Category: Thriller

Quick Review – The Wrong Hands by Mark Billingham

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Murder Mystery, Quick Review, Thriller2 Comments

Publisher: Sphere (Trade Paperback – 25 June 2024)

Series: DS Declan Miller – Book Two

Length: 405 pages

My Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars

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Bestselling crime fiction author Mark Billingham continues his DS Declan Miller series with the highly entertaining read, The Wrong Hands.

Billingham is an intriguing British crime fiction author who has an impressive catalogue of books to his name.  Best known for his long running DI Tom Thorne series, Billingham has also written an array of compelling standalone novels and audiobook exclusives.  His latest body of work is his DS Declan Miller series, which is a light-hearted crime fiction series focusing on an array of over-the-top characters.  Starting with The Last Dance, the DS Declan Miller books follow an eccentric police detective as he investigates unusual crimes in Blackpool, including the murder of his own wife.  The Wrong Hands is the second book in the series, and it proved to be another cooky investigation with a highly entertaining plot behind it.

Plot Synopsis:

This is one case Detective Miller won’t want to open . . .

The second rip-roaring mystery from multi-award-winning number international bestseller Mark Billingham starring Detective Miller: unique, unconventional, and criminally underestimated…

Unconventional Detective Declan Miller has a problem. Well, two problems. First, there’s his dead wife and her yet-to-be-solved murder. He really should stop talking to her ghosts…

Second, and most pressing, a young man has just appeared on his doorstep with a briefcase . . . containing a pair of severed hands. Miller knows this case is proof of a contract killing commissioned by local ne’er do well Wayne Cutler—a man he suspects might also be responsible for his wife’s death. Now Miller has leverage, but unfortunately, he also has something that both Cutler and a villainous fast-food kingpin are desperate to get hold of.

Sprinkle in a Midsomer Murders-obsessed hitman, a psychotic welder, and a woman driven over the edge by a wayward Crème Egg, and Miller is in a mess that even he might not be able to dance his way out of.


The Wrong Hands was a highly entertaining and slightly outrageous crime fiction read that sets the author’s distinctive police detective protagonist against an unlikely assortment of criminals in a wacky, fast-paced plot.  Starting off with a very entertaining opening sequence that sees a world-class assassin and a local crime boss severely embarrassed by two local youths who managed to steal vital evidence, the book only gets even more fun from there as DS Declan Miller comes into possession of a pair of hands that could prove the key to locking up his rival and solving the murder of his dead wife.  However, to get there, Miller must first catch a dangerous killer, determine who the hands belong to, and protect anyone associated with the thieves responsible for the whole debacle.

I had an amazing time with this story, as Billingham loaded his plot with a huge array of over-the-top characters, each of whom proved fun to follow.  The plot moves at a very fast pace, and the author loads up some interesting clues and set-ups that result in some fantastic twists.  Much of the plot turns into an unlikely game of cat and mouse as Miller and his colleagues try to find the assassin before he strikes down everyone involved with the case.  I liked the captivating tension and unique story moments that led up to the big confrontation and the eventual solution to the book’s main plot proves to be quite enjoyable, especially as the villains are brought down from an unexpected source.  However, I must admit that I felt the author’s solution to the big crime of the series, the murder of the protagonist’s wife, didn’t get the epic solution it deserves, especially as the culprit kind of comes out of nowhere.  Still, this was an overall fantastic read and you really get wrapped up in the clever story.

Billingham utilises a distinctive stye that combines humour with compelling crime fiction scenarios.  While slightly derivative of the current craze around comedic murder mystery novels, The Wrong Hands still proved to be extremely entertaining, and I found the entire oddball scenario to be very compelling.  The quick change in focus between the various memorable figures involved in the case helped to give the novel some additional depth and comedic power, and I loved seeing the different angles to this entertaining narrative.  In addition, I felt that Billingham did a great job making The Wrong Hands a very accessible and easy to read book.  While The Wrong Hands does serve as a sequel to The Last Dance, new readers can easily dive into this latest book from Billingham without any issue, and the author ensures all the key plot points are expertly rehashed, allowing anyone to come in and have a great time with this fantastic novel.

While I loved the plot of The Wrong Hands and the way it was presented, the real fun lies in the unique characters themselves, as Billingham brings together an amazing and varied cast of niche crooks, crazed killers and troubled cops.  While I did think that Billingham may have tried a little too hard to make his protagonist, the dance-loving, unusual fact-spouting, rat-owning DS Declan Miller seem as quirky as possible, he still proved to be a great character to follow, and I felt that the author perfectly captured his grief, guilt and obsession with finding his wife’s killer.  His partner, DS Sara Xiu, proved to be an excellent foil to Miller, and even with her issues she worked as an enjoyable straight figure to Miller’s eccentric persona.  However, it is Billingham’s villains that really make The Wrong Hands stand out, as the author utilises an excellent collection of outrageous rogues.  This includes two crime bosses with alternate product focuses, whose neglectful family life proves to be their downfall, an elite assassin with a less-than-perfect naming convention and a love for Midsomer Murders, and a psychotic welder with some major issues.  These fantastically dark characters added a lot of impact to The Wrong Hands, and I loved seeing how their entertaining and often ironic storylines came together.

Overall, The Wrong Hands was an awesome and very fun new book from Mark Billingham, who let his ridiculous side loose to produce a fantastic crime fiction read.  Fast, funny, and loaded with outrageously complicated characters, The Wrong Hands is an easy book to get lost in, and I am glad I decided to pick it up.

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Quick Review – Capture or Kill by Don Bentley (based on the series by Vince Flynn)

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Quick Review, Thriller1 Comment

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Australia (ebook – 4 September 2024)

Series: Mitch Rapp – Book 23

Length: 464 pages

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Those in the mood for an intense, action-packed spy thriller should check out the latest book in the long-running Mitch Rapp series, Capture or Kill, written by new author Don Bentley.

Over the last few years, I have become a massive fan of the classic Mitch Rapp thriller series.  Following a dark and deadly operative who specialises in killing America’s enemies, the Mitch Rapp books are an exciting and compelling series that always scratch my action itch each year.  Originally written by Vince Flynn, since his death, the series has been taken over by other talented authors continuing his story.  I personally have only read some of the books written by Kyle Mills, which includes Red War, Lethal Agent, Total Power, Enemy at the Gates, Oath of Loyalty and Code Red, and I appreciated the cool scenarios that Mills pitted the protagonist against.  This year saw an interesting change to the series with the introduction of new author Don Bentley.  Bentley, an established thriller writer himself, is the third author to contribute to the Mitch Rapp series, and his new novel, Capture or Kill, was an excellent throwback to some of Flynn’s original storylines.

Plot Synopsis:

April 2011: On a remote mountaintop overlooking the remains of the Iranian nuclear weapons program, Azad Ashani witnesses a Quds Force demonstration of a capability meant to upend America’s war in the Middle East. Ashani, director of the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security and Irene Kennedy’s former back channel to the Iranian government, recognizes the demonstration’s true significance, and the nation-ending conflict it will provoke. Alone, Ashani stands no chance of preventing this rush to madness.

But with the help of one man, he just might.

In Washington, DC, CIA director Irene Kennedy briefs the president that the operational window to kill or capture Osama bin Laden at his recently discovered compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan is rapidly closing. But before he’ll authorize a commando raid on Pakistani soil, the president demands irrefutable proof of bin Laden’s presence.

Proof he trusts just one man to provide.

Preventing a looming war in the Middle East while delivering justice for the nearly 3,000 Americans killed on 9/11 would be a big ask for anyone.

Mitch Rapp isn’t just anyone.


Capture or Kill was an awesome and action-packed read that took the series protagonist back to basics by setting him against an array of Middle Eastern foes in a compelling thriller narrative.  Bentley weaves together an ambitious plot that seeks to continue storylines from the classic Vince Flynn novel, Protect and Defend, while the protagonist also gathers intel for the raid on bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan.  This results in a great array of intense scenes, as Rapp tries to counteract a dangerous collection of Iranian assets and plots, as well as help to recover a missing American soldier in Afghanistan.  There is some great back and forth as Rapp and the antagonists try to unravel their respective plans, and I loved the fantastic overarching plot of the book’s antagonists.  At the same time, Bentley cleverly works in real-life details of the events leading up to the bin Laden raid, which helped to give the story a much-needed sense of realism and higher stakes.  This proved to be a gripping Mitch Rapp narrative and readers will find themselves getting drawn into the compelling and fascinating plot.

I liked the writing in Capture or Kill, especially as Bentley did an amazing job of emulating the over-the-top style of the Mitch Rapp series.  The narrative is a lot more grounded than some of the Kyle Mills narratives I previously read, which I felt brought it back to Flynn’s original style a bit better (although I honestly loved some of Mills’s outrageous scenarios).  Moving the scenario back to the early 2010s was also a sensible move from Bentley, as it allowed him to fit his narrative amongst existing series story threads, while also putting the protagonist in a unique position to impact an historically important espionage event.  Bentley continues to set the tone perfectly by ensuring that the well-known excessive action and badassery of the protagonists is on full display, and those readers who love a ton of combat and exciting espionage escapades are in for a great time with Capture or Kill.  As such, there was a very classic feel to Capture or Kill that I think long-term fans of the series will appreciate, and I felt it captured the flow of some of the other Mitch Rapp books extremely well.

Aside from ensuring that Capture or Kill matched the typical tone of the series, Bentley also did a really good job of portraying many of the classic Mitch Rapp cast.  I felt that the author successfully captured the best parts of many of the protagonists in this new book, and I liked the fantastic storylines that he wove around them.  Series protagonist Mitch Rapp was his over-the-top self as always, and Bentley really ensured that the readers got the full blast of his intense aura and savagery.  It was a little jarring to see how intense Rapp got at times, mainly because I’m more familiar with the Mills version of the character, who is older and more family orientated, but I appreciated how Bentley was trying to get the rugged, active agent version of the protagonist down.  Other recurring characters came across in a similar manner, and I particularly enjoyed seeing more of CIA director Irene Kenedy, especially as much of this book deals with the aftermath of her kidnapping in Protect and Defend.  I also enjoyed seeing Mike Nash trying to fit into his new role as a CIA executive, especially when you consider where his character is going in the extended canon.  All this, and more, proved to be an awesome take on these established characters, and fans of the series will appreciate the care and attention Bentley took with them.

Don Bentley is off to a very strong start as the new author of the Mitch Rapp series.  Capture or Kill is an awesome addition to the series that presents readers with a dark and powerful action-packed narrative.  I look forward to seeing how the Bentley continues the Mitch Rapp books in the future, but it appears that this series is in safe hands going forward.

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Nobody’s Hero by M. W. Craven

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Thriller5 Comments

Publisher: Constable (Trade Paperback – 8 October 2024)

Series: Ben Koenig series – Book Two

Length: 443 pages

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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The always-entertaining M. W. Craven returns with another outrageous and over-the-top action thriller with the outstanding novel Nobody’s Hero.

Over the last year I have found myself reading several books from veteran thriller author M. W. Craven.  A very talented writer with an interesting array of crime fiction to his name, Craven has impressed me with his outstanding range, as well as some of the elaborate scenarios he comes up with.  His other 2024 novel, The Mercy Chair, was one of the best crime fiction reads of the year, presenting readers with a dark and twisty tale that proved near impossible to turn away from.  As such, I was very eager to get my hands on his other book of the year, Nobody’s Hero, which has been on my radar for a while.

Nobody’s Hero is the second book in Craven’s exciting Ben Koenig series, which started last year with the awesome novel Fearless.  Following a reckless and intense US marshal on the run due to a mobster’s bounty, Fearless was a great read that set the literally fearless protagonist on a bloody revenge mission.  This was an outstanding first entry in the series from Craven, and I have been looking forward to the sequel for a while, especially as Craven came up for another intriguing plot for this second Ben Koenig book.

Ben Koenig is a ghost.  Formerly a decorated US marshal, Koenig is now a drifter, wandering around America trying to outrun the massive bounty placed on his head by a vengeful Russian mobster.  However, Koenig is still a valuable asset to the US government thanks to his specialised training and unique mind, especially as he has a rare condition that makes him utterly fearless.  But even Koenig isn’t immune to dangerous secrets from the past.

Ten years ago, Koenig was recruited to convincingly fake the death of a mysterious woman who needed to disappear to safeguard America’s safety.  However, when the woman reappears in London, gunning down two muggers in broad daylight and kidnapping their intended target, an elderly academic, it sends shockwaves throughout the CIA, and see’s Koenig antagonistic handler, Jen Draper, bring him in.

The only person who knows anything about the mysterious woman, Koenig is tasked with finding her and discovering what dark secret she is hiding.  Travelling to England with Draper, Koenig attempt to find a target who has successfully concealed themselves from the entire world for a decade.  If he fails, a dangerous attack will be unleashed upon America, one that no-one will see coming until it’s too late.  Can Koenig succeed and get the heart of this nation-killing plan, or has he met a threat even more ruthless than him?

Caven continues to highlight his ability to craft together ultra-exciting and slightly insane plots with Nobody’s Hero.  A fast-paced, highly entertaining read loaded with action, twists and lots of shock-value, Nobody’s Hero was one hell of an electrifying read, and one that I had such a great time getting through.

At the heart of Nobody’s Hero lies an intriguing story that is both very clever and nicely absurd.  Despite being a sequel to Fearless, Nobody’s Hero stands on its own and requires no prior knowledge of the series, which allows new readers to jump in without any issue.  Craven starts the story off very strong, especially when it comes to reintroducing his protagonist, Ben Koenig, and readers quickly remember why he is such a badass (you will never look at credit cards the same way again).  From there, the author crafts together an excellent overarching plot, which sees a multi-layered evil plan to destroy America unfold across several different perspectives.  When the start of this plan becomes apparent, a secret government protocol forces Koenig to investigate, especially once his connection to one of the players in question comes to light.  Following up the only lead they have; Koenig and his allies begin violently working their way through a variety of obstacles in both England and the United States.  This leads to several outstandingly over-the-top sequences, which continues to showcase the unusual, and highly violent, nature of the protagonist.

The plot continues as a great pace throughout the entirety of Nobody’s Hero, and you really get caught up in the intense action and intrigue.  The multiple alternate perspectives, especially those showing the various antagonists at work, blend well with the main storyline around Koenig, and you end up with a particularly elaborate spy thriller narrative.  Koenig throws in some brilliant twists along the way, especially one major one just before the final third that really throws you entire perspective of the prior events off and changes the entire tone of the book.  This all leads up to the final big set piece, which honestly is so damn excessive and insane but which fits the rest of the book perfectly and is frankly a great way to end this entire thrilling book.  Craven never slows down with the excessive violence and unlikely character moments, and the reader is constantly on the edge of their seats as they wait to see how the big confrontation will conclude.  I felt that Craven ended it all extremely well, and in a way that only he could pull off, and you come away from Nobody’s Hero exhilarated, satisfied, and just a little grossed out.  Throw in a few intriguing reveals at the end that hint at big things to come, as well as some loose ends tied up in a fitting way, and this was an outstanding narrative that really went out of its way to entertain.

Craven uses a fast-paced, action-laden and all-round exciting writing style in Nobody’s Hero, which really works for the ultra-intense and over-the-top narrative.  Definitely inspired by the Jack Reacher books (there are a few coy references to them) and standing in a bit of an interesting contrast to his style I saw in The Mercy Chair, Nobody’s Hero runs out the gate hard and fast and doesn’t slow down to the very end.  Thanks to the quickfire chapters and great changes to perspective, you really move through Nobody’s Hero fast, and I honestly couldn’t stop reading the book at times once I got into the zone.  The excellent changes in perspective to several other antagonist characters in the book, as well as a few clever time shifts, allowed for a multi-layered narrative, and I loved how Craven allowed for a larger narrative here with some distinctive characters.  Of course, the real highlight of this book is the excessive action and highly violent sequences that emerged, which were both exciting and morbidly entertaining.  Craven designs multiple massive combat set pieces that really pop, especially as they showcase just how deadly, and occasionally suicidal, his protagonist turns out to be.  The author also pumps out several scenes that are extremely entertaining, just because they are so excessive with their violence or the insane actions of the protagonist.  Highlights include a unique interrogation cleverly using a swollen finger, a brazen charge towards villains with stupid body armour and sub-machineguns, and the protagonist’s final plan to get to grips with the enemy.  All this is wrapped up with several outstanding plot twists, each of which is cleverly thought out and well hinted at, which help to turn this into something very special.  An exceptionally fun thriller story, if perhaps a tad too violent for some potential readers.

As with the previous book in the series, a lot of Nobody’s Hero’s appeal lies in its eccentric cast of spies, assassins, and shadowy government agents, all of whom bring a certain entertaining zest to the plot.  This is especially true in the case of the book’s protagonist, Ben Koenig, a former US marshal on the run who suffers from a rare condition that ensures he can feel no fear.  In some ways an even more violent and remorseless version of Jack Reacher, Koenig is a great character to follow, especially as the reader is treated to so many scenes of his unique thinking and unconventional plans.  A lot of the book’s humour is derived from Koenig’s inappropriate jokes and borderline insane ideas, which really amps up just how crazy Nobody’s Hero is at times.  Despite this lack of fear and seeming inability to take things seriously, Koenig proves to be a great central protagonist for this thriller novel, and his lateral thinking allows for some intriguing thoughts on the current situation.  There are also some interesting additional looks at Koenig’s inability to feel fear, which he worries may lead to more problematic and potentially immoral behaviour in the future.  While there isn’t an excessive amount of character development for the protagonist in this book, I still really enjoyed following Koenig in Nobody’s Hero, and I look forward to Craven’s next novel featuring him, especially as there seems to be some major drama coming Koenig’s way.

Aside from Koenig, Nobody’s Hero also features a range of great supporting characters and antagonists, each of whom proves to be more entertaining than the last.  This includes Koenig’s handler, Jen Draper, a former CIA agent turned private contractor who has been assigned to watch over Koenig and turn him into a potential government asset.  Despite their need to work together, there is some clear antagonism between Draper and Koenig, and the two spend most of the book sniping at each other.  While this will probably lead to romance in the future (or not; you never know with Craven), their constant bickering proves to be quite entertaining and there is a certain respect between the two, especially when the chips are down.  I really enjoyed the scenes when Koenig and Draper are of the same mind, mainly because it means the bad guys are going to suffer.  This book also featured a range of very entertaining and memorable antagonists, who fit very well into the story.  These include a murderous father-daughter team with some distinctive characteristics, a group of corrupt cops who get in way over their heads, and a deadly mercenary with something on his chest and a certain kinship with Koenig.  All these characters fit into the narrative perfectly, and I loved the entertaining interactions that they ended up having with the protagonist.

Overall, Nobody’s Hero proved to be an amazing and captivating new book from M. W. Craven, who is swiftly becoming one of my favourite new thriller authors.  Beautifully violent, crazy and all-round entertaining, I had such a brilliant time with Nobody’s Hero, and it was definitely one of the more exciting and addictive thrillers of 2024.  Highly recommended, especially if you are a fan of exceptionally excessive action thrillers.

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Waiting on Wednesday – Never Flinch by Stephen King

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Thriller, Waiting on Wednesday8 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  For this latest Waiting on Wednesday, I highlight a book that is probably going to be one of the best things I read in 2025 with Never Flinch by Stephen King.

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Stephen King is an author who honestly needs no introduction, considering how much he has shaped our cultural landscape over the last 50 years (Carrie literally came out in 1974 people).  Despite his impact on the world of fiction, I’ve only started getting into King quite recently, although I have been making up for lost time by getting through some of his intriguing new releases.  This includes exceptional books like Later, Fairy Tale, Billy Summers (one of my favourite books of 2021) and the short story collection You Like It Darker (one of my favourite books from the first half of 2024), all of which have greatly impressed me and I’m barely scratching the surface of King’s many, many books.

Out of all the novels I have so far enjoyed from King, my favourites have been some of the author’s distinctive crime fiction novels, as King examines elaborate dark thrillers and murder mysteries primarily through the eyes of a truly unique protagonist.  This protagonist is the quirky and brilliant investigator Holly Gibney, who has emerged as one of King’s more distinctive and loveable long-term characters.  Holly made her debut in the awesome novel, Mr. Mercedes, where she served as a compelling supporting character to protagonist Bill Hodges.  King expanded the roll of Holly throughout the Bill Hodges series, before eventually spinning her off on her own adventures.  This included the gripping book, The Outsider, which I had the great pleasure of reading earlier this year.  The Outsider was a particularly impressive and dark novel that saw a man with an unimpeachable alibi framed for a terrible murder.  I deeply enjoyed the initial concept of The Outsider and King expanded it out into a powerful horror read that brought Holly in for its gripping second half.

I cannot emphasise how much I enjoyed The Outsider, and it turns out that King was only just starting with Holly Gibney.  That’s because last year King published an exceptional read simply titled Holly, that set the titular character on her first solo adventure.  Holly was a gripping and complex novel that saw the protagonist investigate a series of disappearances around town, only to discover a horrifying and disturbing secret in the most unlikely of places.  Holly was such an incredible book, and I still have chills from some of the big reveals that came out of it.  Due to its addictive plot, brilliant characters, and incredibly dark moments, Holly got an easy five start rating from me, and it ended up being one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2023, as well as being one of my favourite horror novels of all time.

Due to how much fun I have been having with King’s books I am always eager to see what he’s releasing next, and that is why I was so happy to find out some details about his next book, Never Flinch.  A fascinating and awesome novel coming out in late May 2025, Never Flinch sounds extremely cool as King spins together another elaborate mystery.  I was also particularly excited to see that Never Flinch was another Holly Gibney novel, which frankly is all I needed to become completely obsessed with this awesome upcoming book.

Plot Synopsis:

From master storyteller Stephen King comes an extraordinary new novel with intertwining storylines—one about a killer on a diabolical revenge mission, and another about a vigilante targeting a feminist celebrity speaker—featuring the beloved Holly Gibney and a dynamic new cast of characters.

When the Buckeye City Police Department receives a disturbing letter from a person threatening to “kill thirteen innocents and one guilty” in “an act of atonement for the needless death of an innocent man,” Detective Izzy Jaynes has no idea what to think. Are fourteen citizens about to be slaughtered in an unhinged act of retribution? As the investigation unfolds, Izzy realizes that the letter writer is deadly serious, and she turns to her friend Holly Gibney for help.

Meanwhile, controversial and outspoken women’s rights activist Kate McKay is embarking on a multi-state lecture tour, drawing packed venues of both fans and detractors. Someone who vehemently opposes Kate’s message of female empowerment is targeting her and disrupting her events. At first, no one is hurt, but the stalker is growing bolder, and Holly is hired to be Kate’s bodyguard—a challenging task with a headstrong employer and a determined adversary driven by wrath and his belief in his own righteousness.

Featuring a riveting cast of characters both old and new, including world-famous gospel singer Sista Bessie and an unforgettable villain addicted to murder, these twinned narratives converge in a chilling and spectacular conclusion—a feat of storytelling only Stephen King could pull off.

Thrilling, wildly fun, and outrageously engrossing, Never Flinch is one of King’s richest and most propulsive novels.

Wow, I am so damn excited for this upcoming novel.  It looks like King has come up with another epic and enticing story concept for Never Flinch with two separate gripping cases that his protagonist becomes involved with.  The first case of the fourteen citizens about to be murdered is very interesting, and I am curious to see how that unfolds what twisted motivations lay behind it.  At the same time, the threat to the women’s rights activist should add some intense social commentary to Never Flinch, and a determined and ‘righteous’ stalker should make for a fascinating opponent.  While both cases sound extremely awesome on their own, I am very curious to see how King brings them all together and in what way the two distinctive crimes converge.  I feel that if King manages to combine the storylines in a particularly ingenious way, which is something King is perfectly capable of doing, then Never Flinch is going to be extremely impressive.  As such, I look forward to seeing how this new story unfolds, and I have no doubt that King is going to turn this upcoming novel into something very special.

In addition to these two complex cases, a key part of Never Flinch that I am keen on are the compelling and damaged characters that will no doubt fill the pages.  King has always excelled at creating captivating figures with unique life stories, and I have enjoyed seeing these characters used to their full potential in some of his previous novels.  I am especially keen to see more of Holly Gibney, who has really stood out as a protagonist to me in recent years.  An unusual and socially awkward figure who also proves to be a skilled investigator and a surprisingly effective monster killer, Holly has been expertly used as both a supporting character and the main protagonist, and I have appreciated seeing her continued growth as she grows more confident in herself.  It will be very interesting to see what happens to her in Never Flinch, especially after the chaotic events of Holly and the various secrets about her mother that came to light.

In addition to Holly, I am keen to see how some of the recurring characters from the previous Holly Gibney books will be utilised.  This includes siblings Jerome and Barbara Robinson, Holly’s younger friends and assistants who have been such a key part of the previous novels.  Both Jerome and Barbara have had compelling ongoing storylines throughout their previous inclusions, and it will be interesting to see how their lives have continued to change.  In addition, I will be very keen to see what sort of antagonists that King will feature in Never Flinch.  So many Stephen King books rise on the backs of their brilliant antagonists, and I know that I deeply enjoyed the outstanding and often disturbing villains of Mr. Mercedes, The Outsider and Holly.  As such, King has some big villainous shoes to fill with Never Flinch, and I cannot wait to see what complex and memorable antagonists appear in this next cool book.

Honestly, there is no way in hell I am missing out on Never Flinch next year and it is already firmly at the top of my to-read list for 2025.  Indeed, thanks to how I loved The Outsider and Holly, and the fact that it’s Stephen King writing this book, Never Flinch is one of my most anticipated book for next year at this point, and I think the only book I am currently as excited for in 2025 is The Devils by Joe Abercrombie.  I honestly believe that Never Flinch will be one of, if not the absolute best, novels I will read next year, and I cannot wait to get my hands on it.

Waiting on Wednesday – The Medici Return by Steve Berry

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Thriller, Waiting on Wednesday6 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  For this week’s Waiting on Wednesday, I look at an awesome upcoming thriller with the historical conspiracy laden novel, The Medici Return by Steve Berry.

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As we near 2025, I have been looking ahead to see how several long-running series I routinely enjoy are likely to continue.  One of these series are the brilliant Cotton Malone thriller books by impressive author Steve Berry.  A deeply entertaining series of spy thriller novels, the Cotton Malone books follow titular government agent, Cotton Malone, as he uncovers a continuous series of hidden conspiracies and plots that have their roots in various periods of history.  This fantastic overall theme of the Cotton Malone books has produced some excellent novels over the years, and I have had a wonderful time diving into elaborate stories loaded with historical detail, such as The Malta Exchange, The Warsaw Protocol, The Kaiser’s Web, The Last Kingdom and The Atlas Maneuver.  Each of these has been extremely fun and addictive to me, and I always eagerly await to see what unique adventure Berry will produce next.

As such, one of my most anticipated thrillers coming out in the first half of 2025 is the intriguing novel, The Medici Return.  The 19th book in the Cotton Malone series, The Medici Return will see Berry dive into yet another intriguing period of history that will result in an intense and world-altering plot.

Plot Synopsis:

Former Justice Department operative, Cotton Malone, has been asked to assist the Swiss guard with determining whether Cardinal Jason Richter has engaged in bribery and theft. It’s a favor for Stephanie Nelle, once his boss at the Magellan Billet, who is doing a favor for the Vatican. But nothing is as it seems. Four hundred thousand euros are found, a Swiss Guardsman is murdered, and a killer sets his sights on both Cotton and the cardinal.

Together they are thrust into a search for a forgotten document, a 16th century Pledge of Christ executed by Pope Julius II that reveals a debt owed by the Vatican, still valid after five centuries, now worth in the trillions of dollars. But when the trail to collecting that debt leads Cotton to the famed Medici of Florence—a family that history says died out, without heirs, centuries ago—he realizes that two more things also hang in the balance. Who will be the next prime minister of Italy, and who will become the next pope.

From a quiet hilltop village in central Germany, to the ancient city of Siena with its famed Palio horse race, and finally to the historic piazzas, churches, and crypts of Florence, Cotton Malone uncovers the answers, one by one, everything hinging on when, and if, the Medici return.

This upcoming Cotton Malone book sounds particularly awesome and intriguing, and I love the main plot revolving around an ancient Vatican debt and the potential implications if the church is forced to pay it off.  I am also very curious about the inclusion of the Medici family of Florence, and it will be interesting to see how Berry works them into the main plot.  Based on how the previous Cotton Malone books have turned out, I am expecting that Berry will do a deep dive into the history and legacy of the Medici family in The Medici Return, and I am for one am eager to learn more about them.  I also love the sound of the various locations that Berry is planning to take the reader in The Medici Return.  Berry always does an amazing job vividly describing the elaborate landscapes and historical sites that the protagonists of his books end up visiting, and I am excited to see what cool new locations will be explored in this new book.

Honestly, I was going to read The Medici Return next year no matter what, as I have really grown to enjoy Steve Berry’s Cotton Malone series.  However, the above synopsis has gotten me extra excited, and I am now deeply intrigued to see what sort of elaborate thriller adventure Berry will come up with for The Medici Return.  The Medici Return will likely be one of the top thriller novels I enjoy in 2024, and I cannot wait to see how Berry utilises the unique history of the Medici family for his latest awesome book.

Quick Review – Confessions of the Dead by James Patterson and J. D. Barker

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Horror, Quick Review, Thriller1 Comment

Publisher: Century (Trade Paperback – 2 July 2024)

Series: Standalone

Length: 454 pages

My Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars

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One of the weirder and more compelling thrillers of 2024 so far has to be the unique Confessions of the Dead by the superstar team of James Patterson and J. D. Barker.

2024 has been an excellent year for both Patterson and Barker, as both authors have produced some excellent books.  Barker wrote the engrossing and highly adult thriller, Behind a Closed Door, while Patterson has continued to release a raft of compelling thrillers cowritten with talented authors, including The No. 1 Lawyer with Nancy Allen and The Murder Inn with Candice Fox.  As such it is unsurprising that the two would come together again this year with another collaboration, this time with the intriguing novel, Confessions of the Dead.  Their last collaboration, Death of the Black Widow, was one of my favourite books of 2022, so I was very excited to read Confessions of the Dead, especially as it featured a particularly interesting plot.

Plot Synopsis:

The smallest towns hide the darkest secrets . . . Drawing elements from the horror genre, this eerie standalone suspense thriller is perfect for fans of Stephen King.

The dead tell no tales . . .

Hollows Bend is a picture-perfect New England town. The crime rate – zero – is a point of pride for Sheriff Ellie Pritchett.

The day the stranger shows up is when the trouble starts.

The sheriff and her deputy investigate the mysterious teenage girl. None of the locals can place her. She can’t – or won’t – answer any questions. She won’t even tell them her name.

While the girl is in protective custody, the officers are called to multiple crime scenes leading them closer and closer to a lake outside of town that doesn’t appear on any map . . .


Confessions of the Dead proved to be an intense and captivating horror/thriller hybrid as Patterson and Barker make the full use of their inventive narrative to unleash death, destruction and horror onto a seemingly innocent small town.  Starting off with a rain of suicidal birds hitting main street, and only getting darker and weirder from there, Confessions of the Dead follows several intriguing characters as they witness their fellow townspeople descend into madness and begin to enact dark and violent acts against each other, all while a mysterious teenage girl silently witnesses their hatred and crimes.  Things get even weirder, when it becomes clear that their town has become fully isolated from the outside world, with shadowy soldiers holding watch from the outskirts of town.  The various storylines soon reveal the dark secrets of Hollows Bend and the young girl seemingly causing the chaos, and you will not be prepared for the full truth that is revealed, and the terrifying implications.

This proved to be a rather interesting and horror-laden story that takes the readers in some surprising directions.  The narrative within Confessions of the Dead is spooky, deeply personal, and occasionally outrageous, as dark deeds slowly begin to sweep the town, turning the innocent townspeople against each other.  Patterson and Barker do a really good job of building up the mystery in the first half of the book.  There are so many intriguing secrets and mysteries lurking in this first part of the book, which are well matched by scenes of horror and human violence.  The fast-paced chapter changes that are such a distinctive part of Patterson’s writing style work wonders in conveying the unusual situation, and I loved how well the plot switched between multiple unique characters, all of whom have some dark secret they are hiding, even if they don’t know what it is.  The authors also add in some intriguing wrinkles to the plot through the use of multiple well-placed interludes that show a point in the future where one of the book’s protagonists is being interviewed by a member of the mysterious organisation keeping the town.  These inclusions really helped to build up tension as they hinted at events to come, while the elaborate setup surrounding the interviews, gave some idea of how serious the situation really was.

Everything leads up to a very intense second half of the book, as Confessions of the Dead’s story gets darker and darker.  Indeed, the authors build together a real horror/thriller vibe for Confessions of the Dead, which I honestly enjoyed, and it was great to see a more unusual and inventive thriller come out of the Patterson production machine.  There is an interesting combination of storylines in the second half of the book, from vigilante townspeople, monstrous killers, and even a Stranger Things/Goonies inspired sideline following a group of the town’s younger residents as they try to investigate the chaos engulfing the lives of their parents.  The authors set up a big and intriguing conclusion to the story, that provides a particularly unique ending that will stick in the reader’s mind.  I did think that Patterson and Barker did perhaps make the ending a little too complicated and meta for its own good, and that certain aspects of the crazy conclusions impacted my overall enjoyment of the book.  Still, this was for the most part a great story, and I had fun getting through it.

Confessions of the Dead was a particularly fascinating and memorable 2024 thriller that I was glad I checked out.  Written by the brilliant team of James Patterson and J. D. Barker, Confessions of the Dead had a wonderfully dark and brutal plot behind it, that allowed for quite the outrageous read.  Grim, intense, and featuring some interesting concepts, Confessions of the Dead proved very hard to put down and it will be interesting to see where these two authors go the future.

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Quick Review – Outrider by Mark Wales

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, Quick Review, Thriller2 Comments

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia (Trade Paperback – 25 June 2024)

Series: Standalone/Book One

Length: 354 pages

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Amazon

Former Australian soldier and current media personality Mark Wales presents a particularly exciting debut novel with the gripping thriller Outrider.  A gritty, intense, and absolutely action-packed dystopian thriller, Outrider is an awesome Australian novel readers will have a hard time getting away from.

Plot Synopsis:

Jack Dunne will do anything to save his son.

A violent civil war. An unstoppable enemy. One road to freedom.

In the wake of a global conflict, foreign forces occupy part of Australia, quashing all but a few pockets of local resistance. The tense stalemate ends in 2034, when Jack Dunne reignites the war.

Dunne is an Outrider, one of the last elite special operations soldiers in the Resistance. As the enemy prepare to eliminate the freedom fighters once and for all, he is tasked with his final mission.

If Dunne and his eleven-year-old son achieve the impossible, and survive, they’ll secure their future across the border in Free Australia.

But the road to victory will be bloody.

A cinematic action-thriller from bestselling author and veteran Mark Wales. Explosive and exhilarating, Outrider is a heartfelt father-and-son story of survival, resistance and hope.


Outrider was an intriguing and complex novel that envisions a dark near future for Australian and sets loose a bold new action hero into the resulting carnage.  Set after a Chinese invasion of Australia, Outrider follows formidable resistance solider Jack Dunne and his son, Harry, as they attempt to save the lives of the last standing rebel fortress in Victoria from an upcoming war.  Given a mission to journey across occupied Australia to recover a military asset who can provide specialised assistance in the upcoming battle to come, Jack and his son will need to run a gauntlet of bandits, Chinese soldiers and members of the collaborating Victorian militia working for them.

This was an intense and exciting piece of Australian fiction, and Wales really dug deep to present an authentic tale of desperation and war.  Quickly and effectively introducing the 2034 dystopian setting, Wales takes the reader right into the action with a series of brutal early encounters that also set the rest of the narrative in motion.  From there, the story turns into an intense, Mad Max-style road trip as Jack and Harry embark on their journey to reach the required military asset and bring them back before it was too late.  This proves to be an excellent continued sequence, as the protagonists encounter obstacles and conflict, while also endearing themselves to the reader with a dive into their motivations and the history of events that drive Jack on.  The second half of Outrider proves to be even more epic and intense, as the protagonists desperately attempt to overcome the deadly forces coming for them.  This all leads up to the massive and impressive full on war sequence, with the fate of free Australia in the balance.  Wales does not disappoint when it comes to this final massive fight sequence, and readers will be blown away by how impressive the carnage gets.

Wales really dug deep here and produced an outstanding and fantastic debut novel that I just could not get enough of.  Making excellent use of his initial plot idea of a futuristic invaded Australia, Wales launches into a sharp and exciting narrative, that keeps grown in intensity as the book continues.  Unsurprisingly, considering the author’s background, the action sequences in Outrider are particularly well written, and Wales does an excellent job portraying the carnage of combat to the reader.  Each of these action sequences are well paced out and highly realistic (well, besides the highly advanced weapons), and the reader gets really drawn into them as a result as you can practically feel every shot or explosion.  While the main appeal of Outrider is the action and exciting story, I really appreciated that Wales took the time to set up several complex and compelling characters.  I felt that his protagonist, Jack Dunne, was an outstandingly damaged and angry main figure, whose loss of his wife is still raw for much of the book.  These intense emotions, as well as the bond he continues to form with his young son as they journey across Australia, adds a powerful edge to Wales’ narrative, and it helped Outrider be more than just an awesome action novel.

The final fantastic element I want to highlight about Outrider is the intriguing background setting of an invaded Australia.  Wales paints a haunting and disturbing picture of how this potential invasion would occur and in what form it would look like, and I liked the dark realism behind his ideas.  I particularly enjoyed how he portrayed the Chinese as only occupying key sections of Australia, rather than the whole continent, which honestly makes a lot of sense, and it allows the protagonist to slip between different parts of the country as a result.  The dive into collaborators and traitor militias continuing most of the fighting against the resistance, with China and the US playing proxy wars in the background, also had a tinge of realism behind it, even if we’d like to think differently.  Finally, the grim details surrounding the invasion add an urgent edge to the plot, and you find yourself pulling for the protagonists even more, especially after a powerful scene where they witness certain train carriages going by.  All of this proves to be an incredible background to a particularly exciting and engrossing read, and I loved seeing Wales’ intense look into the future.

Outrider by Mark Wales proved to be a particularly cool Australian thriller that I had an awesome time getting through.  An inventive and intense debut novel from Wales, Outrider comes highly recommended, especially for fans of Australian fiction with a ton of action, and it is really worth checking it.

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Quick Review – Eruption by Michael Crichton and James Patterson

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Quick Review, Thriller1 Comment

Publisher: Century (Trade Paperback – 4 June 2024)

Series: Standalone

Length: 424 pages

My Rating: 3 out 5 stars

Amazon

If you’re in the mood for an easy-to-read, fast-paced thriller with cinematic scenes of destruction, then look no further than this year’s big blockbuster novel, Eruption.  Eruption was a very interesting 2024 novel that caught my attention early in the year due to the eye-catching superstar writing team of Michael Crichton and James Patterson.  Apparently based on the notes of the late, great Crichton and then written by the world’s biggest thriller author, Eruption was a somewhat improbable creation that came to fruition this year in a big, explosive way that fans of crazy, over-the-top reads are bound to love.

Plot Synopsis:

Two of the bestselling storytellers of all time have created an unforgettable thriller.

A once-in-a-century volcanic eruption is about to destroy the Big Island of Hawaii.

But a decades-old military secret could turn the volcano into something even more terrifying…

Now it’s up to a handful of brave individuals to save the island – and the entire world.


Eruption turned out to be a unique and memorable read, although not necessarily for all the right reasons.  The overall plot idea is exciting and easy to get into, with a massive volcanic eruption on the Big Island of Hawaii becoming a much more cataclysmic event when the predicted lava flow is expected to destroy a secret government vault containing decades of illegal radioactive waste material.  If the vault is breached, the resulting fallout from some of the vault’s more destructive contents would destroy all life on the planet.  To prevent this, a team of volcano experts from the observatory overlooking the volcano must work with the army and other skilled individuals to find a way to disrupt the lava flow and save the world.

On paper, this plot idea has a lot of potential, and the combination of Crichton’s vision and Patterson’s ability to create intense and exciting books should ensure that this is a pretty epic read.  Indeed, the reader does end up with a highly detailed volcano disaster novel that you could see Crichton imagining, brought to life with the quickfire storytelling and short-burst chapters that readers of Patterson would be familiar with.  However, despite all this, Eruption just doesn’t quite work, and a lot of people are going to come away from this book disappointed.

The main reason for this disappointment is that Eruption’sstory, while interesting in places, is very weak and just a little bit stupid.  While I don’t want to spend an entire review badmouthing every flaw with the story, there were several plot and writing issues that really bugged me which I must mention (SPOILER ALERT).  The first thing I couldn’t get past was the multiple weird and sudden jumps in the timeline that occurred throughout the book, which really throw me off from the story.  This was a minor structural issue in itself, but when combined with the other gaps and issues in the storytelling it’s very noticeable, and I hated it.  In addition, I felt that most of the characters acted like caricatures, and they routinely made stupid decisions again and again.  This includes a group of slightly ridiculous antagonists who, after nearly dying in a helicopter accident halfway through the book, decide to try the exact same thing several chapters later with results you can’t even call ironic, just dumb.  Another memorable issue involves the main protagonist’s major love interest dying in another country from an unrelated volcanic eruption (because why not?), only for the protagonist to mostly forget about them by the end of the book and instead start hitting on the other hot girl he works with.  To top this all off, they throw in a ridiculous ending which has the veneer of cleverness but literally makes all the protagonist’s actions in the book useless, and which kind reveals that none of the experts you’ve been following know that much about either volcanoes or geology.

Now, while I could completely trash Eruption for all its glaring storytelling issues, I’m a positive man, so I will also highlight bright points which will appeal to some readers.  For example, the authors have clearly done some research on volcanoes and volcanic eruptions, and they load up the book with the relevant science and history of volcanic occurrences in Hawaii.  Readers get a real crash course in volcanology, which proves highly fascinating at times, especially as the authors emphasise just how unpredictable and dangerous they can be, especially major volcanoes like those on Hawaii.  This deep understanding of volcanoes also translates into some amazing and thrilling sequences once the inevitable eruptions occur.  Massive and cinematic carnage unfolds before the readers eyes in the second half of the book, and the authors go out of their way to capture the intensity and deadly potential of a volcano, especially through a variety of gruesome deaths.  All these destructive scenes are really enhanced by the quickfire chapter changes featured throughout the book, and the authors do an excellent job of consistently building up tension as you count down to the potential destruction of the world.  All this ensures that, even with the issues I mentioned above, Eruption proves to be a hard book to put down, and you can really get lost in the insanity.

Overall, Eruption proves to be a mostly interesting and fun read, that will stick in the mind, especially as you witness the combined work of two legendary authors.  While there are a lot of obvious flaws, especially with the narrative, Eruption will still appeal to readers looking for a ton of action and over-the-top excitement.  I can honestly see Eruption being turned into a very cinematic action blockbuster at some point in the future, and if that appeals to you, you will have fun reading this cool book.  However, I do hope they fix up the storytelling holes in any eventual adaptation of Eruption.

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Waiting on Wednesday – Nobody’s Fool by Harlan Coben

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Thriller, Waiting on Wednesday2 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  For this latest Waiting on Wednesday, I highlight one of the top upcoming thrillers of 2025 with the intriguing and compelling Nobody’s Fool by Harlan Coben.

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Over the last few years, I have developed a real taste for exciting and distinctive thriller novels, and there are few authors better at delivering complex crime fiction reads than acclaimed author and murder alibi Harlan Coben.  Known for his elaborate and highly clever reads that present gripping mysteries with complex characters, Coben has been dominating the crime fiction genre for years and for very good reason.  I’m personally a little new to Coben, having only read two of his books so far, but both novels, I Will Find You and Think Twice, were extremely epic and had me on my toes the entire time.

Due to how awesome my last few Coben experiences have been, I always keep a close eye on what this author is working on, and I was pleasantly surprised to find some details about his next book, Nobody’s Fool.  Set for release in March 2025, Nobody’s Fool looks set to be another excellent and compelling read based around an intriguing and clever plot idea.

Plot Synopsis:

SPAIN – 2000

Sami Kierce, a young American backpacker, wakes up. He is covered in blood. There’s a knife in his hand.

Beside him, the body of a woman. Anna. Dead. He doesn’t know what happened to her. He begins to scream.

NEW YORK CITY – 2025

Kierce, now a disgraced detective, is teaching night classes when he recognises a familiar face in the crowd.

Anna. It’s unmistakably her. As soon as she sees Kierce, she runs.

For Kierce there is no choice. He knows he must find this woman and solve the impossible mystery that has haunted his every waking moment.

His investigation will bring him face-to-face with his past. Soon he discovers that some secrets should stay buried . . .

Stayed up all night watching Fool Me Once?

You won’t be able to breathe while reading Nobody’s Fool …


Nobody’s Fool sounds like a very interesting and powerful read, as Coben presents another twisty tale of murder, secrets and past mistakes.  Bringing back a key character from one of his biggest novels, Fool Me Once, Nobody’s Fool looks set to be a gripping read that will no doubt really appeal to established fans of the author.  Setting a damaged former detective on the hunt for the dead victim who has haunted him his entire life, Nobody’s Fool will be a gritty and emotionally charged novel, and I am really excited to see how the entire story unfolds.

Due to how impressive my previous forays into Harlan Coben’s novels have been, I was always going to grab Nobody’s Fool when it comes out next year.  However, thanks to the intriguing plot synopsis above, as well as the connection to one of the author’s most popular books, Nobody’s Fool is a must grab for me next year, and I am very, very keen to check it out.  Based purely on the skill of the author alone, Nobody’s Fool has so much damn potential, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this ended up being one of the top thrillers of 2025.