Book picks similar to
Smokescreen by Khaled Talib


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Wicked Deceit


Chase Austin - 2019
    Where the government cannot and will not go, he will. There is no guarantee that he'll succeed every time but he doesn't have a choice or does he?✓ His mission: Extract Carlos Cruz-Diez—a New York Times reporter from the clutches of death.✓ Location: Venezuela Consulate in Vienna, Austria.✓ The obstacle: Venezuela’s National Intelligence Service has sent sixteen of their best to execute this mission.✓ Timeline: Twenty-four hours.Time is running out. Bullets are flying. Bodies are piling up. Nothing is as it seems. Will Sam Wick succeed?

Look Closer


Rachel Amphlett - 2015
    Then in one act of extreme violence, his world turns upside down.A bungled assassination attempt on a London street uncovers a disturbing conspiracy fuelled by organised crime and political ambition. Now, Will finds himself on the run, pursued by a dangerous enemy who will stop at nothing to protect his employer’s past.With the killer closing in on him, Will is running out of time to deliver his own version of vigilante justice and expose the corruption. As the web of lies and deceit unravels, Will knows the answer’s out there. All he has to do is look closer. Everyone has secrets. Everyone lies.Look Closer: A gripping fast paced thriller from the author of the bestselling Detective Kay Hunter series.

The Asset


Juval Aviv - 2006
    The Cold War is reaching its final dramatic climax when Max Robertson, the greatest media tycoon of the age, suddenly dies, apparently committing suicide on his luxury yacht.Six months later the Mossad assassin Sam Woolfman finds himself on a job that goes badly wrong. As he is forced out of 'the bureau', his retirement fund vanishes, and he finds himself a broken and bankrupt man.Woolfman is thrown one last chance to get his life back on track - find out what happened to Robertson and his missing millions.An intelligence asset sent to find a financial one.But five men who tried to find out what happened to Robertson have already died.As he starts an investigation that takes him across Europe, and into the heart of a disintegrating Soviet Union, Sam discovers that Robertson may not even be dead.And when the truth of his 'suicide' is discovred, the last great secret of the Cold War will be revealed - toppling governments, and throwing the global economy into chaos.'The Asset' is a compelling conspiracy thriller based on real events that will appeal to fans of Frederick Forsyth and Robert Harris.The Asset has been widely praised.'Hits you like a fist in the face - this is what it is really like to operate beyond the law' - Chris Ryan'A highly charged fictional debut' - The Daily Mirror.'An entertaining blockbuster' - The Independent.Juval Aviv is President and CEO of lnterfor, Inc., an international cor­ porate intelligence and investigations firm. Before founding lnterfor, Juval served as an officer in the Israel Defense Force (Major, retired) leading an elite Commando/Intelligence Unit and was later selected by the Israeli Secret Service (Mossad) to participate in a number of intelligence and special operations in many countries in the late 1960s and 1970s. In 1984, a true account of one mission was published entitled Vengeance which inspired the major motion picture, Munich, directed by Steven Spielberg.'The Asset was previously published as 'Max'.Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent publisher of digital books.

When You're Smiling


G.S. Rhodes - 2021
    No one has heard from him. He’s disconnected from his friends, from his family, and from the job he dedicated his life to—the job that cost him everything.Then a new, all too familiar murder occurs on his patch and Kidd has no choice but to throw himself back into the fold. A young woman has been found with a smile cut into her throat, eyes carved into her cheeks, the brutal signature of The Grinning Murders—one of the most ruthless serial killers the country has ever seen. A killer who lies behind bars.However things are not as they seem and not everything adds up. Only one thing is clear: Kidd may be the only one who can figure this out before this copycat killer strikes again.

The Chemist


Stephenie Meyer - 2016
    She used to work for the U.S. government, but very few people ever knew that. An expert in her field, she was one of the darkest secrets of an agency so clandestine it doesn't even have a name. And when they decided she was a liability, they came for her without warning. Now she rarely stays in the same place or uses the same name for long. They've killed the only other person she trusted, but something she knows still poses a threat. They want her dead, and soon. When her former handler offers her a way out, she realizes it's her only chance to erase the giant target on her back. But it means taking one last job for her ex-employers. To her horror, the information she acquires only makes her situation more dangerous. Resolving to meet the threat head-on, she prepares for the toughest fight of her life but finds herself falling for a man who can only complicate her likelihood of survival. As she sees her choices being rapidly whittled down, she must apply her unique talents in ways she never dreamed of. In this tautly plotted novel, Meyer creates a fierce and fascinating new heroine with a very specialized skill set. And she shows once again why she's one of the world's bestselling authors.

A Spy in the Struggle


Aya de León - 2020
    So when her prestigious New York law firm is raided by the FBI, Yolanda turns in her corrupt bosses to save her career—and goes to work for the Bureau. Soon she's sent undercover at Red, Black, and Green—an African-American “extremist” activist group back in her California college town. They claim a biotech corporation fueled by Pentagon funding is exploiting the neighborhood. But Yolanda is determined to put this assignment in her win column, head back to corporate law, and regain her comfortable life... Until an unexpected romance opens her heart—and a suspicious death opens her eyes. Menacing dark money forces will do anything to bury Yolanda and the movement. Fueled by memories of who she once was—and what once really mattered most—how can she tell those who’ve come to trust her that she’s been spying? As the stakes escalate, and one misstep could cost her life, Yolanda will have to choose between betraying the cause of her people or invoking the wrath of the country’s most powerful law enforcement agency.

The Escape Artist


Brad Meltzer - 2018
    government's most top-secret and high profile cases. America's most important funeral home. To work there, mortician Jim "Zig" Zigarowski has one rule: never let a case get personal. But when a new body arrives--of young female sergeant Nola Brown, who was a childhood friend of Zig's daughter--Zig can't help himself. Looking closely at Nola's body, he realizes immediately: this isn't Nola. Indeed, his daughter's friend is still alive. And on the run. Zig's discovery reveals a sleight of hand being played at the highest levels of power--and traces back through history to a man named Harry Houdini. "Nola, you were right. Keep running."

Zero World


Jason M. Hough - 2015
    A spaceship that vanished years ago has been found, along with the bodies of its murdered crew—save one. Peter’s mission is to find the missing crew member, who fled through what appears to be a tear in the fabric of space. Beyond this mysterious doorway lies an even more confounding reality: a world that seems to be Earth’s twin.Peter discovers that this mirrored world is indeed different from his home, and far more dangerous. Cut off from all support, and with only days to complete his operation, Peter must track his quarry alone on an alien world. But he’s unprepared for what awaits on the planet’s surface, where his skills will be put to the ultimate test—and everything he knows about the universe will be challenged in ways he never could have imagined.

The Expansion


Christoph Martin - 2017
    The only person Max can trust is his new-found love, beautiful Karis Deen, a scientist with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. Except Karis herself holds a dangerous secret that could not only destroy Max, but could change the entire balance of world power.

The Camel Club


David Baldacci - 2005
    Led by a mysterious man known as "Oliver Stone," they study conspiracy theories, current events, and the machinations of government to attempt to discover the "truth" behind the country's actions.Their efforts bear little fruit --- until the group witnesses a shocking murder, and becomes embroiled in an astounding, far-reaching conspiracy. Now the Club must join forces with a Secret Service agent to confront one of the most chilling spectacles ever to take place on American soil --- an event that may trigger the ultimate war between two different worlds. All that stands in the way of this apocalypse is five unexpected heroes.Librarian's note: this is one of five volumes in the author's Camel Club series.

This Little Dark Place


A.S. Hatch - 2019
    They're trying for a baby. Ruby is in prison, convicted of assault on an abusive partner.But when Daniel joins a pen pal program for prisoners, he and Ruby make contact. At first the messages are polite, neutral - but soon they find themselves revealing more and more about themselves. Their deepest fears, their darkest desires.And then, one day, Ruby comes to find Daniel. And now he must decide who to choose - and who to trust.

Siege of Silence


A.J. Quinnell - 1986
    The American ambassador is held prisoner. And the US President faces the choice: get him out ... or kill him. In as rat-infested room ambassador Peabody faces a brilliant, ruthless young protege of Fidel Castro, Jorge Calderon, who is determined to extract the truth behind a secret CIA operation against Cuba. Meanwhile, back in Washington, the President is caught between CIA strategists who want to eliminate Peabody before he can reveal the CIA's plans, and Colonel Silas Slocum, the one man who believes he can rescue the ambassador in an awesome and daring rescue...

Pigeon-Blood Red


Ed Duncan - 2016
    There, the hardened hit man finds himself in uncharted territory, when innocent bystanders are accidentally embroiled in a crime.As Rico pursues his new targets, hunter and prey develop an unlikely respect for one another.Soon, he is faced with a momentous decision: follow his orders to kill the very people who have won his admiration, or refuse and endanger the life of the woman he loves?Praise from readers:★★★★★ - "Duncan crafts a twisted thriller in his gangster-laced debut."★★★★★ - "This charming, classically-told crime thriller is a must for noir fans."★★★★★ - "I would love to see this book made into a movie."

The Failsafe Query


Michael Jenkins - 2018
     Sean Richardson, a disgraced former intelligence agent, is tasked to lead a team to search for Alfie Chapman, an Intelligence officer on the cusp of exposing thousands of secrets to the media. This includes a long lost list of Russian moles embedded since the Cold War, one of whom remains a public favourite in the British parliamentary system. The action moves with absorbing pace and intrigue across Central Asia and Europe as the puzzle begins to unfold through a deep hidden legacy. Tense, fast paced, and insightful, The Failsafe Query twists and turns to a satisfyingly dramatic finale.

A Clean Kill in Tokyo


Barry Eisler - 2002
    You tell him who. You tell him where. He doesn't care about why...Until he gets involved with Midori Kawamura, a beautiful jazz pianist--and the daughter of his latest kill.