"Heartsick" by Chelsea Cain (@ChelseaCain)

Yeah, I'm going into the past for this one, but I felt like it was worth the flashback.  First thing to say...if you're squeamish, this may be a tough read for you.  With that said, read it anyway.  Seriously.

"Why on earth would I do that?" you ask?  Because this one's worth it.

You hardcore crime thriller fans should eat this one up.  This is one of those no-brainers.  Yes, the similarities between this book and Harris' Silence of the Lambs (actually, it's closer to Red Dragon) have been discussed ad nauseum.  No, this is not just a gender-reversing rehash.  This is a grab-you-by-the-seat-of-your-britches thrill ride.  I'm not saying that it's some perfect creation.  There are three story-lines that can get a bit cumbersome at moments, but wow is this book worth the time to read it.  Especially since it represents Cain's first foray into this genre.

The rest of you are already blanching at the thought of a drop or two of blood, aren't you?  Well, I won't lie, there's more than that.  But Cain creates such amazingly compelling characters with such stunningly complex interactions that after a few chapters, you may still be squirming from the torture sequences, but you won't be able to put the sucker down.  You're caught up in their lives, and they'll stay with you after the novel ends.  Plus, the setting is so vividly described that it feels like another presence constantly in the background, creating the world where these things should never happen but do.

So, yes, a whole-hearted recommendation for Heartsick.  Plus, it's a series, so I'm sure we'll take a jaunt into Sweetheart and Evil at Heart before the release of The Night Season in March.  Get Heartsick here.  Just leave the lights on while you're reading it.

"Altar of Eden" by James Rollins (@JamesRollins)

Okay, thriller readers!  If you somehow missed the hardback edition of Altar of Eden, the paperback is now out (as of Dec. 28th).  No excuses!

This novel has everything you seasoned thriller readers are looking for--science, suspense, twists and turns, and of course, adrenaline-pumping action.  Rollins has taken a break from the Sigma series to go back to his stand-alone-novel roots and give us this nail-biter.  I zipped through this sucker in what felt like a minute and a half.  Unfortunately, it was actually a couple of days, and my life felt the effects of my lack of presence in it.  Fair warning.  Pick up this book at your own risk!

For those hey-I-can-take-it-or-leave-it thriller types, here are the hooks that'll grab ya.  First, this is the first novel that Rollins (a veterinarian) has written about veterinarians.  It's filled with all kinds of first-hand knowledge of what makes vets tick.  Second, the protagonist Lorna is also a woman, a slight departure from many of Rollins more testosterone-fueled efforts.  She's a fully developed, perfectly realized specimen of a character that will make you care while you're flying through the pages.  And finally, the romantic tension that exists between Lorna and Jack keeps things as steamy as the Delta they're skimming through.

So, I guess what I'm saying is, this novel pretty much rocks out loud.  Get it now, right here, if you haven't read it already.  If you have, buy the paperback for a friend.  They will thank you.  Profusely.

"Hell's Corner" by David Baldacci (@DavidBaldacci)

There are certain authors that when their names come up, thriller lovers sit up and take notice.  Baldacci has definitely become one of those names.  Hell's Corner delivers on all the unstated promises of suspense, intrigue and... of course... thrills that have been a hallmark of Baldacci's writing from the get-go.

For the thriller readers, this is one of those no-brainers.  Of course you should read it.  Oliver Stone and his Camel Club are wonderful characters to revisit and this novel takes them to some new and interesting places.  It's a real rip-snorter of a book that will zip you along to its conclusion.  The premise is a stretch, and there are some characterizations that seem decidedly un-Baldacci-ish, but he remains a masterful story-spinner.  You may not fall in love with this novel as much as some of his others, but you'll see that it earns the money you put down for it.

The rest of you out there (you know who you are), may not find this a good place to enter into the Baldacci ocean if you haven't already tested those waters already.  Work your way up to this novel by reading other Camel Club novels first.  The genesis of the series is called, appropriately enough, The Camel Club.  In my estimation, though, Stone Cold is the best of the bunch.  They're fun, they're well-plotted and the characters aren't all dark-haired and chisel-featured supermen.  The Camel Club is made up of the aging and the infirm, with a lot of interesting little quirks that keep them lively and engaging. 

So, if you're a thriller lover, this one needs to be on your to-read list if you haven't gobbled it up already.  If you're not, ease yourself into the series by reading Stone Cold first.  Hell's Corner is available here.

"The Emperor's Tomb" by Steve Berry, reviewed by @mrneil98

We brought back @mrneil98 to review this novel for us, because he's a huge Berry fan and because he's just stinkin' awesome!

 

If you’re looking for the perfect holiday gift do I have the book for you. For me it was a belated birthday with the release of one of my favorite author’s new novel, The Emperor’s Tomb. It had been over a year since his last, The Paris Vendetta but my appetite had been partially appeased in September with the release of Balkan Escape, a short story e-book that acted as a prequel to Emperor’s Tomb introducing a key character, Lev Sokolov, and establishing a debt owed by Cassiopeia Vitt.

Berry has again delivered a classic Cotton Malone action thriller with exotic settings and loaded with historic facts. This time though, he takes a risk by making Malone and his gang secondary players to the main crux of the story, a power struggle for leadership of China. I was surprised early in the novel when so much of the focus dealt with ministers Karl Tang, a ruthless traditionalist and the more liberal Ni Yong and a third party, the mysterious Pau Wen. Tang and Yong were leading contenders for Primer of China once the aging present ruler stepped down. Pau Wen seems to be working for and against both but his motives are never fully revealed.

There are more twists in the Emperor‘s Tomb than a pound of rotini. Aside from the triangular power struggle for control of China, there is a triangular struggle for Lev Sokolov and his knowledge of “infinite oil” between the Americans, the Russians and the Chinese. The usual cast has reassembled with Malone and Vitt being directed by Stephanie Nell but Viktor Tomas has been reintroduced to confuse things. Tomas was from the last book, and was working against Malone then switched sides. Here he is working every side but is also developing into a rival for Cassiopeia’s attention.

Although the majority of the novel takes place in China, the reader is first treated to tours of Copenhagen and Antwerp, described in detail that can only come from first hand experience. After a brief stop in Vietnam, the remainder of the book spans the vast and varied Chinese landscape focusing a great deal on the history and politics of this mysterious nation. The center piece is the tomb of the first emperor Qin Shi buried with his army of thousands of terra cotta warriors, chariots and horses. I was surprised after reading the notes and a few interviews that Steve Berry had never been to China but he does own a life-sized replica of a terra cotta soldier.

As always Berry fills his novels with meticulously researched details about Chinese history and culture and I couldn’t wait to finish the book just to read the author’s notes sorting out the fact from the fiction. I also enjoyed the map of Asia on the first pages with key cities highlighted and found myself referring back to it time and time again during the book. Reading The Emperor’s Tomb was like visiting friends. The characters have become such a part of my reading world it was just catching up on their latest exploits.

May I wish you all a Berry Merry Christmas and encourage you all to join Malone’s Clones.

"Port Mortuary" by Patricia Cornwell (@1pcornwell)

I love getting to review thriller novels by strong women that have strong women as the protagonist of their books.  So, I guess you could say that I'm a happy camper right about now.

If you're a thriller reader already, I probably don't need to introduce Ms. Cornwell to you.  If I do, then all I have to say to you is...WHAT???  You need to be reading this stuff!  Seriously.  This book has got all the bells and whistles, which is sometimes code for a lot of research but not a lot of oomph between the front and back flaps.  That, fortunately, is not the case here.  Cornwell knocks it out of the park, once more.  Loads of cool new toys, fascinating murders, suspense and intrigue make this another strong entry in the Scarpetta series.  Is it any surprise that Angelina Jolie has signed on to play the inimitable Kay Scarpetta herself?  Yowza!

Now, if you're one of those convince-me-that-I-should-read-this-thriller types, wipe that look of skepticism from off your lovely face.  This novel sees a return to the first-person narrative style that was a hallmark of the earlier Scarpetta novels.  This puts us into her mind, and it's a fascinatingly flawed one.  Strong, opinionated, and possibly a bit paranoid, Kay Scarpetta is worthy of the dynasty she's spawned.  Plus, there's all sorts of interpersonal dynamics happening with Benton that will keep your interest piqued if grisly murders don't do it for you.

So...what are you waiting for?  Go check the sucker out!  You can find it here.  You'll see that the reviews are pretty overwhelmingly positive.  Most of the negatives have nothing to do with the book and everything to do with the price of the Kindle version.  Hmmmm.  There may be a reason her publisher feels they can charge that much.  #justsayin'

"The Confession" by John Grisham

Okay, so Grisham was one of the authors that first got me reading thrillers.  That doesn't necessarily mean that all his novels are going to be the same level of thrilling.

Thriller readers, fear not.  There is still plenty of tense story driving in this one.  It will pick you up and take you along for the ride.  I'm just not sure that it's going to whisk you away in a whirlwind the way that some of his first novels did.  Still plenty of driving action, plenty of brisk pacing, plenty of heart-pounding moments.  If you're an adrenaline junkie, this will be more than enough of a fix.

However, if you're not, you'll find this to be a pleasant departure (depending on your politics) from the legal thriller genre.  There's a lot of social commentary in this one.  Perhaps too much, for some.  I like my moralizing well masked and this wasn't particularly.  It's been compared to Upton Sinclair, who frankly is not one of my favs, but I gotta say...I've read his stuff and found it compelling.  Same story here.  If you don't agree with Grisham's premise, you may get a little hot under the collar, but it will definitely give you food for thought.  If you do, you'll find plenty of reasons to rave about it.

Ultimately, The Confession deserves a read, and not just because we "owe" it to Grisham because of his past triumphs.  It stands on its own and would find a voice even without Grisham's name attached.  Get it and enjoy it, whether you're a die-hard thriller reader or not!

Cristyn West (@cristynwest) and "Plain Jane: Brunettes Beware"

This is a guest blog from Ben Hopkin (@actingnodrama), brought back for a second time, because...well...he's awesome!

You'll notice I put the writer first in the title.  There's a reason for that.  Before I talk about how awesome Plain Jane: Brunettes Beware is (and wow, it is), I have to talk about the enigma that is Cristyn West.  I thought I'd do it now, because it's her birthday this week.  Happy Birthday/Thanksgiving Cristyn/Carolyn/Craftycmc!

Cristyn West is the pen name for the incomparable Carolyn McCray, an amazing veterinarian-turned-writer-turned-screenwriter-turned-producer/director.  In short, she's done it all.  I had the unique opportunity to meeting her kinda backwards.

I encountered her first wearing her screenwriting hat.  I was a part of workshopping a number of her screenplays, which I found to be incredibly well-crafted and compelling.  When she produced and directed her first short film, I jumped (okay, leaped) on board as her lead.  From there, I was able to start reading her novels, and finally had the chance to see her at work with animals.

You would think with all she has going on, one of those areas would suffer.  Not even a little bit.  Her writing is amazing, her filmmaking brilliant and her work with animals absolutely endearing (which, when you read some of her darker works, is a very good thing to have in the balance).

Okay, enough about the person, what about the book?  Well, Plain Jane kept me up at night.  I mean that in two ways.  I was kept up at first because I couldn't put the #$%#$!* book down!  Then I was kept up thinking about it (okay, and because I was a little bit scared, but don't tell anyone), mulling it over, walking through all the twists and realizing how seamless it all was.

Plain Jane is a thrill ride, plain and simple.  It's got compelling, three-dimensional characters that I cared about, a plot that felt as driving as a jackhammer and dialogue sharp enough that I found myself wanting to steal for my own uses.  It's alternately chilling and steamy (great recipe for a case of the literary sniffles, by the way...where the only cure is another Cristyn West book which better be coming soon, dammit!), with such great sexual tension between Kent and Nicole that at times I felt like I shouldn't be watching/reading.

As an actor, here's the kicker for me.  If I not only can see it as a film, but want to have a leading role in it, it's a home run.  This was a grand slam.  I would be willing to be an extra in this sucker!  And then pay premium theatre prices (with popcorn and drink) to go see it.

And if all this isn't enough for you, the e-book costs $2.99 on Smashwords.  Three bucks!  Are you kidding me?  A good hamburger costs more than that.  So, I guess what I'm saying is, get it now.  Read it.  You won't be sorry.  And if somehow you are, come and talk to me on Twitter--@actingnodrama.  We'll have a fun little conversation about it. :)

Ben Hopkin started his career in entertainment at the age of 10, where he performed alongside his father in the opera Gianni Schicchi.  Since then he has gone on to perform in theatre, television and film, often working with Tony and Emmy award-winning actors and directors.  Ben is a graduate of the renowned Old Globe Theatre MFA program and was Director of the Acting for Film Undergraduate and MFA programs at the New York Film Academy at Universal Studios for five years.  As a director and producer, Ben has won awards for his work in television and his films have screened at festivals around the country.  Currently Ben is co-founder of Off Our Meds MultiMedia, which has a full slate of commercial, television and film projects.  He also teaches online acting and dialect classes and workshops (go here to find out more and/or sign up) and you can find him on Twitter.  He's also got a radio show that you can find here.