Reviewed by Frank Stephen for Readers' Favorite

The Car Thief is a tale about a twelve-year-old orphan, Kelly Morgan, and his ordeals at the hand of child services and the juvenile justice system. The best he was offered after his father's death was a cold and abusive grandfather, a child home that subjected him to the point system, a juvenile detention facility, and a correction facility for adults. After a couple of failed promises and childish mistakes, he is left at the mercy of an ill-prepared justice infrastructure, a gutsy public defendant, and a veteran correctional officer. All Kelly wants is to get back to his home in Wyoming, but he may have to settle for a minimum-security forestry camp.

Author Vicki Reed addresses the flaws in the juvenile justice system and child services from the witty and innocent perspective of a child — one for who the system was not designed. As his lawyer puts it, "The law set a trap for a tiger. It caught a kitten." His story offers a mix of delight and sadness, inspiring and empathetic. Vicki Reed draws from her wealth of experience working in the juvenile justice system to deliver a fast-paced and straightforward plot, perfectly scripted with powerful diction that is easy to read and a thrilling delight. From the first scene, I was hooked and intrigued. Kelly's wit and innocence are very endearing and entertaining. Kelly is a compelling character, and his story will definitely resonate with anyone who has suffered unfairly at the hands of a failed system.

Reviewed by Susan Sewell for Readers' Favorite

A wealthy woman's death in Chicago has become a cold case, and when a team of FBI agents from Cleveland travels to Chicago to solve her murder, local law enforcement and organized crime syndicates impede their investigation, provoking deadly consequences in the thrilling murder mystery, The Redcap (A Sam McKay Novel) by K.M. Hardy. As a favor to an old friend, the Director of Cleveland's branch of the FBI sends Agents Sam McKay and his team, Julie, Rivera, and Simon, to Chicago to solve a murder that has gone cold. While looking into the victim's life, Sam discovers a clue that the previous investigators overlooked. His new lead indicates that someone from the art world is involved and has ties to a psychotic mafia leader. Charlotte, a charming art thief, becomes involved in the investigation, but her tactics are questionable, and the team doubts her reliability. With so many elements impeding their investigation, Charlotte may hold the key to unmasking the killer, but can they trust her?

Intense and exciting, The Redcap (A Sam McKay Novel) by K.M. Hardy is a thrilling novel filled with twists and turns. Filled with avarice, malice, and murder, the story is an intricately woven web of intrigue and suspense. It is a well-written story with a complex plot, engaging characters, and a captivating storyline. I was captured by Sam's brogue from the first page, and the further I got into the story, the more I admired his character. The Isobel/Claire/Charlotte aspect was intriguing and kept me guessing until the end. This is a stunning novel that is sure to delight everyone who loves a good murder mystery.

Reviewed by Risah Salazar for Readers' Favorite

When Gunnar Lind, a Swedish cryptologist working for MI6, goes missing, highly classified intelligence is compromised. Britain wants Lind back at their office right away for the safety of Ultra and the rest of the world. But, of course, countries like Germany are now going after him and what he knows too. OSS Agent Conor Thorn has been tasked to find Lind while in the middle of a personal crisis. While he’s sorting out his feelings for fellow agent Emily Bright, he finds out that his late wife had been raped and kept quiet about it. To say that he wants revenge is an understatement. Superpowers take each other down, agents kill and betray one another, and families fall out in Glenn Dyer’s World War II espionage thriller, The Ultra Betrayal.

As expected in books with this kind of setting, the story is fast-paced, action-packed, and mystery-filled. The chapter headings help in following the order of events; without them, the flow will be hard to grasp as events take place simultaneously in different locations. Although a lot of things are happening, they are not overwhelming because the writing is careful and cohesive. As complexities unfold, Glenn Dyer keeps the audience engaged with detailed story-telling. The characters are diverse and are craftily written but from my point of view there are too many players in the court; it can be hard to keep track of everyone and their roles. The Ultra Betrayal is the second installment in the Connor Thorn series but it can be read as a standalone.

Reviewed by Jennifer Ibiam for Readers' Favorite

The Secret of the Grand Hôtel du Lac by Kathryn Gauci is a beautiful historical novel about the German occupation of France. Between 1943 and 1944, the Nazis occupied France, inflicting varying degrees of hardship on the French in the name of Hitler. England stepped in to save France by sending its best SOE agent, Guy Maxwell, to join forces with the local Resistance in driving the Germans out. One fateful night, while Guy and his team waited for airdropped supplies at a discreet location, something terrible happened which sabotaged their mission. Someone had sold them out, and no one knew Guy’s whereabouts. His wife, Agent Elizabeth, was sent to France on a mission; find Guy and fish out the traitor. The opponents will soon realize that behind a beautiful face lies a lethal mind.

The Secret of the Grand Hôtel du Lac by Kathryn Gauci is an exceptional novel. It will appeal to lovers of espionage, war, and historical novels. I enjoyed reading this book, as it felt like I was in an action movie. Kathryn perfectly blurred the lines between fact and fiction, creating a thorough blend of literary enjoyment. The characters of the star females, Elizabeth, Amelie, Odette, and Madame Sophie, were so well developed that I fell in love with them. They were formidable characters whose contribution to the freedom of France will never be forgotten. The story is one of war and based on true events, but it also incorporates love, deceit, determination, hope, and bravery in the face of danger. I appreciate the stylistic writing and clean editing, which made for a beautiful reading experience. Thank you, Kathryn! Give us more.

Reviewed by Grant Leishman for Readers' Favorite

The Voyage of the Stingray by Richard Steinitz is a fascinating look inside a new prototype submarine for the U.S. Navy. It is ultra-stealthy and intended for use in the infiltration and extraction of special forces combatants who are sent into dangerous zones for a specific task. Commander Jeff Woodbridge is a career submariner. He has been waiting patiently for his chance to gain his first command and when he is offered command of the Stingray, still under construction, he is more than excited. The Commander's job is to oversee the final construction of what has been a project plagued by delays and tragedy, then to take the Stingray out for sea trials before deploying the new submarine in its most important role of silently and stealthily delivering and extracting special forces combatants from dangerous zones. The submarine's first mission will take them to the Middle East, along with a SEAL team whose job it is to extract an agent from Iran and deliver him safely back to the States. A civilian contractor is accidentally left aboard the Stingray when she sets sail and there is no possibility of dropping him off anywhere due to the urgency of the mission. Commander Woodbridge must call on all his experience and that of his crack crew to successfully carry out the task set by the Admiralty.

The Voyage of the Stingray is interesting and enthralling not just because of the clandestine spy missions that the submarine will undertake but also because of the wonderful descriptions of life on a U.S. naval submarine and the futuristic design capabilities of the Stingray. Richard Steinitz has produced an exciting tale of modern spying and submarine operations, which appears both accurate and extremely fascinating to the layman. The inclusion of both a civilian contractor and a woman officer on an operational, armed U.S. submarine gave the story that extra touch of spice that it needed. I particularly enjoyed the discussions of the technical capabilities of the Stingray and how she could do things no other submarine was capable of. Clearly, the author is well researched and extremely knowledgeable of naval protocol, equipment, traditions, and hierarchy. I was impressed with the delicate balance between an exciting plot and the thrill of exploring the possibilities for submarines of the future and stretching the bounds of their capabilities. The author achieved this balance extremely well. This is an easy-to-read book that can easily be accomplished in one sitting and definitely opened up my interest in reading more from this author. I can highly recommend this read.

Reviewed by Anne-Marie Reynolds for Readers' Favorite

The Path of the Tapir by Michael Jarvis is an environmental thriller. Peyton Paddington and Chloe Summers decide to travel to Costa Rica for fun, two college girls trying to find themselves while living it up. Death wasn’t in their plans but a fire at a palm oil company property ends in tragedy for the girls. The company hires Phillip Millege, a private investigator, to get to the truth and find a missing person, Ellis Hayden. He was the last person to see the girls before the fire and, with the help of several locals, Millege starts his investigation. However, the tables are turned when a mysterious mercenary turns the hunt on them with potentially terrifying consequences for everyone. Can Millege get to the bottom of the murders and will they find Hayden?

The Path of the Tapir by Michael Jarvis is more than just a thriller. It’s a story of environmental destruction and the consequences it has on human and animal life. It’s got everything you would expect – plenty of action, suspense, and mystery – along with a dash of terror thrown in for good measure. The characters are developed as real people that you can relate to and get to know well throughout the story, and the plot is unique, fast-paced, and with environmental aspects that are handled very well. There’s a lesson in this for all of us – if we don’t start looking after our planet, it will no longer have the ability to provide for us and will turn on us in ways we can’t imagine. A thought-provoking tale of suspense. Anyone who loves a good edge-of-your-seat thriller will love this.

Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

The Hero Gene is a work of fiction in the science fiction and climate fiction sub-genres and was penned by author Steven J. Doyle. Written for young adult audiences, this is a teen adventure story packed with plenty of drama, and it’s set in the near future of 2032 when the planet’s climate and extreme weather have gotten even more out of control. Our protagonist Sam suffers from a mysterious condition called solar narcolepsy that stops him from feeling like he’s a regular teen, and his life is about to take an even stranger turn when his climate scientist father vanishes on the other side of the world.

Author Steven J. Doyle has crafted a highly engaging young adult adventure with plenty of relatable teenage emotions and attitudes, plus a whole lot of high-stakes excitement. I was so pleased to see the climate fiction genre branching further out into the teen fiction world, offering a covert political angle on the dangers for future youth if we don’t take care of our planet. Sam has a lot of the typical insecurities of teens which will make him very relatable to the reading audience, and his character arc is well planned for him to learn and grow into his own uniqueness as the adventure continues. I also felt that the use of imagined future tech and the dialogue were great near-future touches to the atmosphere. Overall, I would certainly recommend The Hero Gene as a thrilling read with a great message for YA fans and adults alike.

Reviewed by Viga Boland for Readers' Favorite

The Killing of Faith by William Holms is truly different from any thrillers I’ve previously read, not just in the basic plot concept, but especially in the characterization of the female protagonist, Faith. When we first meet Faith, she comes across as a very pretty, but rather vacuous teen airhead who feels her looks can get her what an education can’t. As she matures, it appears Faith is right: she wins the heart of Ryan, a lawyer, and through several years of marriage, Ryan gives her a life of which most women would be envious. But, over time, the material trappings and even her 3 children aren’t enough for her. They divorce, much to Ryan’s heartbreak, and by the time Faith is in her mid-thirties, two more men have come into her life.

At this point, readers find themselves disliking Faith: she is self-centered and manipulative and blames everyone but herself when things go wrong. But karma is a bitch as Faith finds out in a most shocking twist that both readers and Faith don’t expect. Readers feel her pain, relate to her unfortunate plight, forgive her former treatment of Ryan, and begin liking the nicer human being she becomes as a result of her brutal misfortune. And just when we all think all is well, the author throws in another shocking twist that leaves everyone asking, “What just happened?”

The Killing of Faith is a riveting read, not just because of the clever twists in the plot, but because of the intimate look William Holms gives us into Faith’s psyche. Readers who enjoy knowing why and how people think, as much as what people do to themselves and each other, will appreciate this novel. Holms doesn’t waste time or words in telling his story; he uses dialogue well and often, and the pace is always moving forward quickly. As we watch Faith’s misfortunes mount, the book becomes very informative, but if I were to tell you in what way, I’d spoil the story for you. In short, read it for yourself. You’ll love it. A terrific book and great writing. Highly recommended.

Reviewed by Anne-Marie Reynolds for Readers' Favorite

Miranda and the D-Day Caper by Shelly Frome is a sleuthing mystery story. Miranda Davis is a realtor. Her cousin Skip has turned up in town and she needs to deal with him. Babbling about conspiracy theories, Skip is on the run, his beloved cat has been abducted and he has nowhere else to go. Miranda doesn’t quite believe what Skip is telling her at first but her initial impressions prove to be wrong. Miranda gets onboard and together they try to figure out the conspiracy threatening the USA, even though the powers-that-be are intent on shutting them down. Skip and Miranda are heading straight into danger – can they save the day before their worst fears come true?

Miranda and the D-Day Caper by Shelly Frome is a sleuthing mystery set against a political backdrop of conspiracy theories and a plot to destroy the country. It has everything – good-old-fashioned mystery, a political thriller, humor, and plenty of suspense. It’s descriptive and well-written, with a smooth flowing plot and some great characters that are well-developed and relatable. It is an intricate story, and there is plenty going on with lots of twists and turns. At first, there seem to be lots of threads but believe me when I say that they all tie together very neatly. You won’t fail to be hooked by this story that seems more than just fiction, a story that draws you into its web and keeps you there until the end. If you love mystery stories and political intrigue, then you will love this story.

Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

The Patriot’s Grill is a work of fiction in the action, science fiction, and thriller sub-genres, and was penned by author Steven Day. Suitable for mature audiences and containing some minimal scenes of moderate violence, this exciting futuristic thriller novel is set in the not so distant year of 2099, where America has devolved into a dystopian dictatorship and democracy is a long-forgotten word. We meet protagonist Joe Carlton, leading a mundane life as a bartender at the titular Patriot’s Grill, and go with him on an eye-opening journey to the true meaning of liberty when a chance encounters changes his life forever.

Author Steven Day has crafted a high relatable work of speculative science fiction and dystopian drama which has its feet in the future, but an eye firmly turned back to contemporary times. Witty, slick, and filled with intrigue and thought-provoking moments, this is a plot that encourages us to really get to know the dark realities of where our own future could be headed in America and other nations the world over. I enjoyed Joe as a refreshing narrator deeply entrenched in his broken society, a blank canvas for psychological discovery and rebellion against dangerous forces as the plot progresses. Everything in the world-building of this dark vision of 2099 rings the alarm bells for the agenda of certain parties in our current society, which overall makes The Patriot’s Grill a brilliantly penned cautionary tale, and a highly recommended read for political thriller fans everywhere.