Thriller | Self-Publishing Review

Dagger Quest by Edward M. Hochsmann

Submerging readers in the octane-fueled action of America’s coastal military, Dagger Quest by Edward M. Hochsmann is a highly entertaining cross between a seafaring adventure and a high-stakes military drama.

When a suspected drug-running ship is found destroyed in Cuban waters, Ben Wyporek, the Executive Officer of a Coast Guard cutter, is plunged into an international quagmire of missiles, secrets, and organized crime. Though the nuclear premise is exciting enough, the more interesting tension of the novel comes from the richly penned cast, with their interpersonal struggles, romances, bruised egos, and conflicting philosophies of leadership. The relationship between Sam and […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-06-08T06:52:19+02:00June 7th, 2022|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Action and Adventure, Edward M. Hochsmann, Thriller|

Review: Myers by Jeff Lee

A gripping mystery that reveals its villain long before the final page, Myers by Jeff Lee is a character-driven thriller that exposes the grim repercussions of trauma and war, showing how the severe residual trauma and haunting memories of survivors can have their own terrible repercussions.

Plunging readers into a wind-blown, easily forgotten part of America, this novel is an exposé of violence, history, and family. The story pits two such souls against each other, the town’s police chief, Karl Myers, and Jerry Peterman – a soldier who never really stopped fighting, and who has forgotten any language but domination. […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-07-15T04:47:13+02:00June 7th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Historical Fiction, Thriller|

Review: What Happens on Outlook by D.F. Nightshade

Examining human nature under a thrilling magnifying glass, D.F. Nightshade has constructed an incisive and powerful read in What Happens on Outlook. Peering into the lives of seven eccentric characters living on Outlook Street, each with a potential bullseye on their back, this slow-burning thriller is both entertaining and far outside the box.

Birdy is a new-age guru with an inexplicably smelly apartment and a lifestyle deemed too “rainbow” by the uptight members of the Committee. Sakamoto is an honest shopkeeper on Outlook Street with a remarkably even temper, despite being forced out of his space by ugly, unfair, and […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-06-17T09:00:49+02:00May 25th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Contemporary Fiction, Thriller|

Review: Dead Beckoning by Mike Cobb

Steeped in the charm, pace, and painful realities of a bygone era, Dead Beckoning by Mike Cobb is a stunning peek into late 19th century America, and the lives embroiled in a tragic mystery.

Baker Bass is a Georgia country boy with the heart of a gentleman, who finds himself in small-town high society thanks to the love of his life, Ella. His ambitions take their family to Atlanta, where they shift to being small fish in an ever-growing pond. Running a successful sundry shop in a Southern city is no easy feat, but when he is falsely fingered in […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-09-15T10:48:58+02:00May 16th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Historical Fiction, Mike Cobb, Thriller|

Review: Cathedral by Ray Keating

A stellar depiction of time period and tension, Cathedral by Ray Keating is the bold opening hymn of his new Alliance of Saint Michael series.

During a religious conference at Georgetown University, Pastor Eric Meyer and Father Patrick O’Riley help to avert an assassination attempt by communist agents bent on curing the world of religious devotion. Their bravery doesn’t go unnoticed by powerful observers in the room, and they are soon recruited into service by the Alliance of Saint Michael – a secretive sect operating from within the Institute for Christian Life, History and Arts. Little do they know that […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-06-02T09:24:39+02:00May 12th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Ray Keating, Religious Fiction, Thriller|

Rush by Cole Poindexter

The second in Cole Poindexter’s Parker Derrick series, Rush is a fast-moving crime thriller with a stellar female lead, which expands and improves on its predecessor.

This installment finds the Little Rock CSI protagonist called to a murder scene in a hotel where a note asks for her by name. When she realizes the murder victim is a private investigator she knew seven years back in Jasper when she was attacked, things get very strange. As Parker delves into the evidence, she finds herself being triggered, remembering details of her own experience that might just help with the current case.[…]

Cate Baum2022-05-05T08:11:08+02:00May 5th, 2022|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Cole Poindexter, Thriller|

The Orientation of Dylan Woodger by Chiuba Obele

An emotional work about experiencing amnesia and uncovering harsh personal truths, Chiuba Obele’s The Orientation of Dylan Woodger is a complicated debut novel that touches on difficult subjects.

The last memory Dylan Woodger has is from 2016, when he was heading to Hamilton College to begin his freshman year of undergrad. The next time Dylan wakes up, he’s being tortured – he’s been captured by the Utica mob, and he’s being accused of an enormous crime: taking $3 million from the head of the organization. A powerful drug has erased Dylan’s memory, and the year is now 2019.

The novel […]

SPR2022-04-26T06:14:06+02:00April 26th, 2022|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Thriller|

Review: Easy Promises by Abby Reilly

A twisting police procedural that pits two detectives against a group of smooth-talking Philadelphia lawyers, Abby Reilly’s Easy Promises is also a feisty interfamily drama that calls into question the nickname “City of Brotherly Love.”

When criminal defense attorney Sean Murphy is found tied up with his throat slit on his yacht the Lucky Lady, it’s not difficult to find a suspect: frankly, it’s harder to rule anyone out. Enter seasoned detective Joe Watson and his younger counterpart Patricia Malone – the Philly cops tasked with narrowing down a long list of potential perpetrators, including the many less-than-savory clients that […]

Michelle Hogmire2022-05-25T03:49:51+02:00April 22nd, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Legal Thriller, Thriller|