Book picks similar to
The Darkest Heart by Dan Smith


thriller
fiction
signed-by-author
have-but-unread

Fighting Out of Mobberley, England


G.B. Hope - 2012
    The reason: to pretend they are hiding away from an apocalyptic zombie plague.

The Cover-Up


Dana Griffin - 2012
    The Captain and ten people are killed; the First Officer and fifty-eight injured.With his divorce imminent, Omega Airlines Pilot Instructor Kyle Masters is brought in to assist the NTSB’s accident investigation. He and NTSB Investigator Lori Almond discover someone had played a role in the accident.Determined to absolve the crew and the airline of full responsibility for the disaster, Kyle uses operational knowledge and Lori’s expertise in accident investigations to close in on the responsible party. This puts them, and Kyle’s family in danger.

Penance


Dan O'Shea - 2013
    Colonel Tech Weaver dispatches a team from Langley to put the shooter and anyone else who gets in the way in a body bag before a half-century of national secrets are revealed. Detective John Lynch, the son of a murdered Chicago cop, finds himself cast into an underworld of political corruption and guilty secrets, as he tries to uncover the truth about what s really going on before another innocent citizen gets killed."

The Outer Rims


Clint Morey - 2013
    But expansion means contact with new worlds and species—and with them, new challenges.As a young boy, Matthew Wallace experienced this as the child of missionaries on the planet Altair, living a rugged existence on the undeveloped world. Undeveloped, but not uninhabited. For Altair was home to a proud race of warriors—the Ananke.The same warriors Matthew watched as they murdered his parents.Now he is the Marshal of the place he swore he’d never return to, his hatred for the Ananke only tempered by his desperation to treat his wife’s terrible illness. For located on Altair is a clinic performing medical miracles, curing men and women of terminal diseases that even the most advanced technologies can’t touch. And yet, nothing is without its price, and as Matthew learns more about the world where he’s now charged with keeping the peace, he slowly realizes he’s going to have to decide what is more important: The life of his wife…or the lives of an entire species.A sci-fi thriller that calls to mind the grand masters of the genre, The Outer Rims explores the morality of doing whatever is necessary and the question of whether humanity and sentience are one in the same.

Object of Virtue


Nicholas B.A. Nicholson - 2004
     Sasha Ozerovsky is a young expert in Russian art at Leighton's, an exclusive Manhattan auction house. When a dealer arrives from Moscow with an exquisite 1913 Fabergé figurine, Sasha immediately recognizes a rare masterpiece. But in the high stakes art world, the price of an object is tied to its history. If Sasha can determine for whom the bejeweled piece was made and where it has been hiding for the past century, its value -- and Sasha's career -- will soar. But as Sasha moves between New York's high society and Russia's new rich, he discovers that the piece once belonged to his family, and he must face questions about their past that he never dared to ask. Superbly plotted and evoking the elegance of Russia's gilded age, Object of Virtue is an enthralling tale that explores what happens to a family torn between vanity and virtue.

Covenant


Steven Konkoly - 2018
     Threats to the free world never end. Their job is never done. At a luxury resort on the coast of Uruguay, Jessica Petrovich and a select team of Black Flagged operatives prepare to kill Dr. Anatoly Reznikov, the elusive bioweapons scientist responsible for designing and selling a lethal virus to America’s enemies. At the same time, a Mossad assassination cell moves on a Russian mafiya boss believed to have offered Reznikov’s bioweapons to the Iranians. There's only one problem--BOTH TARGETS ARE LOCATED IN THE SAME HOTEL SUITE, and neither team knows the other is coming! Covenant takes place between books 4 and 5 of the Black Flagged Series.

Limbo.


Marko Pandza - 2016
    A place beyond time and space as we know it where psychopaths compete for perverse honour and status as they carry out their deathly duties. As Grim struggles to hold onto the memories of the life he’s lost, he discovers that the insane being who shaped him (and the course of existence itself) may have sinister plans for the one thing he values most.In Limbo, the end is only the beginning.

Five Suns Saga I


Jim Heskett - 2014
    As a senior staffer to a US senator, he’s privy to all kinds of information, like details about the meteor hurtling through space on a collision course with earth. He also knows what the panicked public has been told isn’t the whole truth, and now he’ll have to decide if exposing the lie is worth trading his life.Part post-apocalyptic survival epic, part espionage military and political thriller, Five Suns Saga Omnibus Edition features the complete collection of eighteen interconnected short stories spanning the time before, during, and after the downfall of society. Each one follows a different character and unlocks another piece of the mystery of how the world became a dystopian nightmare.The Five Suns Saga is unlike any kind of post-apocalyptic dystopian epic you've read before. This collection brings a mashup of political conspiracy thriller style espionage storytelling like Tom Clancy, and then mixes that with a dystopian tale like Mad Max. Each story stands on its own, but also fits into the larger mystery of the series that asks the question: How did the world crumble?Contains FIVE SUNS OF TREASON and FIVE SUNS OF SEDITION

Monkey Business


Landon Crutcher - 2016
    Unfortunately they have no real resources, no good plans, and no idea what the hell they're doing. What they do have is an army of foul-mouthed monkeys who want them dead, a beautiful woman who wants some answers, a sex-crazed tribal chief, a caffeine-addicted demigod who wants to be worshipped, and a telepathic skull who just wants a little excitement. Through nonstop comedy and good old-fashioned adventure these guys are facing some long odds but do Ron and Willy give up? No they don't. They get down to business. Monkey Business.

Family Inheritance


Deborah Leblanc - 2004
    Nightmares live there. Jessica LeJeune left Louisiana, but she brought some of those mysterious forces with her--and now she's being called back to her Cajun roots to confront a destiny she could not escape and a curse she might not survive.Jessica's younger brother, Todd, has descended into a world of madness. His shattered mind is now the plaything of an unimaginable evil, an unstoppable entity with cruel plans for both Jessica and Todd. But Jessica is not alone in her battle to save her brother's soul. For deep in the misty bayous, in an isolated wooden shack, lives the one person who is their only hope...

The Nazi Spy


Alan Hardy - 2020
    1941. Fiona, rich and privileged, is trapped in a loveless marriage to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force. Although, at thirty-seven, she is no longer the pretty young thing she used to be, she still secretly clings to the romantic dreams of her youth. The very young and very handsome Flight Lieutenant Matthew Manfred, in the same squadron as her husband, is starting to figure very strongly in those dreams… Out there, meanwhile, in the real world, Great Britain is on its knees, and Germany triumphant. War threatens not just the survival of Great Britain, but also Fiona’s position and wealth. And even her life… You see, murder has raised its ugly head… Someone close to her has been killed. But who is the murderer? And who might be his (or her) next victim? Fiona sets out to investigate, but it’s not going to be easy, because, you see, there are another two mysteries she needs to solve. Firstly, who has been writing love letters to her? Very beautiful letters, but letters of an extremely intimate nature… Then there’s the other mystery, probably the most important, and the most threatening of all. You see, she fears there is a spy in her midst…who is about to strike the most lethal blow of all… She will have to find out who that person is, not just to protect her country, but to protect herself. She must tread carefully, without arousing suspicions. Are the murderer and the spy one and the same person? Or could they possibly be two different people? Who is implicated? Is it dour, dull Squadron Leader Jackson? Or Belinda, his cheeky, promiscuous wife? Is it ladies’ man, Flight Lieutenant George Turnbill? Or Paula Wentworth, his latest, shameless squeeze? What about the moustachioed Group Captain Jenkins? Or Mary Wilkinson, looking far too attractive in her smart blue-grey uniform? And, to Fiona’s annoyance, looking far too young… And what is the role in all this of gorgeous, young Flight Lieutenant Matthew Manfred, who once gave Fiona a soft, lingering kiss she just can’t forget? What secrets are hidden in his beautiful, throbbing breast? And is he the person who has been writing sweet nothings to her? Fiona hopes so, but fears he might turn out to be something a good deal worse, and quite terrifying… And what is young Mary Wilkinson to him? Fiona has to tread warily, as if on eggshells, because, if she makes one false move, it could well turn out to be her last.

Between Two Scorpions


Jim Geraghty - 2019
    In his new book, he brings that biting sensibility to a globe-trotting thriller. The results are explosive!” – Ben Shapiro, author, The Right Side of History and founder of The Daily Wire “Powerful, real, and relevant, Jim Geraghty's Between Two Scorpions is a well-written and dynamite page turner and a welcome addition to the thriller genre.” –Mark Greaney, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of Mission Critical The new face of terror is staring at you in the mirror. A long dormant CIA asset emerges from hiding to request a meeting with his former handler, the beautiful, enigmatic intelligence operative Katrina Leonidivna. She’s skeptical that the source, a shady arms dealer, is on the level. But when Katrina barely escapes with her life after an explosion rips through the café where they met, she’s forced to take his tip seriously. Alongside her husband, Alec Flanagan, and a rogue crew of covert agents from every corner of the intelligence community, Katrina races around the globe to uncover the truth. What this dangerous clique of operatives discover is a plot that could rip America apart from the inside. A plot that pits neighbors against one another and turns everyone into a potential threat. A plot that could make anyone take up arms against their own country. A plot that Katrina, Alec, and the rest of their crew have to stop before it’s too late. But when everyone is a suspect, no one is safe and the entire nation is under suspicion. Hot on the trail of a terror cell capable of turning anyone—and everyone—into a deranged killer, only this dangerous clique of spies has a chance to stop the terrorists from weaponizing America’s greatest asset—freedom. Between Two Scorpions is a thrilling race against time that introduces an unforgettable cast of characters in the first volume of the Dangerous Clique Series. “A fun and quirky international thriller. Geraghty sets a fast-paced story against a recognizable backdrop of societal division and cultural ruthlessness. A compelling read.” – John A. Daly, author of the Sean Coleman Thriller series “The action explodes in the first chapter and keeps coming, but the mayhem and madness is leavened by Jim’s trademark wicked humor and clever pop culture references that would make Dennis Miller beam with pride. It’s makes for a terrific ride, with a trippy ending that will leave you eager for a sequel. Just one more thing – if you are afraid of snakes, be careful…” – Kurt Schlichter, author of Wildfire and Indian Country “Taut, vivid, and engrossing. A deliciously messy entanglement requiring unforgettable characters to confront the action—and their individual failings—head on. It all leads to a spine-tingling denouement, leaving the reader gasping for breath and craving a sequel.”– James A. Gagliano, Retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent and former member of the FBI’s elite counterterror unit, the Hostage Rescue Team (HRT) and CNN Law Enforcement Analyst

A Kill in the Morning


Graeme Shimmin - 2014
    Murder isn't so bad from a distance, just shapes popping up in my scope. Close-up work though - a garrotte around a target's neck or a knife in their heart - it's not for me. Too much empathy, that's my problem. Usually. But not today. Today is different . . . 'The year is 1955 and something is very wrong with the world. It is fourteen years since Churchill died and the Second World War ended. In occupied Europe, Britain fights a cold war against a nuclear-armed Nazi Germany.In Berlin the Gestapo is on the trail of a beautiful young resistance fighter, and the head of the SS is plotting to dispose of an ailing Adolf Hitler and restart the war against Britain and her empire. Meanwhile, in a secret bunker hidden deep beneath the German countryside, scientists are experimenting with a force far beyond their understanding.Into this arena steps a nameless British assassin, on the run from a sinister cabal within his own government, and planning a private war against the Nazis.Now the fate of the world rests on a single kill in the morning . . .

The Good Spy


Jeffrey Layton - 2016
    . . high adventure at its very best." --New York Times bestselling author Gayle LyndsIn the icy waters of the northern Pacific, a top-secret mission threatens to explode into a nuclear crisis . . .A Russian military spy sub lies marooned in American waters near the U.S.-Canadian border. Yuri Kirov, a seasoned security officer, is in charge of the crew's safety--and the operation's success. His only hope is to make a death-defying underwater escape, reach shore undetected, and convince a total stranger that the fate of the world depends on helping him. For software engineer Laura Newman, it's not an easy choice. But with two Russian spies tailing them, and tensions escalating between superpowers, one wrong move could trigger unthinkable devastation. In the tradition of Tom Clancy's The Hunt for Red October, this electrifying novel of espionage is a gripping tale of danger, courage, and daring decisions. Includes an exciting excerpt from the next Yuri Kirov thriller, The Forever Spy.