The Thieves of Legend!! Richard Doetsch is a modern master!!

Okay. If you love well written, fast paced thrillers with a touch of real history laced into it with ancient mysteries a la Indiana Jones. Then, Richard Doetsch is for you. I am very sad that I have now read all of his books. They are that good. Thieves of Legend is the latest book in his Michael St. Pierre series and it is stellar. Each book in the series has ancient legends that become reality and it is up to his incredibly real characters to face enormous odds to stop some very bad things from happening. Doetsch also has two stand alone novels that have locales from his St. Pierre series, but are completely their own which are fantastic, "Half Past Dawn" and "The 13th Hour". I wish I had the money to make all of his books into movies. You will not be disappointed in any of these books. I can't wait for the next book from this welcome new voice in thriller fiction.

The Escape by David Baldacci (John Puller #3)

The Escape by David Baldacci
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have long been a fan of David Baldacci liking some of his series more than others. The character of John Puller was introduced in Zero Day and followed by The Forgotten. When I first heard about John Puller it appeared that Baldacci was trying to ride the Jack Reacher wave. Boy, was I mistaken. Even though Puller has many of Reacher's similarities, the differences are stark. Puller, no offense intended, is a smarter, better Reacher. John Puller is still in the military as an investigator with CID, he come from royal military blood with a legend for a father, and a brother who is in prison for life for treason at Leavenworth. Intrigued yet?

The Escape is the one of Baldacci's best books yet, and the best book in the Puller series. Suffice it to say, Puller's brother escapes from prison, and is a genius in his own right who was being groomed for big things before his fall from grace. But, what if everything wasn't as it seemed and there is more at play than one man's guilt or innocence. This is the framework of The Escape and without giving away any spoilers, this is a book that you will enjoy. Intelligent, and well written with twists and turns and a fascinating look at the inner workings of the nation's intelligence apparatus.

You cannot go wrong with the John Puller series or the Will Robie series from Baldacci. You will not be disappointed.

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Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo (Five Star)

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was an amazing book. One of the best I read this year. Very original, very well written and the characters are engaging and make you care about them and the world they inhabit. Very different in a very good way. Not your typical dystopian young adult novel. There are great things in store for Leigh Bardugo.

You can also feel comfortable with your teen son or daughter reading this. There is no language and there is a touch of romance, but nothing that is out of bounds for the 12-18 crowd. Adults will love this as well and will be ready for the next adventure. I am just glad that it's sequel, Siege and Storm and the final book in the trilogy, Ruin and Rising are out and ready to enjoy.

Word has it that Ms. Bardugo is working on a new series based in this same fantasy world.

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Dark Spies by Matthew Dunn

Dark Spies by Matthew Dunn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is Matthew Dunn's 4th book featuring Will Cochrane. It took awhile for me to discover Dunn. I would always look at Spycatcher (the 1st in the series) and pick it up and mentally add it to the "to be read" shelf in my head. This is what happens, after a while the dominant thought will be to read said book. I was blown away. Dunn is a good writer, but it is his humanity with the character of Will Cochrane that impresses. I thoroughly recommend that you read the series in order. Each book builds on the story that is this incredible character. It doesn't hurt that Dunn has "been there and done that". Authenticity reads true.
As for Dark Spies. By far this is the best book of the series. Intelligent, brilliantly plotted and a real pleasure from first page to last. Will Cochrane does not disappoint and we begin to see his influence on those around him. People who recognize his humanity and goodness on an intimate level and respond with help and kindness when needed when others would turn and run the other direction.
There are a handful of thriller authors that are making outstanding contributions to the genre currently, Marc Cameron's Jericho Quinn series, Ben Coe's Dewey Andreas series, newcomer Mike Maden and his fine book, Drone as well as an old favorite, Daniel Silva with his masterful Gabriel Allon. What's even more impressive is that even though these authors write about dangerous people and enemies of the people, they are very clean writers who have the skill necessary to write compelling, action filled thrillers without resorting to profanity to get their story across. Refreshing to say the least.
Well done Mr. Dunn and company. Well done. You will not be disappointed with this book.

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Drone by Mark Maden

Drone by Mike Maden
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Great first book from a very promising author. Troy Pearce is a great character and his team one of the most engaging in thriller fiction. As part of the new wave of thriller writers which include, Terry Hayes, Ben Coes, Marc Cameron and Matthew Dunn. This genre is in good hands and makes for a very happy reader here.

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I Am Pilgrim By Terry Hayes

I read a lot of books. So I have gotten a little picky over the years. So when I find a book that is pretty remarkable, I have to say something about it. Especially when it is a first novel.
I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes is such a book. Oh My Gosh! I remember seeing this book in an airport bookstore in Denver a couple months ago. The cover wasn't spectacular but for some reason I picked it up and read the blurbs and the synopsis and filed it away in the "to be read" box in my head.
Fast forward to a week ago. I am in my little local library just seeing if there is anything new that would keep me busy and I noticed in the large print new releases, I Am Pilgrim. My memory kicked in and I remembered that I had wanted to give it a try. Large print didn't bother me, my eyes probably need it.
So, I took it home. I was in the middle of reading another favorite author, Terry Brooks, but right before bed I picked up Pilgrim and read the first page. And the second, and the third and realized very quickly that I had found something special.

It is a rare thing for this to happen. For me, only a handful of times. The Unlikely Spy by Daniel Silva, Hyperion by Dan Simmons, a very little known book by Martin Davies titled, The Conjurer's Bird, The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.

Now, I add Mr. Hayes to the list. There is a depth to this book that rises it above most thrillers. A book I will actually remember as opposed to many that are just so much fluff. James Patterson comes to mind. There are some great thriller authors out there, Ben Coes, Marc Cameron, the late Vince Flynn, Brad Thor, Matthew Dunn, Daniel Silva, Richard Doetsch, Greg Rucka. I read everything that is produced by these fine authors, but the only one that comes close to Hayes is Silva.

Pilgrim begins with a brutal murder scene in New York City, a emotionally and physically wounded homicide detective and a brilliant investigator who has no name. From this beginning we learn all about this man, what he has done and where he has been. The action ranges from the dark days of 9/11 to the corridors of power in Washington DC, a farmhouse in North Dakota and to the mountains of the Hindu Kush in Afghanistan as well as a city square and a beheading in Saudi Arabia which leads to a birth of a new kind of terrorist that will be hunted to prevent the deaths of millions of people.

Hayes brilliantly weaves the histories and locales of all of these disparate entities into a novel that at times you long to put down, but can't. Watching the matching of wits between the Pilgrim and the Saracen is a thing to behold.

This book and Mr. Hayes are the real deal. I am ready for the next one.

The English Girl by Daniel Silva

The English Girl by Daniel Silva




The English Girl (Gabriel Allon Series #13)


There are very few authors who consistently put out books that are unputdownable. Daniel Silva is one of the few. The English Girl is just another example of this. Gabriel Allon is one of the greatest creations in thriller fiction in the last 20 years. When reading his exploits, it feels as if you are reading about actual living breathing people. You care about these characters. For the unitiated, Gabriel Allon is a member of the Israeli Secret Service. But, even more interesting is his talent as a restorer of great art.
As with the other Allon books, all is not what it seems. The story revolves around the British PM and the blackmail scheme surrounding him regarding his mistress who has been kidnapped and given 5 days to live if the ransom demand not met. With secrecy needed. Gabriel is asked to track down the kidnappers and save the girl. For long time Silva readers, the reemergence of Christopher Keller from The English Assassin is a welcome addition. (Mr. Silva, Keller needs his own series, please)
Throw in the old favorites, Chiara, Eli, Mikail, Dina, Rimona and the rest of Gabriel's crew and The English Girl is thoroughly entertaining and one of the best books of the year. Shamron would be pleased. 

The series begins with The Kill Artist, but the second book in the series explains much of the first and is one of the best of the series. That would be the aforementioned English Assassin. Try it and you will be hooked. These are classy well written books.