Spy Thriller Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: Abbot Lane by Jim Layeux

A slow-burning drama that crackles with contemporary fears and timeless heroics, Abbot Lane by Jim Layeux is a forceful spy-vs-spy thriller.

An existential threat to America has been identified, and “a highly placed official within US intelligence is hellbent on destruction.” In order to prevent a global holy war, reluctant college student Jesse Carlton is recruited by an aging intelligence agent, Lee Tondar, who moonlights as a history professor at the secretive Grissim Institute.

Plunged overnight into the bewildering world of international espionage, Jesse is tasked with quietly investigating the flow and unprecedented censorship of intelligence reports to Tondar’s particular […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2026-03-31T14:13:58+02:00March 30th, 2026|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Spy Thriller Book Reviews, Thriller Book Reviews|

Moscow Nights Return by Beth H. Macy

A fast-paced plunge into contemporary spycraft with some classic Cold War twists, Moscow Nights Return by Beth H. Macy is a gripping international thriller.

Despite being a respected elder in the realm of espionage, Elda Ainsworth can still throw down with the best of them, but there is risk in every mission – especially when it comes to extracting Russian agents in possession of dangerous secrets. Shaking off the rust of near-retirement, Elda must lose her tails and find an exit route for her precious cargo before a merciless assassin ties them both up as one more loose end. Getting […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-09-19T18:40:24+02:00September 19th, 2024|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Spy Thriller Book Reviews|

Review: Operation Nightfall: The Web of Spies by Karl Wegener

Spiraling ever deeper into the historical tension, strategic alliances, and brinksmanship of Cold War politics, Operation Nightfall: The Web of Spies by Karl Wegener is a classic spy-vs-spy thrill.

A child of the Warsaw insurgency against the Nazis, Ada Bialik is a fearless and determined sleeper agent with a vengeful mission to complete, and she hopes her new position as a teacher in occupied Poland will be the last step in a painfully long journey. However, the sentiments of Ada’s new neighbors are mixed, to say the least, regarding the Soviet rule and communist policies now “stabilizing” their lives. Remnants […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-08-30T16:45:31+02:00August 30th, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Spy Thriller Book Reviews|

Review: Fatal Decision by T.K. Wolf

The road to vengeance is paved with deadly choices in Fatal Decision by T.K. Wolf, the first novel in what promises to be an exhilarating series. Sam Harker, a masterful assassin with a score to settle, is putting her unmatched skill set to work, biting at the hand that lied to and created her, but she lands in dangerous waters after diving into the past, in this world-spanning, high-octane thriller.

Moving at the speed of the best Bond movies, this spy thriller has plenty of recognizable elements from the popular genre, from the single-minded revenge of the Jason Bourne series […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-11-05T04:43:01+02:00November 4th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Spy Thriller Book Reviews, Thriller Book Reviews|

Review: Boardroom M by Gretchen Kirkpatrick

A slow-burning thriller peppered with bursts of violence and brilliant turns of phrase, Boardroom M is the whip-smart opening salvo of author Gretchen Kirkpatrick’s Agents and Assets series.

Misha is a CIA operative whose foundations are shaken after an attempt on her life, sending her spiraling into the heart of a conspiracy to bring down the CIA that criss-crosses the world. Relying on a handful of temporary allies and other tradecraft experts, as well as the tangled histories that accompany them, she must juggle multiple mysteries to keep herself alive, and save the ones she loves. Rich with plot twists […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-08-13T09:21:34+02:00July 22nd, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Spy Thriller Book Reviews, Thriller Book Reviews|

Review: Shattered Shield by Camden Mays

A story that could have been ripped from the headlines – or a heavily redacted report – Shattered Shield by Camden Mays is a riveting spy thriller that draws readers in with an intoxicating flood of action and suspense.

Cole Cameron is a leading character that you might recognize – a worn out government agent who is beginning to question his path in life, and may be dipping his fingers outside of the boundaries of the law. However, when real danger rears its head, he dives back into his duty, and his patriotic, heroic side wins out over the bitterness […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-05-20T04:54:07+02:00May 19th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Spy Thriller Book Reviews, Terrorist Thriller Book Reviews, Thriller Book Reviews|

Review: Fallout by William Hunter

The past never stays where it’s supposed to be buried, a truth that becomes painfully apparent in Fallout, the latest riveting thriller from author William Hunter. Fresh off his critically acclaimed novel Sanction, this new adventure pulls readers between the dark days of the Cold War and a modern-day spree of assassinations to cover up secrets more than three decades old.

Banastre Montjoy returns in this novel and heads up the investigation into why ex-British intelligence agents are being wiped out, particularly those linked to a disastrous and failed operation in the death strip between East and West […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-06-12T13:14:23+02:00May 18th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Spy Thriller Book Reviews, Thriller Book Reviews|

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 Book Reviews, Spy Thriller Book Reviews, Thriller Book Reviews|