Book picks similar to
Debut for a Spy by Harry Currie


thriller
ebook
mystery
mystery-thriller

Artifice


Patrick Gooch - 2018
    But an unscrupulous trader in works of art knows their true worth; and exploits the situation, involving Cleverden in his shady activities. A major heist is planned by the trader, which first necessitates the theft of many of Turner`s paintings. These are held to ransom in exchange for priceless artifacts displayed in the British Museum. Once again, Alan Cleverden is unwittingly swept up in this unlawful venture. One word to the authorities, he would most certainly serve time. A pawn in a highly-charged affair, the odds are against him as he tries to free himself from the trader`s clutches; ensure the safety of the Turners; and return to their original owners the paintings acquired by his grandfather during the Second World War. A fast-paced thriller, Artifice is a must read for those who appreciate fine art, and are drawn to mysteries that hold you spellbound to the very last page. Patrick Gooch has enjoyed an interesting and varied career. He studied History of Art, and went on to lecture at the Central School of Art and Design in London. Patrick worked in marketing, travelling throughout Europe and Central and South America. It was while travelling that he began writing. Married with two sons, he lives close to the Ashdown Forest in East Sussex. “Absorbing and convincing heist thriller” Kevin McManus, author of 'New Blood'.

Cyberionage


Michael P. Elias - 2013
    Special Agent Moti Kidron is in a race against time to infiltrate and locate the nuke deep behind enemy lines. A page-turning cyber war thriller aiming to block imminent nuclear holocaust in the Middle East.From Hezbollah controlled Lebanon thru Silicon Valley to the White House situation room - this debut novel is carefully researched, deftly plotted and will keep military thriller and techno geeks glued to every page. This action packed military thriller pits allies, the worlds top intelligence agencies and special forces against each other here the "technological edge" plays a key role protecting global interests. A decorated special ops soldier and Mossad cyber hacker, Moti Kidron, is in a race against time to find a rogue Iranian nuke while keeping the United States at bay without disclosing the scope of his infiltration into the core of their networks.The Israeli Mossad has embarked on the most widespread global cyber espionage program that infiltrates the United States CIA and NSA's most coveted PRISM systems. A secret artificial intelligence super computer secretly infiltrates the core ofthe NSA's networks enabling a predictive system to monitor and track nuclear proliferation programs around the globe.Nuclear holocaust is imminent in the Middle East. The Mossad and Israeli prime minister have proof that a rogue nuclear attack originating from Iran is hours from launch. The countdown results in a 4 way nuclear showdown that includes the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Shadow Kill


David Caris - 2021
    Betrayed by his employer and left for dead, Kovac decides to lie low in Tokyo.His plan? Revenge...But when a young woman asks him to protect her from the yakuza, Kovac feels duty-bound to help. She’s a victim of abuse, and long experience tells him if he doesn’t step in tonight she’ll be a corpse before dawn.As Kovac works to uncover the truth of his last job, he finds himself drawn into a conspiracy which goes well beyond the yakuza to a new and terrifying multinational cartel. One that will stop at nothing to control the global drug trade.The kingpins are certain they’ve covered all bases. They're well-funded and utterly ruthless. But they’ve failed to account for one man – John Kovac.SHADOW KILL is the first in a fast-paced, unflinching thriller series that won't in any way shortchange you on action. Perfect for fans of Lee Child, Mark Greaney and Mark Dawson.

Blizzard Ball


Dennis Kelly - 2011
    The jackpot has run up to a red-hot $750 million, the world's richest prize. A bungled convenience store heist triggers a happenstance theft of winning lottery tickets and trips up an insider's scheme to rig the results.Agent Kirchner, an old-school cop reluctantly teams up with a young tech-savvy analyst on an investigation that propels them into the world of numerical probability, conspiratorial politics, international ticket scalpers, counterfeiters, disgruntled players, and illegal immigrants looking to grab the brass ring. Caught in the crosscurrents of those in deadly pursuit of the winning ticket, the investigators are buffeted by unsolved murders, a bomb blast-and the curious giveaway of winning lottery tickets: acts of charity or criminal subterfuge?The whereabouts and redemption of the $750 million jackpot lottery ticket remains a mystery throughout, stirring anger and resentment among the lottery-playing public. The winning ticket, finally, surfaces but before the prize can be claimed a Faustian bargain puts Kirchner's job on the line.

Okavango: Beware the Ultimate Cure


Fritz Damler - 2012
    The CDC is planning a major inoculation program in Houston, L.A. and New Jersey.The wonder drug seems on the up and up, until Freelance writer Terry Johns and wildlife photographer Liza Rittenauer innocently photograph two men and their airplane in a remote section of the Okavango Swamps. The photo sets in motion a tilt-a-whirl of violence and intrigue. While Liza lingers in a life-threatening coma, Terry, Liza’s sister, Dawn, and the women’s father, Cy, discover a sinister connection between the men in Liza’s photograph, an underground lab in the Okavango, a leading pharmaceutical company in Johannesburg and a major HMO in Houston, Texas. And for Terry Johns, the truth becomes a nightmare.

Foreign Involvement: A Chuck Winters Thriller


Robert E. Smith - 2018
    He soon gets caught up with a nemesis character that spews death and destruction, hiding throughout the world like a chameleon---causing Winters to leave his serene retirement and take chase.

God Save the Spy (Operation TINKER #1)


John Ellsworth - 2020
    He begins passing KGB secrets to the Brits. It is 1962, and Nikolai smuggles Russian war plans for Cuba. President Kennedy needs the plans immediately, must talk.The Russians discover his deception and kidnap him back to Moscow. But the British have a plan, terrible as it is. For they can save him and his wife, or him and his daughter, but not both. He must decide, does he escape with his wife or with his one-year-old? The KGB will murder whichever one he leaves behind. The choice is made in a way no one expects. Britain's escape plan is activated, and the wheels begin to turn.Colonel Viktor Bucharov of the KGB falls in behind them. Bucharov is the KGB’s best and most violent. A desperate attempt to shake Bucharov from their tail, as they jump from buses, change moving subway cars, dash into malls, and underground passageways. Then they head for the escape rendezvous, with Bucharov minutes behind.Get ready to stay up late tonight.

Divinity Complex


P.H. Figur
    Drake and his brother Dominic chase the serial killer across the country. When the case goes cold, Drake breaks down and succumbs to the unbearable grief. He escapes reality and enters a secretive drug study run by the largest pharmaceutical company in the world. What Drake doesn’t know, is the small town in Wyoming is a front for a dangerous experiment – and all the residents, including himself, are pawns in a deadly game. When Drake comes face-to-face with his fiancé’s killer, only one will make it out alive. The Divinity Complex is a psychological thriller about a vicious serial killer, a grieving widow’s quest for revenge, and a CEO with a god-complex who brings them together in a fatal conflict. If you like flawed heroes, brutal crime scenes, vigilante justice and shocking twists you won’t see coming, start reading this gripping crime novel today.

The Owner


Shane Simpson - 2013
    Ten years later, the Great Recession economically displaced his livelihood when he was fired from Metal Presses Incorporated. When nothing is left and you've reached your limit for abuse, it's time to release the inner vigilante.THE OWNER is a NON-STOP, HEART-POUNDING, MYSTERY-SUSPENSE THRILL RIDE. Karl Remons has been unstoppable - until now. The murdering, swindling womanizer meets his match when Albert Pabek sails into town. Albert's anger has been stewing for a long time, and he's out for revenge - pure, but not so simple. The plan took five years. Now, he has three days to kill what destroyed his family.Growing up in a Detroit blue-collar family, Albert had a normal childhood. He had expected the same career as his dad. That was, until life dealt its blows. It wasn't a stormy day when Albert sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge. But, before he was finished, Albert was expecting to deliver a gale...______________________________________________SERIES OVERVIEW#1 - THE OWNERTHE OWNER is a standalone mystery-suspense-thriller. It's a story about Albert Pabek and his vigilante mission to avenge the deaths of his parents. The storyline is deceptively twisty and you'll be guessing until the end. The book opens with an interesting mystery. The middle of the story gets really crazy. And, it closes out with a huge surprise.For one and done readers, the story is a perfect ten to twelve hour read (it's 450 pages long). There are no loose ends and it has an awesome ending.For those of us who enjoy continual character development that can only be delivered in a series, pick up THE OBSESSOR and keep going. The Detroit vigilante really touches something in each of us. Albert is a simple guy who is tired of power and money hungry people ruining his life, as well as the lives of his family and friends.#2 - THE OBSESSORTHE OBSESSOR, set three months following the shocking end to THE OWNER, has Albert returning to San Francisco. Focused on bailing out his friends, he realizes quickly that the ripples created on the first days of summer are now waves of destruction.THE OBSESSOR kicks off Albert's new life after those first days of summer. It establishes the broader group of characters, as well as reveals the flaws and selfish motivations of each. Albert and his allies weren't - and still aren't - as perfect as it seemed in THE OWNER. Finally, there are additional antagonists, new friends, and ever-growing-larger problems. Book 2 wraps up a few storylines, but Albert is in a real jam during the last few pages...#3 - THE OFFENDERContinuing from the tailending of THE OBSESSOR, Book 3 follows Albert as he seemingly conquers his dilemma in Book 2, but still struggles to focus his energy productively. He's off balance and irrational. And, he's now bordering on outright criminal status.The other allies are also in trouble. The real villain is revealed, and he's a helluva lot more powerful than Karl Remons in THE OWNER. Pete Quinn and Rebecca Underwood, the primary antagonists from THE OBSESSOR, are no match for the offender in Book 3. And, he really is the biggest problem in Albert's "new" life.THE OFFENDER concludes with a soft ending. It has as much closure as real life situations can, and it's open to the reader's imagination if Albert finally reached his "peace". (Of course, Book 4 confirms he didn't get there.)#4 - THE OBJECTORReleasing in Spring 2017, THE OBJECTOR, brings some hard closing ends to the stories threading through THE OBSESSOR and THE OFFENDER. This time around, Albert really does make it back to the first day of his new life.Quinn and Rebecca, now strongly disagreeing about who is the most powerful, realign their respective bases. Metal Presses Incorporated is back in the picture. Bill Shefford has pulled a phoenix move - he is more powerful than ever. And, then there's the lady from Key West...

The Misplaced Mob


John Rose Putnam - 2018
    But the next day, after barely escaping death when someone fires four rounds of buckshot into his oncoming patrol car, Roy realizes this case is not only dangerous, it’s personal.

Black Oil, Red Blood


Diane Castle - 2012
    In fact, she proves it for a living. She sues oil refineries that would rather save a buck than comply with safety regulations designed to do important things like, you know, keep people alive.Chloe had a successful career until circumstances forced her to move to the bass-ackwards town of Kettle, Texas (human population: 4,000; gun population: 34,356). Big Oil industry giant PetroPlex employs half of Kettle's population, and there's no question the judge in the town's got oil stains on his hands. It's no wonder she's been on a losing streak lately. She suspects she's been litigating on an uneven playing field, but when her star expert witness turns up dead less than 48 hours before a make-or break hearing, she knows.What she doesn't know is the key piece of information that got her expert killed. It turns out PetroPlex is harboring a shocking secret-one that has the potential to skyrocket gasoline prices, spark an energy market meltdown, and trigger riots, chaos, death, and destruction on a global scale. Chloe must discover the secret and expose the villains before she is permanently silenced, all while juggling a troublesome ex-fiance and a tantalizing new flame along the way.

1000 Yards


Mark Dawson - 2013
    A craftsman. His trade is murder.Milton is the man the government sends after you when everything else has failed. Ruthless. Brilliant. Anonymous. Lethal. You wouldn't pick him out of a crowd but you wouldn't want to be on his list. But now, after ten years, he's had enough - there's blood on his hands and he wants out. Trouble is, this job is not one you can just walk away from.He goes on the run, seeking atonement for his sins by helping the people he meets along the way. But his past cannot be easily forgotten and before long it is Milton who is hunted, and not the hunter.1000 YardsThis 17,000 word novella is an introduction to John Milton, the most dangerous assassin in the pay of Her Majesty's government.Milton is sent into North Korea. With nothing but a sniper rifle, bad intentions and a very particular target, will Milton be able to take on the secret police of the most dangerous failed state on the planet?

The Ghost of Blackwood Lane


Greg Enslen - 2010
    He’s got a new career and new friends, but they can never know his real name or where he comes from. But the program can’t protect him from the relentless dreams of a young woman in danger. It’s the same dream, night after night, and Gary is helpless, unable to stop the dream’s inevitable and horrifying conclusion. The woman seems strangely familiar…is she someone from his dark past? Is she even real? All he knows for certain is that she needs his help, or she will die.

River Ghosts


B.R. Robb - 2008
    Richard survives, a witness to violence and, he believes, his own cowardice. On the strength of Richard's testimony, a white jury convicts Henry Clayton, a teen bearing swastika tattoos, and sentences him to death. His future in ruins, Richard soon perceives that the mix of his parents satisfies neither side.Sixteen years after the murders, Richard receives a letter from the prosecutor's office. DNA evidence has exonerated Henry Clayton. Richard is the man who remains imprisoned, alone within his discredited nightmare. Henry Clayton soon arrives, dressed in the clothes of a preacher, claiming rebirth, extending his hand not only to return Richard to faith, but to use this faith to find the real killer. Even as Richard begins to take a step in a new direction, his youth and voices from his past reach out to oppose Clayton.But how can a traumatized memory from so long ago defeat a perfect science? Its frightening insight into the best and worst of men and their institutions, thoughtful intrigue, and superb attack upon preconceptions make River Ghosts a mystery devoid of coincidences or tidy endings, that will grip readers from the stunning opening to its powerful last page.

Fractured Persona


Harry Krebs - 2013
    A glimpse in a mirror and the evidence of a driver's license prove that Fornek is trapped in the body of warehouse worker Daniel Curtis. Terrified, he insists that he's Richard Fornek, but when faced with the prospect of admittance to a psychiatric hospital, he is forced to assume a new role to buy time to figure out what’s going on. Alone and confused, things go from bad to worse as he struggles to regain control of his life. A little romance, a little murder, and a whole lot of hair-raising suspense unfold as he scrambles to stay one step ahead of the mayhem.