Friday, September 24, 2010

Thriller Recommendations

The great thing about thrillers is that they have plot twists and distortions that throw you off and keep you guessing.  This week’s recommendations either came close to throwing me off or did so brilliantly.  If you have not yet read any of these then you should definitely pick one up today.


1.  Executive Privilege:  Political Thriller by Phillip Margolin.  Private Detective Dana Cutler is hired by an attorney with powerful connections.  The assignment is simply to trail a pretty college student and report on where she goes and whom she sees.  The trouble arises when Dana follows her to a secret meeting with the President of the United States in rural Virginia.  The following morning the student’s dead body turns up and Dana has to run for her life. 
-Tim’s Note:  After a certain point I started to see where this one was going, but the ride there was excellent.

2. The Third Option: Espionage/Spy Thriller by one of my favorite authors Vince Flynn.  Battle-scarred protagonist Mitch Rapp returns to take on a sensitive new assignment in Europe, only to have things go awry when his two CIA colleagues turn on him following the assassination of a wealthy German count that has been selling arms to Saddam Hussein. Rapp survives their double-dealing, but he is forced to go underground to decipher the labyrinthine chain of political connections and to learn who was trying to have him killed. Back in Washington, a similar game of spy-versus-spy is being conducted by the elderly, dying director of the CIA and his chosen successor. Rapp eventually surfaces to help his bosses, but things get personal for the ace counterterrorist when Rapp's bride-to-be is kidnapped as part of the ongoing political maneuvers (from Publisher’s Weekly).
-Tim’s Note:  Mitch Rapp makes Jack Bauer look like a little league tee-ball player. Author Vince Flynn actually became a guest writer for the show 24.

3. The Lions of Lucerne: Action Thriller by another one of my favorite authors Brad Thor.  Thirty secret service agents are executed on the snowy slopes of Utah and the vacationing President of the United States is abducted.  Former Navy-Seal turned Secret Service Agent breaks all the rules to avenge his fallen agents and to recover the President
  -Tim’s Note:  Again, if you’re a fan of 24 this book is right up your ally in a violent way. 

4. The General’s Daughter:  Military Thriller by Nelson DeMille.  This book was adapted to film starring John Travolta.  The movie was good, but as usual the book was far better and much more thrilling.  US Army CID Agent Paul Brenner investigates the unusual murder of CPT Campbell, the daughter of the General who commands the post. 
-Tim’s Note:  I read this back before the movie came out and the ending definitely threw me off.  I never saw it coming.  If you’ve never seen the movie nor read the book, definitely pick it up.

5.  The Bride Collector:  Supernatural Thriller by Ted Dekker.  FBI Special Agent Brad Raines is chasing a serial killer who murders beautiful young women and leaves behind a wedding veil.  Unable to catch the killer, Raines recruits the help of a young woman who has the ability to experience the final moments of a victim’s life by touching their body.
   -Tim’s Note:  I’m currently halfway through this one.  The characters are excellent and I’m clueless as to how this one will end.

                                                                          

1 comment:

  1. I love it....reviews on what's good! I have a feeling Amazon's business might just pick up a little!

    ReplyDelete