Thriller Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: Lost Grove by Charlotte Zang & Alex Knudsen

A wickedly twisted thriller with a gritty gothic edge, Lost Grove: Part One by Charlotte Zang and Alex Knudsen is a dark dream for fans of contemporary horror.

The sleepy coastal town of Lost Grove, with more secrets than people, is a classically ominous setting for a supernatural whodunit, including a stubbornly determined prodigal sleuth with a big city reputation, and a bizarre link to the murder victim. The appearance of a pale corpse on Mourner’s Beach sends Sergeant Seth Wolfe down a rabbit hole of memory into unsettling visions and dreams from his youth that began after a near-death […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-09-03T10:38:58+02:00February 28th, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Horror Book Reviews, Thriller Book Reviews|

Shitamachi Scam by Michael Pronko

Following the money from a sleazy rip-off ring leads to bigger and more dangerous fish in Shitamachi Scam by Michael Pronko, a high-stakes hunt for justice in Tokyo.

In a city where real estate is profitable enough to kill for, a group of clever con artists are scamming older people out of their pensions, identities, and even the deeds to their homes. The authorities are aware of the scheme, but the seemingly juvenile sagi group has ties to powerful people and surprisingly sophisticated methods, so cracking the case proves more challenging than expected. With multiple bodies in the morgue and […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-01-17T17:10:16+02:00January 17th, 2024|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Thriller Book Reviews|

Review: Stone Angel by Charles Buday

A raw and emotionally charged tale of loyalty, love, and the lives we hide behind the scenes, Stone Angel by Charles Buday is a conspiracy-fueled and captivating thriller.

Paige, a fresh-faced darling of Hollywood, starts an unwitting culture war with America’s conservative Christians, seemingly putting her in the crosshairs of the radical right. Her sister, Mitzi – photographer, publicist, advisor, and guard dog – is fiercely loyal and reliably fearless, while Paige’s absentee husband, Russell, seems more concerned with his career as a screenwriter than the frightening threat to his wife and daughter. Even so, he enlists the help of […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-02-29T12:47:27+02:00January 6th, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Hollywood for Authors, Thriller Book Reviews|

Reasonable by K.T. Carlisle

A recently jilted designer wakes up confused and covered in her best friend’s blood in Reasonable by K.T. Carlisle, a dark and dramatic first installment of the What Happened to Mia Davis? series.

As Cat is dumped into the unforgiving justice system and her inexplicable brain fog begins to clear, she begins to realize that she may be an alcoholic, but she’s not a killer. However, proving her innocence from behind bars won’t be easy, particularly for her surviving business partners, considering that her guilt seems impossible to deny. Digging into her own past and facing her laundry list of […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-10-24T11:06:50+02:00October 24th, 2023|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Thriller Book Reviews|

Review: Involuntary Flashback by Dave Garrett

Tapping into a classic noir vibe with a good dose of contemporary flair, Involuntary Flashback by Dave Garrett is a fast-talking, razor-sharp Big Apple mystery.

An old-school private investigator “on the top of the endangered list,” Rod Weyhengrubber is a reckless and charming protagonist with a soft spot for the vulnerable and easily manipulated. A town full of promise and desperation keeps him plenty busy, particularly the recent rash of disappearances of hopeful starlets and young dreamers. When a young ingenue named Lilly seeks sanctuary with Rod and his partner, Ida, it becomes a race to crack the case before […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-01-25T10:45:55+02:00October 3rd, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Detective Fiction Book Reviews, Thriller Book Reviews|

The Machinist’s Daughter by Georgia Adler

A gritty, erotic, and heart-pounding read from Georgia Adler, The Machinist’s Daughter is an empowering story of resilience and hope in the face of impossible loss.

Desperately trying not to drown in self-pity and self-destruction, Jesse Thomas has been shattered by the past, but she isn’t willing to give up the fight just yet. The road to healing is hard enough, but the appearance of a disturbing stalker with an old axe to grind looms like a haunted storm cloud. Mike, an unexpected new friend, quickly blossoms into Jesse’s passionate protector, but that puts him squarely in the bull’s eye […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-07-25T12:02:00+02:00July 24th, 2023|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Erotic Book Reviews, Thriller Book Reviews|

Bisentient by Patrick O’Connor

Conspiratorial nightmares merge with the dark realities of power, religion, and psychological manipulation in Bisentient by Patrick O’Connor, a chilling thriller that touches on a number of genres.

Mason, a curious cameraman, is pulled into the surreality of psychic connections after a beautiful woman begins frequenting his dreams. In the real world, she remains comatose in a mental institution, yet the British government has taken a classified interest in her cognitive abilities. At the same time, a clan of religious zealots is using blackmail, extortion, and murder to climb America’s political ladder, and the connections between the two are disturbing. […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-07-20T12:44:21+02:00July 19th, 2023|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews, Thriller Book Reviews|

The Price of Justice by Tasmin Turner

A high-stakes second installment of the Crime Scene Kosovo series, The Price of Justice by Tasmin Turner is a page-turning spree of international action and gripping investigative storytelling.

As an assistant international prosecutor in post-conflict Kosovo, Kit Chase is perfectly positioned to make a real difference in tackling widespread corruption, but hard lessons from her last case haunt her, and the mysterious Russian liaison officer is impossible to forget. Her new investigation is an intense distraction relating to judicial misconduct and bribery at the highest international levels. When corruption runs this deep, affecting the pockets and clout of countless power […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-07-18T14:33:05+02:00July 17th, 2023|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Legal Thriller Book Reviews, Thriller Book Reviews|