Thriller Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

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 […]

Review: The Quantum Code by Mark Langlois

A slow-burning thriller that mixes modern science with ancient prophecy and philosophy, The Quantum Code by Mark Langlois is an ambitious novel that will leave readers with as many questions as answers.

Two physicians from Christ Hospital, Jason Dolan and Sabrina Hawthorne, become inexplicably tangled up in a sprawling plot after Dolan is falsely accused of stealing narcotics and selling them on the street. When the FBI arrives at the hospital after a terrorist attack, Dolan’s arrest seems imminent, pushing him into the desperate decision to clear his own name as a vigilante investigator. Following a rapidly expanding ring of […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-06-07T07:30:32+02:00June 5th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Thriller Book Reviews|

Review: Reality by DC Wince

Near-future fiction at its finest, Reality by DC Wince is a thrilling and unpredictable leap into fight or flight mode. In bits and pieces, readers are submerged in a strange carnival of limitless power, the desperate search for truth, and the raw potential of humanity’s survival instinct.

Charlie, Dale, Blaze, and Ernst make for an odd quartet of protagonists, particularly because they spend a decent amount of this novel hunting one another in a winner-take-all death race in the desert. However, the backstory passages of their lives, and the strange events leading up to their Lord of the Flies face-off […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-03-30T07:03:42+02:00March 30th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews, Thriller Book Reviews|

Review: When A Rook Takes The Queen by Edward Izzi

When A Rook Takes The Queen by Edward Izzi is an intense urban thriller, taking its name from the Chicago Gambit, an opening used in chess that is widely thought of as a daring way to open the board for the game. The seamy streets of Chicago are the setting here, and the author weaves a set of similar moves into the story with his characters, creating an intriguing assassination puzzle for the reader to unravel.

When a Chicago Tribune reporter, the stubborn Larry McKay, investigates the murder of the city’s mayor, an African-America woman who had been seeking a […]

SPR2021-03-12T06:05:36+02:00February 1st, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Crime Fiction Book Reviews, Thriller Book Reviews|

Review: Falling by Marc Burgio

Author Marc Burgio weaves a tangled tale of desperation, murder, mercy and morality in his debut novel, Falling. A lifetime of missing memories, the sudden return of a long-lost cousin, and a stark confession of murder are the starting points for this wild revelation of a novel.

Multiple plot lines, timelines, and international adventures pepper this unpredictable story – the memoir of Julia, and the nearly unbelievable story that led back to her cousin’s door. Initially, we watch young Julia slog her way through California corner store jobs and retail prisons, wondering when the world will grant her a […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-03-09T05:11:01+02:00January 28th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews, Thriller Book Reviews|

Review: Vatican Shadows by Ray Keating

Ray Keating and the holy warrior of endless talents are back with Vatican Shadows, the 13th installment of the author’s Pastor Stephen Grant novels. Back in disguise and reunited with some of his oldest comrades, Grant is set to stop a murderous band of zealots in The Eternal City.

There is dissension in the holiest ranks on Earth, and as the Pope moves towards a more modern and conciliatory church, there are some who would do anything to stop such perceived heresy – even if it means committing a few cardinal sins along the way. Pastor Grant returns to […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-02-09T07:33:50+02:00January 17th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Religious Fiction Book Reviews, Thriller Book Reviews|

Review: Cooking for Cannibals by Rich Leder

Combine a group of cannibalistic young-again octogenarians with a traditional tale of the fountain of youth and you’ve got a unique, dark thriller in Cooking for Cannibals – part zombie fiction, part something you’ve never read before.

Thirty-five-year-old Carrie Kromer is a behavioral gerontologist who works for Alsiko Labs, a top secret facility in the San Fernando Valley trying to develop an age-reversing drug. When the Greek Gods – Carrie’s nine lab rats – suddenly regain their youth, she realizes that their experimental drug actually works. Hatching an elaborate alibi, she steals the pills to help her elderly mother, who’s […]

Henry Baum2021-01-15T04:28:11+02:00January 14th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Satire Book Reviews, Thriller Book Reviews|

Review: Luck by Chris Coppel

Luck, lies, and the weakness of human nature collide in Luck by Chris Coppel, an entertaining and savage satire that circles the strange birth and even stranger life of Daniel Trapp. Boasting a power that most would consider a blessing, good fortune seems to follow the main character like a shadow, but there are darker forces at work, and prices that must be paid.

As the title suggests, luck is a persistent theme from start to finish, frequently driving the plot twists and inexplicable events of the story. Daniel Trapp’s seemingly miraculous gift is another character in itself, an aura […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-01-11T06:54:30+02:00December 2nd, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews, Satire Book Reviews, Thriller Book Reviews|