The Berlin Tunnel--A Cold War Thriller


Roger L. Liles - 2018
    During the Cold War, a more monumental effort was made by America and her allies to intercept and exploit Russian and communist countries communications. In the mid-1950s a tunnel was built by British MI-6 and the CIA which tapped into a buried communications cable in East Berlin. They successfully intercepted and exploited East European and Russian communist communications for over a year. Suddenly, in 1956 the tunnel was “discovered” by the Russians, denying the allies this exceptionally valuable intelligence source. This novel, The Berlin Tunnel is a fictional account of how a second tunnel might have been built between East and West Berlin. It is a thriller which takes the reader into the super-secret world that the author occupied fifty years ago. Every scene in The Berlin Tunnel could have happened. The time—1960-1961, and the place—the Divided City of Berlin have been faithfully recreated using extensive research and the author’s personal experience. Young American Air Force Captain Robert Kerr arrives in a divided Berlin awash with spies who move freely between the East and West. His task—build a TOP SECRET tunnel under the River Spree into East Berlin—tap into highly classified communications links between civilian and military leaders in Russia and the Warsaw Pact countries. The knowledge gained from this source will help America’s leaders to manage an imminent confrontation between the East and West over Berlin, perhaps even prevent World War III. At all costs, knowledge that the tunnel is being built must be hidden from the Russian KGB and the East German Stasi as well as our closest allies—the British and French. Only those involved in its construction can be allowed to know of the existence of the tunnel. Love couldn’t have found him as a worse time. Soon after he arrives, Robert falls for a German girl, Anna Fischer. It is spy verses spy as the dreaded East German Secret Police—the Stasi use every means possible to determine what Robert and his construction crew are doing in Berlin. But it is Anna, who is often caught in the crossfire between the Americans and the Stasi. The conclusion of the novel centers around events that focuses the attention of the world on Berlin. First, the Wall is closed, trapping 19 million East Germans including Anna’s entire family behind the Iron Curtain. A few months later, the world held its collective breath when the Berlin Crisis occurs—High Noon at Checkpoint Charlie—the only time in the Cold War when Russian and American tanks faced each other. Robert and Anna are caught up in these momentous events as they try to free her family and survive in a very dangerous city.

Assignment Denver: The Case of the Eccentric Heiress


Lucey Phillips - 2017
    . . She was wrong. Jae thought she found her dream job. Being a travel writer let her enjoy all her favorite things: seeing new places … staying on the go … telling unusual stories … until she stumbled across a murder scene. While she was looking for an interesting twist to spice up her Denver travel story, Jae found the body of the wealthiest woman in Colorado—a reclusive heiress who had her share of enemies. And the accused killer was Mitch Evans, the owner of a microbrewery and the subject of Jae’s travel story. Now Jae’s editor wants her to put her travel story on hold to cover the crime. Meanwhile, she is assigned to work with Colin Bloom, a handsome and talented photographer who is frustratingly quiet. And family drama from back East is finding its way to Jae in Denver. Can she keep herself together, personally and professionally, while she tries to solve the case of the eccentric heiress? Read Assignment Denver: The Case of the Eccentric Heiress and find out today!

The Protectors: Vigilante Justice


Bernard Lee DeLeo - 2012
    Bradwick snaps when he and James bust in on a kidnapping ring, enslaving children for pornography. He brutally executes the three kidnappers, stunning James. He sets up the scene to pass for self-defense with Ellie James cooperation. Their ruse succeeds, triggering a two cop crackdown on crime the city of Oakland’s leaders scurry to stop. Dedicated to end ‘look the other way’ crime suppression tactics, ending in destruction and death for the common people in Oakland, Bradwick and James decide it’s time to go on offense.Connor explains it this way after they rescue the kidnapped children, “The kids made me start thinking about how I want folks to look at us. I don’t care anymore to visit someone to tell them we found the people who broke into their business or house and robbed them blind. I want them to wave at us from their house or business as we go by because we prevent the gangbangers, drug dealers and thugs from terrorizing them.”The crime war takes on different meaning when they bust an MS-13 El Salvadoran gangster’s illegal alien processing center. Connor and Ellie run headlong into a corrupt politician on the gangster’s payroll, and the terrorists behind him. Soon, everyday crime fighting busts become a fond memory. (Taken from Amazon.com)

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.

An Unfamiliar Guest


E.C. Murray - 2020
    Murray's suspense brings together two estranged college roommates on a lush island in Washington state. The friends, a mysterious widow and a frustrated mother of teenagers, slowly reconcile only to discover nothing is as it seems. Secrets are revealed, a man is shot, and shocking lies surface in a saga that leads from New England to Washington state to La Serena, Chile. An Unfamiliar Guest is a story of friendship, mystery, and intrigue with twists that will astonish even the most astute reader.

The Langthorne Series box set


Charlie Gallagher - 2017
    She happens to be the mayor’s niece. It’s the final straw for the local community. The police are desperate to get results and decide on a risky course of action involving undercover infiltration of the notorious Effingell Estate. Detective George Elms knows this hellish place extremely well, and his sharp investigative mind is put to work to solve the crime. The police are under immense media pressure and conveniently a local lowlife confesses to the attack. But George is not convinced. There are many layers of criminal and police motivation, and few people are what they seem. BOOK 2: PANIC BUTTON “A man is stood in front of me with a gun. He has a message for me and for us all. He says that he will come for us. He will come for all of us one by one. Until it is finished.” Someone is killing the officers of the Langthorne Police one by one. And in a sadistic twist he makes each victim push their radio panic button before they die, thus broadcasting their last moments to the entire force. And as the police face this ruthless adversary, Detective George Elms is in no fit state to help. What is the connection between ruthless former officer Ed Kavski and the wave of killings? And can their boss Helen Webb do anything to stop the carnage? BOOK 3: BLOOD MONEY What would you do to save your dying son? Imagine the doctors told you there was a cure, but only if you had the money. What would you do to get that money to save your son’s life? Tony Robson faces this choice when he’s told he needs £3000 per month to carry on the life-saving experimental treatment for his son’s rare disease. So Tony gets in touch with the criminal element in town. And they have a well-paying job for him . . . And that decision will blow up everything for the Langthorne Police. If you like Angela Marsons, Rachel Abbott, Ian Rankin or Mark Billingham you will be gripped by this exciting new crime fiction writer.

All The Hidden Pieces


Jillian Thomadsen - 2018
    Within minutes, she and her family hastily pack up their belongings and abandon their home. Where did the family go and why? Det. Roberta Hobbs has been assigned to uncover the family's whereabouts. Hobbs is a confident, intelligent police veteran. However, each passing day brings her closer to her unresolved past. When Hobbs digs deeper into the mystery, all leads point to her own longtime ex-boyfriend - a former drug dealer turned philanthropist named Steven Vance -- as the primary suspect. This riveting dual-timeline suspense novel takes us back to 2004 -- the year Greta Carpenter first realizes something is wrong with her young son, John. Over the course of his childhood, John's learning disabilities become apparent. Greta's unfaltering advocacy on his behalf puts her at odds with the school system and strains her relationship with her husband Griffin. Eventually Greta and Griffin's marriage falls apart, and during the divorce trial, Greta reveals that she was a teenage runaway, and a local entrepreneur named Steven Vance rescued her from the streets. Vance is certainly a man of many shades - a local celebrity for his philanthropy, a cunning CEO who sits atop a questionable mini-empire, a benevolent former father figure to Greta and a lying, evasive former companion to Hobbs. It seems that only Vance has the power to make people disappear in this small town and he emerges as the most obvious suspect...but Hobbs remains uncertain of his role. While her colleagues question whether she can truly be impartial, Hobbs realizes she has a reason to suspect them as well. Nothing is obvious in this thrilling mystery...except that Hobbs must race to solve the mystery before it's too late.

A Brutal Hand: There's No Escape (SHORTZ)


Ravi Subramanian - 2020
    

The Definitive Furies Collection


Pennie Mae Cartawick - 2014
    The Mystery of the Poisoned Tomb2. The Mystery of the Faceless Bride3. The Case of the Cracked Mirror4. A Strange Affair with the Woman on the Tracks5. The Curse of a Native6. The Case of the missing Mayan Codices7. Murders on the Voyage to India8. The Heist9. The Game of Cat and Mouse10. Death in the Tropics of an English Explorer11. Double Trouble in York12. NOT SO MERRY IN GOOD OL’ SCOTLAND13. Bumbling Caper on the Swiss Alps14. Dirty Laundry in Paradise15. The Castle Orphans16. Watson to the Rescue17. The Uncanny Disappearance of Miss Ellis18. Mysterious Murders Surround the Whistling Tavern19. The Hex of a Gypsy Woman20. The Perilous JesterThese are the first twenty crime mysteries together in one large collection taken from a string of new short stories set in the late 19th century. No fictional character is more renowned for his powers of thought and observation than Sherlock Holmes and his faithful companion Dr. John Watson.

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

Air Raid


Eileen Enwright Hodgetts - 2019
    A missing baby. A dead lawyer who knew too much. Can his replacement avoid the same dark fate? England, 1952. Lawyer Toby Whitby’s poor eyesight stole his chance to serve his country. When the lawyer’s boss is murdered, Toby inherits the case of a lifetime. But his opportunity to reunite an Earl’s daughter with her kidnapped child is anything but ordinary…After his search for the child reaches America, the people connected with the case start turning up dead. As the body count rises, Toby realizes there’s far more to his client’s story than she’s willing to share…Can Toby reunite a family or will his pursuit of the truth get him killed?Air Raid is an enthralling World War II mystery. If you like aristocratic scheming, dark family secrets, and postwar settings, then you’ll love Eileen Enwright Hodgetts’ captivating tale.

The Key to Rebecca / The Man from St Petersburg


Ken Follett - 1994
    

Lady Hartley's Inheritance


Wendy Soliman - 2005
     Her godmother's son, Luc Deverill, the Earl of Newbury, suspects fraud. Thrown together during the social whirl of a Regency season in full swing, Luc is increasingly drawn towards Clarissa but she thinks him an idle dissipate and finds little to admire in the ways of high society. Racing against time to foil those seeking to deceive Clarissa, Luc is horrified when she places herself in the path of danger. At last a woman has dented his impenetrable heart and he rides to her rescue. But has he left it too late to tell her how he feels?

Mayan Star


Howard Allan - 2018
    What we don’t know is why. Excavations at a recently discovered Mayan site near Valladolid in the Yucatan unearth a codex – the first to be discovered in over 50 years. A mangled body is found among the ruins. It belongs to Father Colvin McNeery, an expert on the Gospel of Matthew, the only Gospel to mention the Star of Bethlehem. The local police say he was killed by a jaguar. Dr. Isabel Reyes, renegade daughter of one of the wealthiest families in Mexico, is called away from her clinic to issue a death certificate. She wonders, when she sees the claw marks, what sort of jaguar is left-handed? Ex-rabbi and scholar Simon Press has just seen another of his controversial lectures on the spread of Christianity end in violence. He’s back at his hotel nursing a scotch when he gets the news that his friend and colleague, Colvin McNeery, is dead in the Yucatan. Press has always been resentful of Christianity’s success; what he finds in McNeery’s translation of the codex will allow him to get even. Detective First Class Benito Rufino of the Antiquities Police is pulled off a sting he’s spent nine months setting up, and ordered to Valladolid. He’s furious until he finds out why: a codex worth $500 million pesos is missing. Leon Cortes - devout Catholic and a direct descendant of the Conquistador - has become drug overlord for all of the Yucatan because he believes his faith requires him to mortify his soul as his Savior mortified his body. Now he’s ordered by the Vatican to find the codex and send it to them. The 1500 year old codex contains an account of a holy man, a savior who is born under a bright star to a virgin, performs miracles, dies a horrible death, and is resurrected. If McNeery’s translation of the codex is correct, then something is radically wrong with the conventional accounts of the European discovery of the Americas. Or - and this is the only other possibility - something is radically wrong with Christianity’s notion of itself. Mayan Star is mystery/thriller with a Borgesian twist.

Helltown: A Horror Novel


Stephen Bentley - 2015
    It's nothing like the suburb you might live in . . . Unless, that is, an insane, Listerine-guzzling Realtor sold you your house? Or perhaps your postman happens to have a disturbing relationship with his claw hammer? A grieving Dan LaBarbara knows something is different in Helltown as soon as he comes back home. Yeah, sure, the town always been a little off. You can feel that about the place, like if you stepped into a house whose only occupants were freshly murdered corpses in an upstairs bedroom. But this is something else entirely. Standing in his little brother Barbie's basement workshop, holding one of those dioramas Barbie's been building since the accident, the ones that seem to move when you hold them, Dan can feel Barbie's terror. Barbie must know something is coming, something big, something evil. He's trying to warn Dan in the only way he knows. Why else would Barbie build a diorama depicting a man-sized version of a cartoon rabbit with bloody teeth about to devour a trembling teenager? Why else would he spend so much time crafting an intricate model of Death standing over a pimply teenager in the school library? And let's not even talk about that little model of the mob of undead surrounding the massive tower of vicious black spines behind the high school. Hilltown has a story to tell, and the lonely brain-damaged man who builds magical dioramas in his basement workshop has been telling it all along. As the evil closes in around them, Dan and his new love interest Jessica must do the impossible: save everyone one in Hilltown before it's too late.