Suspense

Novelist Zoe Weiss is stuck. Her first novel was successful enough to land her a deal for another, which is now a year overdue, with no ideas on the horizon, let alone drafts to pass along to her increasingly irate agent. If she doesn’t come up with something, she’ll have to pay back the $250,000 advance, and working at a Los Angeles florist, that doesn’t seem possible. When she drops an arrangement at a flower delivery and her ex-fling, Zach, happens to be there to help, everything seems suddenly better. Maybe he can help her pick up the pieces of her life, too? Zach’s a famous actor now, and his glamorous life could be the makings of a novel. Soon the two are appearing in the tabloids as an item and the writer’s block is as missing as Zoe’s bikini top in that one swimming pool photo. Only one issue: Zoe signed an NDA, so writing about this is forbidden, but that’s the least of her worries when creepy happenings start—a real heart is left on the window of her car—and she thinks someone is following her. Oops, Zach has a stalker, one who’s not too happy about his new girlfriend. Zoe’s problems and her florist-by-day, glam-girl-by-night bizarro life are realistic and absorbing, and the plot equally so. Twists and a totally unexpected epilogue are the cherry on top.

Byrne’s latest starts with a bang and never lets up for a second. Dez Limerick has unique skills and training as a former special ops operative. His talent as a gatekeeper ensures the client has access to get in and out of a sticky situation. Now retired, he’s thrilled to get an offer to play for one of his idols in a concert. He arrives at the venue only to learn that the entire mall complex has been taken over by terrorists. Working behind the scenes to save everyone, Dez, along with a thief named Cat, starts to realize there is more going on than it initially appears. Do these men have ties to a higher-up in the Russian government? This fun take on Die Hard could easily be the entire story, but it’s merely the beginning. Someone with a personal vendetta is hunting Dez, and they won’t rest until he’s in the ground. Byrne has created an unconventional hero with unorthodox methods and a darn fun attitude. The series gets better and better with each installment, and readers will be eager to see what’s in store for Dez next.

Hurwitz delivers another knockout thriller as Evan Smoak, Orphan X, deals with the fallout of his battle with the killer, Wolf. Missions to secure justice for those who can’t find it in other ways involve Evan distancing himself from personal feelings. This time is different, as someone he has known for a long time and who supplies his special gear has betrayed him, and now Evan needs to betray a code and eliminate someone he cares about. Tommy has a unique way of making things right, which conflicts with Evan’s core beliefs. He was Evan’s friend and confidante until he betrayed his friend by supplying the Wolf weaponry that almost put Evan in the ground. To make things even harder, Evan also must deal with his “adopted” daughter, Joey, who makes a mistake for the entire world to see on the Internet, putting their relationship on rocky ground. Evan has nowhere to turn but himself, as he is forced to fight and make amends with people who are closer than family to him. It’s a good day when Hurwitz has another Orphan X novel for us to devour, and this is perfect for thriller readers waiting for the next Jack Reacher to hit the shelves (but Nemesis is better!).