International Thriller | Self-Publishing Review

Review: Persecution by Ray Keating

Once again peeling back the shadowy layers of international espionage, author Ray Keating drops another explosive installment of his Pastor Grant series with Persecution.

When videos surface of Christians being executed in Iran, the American government and its intelligence agencies refuse to sit idly by, but geopolitical sensitivity is required, which means covert operations – and a blessing from the pope himself. With his sixth sense for danger and his penchant for finding himself in the midst of it, Pastor Grant and the secretive heroes of CDM are a natural choice for handling a deadly and top-secret mission. Quietly […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-01-11T10:42:43+02:00December 3rd, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: International Thriller, Ray Keating, Religious Fiction|

Review: The Living Legend by Dan E. Hendrickson

Author Dan E. Hendrickson weaves a complex story of history, honor, and righteous justice in his new novel The Living Legend, a harrowing journey of vengeance.

Following the horrific death of his father, Tommy Williams redirects his life for the long game of revenge, joining the Navy SEALs to acquire the skills he’ll need for retribution. Determined to punish the assassin responsible for his father’s murder, but hiding that true intent from his superiors, he overcomes years of grueling training that molds him into a relentless and deadly weapon.

Makena Aalee is fighting a very different battle, determined to […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-03-28T03:42:11+02:00March 28th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Dan E. Hendrickson, International Thriller, Thriller|

Review: Reflection (The Lenka Trilogy Book 3) by John Righten

Closing out The Lenka Trilogy with a nail-biter, author John Righten delivers yet another smart and adventurous thriller with Reflection. All of the lessons, enemies, losses, and sacrifices of a mysterious and selfless Irish heroine come to a head in a dangerous race against a Christmastime clock.

Lenka Brett remains as indomitable and entertaining as ever, taking up a tall task in South America to deliver essential medical supplies amidst a landscape of violence and outright corruption. The wear and tear of her previous two missions have clearly taken their toll on Lenka, both physically and emotionally, but […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-02-23T03:22:12+02:00February 19th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: International Thriller, John Righten, Thriller|

The Healer’s Daughters by Jay Amberg

The Healer’s Daughters is a complex and gripping new novel by author Jay Amberg, bridging mysticism and truth, as well as time and space. Tying together ancient cultural beliefs, insightful flashbacks, mystical practices, and enough treasure hunting to satisfy a Clive Cussler fan, this tangled tale is difficult to put down both for its originality and skillful storytelling.

From the ancient trials of Galen, the second century’s most famous physician, to the terrors of the modern day in Turkey, this book is sweeping and ambitious, but also carefully penned, culturally sensitive, and finely polished. After a terror attack rips through […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-01-21T03:49:28+02:00August 20th, 2019|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Action and Adventure, International Thriller, Jay Amberg|

Review: The Kurdish Episode by Joseph E. Fleckenstein

The Kurdish Episode by Joseph E. Fleckenstein is a sparkling example of the “everyman with a shadowy past” who proves his mettle. What begins as a simple, yet mysterious task for an everyman quickly swells into an emotional rollercoaster of love, loyalty, and the determination to survive.

Running a small gun shop in the backcountry of Pennsylvania is exactly the type of slowed-down life Sean McDougal is looking for after his recent tour in the Army. At least, that’s how he feels at first, but as the weeks run into months, his old hunger for action and adrenaline creeps to […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-08-13T10:37:43+02:00July 1st, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: International Thriller, Joseph E. Fleckenstein, Thriller|

Review: All the Big Ones Are Dead by Christopher A. Gray and Howard E. Carson

If we have learned one thing as a species, it is that evil can come in many forms, but the higher up the chain of criminality you go, the more things become interconnected in a murky, sinister web of corruption, greed, violence, and lies. In All the Big Ones Are Dead by the talented writing team of Christopher A. Gray and Howard E. Carson, the seedy underworld linked to the illegal animal trade is exposed in brilliant and disturbing detail.

When it comes to the illegal trade of ivory from elephant tusks and rhino horns, the first sin is the […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-06-24T10:06:56+02:00June 23rd, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Howard E. Carson, International Thriller, Thriller|

Review: Blood Upon the Sands by Sheldon Charles

The complexities of geopolitics are no longer being kept to the realms of academia and politics, and fascinating stories based on real-world conflicts are becoming more and more accessible with every passing year. In Blood Upon the Sands, the second book in the Evan Davis series by Sheldon Charles, the intrepid writer-turned-world traveler finds himself in Kuwait, where there is serious trouble brewing.

Working for a local horse-breeder, Evan’s obvious foreignness makes him stand out, while his instincts as a writer tell him to never ignore a story – particularly when it is dropped directly in his lap. What […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-05-17T08:14:19+02:00May 17th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: International Thriller, Sheldon Charles, Thriller|

The Hook Files by Charles Deran Wright

Not all families are created equal, and in The Hook Files by Charles Deran Wright, readers meet one of the strangest families imaginable. Skylark, previously known as Kennings, has had his entire life directed towards being a spy – carrying on the family business as a covert operative for the shadowy “Company.” However, when his old friendships end up tangled in his new secrets, things get complicated quickly.

With flashbacks to the past blended with visceral scenes from the present day, readers are given a comprehensive picture of this odd protagonist, making him an immediately sympathetic character. As the mysteries […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-01-22T05:54:03+02:00February 8th, 2018|Categories: New Releases|Tags: International Thriller, Spy Thriller, Thriller|