Tag: thriller

Posted on

#BookReview: Witness Protection by Robert Whitlow

Strong Christian Fiction Law-Based Thriller From A Long Time Master. For those who are unaware that this is a Christian Fiction book even though Robert Whitlow has spent this Millennium building a career as a Christian Fiction author and even though the description explicitly mentions “faith” or “redemption” in three of five paragraphs… yes, this is an explicitly Christian Fiction book that is going to have people praying and talking about Jesus as much and as explicitly as a jalapeno (or maybe even habanero) level “spicy romance” has sex scenes. (Ok, so with the level that praying in particular happens, it is definitely more akin to a habanero or maybe even Carolina Reaper level spicy romance with their sex scenes.) If you have a problem with that… this won’t be the book for you. Just skip it and leave Whitlow and his fans in peace.

For those that can at least tolerate this level of Christian living in your legal suspense thrillers… this is a remarkably well done book. One where while it can seem a touch slow at times, these slow periods are all about deepening the characters in some way, either enhancing their internal conflict or allowing them to grow in some manner. And yes, between this deep growth and the suspense plot these characters find themselves in, it is almost remarkable that Whitlow was able to constrain himself to *just* 450 ish pages. While some could probably argue to cut at least 10-20 pages here, others could argue that at least that many pages could have been *added* and felt quite well placed in certain areas of the book.

This is also a very *Southern* book, and it actually respects and shows Southern culture quite well, yes, including how race relations down here actually work for the vast majority of us. As a native Georgian (though from the Appalachian Foothills region of the State hundreds of miles away from the Coastal areas shown here) now living in Jacksonville, FL (actually not that far at all from Brunswick, GA, where this book takes place), I can even note that the language used here isn’t that far off – if off at all – from language I would personally use or at *worst* hear from those I either know personally or pass by in the communities I’ve lived in all over the region, from some of its largest cities (Atlanta, Jacksonville) to some of its smallest communities (that barely have a single stop sign, much less stop light). Also, while in this section discussing the Southern nature of this book, allow me to add that I *love* that the cover of this book is an edited version of an actual photograph of the port area at Brunswick with its Sidney Lanier Bridge in the background.

For what it is though, this book really and truly is quite possibly Whitlow at his absolute best, which is saying quite a bit. Fans of Christian and/ or Southern Fiction will deeply enjoy this tale, and those at least open to such a tale will most likely enjoy it a fair amount as well. Though again I ask that if you have some personal bias against either Christian or Southern themes, please do both Whitlow and yourself a favor and just pass this one by. Find my reviews wherever you see this one, and I guarantee you I’ve written a review for a book more in line with your preferences, whatever they may be.

For those who do read this book though, please write your own review and post it wherever you found this one. I’d love to see your thoughts – even if they are diametrically opposed to my own.

Very much recommended.

This review of Witness Protection by Robert Whitlow was originally published on May 8, 2026.

Posted on

#BookReview: Paradox by Douglas Preston and Aletheia Preston

Solid Near Stand-Alone Sequel Will Be Divisive. This is one of those books where a co-author was added… and makes an immediate and obvious impact. How you like that impact will likely depend on your own politics and worldview. Making one character from the previous book explicitly LGBT in this book – when this character’s sexuality was never discussed in the previous book at all – is a choice. As is adding in a nonbinary character, introducing them with pronouns, and then explicitly saying of an older character that this older character “needed to get it together”. Allegations that this book curses more than the prior book, as some 1 and 2 star reviews make, are unfounded, however, as Extinction (Book 1 of this series) actually has *more* uses of “fuck” or its derivatives than this book does, per searching the text of both books.

Then there is the religious side. The description of the book mentioning “relics” in connection to “Christendom” makes it clear that this book will have something to do with the Catholic Church. What it doesn’t prepare you for is how much of the darker aspects of the Church this book portrays. Again, some will enjoy this, others will want to defenestrate the book over it.

Divisiveness aside though, and read more as a standalone in-universe sequel with the barest of connections to the first book, for what it is this book is actually a solid mystery that eventually veers into the scifi, with action more a secondary concern and only in small doses. Nowhere near the intense action sequences of the previous book in this series, but also not really that far from Douglas’ earlier work in the Pendergast tales in particular. If anything, Pendergast fans will find a fair amount of that series’ obsession with the grotesque also makes a heavy appearance here.

And then the epilogue. Without saying *too* much, let’s just say that Douglas’ Author Note at the end reveals the title for Book 3, and that title for Book 3 combined with this tale and its epilogue? Don’t let the divisive nature of the co-author’s additions to the story here make you miss out on either story. This one was solid and interesting. The next one promises to be explosive.

Overall a solid tale that continues its series in unexpected yet interesting directions, one that will be divisive for many reasons both earned and unearned, yet ultimately one that does its primary job well in setting up the *next* book.

Very much recommended.

This review of Paradox by Douglas Preston and Aletheia Preston was originally written on May 6, 2026.

Posted on

#BookReview: A Cruise To Die For by Heather Graham

Solid Cruise Mystery In Vein Of Doctor Odyssey. When Doctor Odyssey was cancelled around this time last year after barely one singular season, I was bummed. Yes, as an experienced cruiser with 25 cruises and approaching 200 days at sea, I can tell you without hesitation at all that that tale was *not* “realistic”. IT WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO BE! It is FICTION, and it tells an excellent tale in an exotic and exciting setting!

So very many of the 1* and 2* complaints about this book decry its “lack of realism”, and I’m here to tell you: OF COURSE IT ISN’T FUCKING REAL, IT IS FUCKING FICTION! But enjoyed in the vein of Doctor Odyssey (which, I supposed, not enough people enjoyed to begin with), this is really a fun mystery tale set on a cruise ship. Come for the mystery and action and you won’t be disappointed at all. There is a lot here, and it actually works quite well in some remarkably plausible ways that those “it wasn’t real enough” morons completely missed out on, including some explorations of extreme high tech in a few different areas. Indeed, while certain elements weren’t real *AT ALL*, others were very nearly *spot fucking on*, almost getting into “Tom Clancy spends a dozen pages on the first nanoseconds of a nuclear explosion” level actual technical precision.

Is this the *best* cruise tale I’ve ever read? No. Does it work for what it is without pretense or claims of being the best? Absolutely. With its release timed well in mid-spring, this is one of those tales that will really work the “vacation” / “beach” read scene quite well, particularly for those who enjoy mysteries with a touch of romance. Even though I personally define a “vacation” or “beach” read as anything you happen to be reading while on a vacation and/ or at a beach. 😉

Spice level wise, *maybe* jalapeno level? There is “more than kissing” happening, and more than once, but it isn’t anywhere near erotica level. More clothes flying and then fade to black level. Cussing, I’m pretty sure I’ve dropped more fucks in this review than exist in the book, and I honestly don’t even remember any shits or damns. Not that I’m an expert in remembering this, as I use these words like chefs use salt – because I’m a programmer by day and we cuss *more* than sailors – but truly, nothing stood out as particularly gratuitous at bare minimum.

Overall a fun book that did exactly what it set out to do and nothing more, and one that will work perfectly for those looking for an engaging read, particularly in the summer/ on vacation/ at a beach… or on a cruise. 😉

Very much recommended.

This review of A Cruise To Die For by Heather Graham was originally written on April 27, 2026.

Posted on

#BookReview: Venom by Michael McBride

Scifi Horror Action The Way It Is Supposed To Be. If you like your action tales with a tinge of horror, or perhaps your horror tales with a lot of action in them, this is going to be a book – and a series – that you need to check out. Following on from the fallout of Spores, Book 1 of this series (so read it first!), the survivors of that tale quickly find themselves involved in another similar event – this time half a world away, in the jungles of Sierra Leone.

This book has so much going on. New leaders trying to find their place in an existing organization. So. Many. Bullets. Flying. A few key – and spectacular – explosions. A chilling and disturbing mystery just on the edge of science fiction – plausible enough to imagine it being science fact. An unstoppable enemy hoard. So. Much. Gore.

I’m not exactly one to ask about coarse language and shit, as I am a programmer and thus (according to a college professor that said this in my presence nearly three decades ago now) cuss *worse* than a sailor, but I don’t remember anything overly bad. If you’re one that can’t stand a single instance of the word shit, well, you’ve already stopped reading this review anyway. But seriously, that and maybe a fuck here or there are about as bad as it gets – and I don’t even remember any of those really.

For the sex scene crowd, no matter the direction you prefer… yeah, *some* action tales have those scenes… this one does not. This is all about the horror and action and the only thing that goes away from that really at all is the element of the new leaders adapting to their roles.

Overall truly a great tale of its type, one that is both very fun and very horrific at the same time… and one that sets up at least one other tale in this world rather well.

Very much recommended.

This review of Venom by Michael McBride was originally written on April 24, 2026.

Posted on

#BookReview: Stolen Grace by B.R. Spangler

Dark, Disturbing Spinoff Starter With Meat. In a first in my experience with Spangler, this is a book where there is a lot of interesting theological discussion *just* below the surface of this tale – hidden enough so that you can enjoy the actual story as told without diving too deep, but also obvious enough that it is fairly easy to follow Spangler’s thinking for anyone who chooses to do so. That is the “meat” here – there really is a lot to ponder, and at least through certain sections of the tale, Spangler really makes you wrestle with a big theological word you rarely see outside of church… if you choose to do so.

If you don’t want to wrestle with your theological outlook, this is still, on a more surface level, a dark and disturbing thriller from a guy that is known for his dark and disturbing thrillers in his Detective Casey White series (where this spins off from, but which is only tangentially referenced – a few times -in this text). Yet as dark as some of the books in the other series got – and they got *dark* at times – this one somehow manages to go *even more dark*, to damn near approaching vantablack levels. Perhaps saved from being *that* dark more by the ages of the child victims here at least primarily being teenagers rather than even younger.

There is a *lot* here that won’t be for the squeamish at all. Saw level gory murders, shown after the fact. An act that was at least somewhat more common – at least in news reports – about 60 yrs ago or so in a specific context (but this is about as close as I can get without going more full spoiler). Fade to black #MeToo level stuff. Oh, and the entire premise of this story being based on at least one version of Christianity – the “prayer card” from the description – though I’ll refrain from elaborating on which one. Suffice it to say that it too has been in the news over the years, but that actually doesn’t reveal much, if anything. 😉 Point being, if you’re one that for whatever reason cannot/ willnot read any books with any mention of any aspect of Christianity at all… this book may not be for you. On the flip side, that prayer card was a clue to a murder in the description, so that too points in a direction where if you’re one that can’t read any book where that direction may be in play… also may not be the book for you.

But for fans of truly *dark* thrillers… yeah, again, you really don’t get much darker than some of the shit that happens in this book. So for that crowd in particular, y’all are going to LOVE this.

Also, Spangler’s fans who have been reading the Casey White books for years… as I mentioned earlier, this is very much in that same general mindset, and in fact is really close to being effectively a way to start over in that series without actually starting over or resetting anything. Truly a nice and interesting pivot of focus that allows for a lot more stories within the same overall world.

Ultimately, again, this book will NOT be for everyone. But for those who can at minimum tolerate this kind of tale, it is a really strong one. Either way, it does an excellent job of introducing us to this particular character and her world, and yes, it sets up Book 2 (apparently scheduled for roughly six months after the publication of this book) rather explosively.

Very much recommended.

This review of Stolen Grace by B.R. Spangler was originally written on April 21, 2026.

Posted on

#BookReview: Hollywood Payback by Jon Lindstrom

Hollywood Hope. This one is very different from Lindstrom’s debut, actually corrects some mistakes it made (somewhat), and even manages to land haymakers even Stephen King couldn’t land quite so well… while directly calling out King. Yes, Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption is called out a few times in this tale, and yes, the tale largely follows a similar path to a point… and yet Lindstrom really does take that framework and make it his own in a tale as old as Hollywood itself.

At its heart is a guy who went to Hollywood as a typical midwestern guy looking to make it as a star… who then encountered Hollywood as it actually is, up to an including a #MeToo level scene (that is brief yet present) before falling to its also far too real underbelly (or so I’ve been told – I’ve never been further west than Phoenix, AZ, and I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve so much as crossed the Mississippi River). This section is mostly told in flashbacks to his days before prison even as our main narrative starts as he is being released from prison, and in both sides we get an emotional, heartfelt look at both sides of that inflection point, one with a lot more heart than Lindstrom’s debut… yet also with a fair amount of action.

The action at hand is both of the Carolina Reaper level (if brief, but fairly explicit) on the one hand in the before-prison scenes (along with some perhaps more jalapeno level spice in the post-prison timeline) and of the Without Remorse sheer bloody brutality level in several scenes deep into the text.

It is within the Without Remorse type sections that we get into where Lindstrom made some improvements from Hollywood Hustle… and still shows areas he still needs to clean up. One scene in particular describes suppressed gunshots as Hollywood almost always does… which particularly in that exact situation is very nearly as far from the truth as possible. Yet later in the text, Lindstrom accurately has a character say the reality of what suppressors actually do… before showing them again being used in a more Hollywood fashion. But it is within that last part in particular that Lindstrom really shows his improvements with guns, as he specifically names – and accurately describes – a particular $1,300 ish exotic-ish shotgun and exactly how to actually use this exact model. That he then employs it with such mastery and beauty is just… chef’s kiss. Truly. Though those with low tolerances for gore are going to want to self sensor the movie running in your head in this bit! (But the Without Remorse references in this review should have warned you of that already. 😉 )

Overall this was a really solid mix of emotional depth and excellent action that really any reader will likely find at least something to enjoy about this book, particularly when you add in the free-roaming Los Angeles vibe where not many areas of the city are left unexplored in some manner.

Very much recommended.

This review of Hollywood Payback by Jon Lindstrom was originally written on April 20, 2026.

Posted on

#BookReview: The Ozark Howler by David Wood

Solid Creepy Creature Feature Thrills. If you’re a Creature Feature kind of person, or perhaps an XFiles or Buffy the Vampire Slayer or similar type show fan, you’re going to love this book. Yes, it is deep in the Dane Maddock Universe, but Wood is generally careful these days of not adding in *too* much to any given story that you need to know about beforehand, and here it basically amounts to one or two characters from other books directly showing up + a few references to the immediately prior book where Maddock himself updates his relationship status. Spoilers for those books, but mild. If you’re really particular, always start at Book 1 of a given series anyway, or perhaps in the case of this sprawling universe, start from Original Publication Date and read through the series that way.

But for old and new fans alike, this particular entry really is classic Maddock and Bonebrake. Two long time buddies getting wrapped up in yet another Indiana Jones type investigation, this time more on the cryptid/ creature side with some historical/ archeological connections rather than the more pure historical side ala the prior book, March 2026’s Kingdom Of Pirates (the one that sets up the references here to Maddock’s relationship status). The creature at hand is one of the creepiest and most terrifying of the series to date, and in fact there are certain scenes that those of the more faint of heart may want to skim through a bit. For everyone else though, they’re the exact type of gory, gritty creature feature adventure/ survival tale that at least some readers will be *right there* for, and those readers in particular are truly going to love this book.

The fact that this book leaves enough dangling – while telling a complete tale in its own right, to be clear – that it is almost blatantly obvious that either the next book Woods releases or perhaps one of the next books Woods releases will be a direct sequel to this one is really just icing on the cake, as these threads are left perfectly dangling such as to entice readers to be ready for the sequel without feeling like any real form of cliffhanger and certainly not one story cut in half. This is absolutely a complete tale within itself – indeed, one of the elements that helps it feel this way is *also* one that blatantly sets up the “a sequel is coming soon” feeling – and that sequel is sure to have even more epic and direct action than this one did, which means it will truly be one hell of a ride.

After all, this book was extremely fun in all that it did. Topping this? It’s going to be like fighting over which Orlando coaster is better – Velocicoaster or Guardians Of The Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.

I for one can’t wait to get my hands on it.

Very much recommended.

This review of The Ozark Howler by David Wood was originally written on April 14, 2026.

Posted on

#BookReview: The Last Seat by Jenifer Ruff

One Of The Most Spot-On Descriptions I’ve Ever Come Across. So despite having this as an ARC for at least a few weeks, specifically because Ruff is a Lead Author in the Facebook group My Book Friends – which I’ve been active in since its founding several years ago – I only got to it about a week after its release due to some real-life issues happening these last few weeks and continuing through Summer 2026 or so. And yet my review won’t have Goodreads’ discriminatory banner against Advance Review Copy reviews since my review is coming in a week late. And yet, at least as of the time I’m writing this review almost exactly as this book completes its first week of public availability, that description right now really is exactly what I say in the title here – one of the most spot on descriptions I’ve ever come across. Which is pretty awesome itself. It means I really don’t have to tell you much more about what to expect with this book.

Instead I’ll speak more directly to my own experience with the book, which I always make it a point to do anyway, and tell you that for me, this was a very quick and engaging read. Yes, at a hair over 300 pages it can seem long to some readers (and short to others), and in fact for its genre it is in the shorter half of books – yet Ruff manages to pack quite a bit of actual story in here, with Tony Stark’s quip about Nick Fury in the first Avengers movie – “his secrets have secrets” absolutely applying here. Which actually makes for a great quick read, one that right when any given thing starts getting anywhere near overstaying its welcome… bam! We’re moving on to something else.

Indeed, the only thing that I could really nitpick on about this book is that at least some of the revelations and twists don’t really seem to have any hints or breadcrumbs *at all*, and yes, I subscribe to the idea that *every* twist should have at least *some* level of foreshadowing. Instead, we get a version of a tale from a song that first hit number one over 5o yrs ago and then was done as a *cover* (as I only found out when writing this review!) that became a Southern staple nearly 20 yrs after its original recording. (In perhaps a bit of tragic history that at least to Southern kids of the 80s such as myself, this cover becoming a hit when it did meant at least *I* never knew of the original version of the song!) But this is as close as I’ll get to naming this song in the review, and perhaps there are some of my own readers who can piece these clues together well enough. (I guarantee you it will make a lot of sense once you read this book and then look for songs that meet my clues above based on what you find in the text. 😉 )

Ultimately this really is one of those books that reads faster than its not-that-long page count would suggest, which is awesome for those who are perhaps trying to squeeze reading in to whatever nooks and crannies they can find in their schedule. (Lines. Take your Kindle or even Kindle app on your phone in lines. You’re standing there anyway. May as well read instead of doomscrolling. You’ll be much happier. 😉 )

Very much recommended.

This review of The Last Seat by Jenifer Ruff was originally written on April 10, 2026.

Posted on

#BookReview: Two Kinds Of Stranger by Steve Cavanagh

Fun Crime Thriller That Could Have Been So Much More. First, I first accepted this book as an Advance Review Copy because it sounded interesting… before I found out that it is book *nine* in an ongoing series. So for those who cannot stand to have any remote thing about any prior book spoiled… start at book 1 here. For those like me with a long time history of finding series via reading books deep into them first… this one actually works rather well. The world feels “lived in”…. because it is!

For the actual events of this particular book, it is one hell of a twisty crime thriller. A shadowy killer presented in a certain tone that many authors have tried and few have pulled off quite this well. The series’ team of investigators and lawyers that make this series effectively a “police procedural” without a precinct to be found. And both are about to be set against each other in quite explosive manner.

Now, don’t let anyone fool you. This is a *crime* thriller – *NOT* a courtroom thriller. Despite the presence of lawyers as some of the lead characters, the actual courtroom drama here is really contained to the last 20% or so of the book, and even there, there’s still quite a bit of actual crime thriller happening even as the courtroom drama unfolds. If you’re looking for more pure courtroom drama, you’re looking for John Grisham, Randy Singer, and similar. Not this book (and seemingly not this series).

But really the biggest missed opportunity… well, it may get to spoiler level territory to really discuss. Suffice it to say that with everything presented here, this could have become truly legendary, yet with everything presented here, it winds up much closer to earth in the range of great.

Very much recommended.

This review of Two Kinds Of Stranger by Steve Cavanagh was originally written on April 2, 2026.

Posted on

#BookReview: Settle Down by Jeremy Robinson

Darude Meets Eminem. In this tale, the New God of Science Fiction gets more overtly political than in any other book I’ve ever read from him – and I met the guy back in *MySpace* back when he had just two books available (both via Print On Demand in the pre-Kindle era before this was anywhere near as common as it is now), so I’ve read them *all*. And yet he gets political in ways that I had to point blank ask him “Is this characterization based on *me*?”, as in the very first scene where the politics is directly introduced, the character espousing it is said to be a former Southern Baptist from Georgia who now more wrestles with their faith, but the exact topics discussed here are things that I *know* I have openly discussed a few times over the years in arenas where Robinson could have seen those discussions.

Beyond the directly personal and/ or overtly political though, this really is Robinson going yet again into areas even long time fans like me would have never guessed. Yes, he has done some elements of various pieces of this story in other ways and in other overt setups, but he has never before put the together in quite this manner or with really even close to this actual sequence. Thus keeping even long time fans on our toes… while still ultimately delivering the same kind of kickass balls to the wall scifi thriller adventure that we’ve come to know and love from him.

So come for an adventure unlike any you’ve ever seen. Seriously, this tale ranges from at times Emily Bleeker to at other times Orson Scott Card or even Richard Phillips (his “Second Ship” trilogies in particular), and it even has at least some elements of the 2000s era Battlestar Galactica remake… (Let’s see who catches *that* connection other than myself. 😉 ) It has heart. It has humor. It has action. It has thought provoking moments and moments that will make you question everything you know and believe.

And yes, it has elements such that apparently Dr Dre *also* sent one Jeremy Robinson along with Marshall Mathers to “piss the world off”. Seriously, if you’re not at least mildly offended by *something* in this book, I’m going to start questioning your humanity, truly. And yet, even here, even at his most overtly political… everything included here is in direct service to the story Robinson is telling here. Your mileage will absolutely vary on the politics at hand, but see the earlier sentences of this paragraph and read the damn book anyway. You’ll have fun, no matter your politics – and again, I’m going to question your humanity if you don’t. Because this book has bits of damn near everything anyone could want in a book – showing how Robinson truly is the New God of Science Fiction.

Very much recommended.

This review of Settle Down by Jeremy Robinson was originally written on March 30, 2026.