Thriller Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Girls, Crimes, and the Ruling Body by Barry R. Ziman

Brimming with barely contained tension and a razor-sharp political edge, Girls, Crimes, and the Ruling Body by Barry R. Ziman is a linguistically rich ride through the halls of power.

Ryan McNeil works in the messy world of New York congressional politics, but also gets unwittingly tangled up in the disappearance of a young woman, as one of the last people to see her alive. The high-profile case could tank his career, but also threatens his freedom, leading him and his dauntless girlfriend to begin an investigation of their own, despite the mounting dangers and the target that has settled […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-08-27T02:08:29+02:00August 27th, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Thriller Book Reviews|

Review: Alchemy of Revenge by Athan Noel

In Alchemy of Revenge, author Athan Noel unleashes a visceral and unpredictable homage to vengeance.

When a lustful mistake spins out of control into obsession, harassment, and even costlier consequences, it seems that Leo Vitali’s life is falling apart before his eyes. His lawyer and father figure has a heart attack and he confesses his misdeeds to his wife, but that’s nothing compared to being arrested for a murder he didn’t commit. Betrayed by those closest to him, the perfect life of this Miami shot-caller is teetering on the edge, as his beloved family is fed poisonous lies by […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-10-12T03:26:50+02:00August 24th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Thriller Book Reviews|

Review: Tokyo Zangyo by Michael Pronko

A spectacular plunge into the dark heart pumping beneath Tokyo’s shining streets, Tokyo Zangyo by Michael Pronko is the fourth stellar installment of his Detective Hiroshi series. From the gripping opening scene that sets a deadly tone, to the breakneck investigation’s dramatic climax, this novel rarely lets up in intensity or intrigue.

Detective Hiroshi Shimizu is once again summoned to the site of a grisly mystery – a bucho businessman named Shigeru Onizuka found splattered on the pavement beneath the building where he’d done his life’s work. However, his work at Senden Infinity also included being a notorious bully and […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-08-24T02:38:20+02:00August 5th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Detective Fiction Book Reviews, Thriller Book Reviews|

Review: That Which Remains: Reunion by M. Tess Ossenelli

An unpredictable ride of murder, intrigue, revenge, and old loves long thought buried, That Which Remains: Reunion by M. Tess Ossenelli is a one-of-a-kind thriller for romance and action fans alike.

After his sister, Tess, disappears, Dr. Evan Kaufman’s volatile emotions explode, putting his career and future at risk. Following a loose trail of breadcrumbs that only deepen the mystery of her abduction, it becomes clear that something even more sinister than a serial killer has put his sister and best friend in danger. He hires a young private eye to help in the search, not expecting to instead find […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-03-21T05:20:05+02:00August 3rd, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Romance Book Reviews, Thriller Book Reviews|

Review: A Mirror Above the Abyss by Oleg Lurye

A brilliant blend of fuzzy historical fact and conspiratorial fiction, A Mirror Above the Abyss by Oleg Lurye is a dark and thrilling dive into the shadows of the past that is nearly impossible to put down. Set in the nearly present day, under the wild rule of the Trump administration, this political, journalistic, and historical thriller doesn’t hold back in its raw intensity.

When an ambitious Washington Post journalist with a notorious nose for a story is offered the biggest scoop in a generation, it is hard for Max Malin not to start seeking a place for his Pulitzer. […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-08-17T08:40:01+02:00August 3rd, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Thriller Book Reviews|

Review: Reluctant Betrayals by Claude Renaud

A stunning blend of fiction and memoir, Reluctant Betrayals by Claude Renaud is a riveting plunge into the past, exposing the dangerous instability of a nation on the brink.

Working on a contract with the Ministry Information in Cambodia, young Philippe Roche lands in Phnom Penh to start his career at the bottom rung of a local magazine. The wild allures of Southeast Asia pull him in almost immediately, sending him spiraling into an exotic trap of temptation, power, control, and lust.

After being swept into the world of expats living in this powder keg of a city, including the […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-08-17T03:01:15+02:00August 2nd, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Historical Fiction Book Reviews, Thriller Book Reviews|

Review: Enigma Rose by S.E. Reynolds

Romance, tragedy, and redemption are served up alongside small-town charm in Enigma Rose by S.E. Reynolds. A slow-burning romantic thriller, this is not a standard heartbreak-to-healing love story, and leads readers through an emotional maze before reaching its dramatic end.

Tragedy strikes the mayor of Fairview, sending his seemingly perfect life into a spiral of sorrow and solitary fatherhood. His late wife, Melissa, had been his unwavering rock for years, the woman who had pulled him out of young heartbreak and whose trust fund allowed him to leap from police officer to political powerhouse.

Melissa taught him how to be […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-01-17T13:47:36+02:00July 28th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Romance Book Reviews, Thriller Book Reviews|

Review: The Adopted Son by Claude Renaud

Unbreakable ties across time and a brilliant snapshot of untold history make The Adopted Son by Claude Renaud a gripping, perspective-shifting thrill.

A mysterious figure from Paul Quinn’s past appears in Sydney two decades after their fateful encounter in the days leading up to the fall of Saigon. After hearing Hao Tran’s story of struggle, and feeling sympathetic to the plight of Eric, her son, whose father was one of Quinn’s fallen military comrades, this retired spy’s quiet life turns upside down, and long-buried heroism bubbles to the surface.

Not only does he adopt a fatherly approach to this unexpected […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-08-02T03:51:28+02:00June 15th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Historical Fiction Book Reviews, Thriller Book Reviews|