Lisa Scottoline is one of my favorite authors and I love reading her domestic thrillers that are released every spring. Her latest, One Perfect Lie, is a solid thriller. However, I didn’t find it nearly as compelling or satisfying as her previous work.
I’ve met John Sanford twice and seen him speak multiple times at ThrillerFest over the past few years, yet I’ve never read one of his novels…until now. I just finished Escape Clause last night and it was a solid novel with some major flaws.
Lisa Scottoline released a terrific book this week entitled Damaged. It’s yet another compelling thriller from one of my favorite writers. What separates Lisa from her peers is that her books feature characters, plots and dialogue that have an unparalleled level of emotional depth. When you’re reading her books you can’t help but feel connected to the characters and the decisions they make. I had this experience when reading Damaged. Read more…
Bullseye is James Patterson’s newest thriller and the latest entry in the Michael Bennett series. Unfortunately, it’s not very good. It takes several chapters for the protagonist to show up, which is never a good sign as that only delays my being introduced to the character to which I’m supposed to relate. And the premise isn’t all that compelling. It failed to pull me in and keep my attention like Patterson’s far superior thriller, The Games, which was also recently released. Every once in a while a good author releases a boring book. For James Patterson, Bullseye is it.
I just finished The Games by James Patterson and Mark Sullivan and it was excellent. This novel was perfectly timed as it deals with two major sporting events, one of which is right around the corner: the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. There are two parallel storylines at play in this novel, neither of which I’ll divulge in my review because I don’t want to spoil either of them. However, I can tell you that the storylines are compelling and that both are brought to satisfactory conclusions. As with all of James Patterson’s thrillers, the pacing in this book is tremendous. The pages fly by and no words are wasted. Every page and chapter move the story and the characters forward, toward the novel’s thrilling climax. The Games is one of my favorite James Patterson books, and I highly recommend it.
Book Synopsis
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil–home to beautiful white-sand beaches, gorgeous women, stunning natural beauty, and the world’s largest Carnival celebration–knows how to throw a party. So it’s a natural choice to host the biggest spectacles in sports–the World Cup and the Olympics. To ensure that the games go off without a hitch, the organizers turn to Jack Morgan, the unflappable head of the renowned international security and consulting firm Private. But when events are this exclusive, someone’s bound to get left off the guest list.
Two years after the action nearly spilled from the field to the stands during soccer’s championship match, Jack is back in Rio for the Olympics. But before the cauldron is even lit, the only thing more intense than the competition is the security risks. When prominent clients he’s supposed to be protecting disappear, and bodies mysteriously start to litter the streets, Jack is drawn deep into the heart of a ruthless underworld populated by disaffected residents trying to crash the world’s biggest party. As the opening ceremonies near, with the world watching in horror, Jack must sprint to the finish line to defuse a threat that could decimate Rio and turn the games from a joyous celebration into a deadly spectacle.
A couple days ago I finished reading Lisa Scottoline’s newest thriller, Most Wanted. This book’s fascinating premise reeled me in from the start, but did it keep me compelled from the first page to the last? Watch my book review below to find out:
I recently finished reading Harlan Coben’s newest thriller, Fool Me Once. As many of you know, Harlan is my favorite author. However, does his latest novel live up to his tremendous reputation? Watch my book review below to find out whether or not you should pick up a copy of Fool Me Once:
Want to hear something strange? I met Nelson DeMille twice before reading one of his books. Seriously! I met him at a Harlan Coben book signing and then I met him at ThrillerFest last year, so I finally decided it was time to read one of his books – especially since I’ve heard such great things about them. The one I decided to start with was Plum Island. Read more…
Last night I stayed up late to finish Corrupted by Lisa Scottoline; I’m glad I did because it was the best legal thriller I’ve ever read and one of her finest books.
What made this novel so compelling? Well, for starters, it featured excellent character development. From the protagonist to the client she represented, nearly all of the key players in the book faced realistic internal and external struggles that made them relatable, mature and human.
I also enjoyed the romantic subplot and how it intersected with and influenced the main storyline. It was tastefully written and heartfelt, and I’m eager to see how it evolves in future novels in this series.
Corrupted has an interesting structure as well, with portions of the book taking place in the past and others in the present. Scottoline wisely doesn’t jump back and forth more than necessary, and events that take place in both time periods are seamlessly woven together as Corrupted escalates toward a thrilling climax that is unpredictable, plausible and immensely satisfying.
If you need a new book for the new year, pick up a copy of Corrupted. It’s a finely crafted tale that makes one thing clear: Lisa Scottoline is at the top of her game.
My favorite author, Harlan Coben, has a new novel coming out in the U.S. on March 22 (and in the U.K. on March 24): Fool Me Once. Based on the book trailer below, it looks like it’s going to be another terrific, mysterious thriller from Coben:
