero and an even stronger, sexier heroine...Fans of Nathan Fillion and Firefly are sure to enjoy this futuristic romantic fantasy."
4 cups, Coffee Time Romance & More

"A fun romantic science fiction thriller." The Romantic Post

"Amazing heroine, sexy hero, lovable sub-characters...This is an exceptional, fast-paced, futuristic book that takes you to different worlds and introduces you to a whole new outlook on this genre of writing." Babes in Bookland

"Silver Serenade is strangely captivating and oddly intriguing in an exciting, first-rate way." 4.25 Shoes, Final Cut Editing

Nancy J. Cohen is a multi-published author who writes romance and mysteries. She began her career writing futuristic romances as Nancy Cane. Her first title, CIRCLE OF LIGHT, won the HOLT Medallion Award. After four books in this genre, she switched to mysteries to write the popular Bad Hair Day series featuring hairdresser Marla Shore, who solves crimes with wit and style under the sultry Florida sun. Several of these titles made the IMBA bestseller list. PERISH BY PEDICURE and KILLER KNOTS are the latest books in this humorous series. Active in the writing community and a featured speaker at libraries and conferences, Nancy is listed in Contemporary Authors, Poets & Writers, and Who's Who in U.S. Writers, Editors & Poets. Nancy's new release, SILVER SERENADE, is a sexy space adventure and her fifteenth title. 

In F. Paul Wilson's latest Repairman Jack novel, Fatal Error, Munir Habib's life has become a nightmare. His American wife and son have been taken hostage and he must perform cruel acts of self-debasement to keep them alive. His tormentor, who seems to want nothing more than to humiliate him, has warned him not to go to the police or his family will pay a terrible price. But a friend tells him of a guy who hires out to fix situations like this.

A guy known as Repairman Jack...

But is it just a kidnapping? Could it be related to a plot to bring down the Internet and bring an eternal shadow war to a head?

"One of the all-time great characters in one of the all-time great series." --Lee Child

"Repairman Jack is one of my favorite characters -- I'm full of happy anticipation every time I hold a new RJ novel in my hands." --Charlaine Harris, creator of True Blood

"F. Paul Wilson's Repairman Jack is a cultural icon. If you haven't crossed paths with him you're out of the loop. Get with the program." --David Morrell

"Repairman Jack is one of the greatest fictional characters created by any thriller writer in the past half century. If you haven't discovered him and his world yet, what a fabulous, extraordinary, and electric reading experience awaits you." --Douglas Preston

"I'm a Repairman Jack addict. Be warned: Read one book and you'll become one, too. If you've got an impossible problem to solve, he's the one guy you want in your corner: flawed, conflicted, and oh-so-wonderfully brutal. Each book is a sweet hit of pure adrenaline. Pick up a copy and get hooked today." --James Rollins

F. PAUL WILSON is a NY Times bestselling author who has won the Stoker, Inkpot, Porgie, and Prometheus Awards. His work spans science fiction, horror, adventure, medical thrillers, and virtually everything between. He has written for the stage, screen, and interactive media as well, and has been translated into 24 languages. His latest thrillers, GROUND ZERO and FATAL ERROR, star his urban mercenary, Repairman Jack. JACK: SECRET CIRCLES is the latest in a young-adult series starring a fourteen-year-old Jack. Paul resides at the Jersey Shore and can be found on the Web at www.repairmanjack.com.

In Graham Brown's newest, Black Sun, in the heart of the Amazon, NRI operative Danielle Laidlaw makes an incredible discovery: a translucent Mayan stone generating massive waves of energy while counting down toward the infamous apocalyptic date: December 21, 2012. And somewhere, there are three more just like it.

What power will be unleashed if all four stones come together? Who created them--and who has them now? Using a cryptic Mayan map and a prophecy that points to the end of the world, Danielle and her team race toward answers. But one staggering question remains: Were these artifacts meant to save us--or to destroy us once and for all?

"Sizzles with tension and twists." --Steve Berry, author of The Paris Vendetta, on Black Rain

"A terrific read . . . smart, intelligent, and poised to shake up the whole thriller community. I loved it." --Linwood Barclay, author of Never Look Away

"Armchair travel for the adrenaline set . . . Brown infuses nonstop action with spiritual, scientific, and ideological elements without ever pausing for breath." --Sophie Littlefield, author of A Bad Day for Sorry

Graham Brown went to college in Arizona, earning a degree in Aeronautical Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Arizona and went on to get a law degree from Arizona State College of Law in Tempe.

A former pilot and lawyer and later part of a start up health care firm, Graham decided he hadn't had enough different careers yet and decided to become a writer.

Now under contract for a third book with Random House, Graham currently resides with his wife in Tucson, AZ.

In Bonnie Hearn Hill's Gemini Night, third in the young adult Star Crossed series, high school junior Logan McRae wants to be the teen astrologer for CRUSH, the San Francisco-based magazine where she is an intern. All she has to do is figure out the astrological chart of one of the celebrity guests who will be attending the magazine's Halloween launch party. The mystery celebrity--a Gemini--is in trouble, and Logan must try to stop the costume party before it is too late.

A former newspaper editor, Bonnie Hearn Hill is the author of six thrillers for MIRA Books and numerous short stories and nonfiction articles/books. Aries Rising and Taurus Eyes also published this year with Running Press/Perseus Books.

In Next Time You See Me, the sequel to Katia Lief's You Are Next, it is three years after Karin Schaeffer's harrowing escape from the serial killer who took the lives of her husband and daughter, and Karin is married to her former partner Mac MacLeary. Just when their new life together has settled in, Mac vanishes, unearthing secrets and dangers that force Karin into a face-off with a deadly Mexican queenpin whose son has an agenda of his own.

"Mesmerizing." (Lisa Gardner)
"A new force to reckon with in...suspense." (Donna Anders)
"Suspense at a high level." (Midwest Book Review)
"Taut, clean storytelling." (Publishers Weekly)

The first thing I ever wrote that received any notice was a one page story for my third grade English teacher. I don't recall what the assignment was, but I somehow found myself writing about a woman at a dinner party who suddenly realizes her teeth are invisible. She sits there, wedged between two chattering guests, wondering how she will eat, how she will talk, and generally how she will get out of the situation without having to open her mouth and reveal her dilemma. My teacher showed the story to my parents with a note to this effect: Katia could be a writer.

What if her note had instead encouraged me to be a dentist?

But it didn't. And so here I am.