Tag: thriller

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#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.

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#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.

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#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.

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#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.

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#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.

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#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.

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#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.

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#BlogTour: My Husband’s Stalker by Natali Simmonds

For this blog tour, we’re looking at a solid book for its genre. For this blog tour, we’re looking at My Husband’s Stalker by Natali Simmonds.

First, the review I posted to the book sites (BookHype.com / Goodreads.com / TheStoryGraph.com), YouTube, and Substack:

Genre Fans Will Enjoy Yet Will Be Problematic For Some. As a generic domestic thriller/ suspense, this book has a lot of things going for it in that it hits pretty well every genre expectation and hits them all in the exact expected order and even within the bounds of a nearly MadLibbed version of so many books within this genre. To the point that yes, this book could well be programmed – it is *that* level of algorithmic. (To be clear, I am in no way saying it *was*, simply that it is so formulaic that a program *could* create it.) Which is *AWESOME* for those who love this genre the way Hallmarkies love their small town romances. You know *exactly* what you’re getting here, and there is pretty well literally nothing about this book that is going to actually shock you. It is the *exact* kind of mildly shocking yet entertaining mystery that you expect for the genre, and if this is your particular ‘comfort blanket’ read, hey, more power to you. Pick this one up, you’re going to love it.

Where exactly it could become problematic for some is a particular refrain throughout the book that our lead uses… but due to its nature I shall not reveal it here. What I’ll point out instead is that if you think it resolves itself… keep reading. Had the tale ended at one particular point, meh, you’d likely be right. But it didn’t, and thus the tale ultimately remains problematic from at least that viewpoint. Which some readers will agree that it is problematic and others will argue at least as loudly that those readers are wrong. Your mileage will absolutely vary on this point based on your own thoughts on the topic.

Still, again, even with this, for most it will be a minor annoyance at best, and genre lovers in particular will still enjoy this book. Will it be memorable even at the end of the month, much less the year? Unlikely. But it will absolutely be that next “Hallmark movie” for you to enjoy for a few hours, and really, isn’t this ultimately why so many of us read at all?

Recommended.

After the jump, the “publisher details” – book info, description, author bio, social links, and buy links.
Continue reading “#BlogTour: My Husband’s Stalker by Natali Simmonds”

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#BookReview: Ticket To Ride by Kay Bratt

Suspense Filled Tale Filled With Pervasive Social Commentary Ends Explosively. This is one of those tales that is going to keep you on the edge of your seat with sheer suspense for almost the entirely of the tale… before ending in one of the more explosive endings I’ve ever seen in any book, particularly in any of Bratt’s books. But with this entire series, you really need to start at the beginning (Hart’s Ridge) and work your way to this one, as Bratt has truly mastered over the last few books in particular telling a singular complete tale per book yet having that singular tale both spring from the prior tale and explicitly set up the next.

There are a few different social commentaries in the book, including one in the final pages, but the dominant issue throughout the book is the dangers of online gaming – which have shifted over the past couple of years in particular in ways many likely aren’t aware of. While a child is still statistically more likely to be assaulted by a family member or others in close proximity to the child in the real world than by someone who found them inside a game, kidnapping via similar methods as Bratt shows in this very tale are actually heavily on the rise… yet still statistically near zero. (No more than 500 known cases of any non-family kidnapping by any method in 2024 according to FBI statistics across literally millions of gamers online at any given moment.) Indeed, while many forms of childhood death and trauma are actually plateauing or even declining, the threat posed by scenarios similar to what Bratt builds into this text are exactly what the FBI says is actually on the rise in recent years.

Apart from the specific discussion of how that particular element works within the story (extremely well, in case I haven’t made that crystal clear yet) and within the real world (more cautionary, yet absolutely illuminative and using information which will possibly/ likely be new to at least some readers), Bratt in this tale truly does one of the best jobs she has ever done in regards to keeping the reader on the edge of their seat reading with bated breath to see what exactly is going to happen next and whether everyone will come out as unharmed as possible.

And then that ending. Dayum. Without going into spoiler territory, let’s just say that for me personally, given my own history and favorite bits of pop culture… yeah, that ending was *phenomenal* in so very many ways and levels, and I truly can’t wait for July to get here so we can see where this series is going next!

Very much recommended.

This review of Ticket To Ride by Kay Bratt was originally written on March 14, 2026.

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#BookReview: Strangers In The Villa by Robyn Harding

Twisty Destination Thriller. This is one of those destination thrillers where you think you know what is happening… and then suddenly you realize how wrong you were. Yet also one where virtually no one is overly “likeable”, so if you’re a reader where you have to have *someone* that is truly pure of heart or perfectly aligns with your every belief or however else you define “likeable”… know going in that this isn’t that kind of tale. And that you should read it anyway.

The setting in coastal Spain is used quite well both for creating tension in our primary couple and in setting up some truly stunning set pieces for our drama and different elements of our thriller. And it is absolutely *perfect* in setting in motion one particular literary technique, but naming the technique becomes a bit of a spoiler for the instant it is set in motion – so I won’t name it here. Just know that its use is one of the finer parts of this particular tale, showing true craftsmanship on the part of Harding (and, perhaps, her editors). And even with this technique, when you think you know where it is ultimately heading… no, no you do not. Because Harding is going to twist everything ten ways to Sunday in a manner that is perfectly logical for these characters…. once everything is revealed. But the revelations continue until almost literally the last word of the tale…

There *is* a touch of jalapeno ish spice, and there *are* some LGBT… let’s say “explorations”… here – just so those readers who care about the presence of these things (either direction, no judgement from me either way) are aware. Enough to piss off readers more ardent in their views either direction, for differing reasons, but also light enough that more moderate/ truly tolerant readers shouldn’t really have any real issues with.

Overall this is a fun and average-ish length tale of its type. One that won’t necessarily win any converts to the genre (though possible), but one which existing fans of the genre will absolutely enjoy. And which could in fact bring new readers to the author herself.

Very much recommended.

This review of Strangers In The Villa by Robyn Harding was originally written on March 9, 2026.