A Texas businessman travels to the furthest reaches of post-Soviet Russia in search of the country’s new wealth ― and finds new dangers as well. Based on true events.
After the demise of the Soviet Union, the newly-established Russian government privatized its industry by issuing vouchers to all of its citizens, allowing them the chance to be shareholders in the country’s burgeoning businesses. The slips are distributed among the population and auctions are arranged where they can be exchanged for actual shares. For the country’s rural populations living in abject poverty, the vouchers appear to be little more than pieces of paper, totally separated from the far-off concept of potential future fortunes.
But for Texas businessman John Mills and his Czech companion, Petr Kovac, the seemingly-valueless chits suggest a lucrative potential, worth much more than what the current owners are willing to sell them for. They travel to the furthest, coldest reaches of the country to acquire vouchers for the country’s national oil company, Gazneft, roving from town to town with suitcases full of cash. But they quickly learn that the plan has complications ― for example, the fact that the auctions at which these vouchers are traded for actual shares have been planned at the most remote, inaccessible locations possible to deter outsiders from buying in. And when the Russian mafia and the oligarchs in charge of Gazneft catch wind of their successes, the stakes become suddenly more deadly.
A thrilling adventure inspired by true events, The Siberia Job charts a course through one of the most impactful periods in recent Russian history, whose reverberations continue to be felt in the present day.
About the Author
Josh Haven is a novelist and also, like, the nicest guy ever.
A Newsweek and Reader’s Digest most-anticipated read of 2023.
In the thrilling first crime novel from the former director of the FBI, a murder investigation reveals deadly connections between high-ranking politicians and the mafia.
The gripping crime fiction debut from former FBI director James Comey takes readers deep inside the world of lawyers and investigators working to solve a murder while navigating the treacherous currents of modern politics and the mob.
When a years-long case against a powerful mobster finally cracks and an unimpeachable witness takes the stand, federal prosecutor Nora Carleton is looking forward to putting the defendant away for good. The mobster, though, has other plans. As the witness’s testimony concludes, a note is passed to the prosecution offering up information into the assassination of a disgraced former New York governor, murdered in his penthouse apartment just days before. It’s enough to blow the case wide open, and to send Nora into a high-stakes investigation of conspiracy, corruption, and danger.
Drawing from the author’s decades in federal law enforcement, including his years in Manhattan as a mob prosecutor and later the chief federal prosecutor, Central Park West is a fast-paced legal thriller with an intriguing plot enriched by real-life details and experiences. That unique perspective gives the novel much of its allure, but it’s the unforgettable characters, shocking twists, and courtroom scenes as authentic as they are dramatic that will leave readers looking forward to more from this bold new talent in the genre.
Review
A New York governor has been murdered. His estranged wife has been accused and is now on trial for this crime. But, did she do it? Through a separate investigation, new evidence is discovered. And this murder might not be as cut and dried as the prosecution believes. The death of the governor might actually be a mob hit and part of a unique stream of murders across the USA.
To say this book surprised me is an understatement. I was excited to be asked to read it but I really did not expect it to be as good as it was. This book is smart, intricate and down right unpredictable. And I enjoyed every minute of it! I really believe the author pulled so much from his life experiences and this is what made this novel so real and authentic. And these characters!
I received this novel from the publisher (thank you Riley!) but I also asked for it from HighBridge Audio. I can listen faster than I can read.
The narrator, Cassandra Campbell, is fantastic with all the accents. I love her accent for one of the attorneys! I could just picture him and his antics.
Need a good legal thriller with mob ties…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
As a therapy exercise, a woman writes a list of people she wants to forgive, and thinks nothing of it when she loses it in an Uber…until one by one the people on the list become victims of freak accidents. Set in Portland, Maine, Hannah Mary McKinnon’s breakout suspense novel THE REVENGE LIST will appeal to fans of Lisa Unger, Joshilyn Jackson, and Tarryn Fisher.
Following an epic run-in with a client who threatened to pull out of a contract at her father’s company if she doesn’t suffer some consequences, Frankie Morgan agrees to go to anger management. With the business struggling with cash-flow and her brother needing help with the medical bills for his sick daughter, she can’t risk harming the business further. But that doesn’t mean she’ll be happy about attending.
During the first session, the group is asked to spend some quiet time exploring their pasts and sitting with the emotions that generates, before making a start on a Forgiveness List—a list of people with whom they’re angry and might work on forgiving. She begrudgingly goes along with it and doesn’t worry too much when she forgets the list in an Uber on her way home. It shouldn’t matter—it was just a therapy exercise—except a few days later the first person on that list is injured in a freak accident. When the second person gets hurt, she hopes it’s coincidence. After the third is targeted, she knows it’s a pattern. And she’s in trouble. Because the next name on that list is…hers.
Review
Frankie has started attending anger management classes. She has lost her cool one too many times with clients. One of the exercises in class is to start a forgiveness list. But, Frankie’s list ends up missing. A few days later the first person on her list is injured and then the second, then the third…and Frankie sees a pattern. She knows she is in danger!
Now, this book should have been a 5 star read for me. But…I HATED Frankie. I really found her to be a giant “Karen”. One of her outbursts was legit, but not so sure about any of the others. So, I had very little patience for her antics. Yes, she was in therapy for her anger issues but it was not like she wanted to be helped. So, this twist in this book…may be more her fault. But I really, really hated her. I almost dnf-ed this book because of her. I mean common courtesy goes a long way. Ok…I am hushing.
It sounds like I did not enjoy this book, I promise, I did. My issue with Frankie is my issue, not yours. There are several amazing twists in this tale and it just keeps building with intensity as the story moves along. Plus, the ending is fantastic…And I believe there will be a sequel.
Need a thriller with a humongous twist…THIS IS IT. Grab your copy today.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Hannah Mary McKinnon was born in the UK, grew up in Switzerland and moved to Canada in 2010. After a successful career in recruitment, she quit the corporate world in favor of writing. She now lives in Oakville, Ontario, with her husband and three sons, and is delighted by her twenty-second commute. Connect with her on Facebook, on Twitter @HannahMMcKinnon, and on Instagram @HannahMaryMcKinnon. For more, visit her website, http://www.hannahmarymckinnon.com.
In one of his most accomplished, compelling novels yet, acclaimed New York Times bestseller Jeff Shaara accomplishes what only the finest historical fiction can do: He brings to life one of the most consequential figures in U.S. history—Theodore Roosevelt—peeling back the many-layered history of the man and the country he personified.
From the mid-nineteenth century to the early twentieth century, from the waning days of the rugged frontier of a young country to the emergence of a modern, industrial nation exerting its power on the world stage, Theodore Roosevelt embodied both the myth and reality of the country he loved and led.
From his upbringing in the rarefied air of New York society of the late 19th century to his time in rough-and-tumble world of the Badlands in the Dakotas, from his rise from political obscurity to Assistant Secretary of the Navy, from national hero as the leader of the Rough Riders in the Spanish-American War to his accidental rise to the Presidency itself, Roosevelt embodied the complex, often contradictory, image of America itself.
In gripping prose, Shaara tells the story of the man who both defined and created the modern United States.
A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press.
Review
Theodore Roosevelt was an icon in American History. He was charismatic and intelligent. This novel spans his early life with his first wife, Alice, to the Badlands and the Spanish-American war all the way to the Roosevelt’s last breath.
I learned so much about Theodore Roosevelt in this novel. It covers so many aspects of Roosevelt’s life and in such great detail. The author and the narrator brought Roosevelt to life for me. I honestly did not know half of what this man did. Now, did he make mistakes and misjudgments, sure he did. He is human. And the author portrays all of this, Roosevelt’s faults and his great deeds!
The reason for the 4 stars is this novel can get a little dry In places and it is very long. But, that is because it is so very well researched.
The narrator, Paul Michael, is on if my favorites and he sounded just like I expected Theodore Roosevelt to sound. A job well done!
Need a very good novel about a true American…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
A D.C. philanthropist suspects that her seemingly perfect employee is secretly plotting to steal her husband, her reputation—even her life—in this seductive novel of psychological suspense from the internationally bestselling author of The Last Mrs. Parrish.
“A deadly cocktail of medical mystery, family drama, and psychological suspense.”—Chandler Baker, New York Timesbestselling author of Whisper Network
In this town, anyone is replaceable. . . .
After a tragic chain of events led to the deaths of their spouses two years ago, D.C. philanthropist Sloane Chase and Senator Whit Montgomery are finally starting to move on. The horrifying ordeal drew them together, and now they’re ready to settle down again—with each other.
As Sloane returns to the world of White House dinners and political small talk, this time with her new husband, she’s also preparing for an upcoming hip replacement—the latest reminder of the lupus she’s managed since her twenties. With their hectic schedules, they decide that hiring a home health aide will give Sloane the support and independence she needs postsurgery. And they find the perfect fit in Athena Karras.
Seemingly a godsend, Athena tends to Sloane and even helps her run her charitable foundation. But Sloane slowly begins to deteriorate—a complication, Athena explains, of Sloane’s lupus. As weeks go by, Sloane becomes sicker, and her uncertainty quickly turns to paranoia as she begins to suspect the worst. Why is Athena asking her so many probing questions about her foundation—as well as about her past? And could Sloane be imagining the sultry looks between Athena and her new husband?
Riveting, fast-paced, and full of unbelievable twists, The Senator’s Wife is a psychological thriller that upends the private lives of those who walk the halls of power. Because when you have it all, you have everything to lose.
Review
Sloane’s husband has been shot and killed by his own cousin. She struggles to overcome this tragedy. She eventually falls in love and marries her husband’s best friend, Senator Whit Montgomery. All is well until Sloane has to have hip surgery. Sloane starts to deteriorate or is there something else at play?!?!
Sloane is in a mess. She is hallucinating…or is she? This surgery has flared up her lupus, or has it? These are all the questions floating through the reader’s mind. Talk about twisting and turning!
This is a rock solid thriller/suspense read. However, I did figure it all out but it was still a wild ride! This story moves like lightning! And I loved Sloane. She does not go down easy and she takes no prisoners!
Need a good twisted tale of power and greed…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
Two sisters discover the fairy tales written by their great-grandmother during WWII in this riveting tale of one woman’s secrets lost in the chaos of war—perfect for fans of Julia Kelly and Natasha Lester.
1940 – Stasia always found comfort in the idyllic French countryside where she spent her childhood summers, roaming the gardens of an old chateau and finding inspiration for fairy tales full of bravery and adventure. But these days are much darker, and with Nazis storming across Europe, she soon finds herself one of the most hunted agents of the Resistance. The only safe haven she can think of is Chateau de Montissaire. But she’s about to discover that it just may be the center of her biggest mission yet.
Present day – When Isabelle purchases a crumbling chateau in Rouen, it’s not just a renovation project—it’s a chance to reconnect with her sister, Emilie, the only family she has left. What she uncovers instead is an intriguing mystery… As the siblings piece together the incredible truth behind the books written by their great-grandmother Stasia, they discover an exciting story of courage in the face of treachery and an explosive secret that will change everything they believed about their family.
Review
Isabelle has purchased a renovation project in France. It is an old chateau with a unique history. It is a place the Nazis took over and used as a communications base. But, Isabelle soon realizes this chateau may actually be tied to her great-grandmother, Stasia’s, fairy tales. Stasia wrote and illustrated a lot of fascinating stories. Isabelle soon relates many aspects of the chateau to Stasia. But, for the life of her she cannot figure out why?
Oh, I love a story with an old house with secrets. And this chateau has tons of hidden secrets and stories. I really enjoyed how the author built a great tale around this wonderful place. Secret entrances and hidden graves just add so much to the intrigue. And the secret history of Stasia and how she shared it with her family… and they had no idea it was based on the truth.
This story did slow down a bit in the middle, but the characters and the hidden gems really keep the reader wanting to know more!
Need a good French Resistance story…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
In only a few months, the small town of Hagen has lost two high school seniors, both under strange circumstances. When a third senior, the mayor’s son, drives through the plate glass window of the town’s diner and ends up in a coma, the deaths no longer seem unrelated accidents. The town is paralyzed with fear. The police can find no good explanation. Other students deny any knowledge of what’s happening, but Detective Kylie Milliard is certain at least some are lying.
Hagen’s sole investigator, Kylie Milliard fears that something sinister is at play, but she can’t convince the town’s powers that be to take her concerns seriously. Mounting discord between herself and Hagen’s sheriff have her thinking that it may be time to leave Hagen for a bigger city and a new job, but she’s not going anywhere until she determines the connection between the self-destructive act of the mayor’s son and the two untimely deaths.
Whoever is behind the dangerous stunts doesn’t want to be discovered. To keep their secret, they’re willing to take out anyone who gets too close. With time running out before the next stunt, Kylie is in a race to solve the puzzle. She is all too clear that, until she does, no one—not the students, nor the town—is safe from danger.
Review
Kylie is the only investigator in the small town of Hagen. She knows something is terribly wrong in her town when two high school seniors have died under weird circumstances and a third pulls a terrible stunt that nearly kills everyone in a diner. But, none of the higher ups in her town believe her. Kylie is not to be deterred. She digs in her heels and becomes unstoppable.
This is book three in the series. I have not read the others and I did not miss a beat. It can definitely be a stand alone book. Kylie is a sharp character. She is smart and a bit insensitive which is appealing in many ways. But, she cares and this comes out in how she does her job. She is like a dog with a bone in this book. Nothing is going to stop her from finding out who is behind these horrible stunts.
This story is full of intensity and mystery. I enjoy a book which has me on a few wild goose chases. And this one threw me off the scent. This just made me read faster and faster 😂! I had to know who did what!!
I have only read one book by this author but it made a big impression on me. You can see my review of Far Gone here! I need to get to this author’s other books because I am hooked!
Need a small town murder mystery…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
Danielle Girard is the USA Today and Amazon #1 bestselling author of Chasing Darkness, the Rookie Club series, and Exhume, Excise, Expose, and Expire featuring San Francisco medical examiner Dr. Annabelle Schwartzman. Girard’s books have won the Barry Award and the RT Reviewers’ Choice Award, and two of her titles have been optioned for movies. A graduate of Cornell University, Girard received her MFA at Queens University in Charlotte, North Carolina. She, her husband, and their two children split their time between San Francisco and the northern Rockies. White Out, book one of her new Badlands Thriller Series, is available now. https://www.daniellegirard.com/
A multigenerational saga that traverses the glamour of old Hollywood and the seductive draw of modern-day showbiz
When Kitty Karr Tate, a White icon of the silver screen, dies and bequeaths her multimillion-dollar estate to the St. John sisters, three young, wealthy Black women, it prompts questions. Lots of questions.
A celebrity in her own right, Elise St. John would rather focus on sorting out Kitty’s affairs than deal with the press. But what she discovers in one of Kitty’s journals rocks her world harder than any other brewing scandal could—and between a cheating fiancé and the fallout from a controversial social media post, there are plenty.
The truth behind Kitty’s ascent to stardom from her beginnings in the segregated South threatens to expose a web of unexpected family ties, debts owed, and debatable crimes that could, with one pull, unravel the all-American fabric of the St. John sisters and those closest to them.
As Elise digs deeper into Kitty’s past, she must also turn the lens upon herself, confronting the gifts and burdens of her own choices and the power that the secrets of the dead hold over the living. Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? is a sprawling thriller set against the backdrop of the Hollywood machine, an insightful and nuanced look at the inheritances of family, race, and gender—and the choices some women make to break free of them.
A Macmillan Audio production from Henry Holt and Company.
Review
Kitty has been sent away by her mother to Hollywood. She wants more for Kitty than what is available at home. See, Kitty has a white father and a black mother. But, Kitty has a white skin tone. Her mother knows she can have the life of her dreams away from the south where everyone knows her background.
This is more of a 3.5 star read. I, of course, rounded up! It is a bit long and it tends to drag in the middle. It could have been cut by about 100 pages probably. That being said, I did enjoy Kitty. She is truly a tough woman in a terrible time.
I learned a great deal in this book. I knew quite a bit. But, I didn’t know the lengths many people went to hide what they really are. So, the secrets and the manipulation really add to the intensity of this story.
The narrators are excellent. This is probably why enjoyed this book more than I would have if I had physically read it. There are three narrators and each one created amazing voices!
Need a story with so many secrets…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
Fast-paced and colorful, with hints of The Goldfinch and Malibu Rising, and more than one pitch-perfect love story—Lost and Found in Paris sparkles like the City of Light itself and will have you flipping the pages quickly as you’re drawn deeply into its mysterious world of art, intrigue, and redemption.” —Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Lost Names
The ultimate escapist adventure in Paris, told with wit, style, and a touch of intrigue, by the popular and dynamic author of The Sweeney Sisters.
Joan Blakely had an unconventional childhood: the daughter of a globe-trotting supermodel and a world-famous artist. Her artist father died on 9/11, and Joan—an art historian by training—has spent more than a decade maintaining his legacy. Life in the art world is beginning to wear on her—and then one fateful afternoon her husband drops a bombshell: he’s fathered twins with another woman.
Furious but secretly pleased to have a reason to blow up her life, Joan impulsively decides to get out of town, booking a last-minute trip to Paris as an art courier: the person museums hire to fly valuable works of art to potential clients, discreetly stowed in their carry-on luggage. Sipping her champagne in business-class, she chats up her seatmate, Nate, a good-looking tech nerd who invites her to dinner in Paris. He doesn’t know she’s carrying drawings worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
But after a romantic dinner and an even more romantic night together, Joan wakes up next to her new lover to discover the drawings gone. Even more shocking is what’s been left in their place: a sketch from her father’s journals, which she thought had been lost when he died on 9/11, and a poem that reads like a treasure hunt.
With Nate as a sidekick, Joan will follow the clues all over Paris—from its grand cathedrals to the romantic bistros to the twisty side streets of Montmartre—hoping to recover the lost art, and her own sense of adventure. What she finds is even better than she’d expected.
Review
Joan has a job as an art courier. She is sent to Paris to carry some Joan of Arc sketches. She meets Nate on the plane and they end up hitting it off. Then the sketches are stolen and Joan’s first thought is “Nate is a thief!” But then she receives something of her father’s and she knows this is more than she bargained for.
Well! Joan is an amazing character. I enjoyed her thought process. She is quite hilarious in her deductions especially where Nate is concerned. These two are total opposites. But, they make the cutest sleuthing couple.
I absolutely loved the chase around Paris. If I ever get there, I am going to try and find all the unique places this book had me traveling to. And the mystery of the stolen sketches is full of history. This tale is so entertaining, smart and witty!
Need an intriguing art theft chase around Paris…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!
Carolyn Haines’s Tell-Tale Bones marks the next novel in the series that Kirkus Reviews characterizes as “Stephanie Plum meets the Ya-Ya Sisterhood” featuring sassy Southern private investigator Sarah Booth Delaney.
Private Investigator Sarah Booth Delaney and her partner Tinkie are in Sheriff Coleman Peters’s office, consulting Coleman about cold cases, when Elisa Redd storms in with a case of her own. She wants Coleman to reopen the investigation of her missing daughter, Lydia Redd Maxell, the heiress to a large fortune who disappeared along with her friend Bethany nearly seven years ago. Lydia and Bethany were rumored to be working as human rights organizers abroad, but Elisa suspects Lydia’s problems might have stemmed closer to home. Now Lydia’s husband, Tope, is set to inherit the fortune, and Elisa believes he’s behind the disappearance.
Sarah Booth and Tinkie soon connect the case to a series of mysterious disappearances over the years, as well as to a perplexing recurring dream. With another woman’s life at stake, the friends follow an increasingly twisty trail all over Sunflower County, leading them to a tree and an empty grave in the county cemetery. A grave that’s said to be haunted…
Review
Sarah Booth, private investigator extraordinaire, is hot on a cold case. Lydia Redd Maxwell has been missing almost 7 years. Her abusive husband has decided to file for her death certificate, without a body no less. He is determined to gain her fortune to get him out of some bad investments. But Sarah Booth and her partner, Tinkie have other ideas!
I have been a fan of Sarah Booth for quite awhile. And there are tons of books in this series and no I have not read all of them.
Sarah Booth is a hot mess and I just love her! She is definitely entertaining and I can so see me and a couple of my friends pulling off some of her high jinks! This book is full of her antics! But don’t worry…SHE GETS THE JOB DONE!
I love how Carolyn Haines places little tidbits of history about Mississippi in her books. It’s just perfect for this Mississippi girl. Add in all the Southern characters ( and half of them live down the street from me!), and you have a cute mess of a read!
Need a good southern mystery…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.