Author

Jeff Ayers

Review

Battle Mountain

by Jeff Ayers

Nate Romanowski lost everything thanks to Axel Soledad’s murderous spree (in Three-Inch Teeth), and in Box’s latest thriller. Nate will do anything to find and kill Alex. Joe Pickett and his wife are watching Nate’s daughter while he’s off-grid seeking justice. At the same time, the governor asks Joe to find his son-in-law, Mark, and an initial search doesn’t look promising. Mark is alive, but he saw something he shouldn’t have; now he’s being held captive by Axel and his accomplices and needs medical help. Nate and Joe have no idea that their separate journeys will lead them to a final confrontation on Battle Mountain, and that their lives will never be the same again. Box is the master of landscape writing, with the reader feeling the chill of the outdoors and smelling the pine trees. He has delivered a gut-punching thriller that is both compelling and brutal in this cataclysmic war between good and evil. This series gets better with each installment.

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Review

South of Nowhere

by Jeff Ayers

Colter Shaw takes on a mission to find a missing family swept away by a flood in Deaver’s latest thriller. They don’t have much time to survive, so Colter’s efforts and utilizing his skill set come with a ticking clock. A levee near a small California town has overflowed, and that raging water is merely the beginning of a possible catastrophic event that could decimate the town if the barrier fails. Colter and his sister, Dorion, work with the police and emergency personnel to evacuate everyone before what seems to be an inevitable breach occurs. When they uncover evidence of sabotage, it becomes a race to find who and why someone would want to destroy the town and its citizens. Deaver is a master in misleadingly utilizing readers’ expectations and perceptions, so every revelation is a surprise. The ending hints at a terrific next adventure, and it can’t come soon enough. Fans of the CBS series Tracker already know Colter Shaw, and this great thriller highlights why he’s such a wonderful character. Deaver has done it again.

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Review

Ruth Run

by Jeff Ayers

Ruth has an unconventional way of making money, and her method of robbing banks through a code in a hacked chip has finally caught up with her in Kaufman’s debut thriller. Taking cash in small amounts from transactions has made her a very rich cybercriminal. When alarms signal she’s been discovered, she grabs her accomplice, and they take off. A government agent named Mike has been watching her for some time and knows everything about Ruth since he feels he launched her career. Mike has planted tracking devices in her home, car, and a bag that never leaves her side, so he knows her every move. When his superiors want her eliminated since her bug is inside the government’s network, Mike agrees to help. However, he seems to have feelings for the woman he considers his protégé, so what is his objective? When Ruth realizes that the authorities are close and her usual tricks won’t be enough, she must improvise. But even though she is elusive and clever, her methods might put her in even more danger than she’s in from the law. Kaufman has created a compelling and complex character in Ruth, and watching her outwit and coordinate her surroundings to stay alive while being in control will endear her to readers. The motivations behind the people after this protagonist, and her inability to trust those she enlists for help, keep the paranoia above a level ten. Hopefully this terrific debut will launch a series featuring Ruth and her adventures.

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Review

Strangers in Time

by Jeff Ayers

The horrors of war are reflected in the lives of three people in Baldacci’s (A Calamity of Souls) latest. Fourteen-year-old Charlie Matters lives with his grandmother in cramped conditions. She thinks Charlie is spending his weekdays in school, but he has quit and spends the day roaming the streets, stealing food and money to survive. His goal is to eventually enlist and fight the Germans for taking away his parents and his sense of safety. When he steals from Ignatius Oliver’s bookshop, rather than demanding punishment for Charlie, Ignatius treats him well, almost like a father would. Like Charlie, Ignatius is dealing with loss, but it’s his wife instead of his parents. When 15-year-old Molly Wakefield returns to London after spending time away from the big city and conflict, she is horrified to learn her parents did not survive the bombing. The three bond, throughout the war trusting and protecting one another from a relentless enemy and secrets they can’t see coming. Baldacci chronicles the story of this makeshift family brought together by circumstances out of their control and how they can survive and confront whatever awaits. The author does a terrific job of transporting the reader back in time to a tumultuous period of living in London, and readers will practically smell the smoke and feel surrounded by rubble from the shattered buildings. Another great tale from a grandmaster storyteller.

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Review

When the Moon Hits Your Eye

by Jeff Ayers

A strange discovery in an Air and Space Museum makes the scientists in Scalzi’s (Starter Villian, 2023) latest think a theft has occurred: a moonrock on exhibit is switched with something that appears soft and squishy. When scientists and astronomers realize the moon has somehow grown in size, but the mass is the same, the truth dawns on them. The moon itself is no longer made of rock, but of cheese. Scalzi takes this absurd scenario and showcases the various related people and occupations to highlight how a cheese moon would affect the world. Scientists can’t explain it. Conspiracy theorists see this as proof that man never landed on the moon. Astronauts scheduled for a lunar landing must now scrap their plans, and even cheese-shop owners have their hands full, given the increased interest in their products. Factor in global complications with possible changing tidal patterns and the religious aspects with questioning if God somehow made this happen, and, no surprise, chaos reigns. If you are ever curious whether drowning by cheese is worse than drowning by molasses, this book is perfect. Scalzi’s trademark humor and a genuinely baffling puzzle keep the pages turning. This fun, engaging read is perfect for these tumultuous times.

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Review

Parents Weekend

by Jeff Ayers

Santa Clara University hosts an annual Parents Weekend for students’ families. In Finlay’s latest thriller, he showcases five families with baggage, from students hiding secrets to their parents with facades created to ignore reality. This generational mess creates a drama school larger than anything New York or Los Angeles universities have ever seen, with dysfunction ruling the day. The parents and youngsters are supposed to attend a dinner event together, but only the adults show up. Numerous calls and texts to the kids go unanswered, and the worries grow. An accidental drowning of a student a couple of days earlier may hold the key. FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller arrives to find answers. Keller was seen in Finlay’s earlier novels Every Last Fear and The Night Shift, and fans will be thrilled to see her again, while newcomers will fall in love with her. As Keller talks to the parents of the missing students, she begins to uncover the truth of what each family wants to avoid. Finlay tells the story from the parents’ perspective, occasionally peering into the five missing students’ lives without revealing too much. He crafts a genuine page-turner with a cast of flawed and realistic human characters. Plan a weekend to devour this terrific thriller.

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Review

If Two Are Dead

by Jeff Ayers

Luke Conway and his wife, Carrie, are moving from LA back to Clear River, Texas, where they grew up, so they can help Carrie’s father, who is gravely ill. For police officer Luke, it is a chance to escape a shooting that has traumatized him, and he’s now a county deputy. Carrie has baggage as well, but she is heading towards it. When she was a high-school junior, she was the sole survivor of an incident that left two girls dead and her with a chip in her skull. She barely survived and can’t remember any details of that day. One evening, while off-duty, Luke appears to hit someone while driving home in the pouring rain. Inspecting the area provides no evidence of a body, so he leaves and doesn’t report it. Luke tells himself that he hit a tree branch, but deep down, he knows he hit someone and decides to keep it a secret. Carrie arrives in town to find a not-so-warm welcome and soon learns that some there believe she killed the two girls years ago and is faking amnesia. Luke and Carrie need each other’s support, but running from the truth only makes matters worse for their marriage and their lives. Mofina generates suspense in unexpected ways and crafts a compelling, genius story that ends in a manner not even savvy readers will see coming. His background as a newspaper reporter allows him to craft realistic characters who face overwhelming odds. Harlan Coben and Alex Finlay fans should already have Mofina on their to-read pile, and this one is another guaranteed bestseller.

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Review

The White Fortress

by Jeff Ayers

Gerard Fox and his wife, Willa, are sailing to the city of Dubrovnik in the Adriatic Sea in 1351 when adventure and danger again call them into action. They meet another couple, Petar and Jelena, on board during the journey and become fast friends. When Gerard rescues Jelena from drowning, Petar and Jelena reveal the real reason for leaving their home. Their son, Niko, was kidnapped by a ruthless nobleman who wants the city where they are from, Ston, for himself. The parents must give access to the invading horde or have Niko die. Gerard and Willa cannot say no to helping their new friends, even if it means delaying their trip to England to restore Gerard’s good name. It also appears that an old prophecy holds the key to their participation and what pitfalls stand in the way. The answers lie in Marco Polo’s lost journals. Boyd and Beth Morrison smoothly blend non-stop action, despicable villains, and medieval history into another compelling read, their best one yet. Gerard and Willa are a marvelous couple who could easily fit into modern times. A shot of Clive Cusller, a dash of Diana Gabaldon (minus the time travel), and a bit of Steve Berry make this series essential for any adventure or history fan.

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Review

The Last Hamilton

by Jeff Ayers

Bregman takes the history of Alexander Hamilton and his legacy, mixes it with a modern-day conspiracy, and delivers a fun and engaging read. Elizabeth Walker is the last heir of the Hamilton family line, and when she passes away, that’s it. During research, Elizabeth uncovers a key created during Hamilton’s life. On her way home after, she’s followed, and in the New York subway, rather than have the key taken, Elizabeth texts her best friend, Sarah Brockman, to contact Elizabeth’s husband, Ralph. Then she jumps in front of an oncoming train. Sarah, devastated by Elizabeth’s death, receives a box of documents her friend sent over before her death. Working with Ralph, they are shocked to learn that a secret society established by Hamilton still exists today. The bedrock of this society has kept the United States strong all these years. Still, sinister forces want to destroy the States, and they have plans to use Hamilton’s legacy to cause economic chaos by eliminating the foundation of the American dollar. Bregman has crafted a page-turning thriller of history and the financial world that will have readers wondering if any of the story could be real. Steve Berry and Dan Brown fans will want to add this to their reading list.

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Review

Johnny Careless

by Jeff Ayers

Police Chief Gerald Paul (Jeep) Mullane oversees a small town on the North Shore of Long Island after leaving the NYPD after an incident. He’s sometimes too friendly, and the bureaucracy above him would prefer him to be more ruthless. Jeep grew up surrounded by luxury in the area, but his upbringing was the opposite. His childhood friends were Johnny Chambliss, who had the nickname Johnny Careless, and Niven Croft, a woman for whom Jeep buried his feelings as he watched Johnny and Niven eventually marry. A Sunday morning call has Jeep visiting the scene of a body that washed up on the Bayville shore, and the dead man is Johnny. Jeep hadn’t seen his friend in a while, but they were still close, even after Johnny and Niven divorced. The story moves between Jeep reflecting on his past with Johnny and Niven and working with reluctant family members and higher-ups to get answers about the death, forcing Jeep to confront parts of his life he wanted to forget. Wade, screenwriter and showrunner for the soon-to-be ending CBS series Blue Bloods, understands that crime drags in the perpetrators, the victims, and the investigators and nobody comes through unscathed. He delivers a novel that oozes atmosphere while showcasing realistic characters in a gritty setting that could easily be a headline in tomorrow’s papers. Fans of the television series and those who enjoy a good crime drama will enjoy this, though remember that network television standards do not hinder this author on the page.

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