Silken Prey by John Sandford places Lucas Davenport in the midst of a political scandal with deadly consequences (available May 7, 2013).

I have to tell you up front—I love John Sandford. I’ve read everything he’s written and even looked up some of his newspaper stories. He’s a gifted, eloquent writer who grabs me every time with his books.

I’ve had a longtime love for Lucas Davenport. He’s just about the coolest character I know, and I’ve come to know him so well I feel I’d recognize him if I passed him on the street. He’s a dedicated, hard-nosed cop to the core, and he’s like a pit bull that can’t let go of a bone when he gets the bad guy in his sights.

Silken Prey continues the story of Lucas and the wonderful friends and coworkers who make up his world. I’m always thrilled when Lucas and Virgil Flowers, one of his BCA agents featured in another Sandford series, work together, but in this book he also reconnects with Kidd, the famous artist and computer whiz. Then there are the usual suspects—Del, Jenkins, and Shrake who are joined by two female BCA agents we meet for the first time. So many good characters I put off reading the last page because I didn’t want the story to end.

[Hanging on to every word...]

The Bleiberg Project by David Khara, translated from the French by Simon John, is a best-selling international thriller in its first English-language edition (available April 30, 2013.)

A Mossad agent, a CIA agent, and a Wall Street Trader walk into a bank. What happens next is no joke.

I loved this thriller. Written by former journalist David Khara, The Bleiberg Project, keeps you involved, whether you’re in the midst of a flashback to Nazi activities or following modern-day bad guys with links to some truly evil men from World War II.

Jay Novacek has more money than he’ll ever spend and he’s one of the unhappiest people on earth. One night of debauchery brought him a pain so deep it never leaves his conscious thoughts. Then, when two representatives from the United States Army show up to inform Jay of his father’s death, he finally has something to celebrate.

[So, not a happy childhood then...]

When the Devil Doesn’t Show by Christine Barber is the third book featuring detective Gil Montoya and newspaper reporter Lucy Newroe (available April 16, 2013).

It’s Christmas and Santa Fe is beautiful. Farolitos line the streets and rooftops, making it look like an enchanted town. But the enchantment ends when two homicide detectives are called to the scene of a house fire. Inside they find three corpses—and only one of the men died as a result of the fire.

Farolitos (candles inside brown paper bags) are just one of the traditions I discovered in this entertaining book. Christine Barber gives readers history and information about this part of the country with her recurring characters, detective Gil Montoya and newspaper reporter/editor Lucy Newroe. The beauty of the story is she doesn’t overpower it with the history, but lets it blend naturally into events as they occur.

[Welcome to the Land of Enchantment...]

Taking Eve by Iris Johansen is the start of a new three-part series featuring forensic sculptor Eve Duncan (available April 16, 2013).

This is a great year for Iris Johansen and Eve Duncan fans. Johansen is putting out a trilogy featuring forensic sculptor Eve Duncan. Taking Eve comes out April 17; Hunting Eve is out July 16; and Silencing Eve will be out October 15. There’s going to be a lot of expectancy in the air this year.

Though Taking Eve as a title pretty much gives away the subject of the book, it in no way detracts from the compelling and suspenseful story.

We’re given a glimpse into the bad guy’s warped psyche immediately, which lets you know he has a big plan he wants to complete. What we don’t know from this glimpse is what his ultimate objective might be and how determined he is to accomplish it.

[Bound and determined, we’re guessing...]

Murder at the P & Z by Dorothy H. Hayes is a traditional mystery featuring a schoolteacher-turned-reporter-turned-amateur sleuth (available April 1, 2013).

It’s 1983 and hardworking reporter, Carol Rossi, is one of the busiest people in the small town of Wilton, Connecticut. One of her regular haunts is the local planning and zoning department, where there’s always a chance for disagreement and controversy.

Rossi’s paper, The Wilton Weekly, keeps the whole town in the loop as plans are made for new buildings, malls, and other projects that require permits. She’s been visiting the offices of Planning & Zoning twice a week since she got her job. Her journalism award was the result of an in-depth article about the need to protect local well water, which endeared her to the environmentally friendly staff.

In the midst of Rossi’s routine days comes a surprise that pulls her from her home after her workday is completed. Wilton has its first murder in 86 years and Rossi’s editor gives her the assignment. Her initial excitement turns into full-blown grief when she discovers the victim is her good friend from the P&Z offices. She vows to find the murderer.

[And we know she’ll get ’im!]

No Way Back by Andrew Gross is a thriller that starts when an innocent woman meets a handsome stranger (available April 2, 2013).

I’ve always thought if I ever cheated on my husband, I’d blurt out what I’d done as soon as I got home. In No Way Back, not only does poor Wendy Gould have to admit to an unsuccessful indiscretion, she had to tell her husband she’d murdered a man. See, ladies, cheating is never a good idea.

Andrew Gross makes the story that begins with a suburban wife’s chance encounter with a handsome man into a horrific, life-changing experience. This is one of those books that propels you forward from a seemingly innocent incident to pure chaos. The way Gross unravels it keeps you guessing until resolution comes.

From the time I came to know her, I liked Wendy Gould. Sitting at a New York City bar waiting for a friend to listen to her vent about her husband, she is frustrated and depressed. Most of us have been there. Is there any greater support system than the friend who will let you be honest about your husband? This is the one person who knows all your secrets and never tells anyone the sometimes nasty things you say about those you love.

[Can you keep a secret?]

I think Absolute Power is one of the best books I’ve ever read. The story is incredible and actually believable. Written by David Baldacci in 1996, it’s a book about the president, a secret affair, and a hidden murder. If you’ve never read it or seen the movie starring Clint Eastwood, I highly recommend it. Actually, I recommend the book more than the movie because as usual, Mr. Eastwood took liberties with his rendition. With this book we were introduced to Baldacci, an attorney, an author, and a damn good-looking man.

In this spine-tingling mystery, Luther Whitney, a lifelong thief, gets caught at the scene of a robbery. The place he hides has a two-way mirror and Luther witnesses a murder—the murder of the president’s mistress—and that’s just the beginning.

[You know what they say about absolute power...]

The Sixth Station by Linda Stasi is a thriller involving international politics, terrorism, and a charismatic and potentially deadly, religious leader (available January 22, 2013).

The Sixth Station is a fascinating and entertaining book . . . and will keep you guessing even after you’ve read the final page.

There’s a big story at the United Nations and due to the close proximity and her previous experience as a war correspondent, Alessandra Russo of The Standard gets a prime assignment: covering the tribunal of Demiel ben Yusef, the man considered by many as the worst terrorist in world and by others as the son of the Son of God.

And, of course, that’s just the beginning.

Alessandra and her fellow reporter Dona Grimm join the pulsating crowd of people trying to glimpse ben Yusef. Due to their great press credentials, they’re pushed to the front and wind up being directly beside where ben Yusef’s prison wagon stops and unloads him. As he passes by, the enigmatic terrorist/savior pauses long enough to kiss Alessandra. That single kiss, which is captured by Dona and other journalists and sent around the world, puts Alessandra on a journey she can’t control or end until she reaches the truth.

[This brings another meaning to “kiss-and-tell”...]

The Cloud by Matt Richtel is a techno-thriller laced with paranoia (available January 29, 2013).

While waiting for a subway train to take him home, Nat Idle is thinking about his son Isaac and how an eight-month-old views the world. Within seconds he’s on the floor, barely escaping death by subway train, and trying to ascertain why a clumsy homeless man tried to kill him.

As with most good books, this is just the tiny corner of a huge mystery that unfolds slowly—and painfully—for the freelance journalist.

After sustaining a concussion in the accident, Nat is on a treacherous trail to find out why his name along with the name of a woman he doesn’t know were on a piece of paper the homeless man dropped at the scene. Confusion from the concussion, grieving thoughts of the girlfriend and baby who no longer live with him, and a growing paranoia about Big Brother monitoring his electronic devices make it difficult for Nat to trust anyone, including himself.

[Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you...]

The Russian Donation by Christoph Spielberg, Dr. Felix Hoffmann’s first case, won the 2002 Friedrich Glauser Prize for best first German-language crime novel (available in English January 22, 2013).

Why would a reasonably happy, successful doctor be compelled to investigate the unremarkable death of a former indigent patient? Good question, but in The Russian Donation, that’s just what Dr. Felix Hoffmann does. We learn about his nature quickly when he refers to himself as “a Don Quixote in scrubs.” But fortunately there’s a championship soccer game on TV and a quiet night is anticipated—at least until after the game.

That changes when a patient arrives in the ER and Felix decides to take a quick look at him before sending the paramedics and doctor on ambulance duty through to ICU. What he finds is a man with advanced jaundice probably due to liver failure or other fatal problems and a nagging thought that he knows the patient.

[Never forget a face, living or dead...]

I met Karen Robards at a Romantic Times conference in 1983. We had a delightful conversation in a deserted meeting room, and I’m sure Karen has no idea who I am, but I remember her vividly. I bought her book at the conference, and I’ve been reading her wonderful stories ever since.

One of the aspects of Karen’s biography that I love is she puts her family first. She never hesitates to talk about her three boys and her love for her husband. The family lives in her hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, where Karen’s best friend is the same one she’s had since childhood. Just like your best friend next door.

She has an amusing story about her first writing effort. She was in a graduate-level creative writing class when she got an assignment to write fifty pages of something publishable. Karen went to her local bookstore and bought several popular fiction books. With that assignment, she began her first historical romance story, and it included pirates, sex, and all the other elements for a great historical novel. It was called The Pirate’s Woman, and when the assignments were done, the professor announced they would be read aloud in class. Karen was mortified.

Most of the other offerings were attempts at the great American novel that would win a Pulitzer for fiction. Embarrassed but not outdone, Karen stood and read her piece, keeping her eyes on the paper. She said the class laughed when she finished, but she took that brave beginning and turned it into her first novel, Island Flame. I wonder how many of her fellow students have seen the success as a writer that Karen has.

[Can’t argue with success!]

The Blood Gospel, a modern thriller with biblical roots, is the first full-length collaboration between James Rollins and Rebecca Cantrell and part of the Order of the Sanguine series (available January 8, 2013).

One word of caution before you begin this book: install a seatbelt on your recliner or other favorite reading spot. Otherwise, you’ll end up in the floor because this is one bumpy ride.

The Blood Gospel is as fascinating as it is entertaining and as strange as it is believable.

We’re introduced to Dr. Erin Granger, a well-known archaeologist, at her dig in the sweltering heat of Caesarea, Israel, where she has discovered something that could shake devout Christians to their core, but that’s only a minor detail in a story that will bring her together with two other people who are part of an ancient prophesy.

[Secrets are buried deep...]

Silver Cross by B. Kent Anderson is a thriller based in a slightly altered reality, featuring Meg Tolman, deputy director of an X-Files-type agency (available November 27, 2012).

I love a book that teaches me something about history I didn’t know. I was completely unaware of the connection between the Civil War and Napoleon III, the nephew of the great Napoleon. Though most of this story is fiction, B. Kent Anderson carefully weaves tiny elements of fact into it and makes it fascinating.

The book begins with Meg Tolman hearing of the death of her college friend, Dana Cable, and finding that Dana has left everything of value she had to Meg. Knowing Dana had two brothers, Meg is uncertain why she was Dana’s heir. After learning that both of Dana’s brothers have died within the past year, she feels certain there’s more to Dana’s death than an unfortunate accident. When a strange woman gives Meg an envelope at the graveside and Meg is shot at before leaving the cemetery, she proposes the case for the Research and Investigations Office or RIO, where she is deputy director.

[And it just gets stranger]

I’ve been reading J.A. Jance for many years and really enjoy her books. She has three different series going and a set of four books that relate stories of the Walker family. I highly recommend all these books because she consistently has well-developed characters, interesting and entertaining plots, and a sense of justice well served in every book.

Her name is Judith Ann Jance, but an editor told her early on it would be better not to reveal her gender in her writing. We’ve come a long way, ladies!

I went through a bout of depression many years ago that literally changed my life. I’ve always been an avid reader. I had numerous places my mother couldn’t find me when I was growing up so she couldn’t give me household chores when I really wanted to read. I used to take a part of my lunch money every week to buy books. The first time I read the biography of Nellie Bly I knew I wanted to write.

I share this because I was so confused that the depression caused me to be unable to read. Where I normally read a Mary Higgins Clark book in less than a week, it now took me a month, sometimes two, to get through one. It was an awful, dark time and I thank God for the medications and therapy that helped me come back to who I am.

[We are thankful, too!]

I’ve been a Kay Hooper fan for a long time. When I read Pepper’s Way back in the early ’80s, I knew I had to find more books by this entertaining writer. She’s passionate, provocative, and prolific—three great writer gifts in my opinion.

Her early romances were lively and engaging, especially those written for the Second Chance at Love series. She moved between this line and Loveswept, and actually released eight books in 1988! Eight books! She must have worked almost constantly. I know series romances are shorter, but that’s still a lot of writing.

Like Kay, I’ve always had an interest in the paranormal and relished Dark Shadows, The Twilight Zone, and Night Stalker, both the movie and the TV versions. My favorite movie is The Gift, which is about a poor single mother with a strong psychic gift.

This means, of course, when I read Kay’s book, Stealing Shadows, I waited eagerly for the next two books in this trilogy and was thrilled to learn the stories would continue with Noah Bishop heading an elite FBI team of agents with special crime-fighting skills. I’ve read and reread these books simply because I enjoy the stories so much.

[The best books deserve rereading…]

Stalked by Allison Brennan is the fifth book in the Lucy Kincaid romantic thriller series (available October 30, 2012).

This book continues the popular series about Lucy Kincaid, a character developed by writer Allison Brennan. Lucy is at the FBI academy and working hard to complete the course and become a field agent.

She’s doing this while fighting past demons and current insecurities, which keep popping up while she’s going through the rigorous training required for an FBI agent. Added to her troubles, the enigmatic agent, Rick Laughlin, is working at the academy while preparing for a trial and he’s convinced Lucy should not be FBI and goes out of his way to prove that.

I liked this book from the beginning. In between the scenes with Lucy and the people she interacts with are first-person narratives from the younger brother of a murder victim from years ago. When it is determined a number of new murders are related to this old case and the now-grown brother, which Lucy worked on as a consultant, the FBI steps in and searches for a killer who is equally skilled at eluding them. Lucy is working behind the scenes on the case and Laughlin is watching her every move.

[Creepy or cute?]

The Witch of Babylon by D.J. McIntosh is the first thriller in the Mesopotamian Trilogy and was the winner of the Crime Writers of Canada Arthur Ellis Award for best unpublished novel (available October 16, 2012).

The Witch of Babylon is one of the most educating books I’ve read in a long time. I found myself caught up in the history I was learning and hitting the Internet to verify various things I hadn’t known about this region of the world. This wasn’t just reading a good mystery, it was a true experience. This is book one of the Mesopotamian Trilogy, and I can’t imagine how smart I will be after reading the next two books.

The prologue takes place during the chaotic fall of the city of Baghdad on April 14, 2003. Three men, one the brother of the book’s narrator, rescue an artifact that is of great historical and monetary value, though we don’t find out what it is at that time.

[It wouldn’t be any fun if we did!]

Golden Dawn by Thomas M. Kostigen is an international terrorist thriller (available October 16, 2012).

Travel is a key element of the suspense novel, Golden Dawn by Thomas M. Kostigen, and I promise you will be educated about a lot of countries by the end of the book.

Michael Shea is an international journalist who is trying to get enough evidence to turn in his uncle, a bomb builder who began his career in Belfast with the IRA. When Shea sees his uncle with a maniacal president, he knows a nuclear bomb can’t be far behind. He’s seen before he can get what he needs and starts a run from the Iranian Secret Service that takes him to all kinds of exotic places and introduces him to the woman who has absolute proof the president isn’t who he says he is.

Shea and Neda Ghazali end up going to so many places your head will be spinning, but you’ll always know where you are and why that location is important to the facts. Kostigen did a good job with the meat of the plot, but he seemed a little stilted when it came to the intimate relationship between his two protagonists.

[So let’s get back to the thrilling bits . . .]

The 7th Woman by Frédérique Molay is a thriller featuring Chief Inspector Nico Sirsky of Paris’s top criminal investigation unit (available for the first time in English on October 23, 2012).

A cover blurb on this book compares it to the movie Seven, which is very apt. This book has the same kind of tension and climax found in that film as well as the definite sense of noir. The 7th Woman is a French novel originally published in 2006 and recently translated by Anna Trager.

The story centers on Nico Sirsky, who is head of the Paris Criminal Investigation Division, known as the brigade criminelle. At 38, he’s very young for a job with so much responsibility but he has an uncanny knack for getting to the heart of a crime and quickly finding the guilty party.

[He might be young, but he has skills!]