August Thrillers

Several authors are bringing us new thrillers this month.  I read this genre and these titles fascinate me. Set aside time to read some of the following.

William Kent Krueger is an award winning mystery author whose series featuring Cork O'Connor and take place mainly in Minnesot. Those who enjoy well written mysteries should give him a try. On August 21st, Mr Krueger gives us Trickster's Point. Cork is part Irish/part Native American and he is the former sheriff. Part of the charm of reading these books is Krueger's love of nature and the Native American culture.This title has Cork going hunting with Jubal Little, Minnesota's first Native American governor-elect. The two of them have a hsitory and it hasn't always been a friendly one. Little winds up with one of Cork's arrows in his heart. Cork is the prime suspect and he has to work to clear his name and find out who set him up. Exciting and suspenseful with wonderful characters.

Gregg Hurwitz was an associate producer for the television show 'V'. If any of you watched this, you know he must have unique stories in his head. Hurwitz has written several very suspenseful, critically acclaimed titles and his 2011 title, You're Next, was a Library Journal Thriller of the Year. On August 21st, The Survivor hits the shelves. A very unique lead character is forced to save the day. Nate Overbay, a former soldier, is divorced, suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and dying of Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (better known as Lou Gehrig's disease). Basically, you wouldn't want to be him. He has decided to kill himself and is standing 11 stories up on the ledge of a bank building when robbers break into the bank and start shooting. Nate responds and captures or kills the bank robbers. Unfortunately, apparently he had annoyed a Russian mob boss who kidnaps him and threatens to kill his daughter if he does not steal a specific document. A really compelling read and a definitely different hero.

Matthew Dunn spent years as an M16 field operative so he knows the territory his books cover. In 2011, he came out with his first novel Spycatcher and on August 7th he publishes the 2nd in the series, Sentinel: A Spycatcher Novel. Dunn's novels are all action and his main character, Will Cochrane is able to jump tall buildings in a single bound but if you are looking for some excitment in your books, this is what you need to read. In Sentinel, Cochrane is sent to Russia to find an undercover agent who  has sent a cryptic message. When he finds him, he is near death and Cochrane realizes he has work to do if he is going to prevent the next world war. If you like Lee Child's and Vince Flynn - try Matthew Dunn.

Lastly, also on August 7th, Stephen White offers us Line of Fire. This is the nineteenth and the first of a two part work that will end the Alan Gregory series. White has been writing this series since 1991 so I guess it may be time for Gregory to sail off into the sunset. Alan Gregory is a trained clinical psychologist. That probably immediately has you thinking of Kellerman's Alex Delaware. Kellerman and White actually became acquainted back in the 1980's when both were one of a dozen practicing child psychologists working with pediatric cancer patients. Unusual to say the least that 2 of that dozen became best selling authors. If you like Kellerman's Delaware series and haven't read any of White - give him a try. In this title, Alan Gregory is besieged by the weight of his world - wildfires are burning in the hills of Boulder, Colorado where Alan calls home, and Alan not only has this issue and his family’s safety to worry about, but he’s also struggling with a horrible secret that he and his friend, Police Detective Sam Purdy share - a secret that could end Sam’s police career and cost Alan his reputation. He also has problems in his personal life from the death of his neighbor to his wife’s illness, things have been more than difficult. Suddenly, out of the blue, a witness comes forward and forces police to reopen the case that has been causing Gregory to have nightmares.

August Non Thriller Titles

There are a lot of thrillers coming out in August and when I was looking at the titles we have coming in, I had a hard time deciding out to separate them. Basically, I decided to talk about all the titles that were not thrillers first. There are some well known literary authors with titles coming out in August that I wanted to make sure were publicized. In a few days, I come back with all those thrillers for the suspense lovers out there.

Paranormal readers out there will not want to miss the August 2nd entry into the Dark Hunter series. Sherrilyn Kenyon's Time Untime. Ren Waya is back from the dead. He came back to stop his prophecy about the end of the world from coming true. Unfortunately, the only way he can do that is by killing Kateri Avan, the one person he loves.

A translation from French by Michel Schneider, Marilyn's Last Sessions: A Novel comes out on August 1st. It is a re imagined versions of Marilyn's last session with Dr. Ralph Greenson, her psychoanalyst. It was well received in Europe and is being published by Little, Brown in time for the 50th anniversary of her death.

For all those who loved Selden Edward's 'The Little Book', the story continues in The Lost Prince, which hits the shelves on August 16th. The first entry covers Wheeler Brunden time traveling from the 1980's back to 1897 Vienna. In this new one, Eleanor Burden returns to New England to await what comes next. Not science fiction and more in the romantic historical travel genre.

Martin Amis takes an acidic look at modern society in his new title Lionel Asbo: The State of England which comes out on August 21st. The title character has named himself after the Anti-Social Behaviour Orders. He fits his name. His ward, Desmond Pepperdine want a respectful quiet life with books and a wife but his uncle has different plans.

Margaret Dilloway won strong reviews for her first work and now ,on August 2, she offers The Care and Handling of Roses with Thorns. Gal Garner splits her time between teaching biology, receiving dialysis for failed kidney's and cross pollinating roses in hopes of winning a prize. The only time she is peaceful and happy is in the garden. Suddenly, out of nowhere, her sister's 15 year old daughter appears and Gal's life changes. Predictable perhaps but very well written.

Bernhard Schlink, the author of The Reader, offers us Summer Lies on August 14th. Short stories from Schlink dealing with the relationship between truth, lies and love. His short stories are reviewed extremely well and this title has excellent reviews in Europe.

You Are The Love of My Life arrives on August 22nd from Susan Richards Shreve. Lucy Painter is a children's book illustrator and the single mother of 2. There are things she does not want her children to know - like their father (a married man) or that her father committed suicide in the house where they are living. A domestic, intimate story - well written.

Finally, Elie Wiesel entry, Hostage, arrives on August 21st. Wiesel continues to explore the Holocaust with this story of Shaltiel Feigenberg who is kidnapped by an Arab and an Italian and kept in a basement in Brooklyn. They tell him that he was kidnapped so they could exchange him for 3 Palestinian prisoners. While tied to a chair, he tells stories to himself and to his jailers.

It's Been Awhile

I've been gone for over 2 weeks and upon returning, it has taken me some time to get my work like in order. Now, I am ready to spread some good news about books arriving in August. Some are by authors you have heard of and some are by debut author or perhaps not well known. Try a sampling of these:

Jay Capian Kang, the deput editor of the online pop-culture magazine Grantland.com, has debuted with The Dead Do Not Improve. It will arrive on the shelves on August 7th. Kang writes in a stream of consciousnessstyle which may be difficult to follow in the thriller format but most reviews find the book exciting and well written. A young Masters of Fine Arts graduate, Philip Kim,  becomes involved in what appears to be the random shooting of his next door neighbor in San Francisco. Somehow, Philip thinks he had attracted the killers' attention and he runs. Is he in danger or is it only in his head?

The Second Empress: A Novel of Napoleon's Court by Michelle Moran comes out on August 14 for those who like historical fiction. The story of the young girl who becomes the second wife of Napolean after Jospehine. Moran has written several historical fiction titles and in each one, her character development improves. This follows the eighteen year old daughter of the King of Austria who is forced to marry Napoleon or throw her country into a bloody war.

Another debut novelist, ML Stedman offers The Light Between Oceans on July 31st. This one comes with alot of good press, it will be featured on NPR and it will contain a reading guide. The wife of a lighthouse keeper off the coast of Australia during World War I suffers 2 miscarriages and a still birth. When a boat washes up containing a dead man and a baby, the wife adopts the baby as her own. However, when they return to the mainland, problems arise. This is a story that makes you consider the difference between right and wrong.

Vengeance by Benjamin Black arrives on August 7th. Black is the name literary author John Banville uses when he is writing in the thriller genre. His series follows Detective Inspector Hackett and his sometimes partner, Quirke, the consulting pathologist. Hackett and Quirke investigate the mysterious suicide of a prominent businessman in Ireland and quickly discover there is more to it than meets the eye. More British suspense from a very popular author.

Karin Fossum, a Norwegian author, offers The Caller on August 1st. She continues her Los Angels award winning series following Inspector Sejer. The publishing house is really excited about this one. A young couple eating a meal check on their child sleeping in her stroller to find her covered in blood. The child is not hurt at all but they call the police and Inspector Sejer comes to take their statement. Later, a postcard arrives stating "Hell begins here". The terror begins. Fossum writes from a psychological and even sociological background so even though criminals are not excused, they can be understood.

Laura Lippman has a new title coming out that is based on a short story that was nominated for an Edgar and an Anthony. And When She Was Good comes out on August 14th. A suburban madam is concerned when someone she helped put behind bars is released. Lippman, of course, is always popular.

Also out on July 31st is Dean Koontz newest entry into the Odd Thomas series, Odd Apocalypse. Always a popular series and this one coincides with the release of this series in graphic novel form.