Don't Miss Fiction

Alright, I admit it, every once in a while I get a little behind in my reading, so I have to play catch up and so I can pass along tips on what I dub can't miss fiction. This batch of four great books certainly lives up to that mantle.

Second Strike - Peter Kirsanow (Dutton) 

Second Strike is the follow up to Peter Kirsanow's debut Target Omega which introduced hero Mike Garin to the world of thriller fiction. To say that Garin is a breast could be the definition of a beast; a hardened and well honed one man wrecking crew. Fresh off the effort to thwart a terrorist attack in the form of an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack that paired Russian and Iranian evil doers, Garin tops the list of those targeted by terrorists for reprisal, placing him square in the gun sights of Russian killer Taras Bor.

Kirsanow, who has held high level federal positions, writes with a inherent insider feel that ratchets up the thrills. Garin is aided and abetted by a couple of highly trained and tough operators, Congo Knox and sniper Dan Dwyer in taking the fight to the to the  terrorists. These are the kinds of folks that will directly appeal to fans of the late Vince Flynn's, Mitch Rapp and Brad Thor's, Scot Harvath. Add to the mix the assets of a Blackwater-like military contractor and a high level national security advisor and the  book crackles with with energy. 

Nomad - James Swallow - (Forge Books) 


Countless authors and film makers have tapped into the storyline involving poor aggrieved Middle Eastern types seeking revenge against the evil west. Now add to the mix the equally familiar mole/spy in the security service and you're getting close to  the plot line of what is described as the first in the Mark Dane Series, Nomad. Dane is an interesting combination of veteran, skilled, military operator combined with a full Monty of high tech skills that has him taking a technical support role with the the MI-6 Nomad special operations team.

When an operation goes south leaving the entire Nomad team goes south, save for Dane, fingers and suspicions aimed directly at him, have him on the run trying to not only survive but to figure out who the mole inside MI-6 is. The race is on and the story moves with a solid, steady velocity once the initial ground work is laid. Swallow is a skilled British scriptwriter and this character debut slots him in as a thriller writer to reckon with. 

Add to the mix the mysterious Rubicon Group and tough as nails "security" operator Lucy Keyes, who ride to the rescue to save and aide Dane and this one sets the table for a long, happy, exciting relationship.

The Fifth to Die: A 4MK Thriller - J. D. Barker - (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) -

The mind of author J D Barker, is a dark and scary place. Back in 2017 Barker was responsible for what became one of my favorite books of the year, The Fourth Monkey. As a follow up, The Fifth To Die, Barker teases out enough bits a pieces of the one who got away, the 4MK killer to thread throughout the hunt for a new, equally devious and deranged killer.

Barker brings a level of skill at adding twist after twist to the story that you will find yourself second-guessing everything you think you have figured out. Barker skillfully engineers and hones each bit of the story line to fit perfectly together. It's easy to see why the Bram Stoker family selected Barker to pen a prequel to Dracula; this guy is that dark. If you are a veteran thriller reader who revels in the chase, trying to figure out how things come to a conclusion, then this one is right up your alley and will keep your guessing.

The Vinyl Detective: Victory Disc - Andrew Cartmel - (Titan Books) -

I love Andrew Cartmel's, Vinyl Detective Series because it appeals to everything I love to do; reading great mysteries and collecting music! This time out, the self-described Vinyl Detective and his band of lovable characters are on the hunt once again, trying to track down a World War II era Victory Disc, by the British, Flare Path Orchestra, the equivalent of the military Glenn Miller Orchestra.

Naturally there is a mysterious benefactor who hires on the VD and friends to track down these rare records and soon the hunt is on and the aging musicians from the  from the band, a prime source for tracking down the discs, start dropping like flies. Twists, turns and plenty of colorful and in some cases disturbing characters dot the landscape throughout. If you thought that WWII was over, think again, some battles are still in progress and who knew vinyl would be at the root of the fight. If you like your mysteries with a healthy dose of fun, this one is  for you.


    

Evil X 4 Divided by 2

The Fourth Monkey – J D Barker (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

Hear No Evil…get a victim’s ear, delivered in a neatly wrapped box tied with black string.

See No Evil…get a victim’s eyes, delivered in a neatly wrapped box tied with black string.

Speak No Evil… get a victim’s tongue, delivered in a neatly wrapped box tied with black string.

Get The Fourth Monkey, by J D Barker and get the thriller of the year, thus far, delivered in the form of a book that divides the storyline into two neatly gripping sections.

The Four Monkey Killer (4MK) has been plying his evil trade for five years terrorizing Chicago and we get dropped right into the middle of a bubbling story with the arrival of the first neatly wrapped box, tied in black string and containing his latest victim’s ear. You know the old saw about the monkeys who hear, see, and speak no evil, but this troop comes with an extra member.

Author J D Barker spins out a twisted tale of an ultra-smart serial killer who is not only hell bent on yanking the chains of those trying to catch him, but along the way he has made the case and helped the cops to roll up some folks who were doing evil that they didn’t even know about.

Is 4MK dead…the victim of an apparent suicide or is this just another twist; a curve ball to keep the cops guessing? Barker drops a malicious clue in the form of the killer diary which details the killer’s twisted childhood and the making of a future serial killer.

While Barker alternates between the current chase and the killers diary, I defy you to try not to bounce ahead to see where the next twist in either tail leads. 

This is a great concept and the execution is spot on! Barker sets the hook early and the race is on with relentless pacing, great hairpin turns and enough twists to keep you guessing until the final pages. Hands down my favorite fiction of the year and I am ready for what’s next from the devious mind of J D Barker.