Reviewed by Grant Leishman for Readers' Favorite

When a U.S. Senator is found dead in his hotel room in Brazil, Max Ford, a former CIA operative turned private detective, takes notice, not the least because Senator Jeffrey Lance was her friend, but his wife, Allison, was also Maxine’s best friend. Before long, Max finds herself up to her neck in deaths, conspiracies and even the “deep state.” With her many connections within the government, Maxine Ford has access that most private detectives would die for, but she also knows from past experience that when she starts rocking the boat at this level, people get agitated and that is not good for her health. In The Beekeeper’s Secret (Max Ford Thrillers), Sally Fernandez brings us a chillingly realistic tale of natural medicine and honey bees versus 'Big Pharma' and the trillions of dollars that are at stake in the battle to discover a cure for that most pernicious of diseases – cancer.

If you love conspiracy theories, especially ones that involve the very highest echelons of the US government, you’ll adore Sally Fernandez’s The Beekeeper's Secret. This story is only one of the Max Ford thrillers this author has penned and, although the story stands alone as a readable thriller, there is a connection to earlier tales so having read those would be a definite advantage. Fernandez writes with clarity and with evidently well-done research as she fleshes out a story that has scientific undertones. Her ability to clearly elucidate scientific research to her readers is definitely a winning hallmark of this author’s style. The plot twists and turns with surprising regularity as the story races to its final conclusion, yet still leaves the door open for the next book in the Max Ford series. I enjoyed this read and would definitely put Sally Fernandez high on my list of excellent thriller writers.

Reviewed by Viga Boland for Readers' Favorite

Martyrs al-Sabra by Dan M. Kalin is one of the best books I have ever read. What a remarkable thriller and what a talented writer! Let me begin by saying I usually avoid really long books, especially those involving politics and terrorism. So many of them spend copious amounts of time padding the pages with the backstories about each character, consequently slowing down the plot and testing reader patience. But that’s not the way Dan M. Kalin writes. From the moment he introduces us to the mysterious “Hammer” and the stunning Nayla, as they wait, like millions of Americans to see the outcome of the 2020 presidential elections, we are trying to figure out exactly who they are. By the time we find out, we are so emotionally invested in what they are doing and why, we are holding our breaths as we turn those many pages looking for answers and finding more and more twists, turns and surprises.

The Hammer and his team are planning an act of terrorism that, if successful, will double the number of deaths seen in the 911 horror. Their plot takes months of careful team preparation, involves a wealthy, self-important Saudi prince with an itchy trigger finger and a beautiful woman engaged in adulterous sex with the husband of the newly elected female president. By the time the big catastrophe is scheduled to occur, FBI agents are scrambling to locate the Hammer, identify the many snipers randomly killing or injuring Americans, including children, and desperately seeking a way to prevent the pending massive loss of life.

The tension in Martyrs al-Sabra never stops rising. Nor does it end after the big event takes place. It’s followed by another series of even more gripping events all brilliantly set in motion by the Hammer. His commitment to his cause justifies his every action and even love cannot deter him from achieving his goals. Can anyone stop the Hammer? Kalin’s writing style is tightly edited, giving readers only what they need to know and keeping them forever in suspense. The plentiful use of dialogue keeps the pace moving swiftly. Friendship and love are explored through the key characters’ actions and words, while the occasional poke at the unnamed Tweeting president prior to 2020 is welcome comic relief.

Martyrs al-Sabra provided everything this reader enjoys in good book and more. The best news is that Dan M. Kalin is already writing the sequel to this novel and his closing chapter gives us a hint of what’s ahead for the Hammer in that sequel. Dare I say I can’t wait to read it, along with another book Kalin plans to release in 2019 titled Pandora’s Children. Bring them on Dan! If they’re anything like Martyrs al-Sabra, they’ll be on my bucket list.

Reviewed by Rabia Tanveer for Readers' Favorite

The Consultant by Tj O'Connor is a fast-paced action thriller in which Jonathan Hunter, an AWOL CIA consultant, learns that running from life has a way of catching up with you in the worst way possible. Jonathan and his brother Kevin have been estranged for years, but when he gets home, he has some surprises that he never anticipated. Things get worse very quickly when he and his brother are caught in gunfire and his brother dies in his arms. Enraged and thirsty for answers, Hunter is now on a quest to find the people who killed his brother and why they did it. However, he soon realizes that things are far more complicated than he ever anticipated. The stakes are high and they are much more than Hunter or his brother. A war is brewing and it seems like there is nothing that can be done to stop it. With terrorists planning to attack from multiple directions, there is nothing an AWOL CIA consultant can do. Fear is everywhere and he does not know who to trust. Can he find out what really happened and avenge his brother?

The Consultant is a very satisfying thriller, one that you will not be able to put down. I think I read it in one go, without any breaks, and I had the time of my life. You rarely come across a novel that just clicks with you and you get lost in it. I enjoyed Hunter’s progress, his thirst to find answers and his determination to make it work. The pace was fast and the plot grew at a heart-thumping rate, which made the story even more enjoyable. I just loved how sarcastic Hunter is throughout the novel. He matures, but you still find that fire in him until the very end. He is not one for apologies, but he knows he is good. That confidence and charisma had me hooked right from the beginning. The author kept the tension and the momentum going and ensured that once I started reading, I did not want to stop.

Reviewed by Joel R. Dennstedt for Readers' Favorite

Early on in Leave Her Out, a post-political thriller if you will, Daniel Davidsohn introduces a host of highly unique and interesting characters to whet the reader’s appetite for a really good story; including an ex-President of the USA, his ex-Vice President and close friend, Mohe, a Native American, a strongly independent and estranged ex-daughter of the President, and a shy but quite ambitious young female co-gym-worker-outer with the aforementioned estranged ex-daughter. All within the first several pages. Not to mention that moment in Chapter One when the ex-President vanishes – quite literally – from a casual viewer’s eyes. And the mysterious helicopter, of course. So, your appetite is whetted, right? Good; you must be breathing. And the President’s sudden bizarre request for a mental exam? You didn’t really think that was it, did you?

The innate cynicism of Daniel Davidsohn’s engrossing and electrifying thriller, Leave Her Out, should be jarring, or at least depressing, for the more optimistic reader. Instead, it lends ironic freshness to a story where all the characters are flawed, especially the ex-President, but who are also merely human in their wants and needs and positive intentions. Even the villains share humanity. But it is the incredibly unpredictable plotting and unusual situations that will most beguile any veteran of thriller reading. Davidsohn keeps his twists so credible that one wonders why he does not see them coming, as if they are just the most natural next thing to happen. Very difficult to categorize or compare this book, you see. If you are in the mood for something quite unique in a rather over-worked genre, Leave Her Out will thoroughly satisfy your craving.

Reviewed by Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite

A day trader and seven-year divorcee, Linda has vowed never to be attached — not in the way her mom is attached, anyway — to any man. Marked for death, she finds solace in a small town on the coast of Oregon, making Sea Crest her retreat. She has just one friend whose life is as mysterious as her own, a widowed elderly woman who works as a consultant for no one knows what clientele. Linda Darby is disciplined — never dating a man twice, never giving her real name to a one-night-stander. Yes, she wants no strings, because they can be dangerous. But then she is dragged off to an alley by two men and a third man rescues her and disappears. The next thing is that the two men turn up dead and her best friend is tortured and killed. Then she wakes up from sleep to find a man watching her. It’s the beginning of a journey she never imagined, and is she prepared for what lies ahead?

The Woman by David Bishop is a by-the-numbers cozy mystery and distinguished by its unique narrative voice and the exquisite setting, the mysterious characters and the fast pacing. David Bishop builds an appealing political thriller with sophisticated characters, creating a sense of mystery around the characters that piques curiosity and interest in readers. I fell in love with the protagonist and the quirkiness of her character. She is your ordinary woman on the surface, but peel away the first layer and you discover a labyrinth in her personality. The prose is gorgeous, tantalizing, and the plot is filled with surprises that come at unexpected moments. The unpredictability of the plot is one of the aspects of this narrative that had me gripped. The Woman by David Bishop is spellbinding, a real thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Reviewed by Grant Leishman for Readers' Favorite

When Joseph Muamba, the eldest of nine children, was “sold” by his Congolese parents as an adolescent to an American couple looking to adopt, nobody understood the impact this young man would have one day on the strife-torn, poverty-stricken African nation. Blood Gold in the Congo by Peter Ralph sees Joseph initially struggling to adapt to life in the US, until the young man discovers he has a natural talent for all sports. After being convinced he was perfectly suited for the Decathlon, Joseph aims for the Beijing Olympics in 2008. To everyone’s surprise, Joseph is determined to compete for the country of his birth rather than his adopted country and he returns the first Olympic Medal and a Gold Medal, to boot, for the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A national hero, Joseph sees his new status as an opportunity to work for the empowerment of the poor, downtrodden Congolese people in this mineral-rich country. Rich, powerful, and corrupt businessmen and politicians all want Joseph to work for their interests, to secure their wealth and power in the Congo, but Joseph feels he is pulled by a greater destiny to restore dignity and fairness to a country wracked by civil war and a brutal, murderous regime.

Author Peter Ralph was inspired by true events in the Congo to pen his novel, Blood Gold in the Congo, and his rendition of this tale is truly wonderful. From the very first pages, the reader is drawn in and rooting for this little boy, uprooted from his family and everything he knows, to be transplanted into an alien setting, albeit a very gilded one, in the United States. The story is an action/adventure worthy of “Boys Own” magazine and yet also has great undercurrents of social comment and extremely relevant issues of corruption of power that are well worth discussing and rereading. I enjoyed this book immensely and found the author's style easy and captivating. The secondary characters are developed and imbued with realism equally as well as Joseph Muamba was, especially his two boyhood friends, Maya and Yannick. Probably the saddest thing about this story is that it could have been written and equally applicable to almost all of the colonized African nations of the late twentieth century. The powers that ruled Africa for over a century inevitably left behind a legacy of corruption, violence and a power vacuum that would spur racial, ethnic and clan wars for decades after their departure. The recent revelations by CNN of child labour exploitation in cobalt mining in the Congo merely confirms the premise Ralph used for the basis of this novel. This is an outstanding read and simply a wonderful action/adventure story.

Reviewed by Cheryl E. Rodriguez for Readers' Favorite

David M. Burke pens a political thriller with a supernatural twist in Return of the Founding Fathers’ Guardians. A rare group of patriots decides it is time to restore America to its original greatness. Their mission is to bring hope back to a hopeless nation by reestablishing the principles of the Founding Fathers. George Carnegie and his running mate, Adam Youngeagle, join together to expose the true intentions of the current government - the elimination of the middle class! The present administration desires to destroy the American Dream. George and Adam are not alone in their quest; they are visited and inspired by spiritual guardians. Angelic messengers and a mysterious covert operative assist them in their fight against tyrannical forces. It is time to make a stand and to reveal the truth. This is not just a presidential race; it is a reckoning!

Return of the Founding Fathers’ Guardians by David M. Burke takes politics to a new level. Burke’s approach in telling his story is unique and thought-provoking. The conflict of good versus evil is portrayed in multiple dimensions, and in varying time settings. As the story unfolds, the primary characters are introduced and the plot is established. But, it is the rare historical inclusions, the angelic aspects and the clandestine figures that make the story intriguing. The story is detailed and politically informative, revealing the depth of ideology. However, at times, the long, political speeches and discourses delay the momentum of the plot action. The narrative is conservative in philosophy and principle, but the plot scheme is liberally imaginative. As Return of the Founding Fathers’ Guardians concludes, you realize this story is far from being over. It is just getting started.

Reviewed by Divine Zape for Readers' Favorite

A political thriller at its best, Crosscurrents: Would You Kill Your Brother to Save Yourself? by Tom Bierdz presents readers with a powerful moral dilemma. Brothers Demetrius and George Tobias were separated at a young age because of their father’s mistakes. George becomes a crusading senator while Demetrius, with the first twelve years of his life blotted out by amnesia, becomes a skilled hit man for hire. He is contracted for an enormous sum of money to take out a politician, and even if he doesn’t understand why this job is so urgent, he accepts it. While he is about to unknowingly take down his brother, a blow on his head lifts the amnesia and he learns the truth. Demetrius has to choose between saving his brother or himself at the last moment. His choice and what follows will stun readers.

Tom Bierdz injects his characters with enough soul searching, risk, and compulsive action. It’s a thriller with a compelling premise and the follow-up is as strong as it is unpredictable. I enjoyed the compelling cast of characters, the balanced and focused writing, and the deft handling of plot elements which are enriched by the strong conflict. The story alternates between points of view, with a setting that readers from Greece to America will recognize. Demetrius is a complex character and readers will be eager to see how he evolves throughout the narrative. The plot has resonant themes of political intrigue, crime, and family, all masterfully integrated into the build-up of the conflict which moves the narrative to an explosive conclusion. Crosscurrents is a page-turner, with exquisite writing and deft plotting.

Reviewed by Tracy A. Fischer for Readers' Favorite

When building inspector Max Spalding dies in a terrible car accident, something just doesn’t seem right. Detectives Graisco and Wickland, assigned to the case by the local Myrtle Beach police department, quickly realize that his death was no accident. And when they start to look into what really happened, they realize that they're in for more than they ever expected. In an investigative novel that leads from the highest echelons of Myrtle Beach’s elite all the way to a Russian crime syndicate, The Versailles Conspiracy by author Robert “Digger” Cartwright leads the reader on a wild ride of mystery, suspense and action, from its beginning all the way to its exciting end.

Digger Cartwright’s new book kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. A fantastic police procedural, the descriptions, explanations and backstory provided make it difficult for me to believe that Mr. Cartwright doesn’t have a background in investigation himself. The plot is engaging and complex enough to keep even those who are tired of mysteries and thrillers to stay involved. The development of the characters is fantastic; you’ll find yourself rooting for Graisco and Wickland, and despising the Russian Vladimir Stratavynski as well as the other unsavories this book reveals. The Versailles Conspiracy is much more than a simple story, and would appeal to any reader who loves mysteries, detective novels, police procedurals, action/adventures, political intrigue, or just a plain good book. This was the first novel of Robert “Digger” Cartwright’s that I’ve read, but it certainly won’t be the last. I can’t wait to see what he comes up with next!

Reviewed by Christian Sia for Readers' Favorite

The Romanov Legacy (A Natalie Brandon Thriller) by Jenni Wiltz is a spellbinding thriller that follows an unusual treasure hunt; the action is exhilarating and the characters mesmerizing. Natalie Brandon has a powerful revelation, one that no one would believe because of her schizophrenia — Nicholas II, the last tsar of Russia, left a secret bank account with millions for his family. Even though people close to her look at her claims with disbelief, there are some who believe she may be telling the truth. When Constantine, a Russian spy with blue eyes, kidnaps Natalie and goads her into leading him to the treasure, things get complicated, but that is just the beginning. The Russian Prime Minister will do anything to reach the treasure before anyone else, so he puts his hit squad on the tails of Natalie and Constantine.

This is a story packed with action and many thrills as the two — Natalie and Constantine — try to stay a step ahead of the Russian Prime Minister's thugs as they race across countries and cities, looking for the treasure. But what if the voice of the angel Belial who speaks to Natalie and her intuition could be wrong? Jenni Wiltz had me well-entertained with her prose and storytelling skills. She creates characters that are interesting and memorable. The fact that Natalie doesn’t seem normal makes her an even more interesting character to follow. The plot is well-imagined and executed with mastery, with swift and surprising turns to pique the reader’s curiosity on every page. The Romanov Legacy (A Natalie Brandon Thriller) by Jenni Wiltz is great entertainment for fans of thrillers and mysteries.