Tag: Paradox

WWW Wednesday – 17 June 2026

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WWW Wednesday is a weekly post hosted by Taking on a World of Words, where bloggers share the books that they’ve recently finished, what they are currently reading and what books they are planning to read next. Essentially you have to answer three questions (the Three Ws):

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

So, let’s get to it.

What are you currently reading:

LIT by Anna Woods (Trade Paperback)

I’ve recently started reading the compelling new novel LIT by Anna Woods. A New Zealand psychological thriller, LIT has a very interesting plot behind it, when a woman finds herself seemingly haunted by visions of a missing friend. Set to be a tense and powerful novel, I’m looking forward to seeing how LIT comes together.

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The Right to Remain by James Grippando (Audiobook)

I’ve also started listening to the new Jack Swyteck novel, The Right to Remain by James Grippando.  A compelling legal thriller that sees the protagonist forced to defend a client who refuses to talk to anyone, including his own lawyer. I’m currently powering through The Right to Remain and I love the awesome new scenario that Grippando came up with. I’m hoping to finish it off in the next few days and I look forward to seeing how it comes together.

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What did you recently finish reading?

The Yacht by Kayte Nunn (Trade Paperback)

I managed to get through the intriguing thriller, The Yacht by Australian author Kayte Nunn this week.  An intense read that showcases the events leading up to the destruction of a giant superyacht hosting the troubled members of an elite family, The Yacht was very exciting read, with a deeply compelling story behind it.

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Paradox by Douglas Preston and Aletheia Preston (Audiobook)

I also got through the audiobook version of the entertaining science fiction thriller, Paradox.  The sequel to Douglas Preston’s Extinction, Paradox had another over-the-top narrative to it, with aliens, religious murders and more, all coming into play, and I had an amazing time getting through it.

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Drop Dead Famous by Jennifer Pearson (ebook)

The final book I managed to get through this week was the fantastic young adult thriller, Drop Dead Famous by Jennifer Pearson. An excellent book with some deeply impressive twists behind it, I ended up really loving Drop Dead Famous and I’m hoping to get a review up for it soon.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

Outlaw by Jim Butcher

The next book I’m hoping to dive into is the new novella from Jim Butcher, Outlaw. Providing another glimpse into the Dresden Files universe, Outlaw sounds like another outstanding read and I imagine I will get through it very quickly.

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That’s it for this week; check back in next Wednesday to see what progress I’ve made on my reading and what books I’ll be looking at next.

WWW Wednesday – 10 June 2026

On By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW WednesdayLeave a comment

WWW Wednesday is a weekly post hosted by Taking on a World of Words, where bloggers share the books that they’ve recently finished, what they are currently reading and what books they are planning to read next. Essentially you have to answer three questions (the Three Ws):

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

So, let’s get to it.

What are you currently reading:

The Yacht by Kayte Nunn (Trade Paperback)

I’ve started reading the intriguing thriller, The Yacht by Australian author Kayte Nunn.  An intense read that showcases the events leading up to the destruction of a giant superyacht hosting the troubled members of an elite family, The Yacht is so far proving to be a very entertaining read, and I’m already hooked on its story.  While I haven’t made too much progress on The Yacht yet, I’m hoping to knock it off in the next couple of days and I look forward to seeing how its cool narrative comes together.

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Paradox by Douglas Preston and Aletheia Preston (Audiobook)

I’m absolutely powering through the audiobook version of the entertaining science fiction thriller, Paradox.  The sequel to Douglas Preston’s Extinction, which featured an outstanding story about killer neanderthal clones, Paradox has another over-the-top narrative to it, with aliens, religious murders and more, all coming into play.  I’m having an amazing time with Paradox, and it looks like I’ll be finishing it off in the next day or so.

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What did you recently finish reading?

Sisters of the Lizard by Jackson Ford (Trade Paperback)

I managed to finish off the fun fantasy novel, Sisters of the Lizard by Jackson Ford this week.  The sequel to Ford’s 2025 release, The Bone Raiders, Sisters of the Lizard was another awesome read, loaded with entertaining characters and an intriguing adventure with giant, fire-breathing lizards.  A fantastic and exciting read.

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Warhammer 40,000: Hive by Dan Abnett (Audiobook)

I also finally finished off the extensive new Dan Abnett Warhammer 40,000 novel, Hive. A vast political thriller, that showcases multiple perspectives of a gigantic underground hive city, Hive was an elaborate and addictive read, that relentlessly kept me hooked to the very end. One of my top Warhammer 40,000 novels of 2026.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

LIT by Anna Woods

The next book I’m hoping to read is the compelling new novel LIT by Anna Woods. A gritty New Zealand psychological thriller, LIT has a very interesting plot behind it, when a woman finds herself seemingly haunted by visions of a missing friend. Set to be a tense and powerful novel, I’m looking forward to reading LIT soon.

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That’s it for this week; check back in next Wednesday to see what progress I’ve made on my reading and what books I’ll be looking at next.

WWW Wednesday – 3 June 2026

On By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW Wednesday1 Comment

WWW Wednesday is a weekly post hosted by Taking on a World of Words, where bloggers share the books that they’ve recently finished, what they are currently reading and what books they are planning to read next. Essentially you have to answer three questions (the Three Ws):

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

So, let’s get to it.

What are you currently reading:

Sisters of the Lizard by Jackson Ford (Trade Paperback)

I started reading the fun fantasy novel, Sisters of the Lizard by Jackson Ford this week.  The sequel to Ford’s 2025 release, The Bone Raiders, Sisters of the Lizard sees a small group of raiders and thieves, attempt to stop the ravages of war and vengeance with their new giant, lizard mounts. I’m currently about 100 pages into Sisters of the Lizard and I’m enjoying its exciting narrative and entertaining characters.  A fantastic novel that I am hoping to power through in the next few days.

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Warhammer 40,000: Hive by Dan Abnett (Audiobook)

I’ve still got a little left of the extensive new Dan Abnett Warhammer 40,000 novel, Hive. Abnett, who has contributed some amazing entries to the Warhammer 40,000 franchise, has this time imagined a vast political thriller, taking place at multiple points in a gigantic underground hive city. Filled with intricate detail and a ton of great characters, Hive is a fantastic and elaborate read, that is relentlessly keeping me hooked.  I’ve got just over an hour or so of Hive’s audiobook left, and its already one of my top Warhammer 40,000 novels of 2026.

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What did you recently finish reading?

Our Lady of Blades by Sebastien de Castell (ebook)

I managed to get through the awesome fantasy novel, Our Lady of Blades by the very talented Sebastien de Castell this week.  The follow-up to de Castell’s previous impressive novels, Crucible of Chaos and Play of Shadows, Our Lady of Blades continued the adventures in the author’s Greatcoats universe, this time exploring a corrupt city ruled by powerful families and sadistic dualists. Featuring a compelling narrative of revenge and redemption Our Lady of Blades was an exceptional read that lived up to all my expectations.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

Paradox by Douglas Preston and Aletheia Preston

The next book I’m planning to enjoy is the entertaining sounding science fiction thriller, Paradox.  The sequel to Douglas Preston’s awesome novel Extinction, Paradox looks set to introduce another intriguing and over-the-top mystery, while the killer neanderthal clones from the first book lurk in the shadows.  I have no doubt I’m going to love this book, and I look forward to exploring Paradox’s crazy story.

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That’s it for this week; check back in next Wednesday to see what progress I’ve made on my reading and what books I’ll be looking at next.

Top Ten Tuesday – Books on my Autumn 2026 To Be Read (TBR) List

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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. For this week’s Top Ten Tuesday participants have a Thanksgiving freebie which I am going to use to look at some upcoming books. This is because today is the last Tuesday before Autumn 2026, and I thought this would be a good opportunity to do my quarterly post about the best upcoming books I am looking forward to reading in Autumn (Spring for folks in the Northern Hemisphere). This is a regular post I do at the start of each season, and I always love to highlight some of the most impressive sounding novels coming out in the next three months.

For this list, I have come up with ten books coming out between 1 March 2026 and 31 May 2026 that I am most excited for. There are quite a few amazing novels set for release in the next few months, so it took me a while to finalise my final top ten list, including my usual honourable mentions section. I have primarily used the Australian publication dates to reflect when I will be able to get these awesome novels, and these might be somewhat different to the rest of the world. I have previously discussed a number of these books before in prior Waiting on Wednesday articles, and I think all of them will turn out to be incredible reads. I am extremely excited for these next three months and I feel that quite a few of these upcoming reads have the potential to be some of my favourite books of 2026.

Honourable Mentions:

Daughter of Crows by Mark Lawrence – 26 March 2026

An intriguing new fantasy novel from the always impressive Mark Lawrence.

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Redbelly Crossing by Candice Fox – 28 April 2026

A cool outback thriller set to feature murder, mayhem and a ton of family drama, Redbelly Crossing sounds fun and I cannot wait to read my next Candice Fox book.

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Dark Sanctuary by Sarah Barrie – 28 April 2026

Another cool Australian thriller that looks set to feature some intriguing and disturbing dark twists.

 

Sister Svangerd and the Devil You Know by K. J. Parker – 12 May 2026

Another 2026 release from the legendary and hilarious K. J. Parker.  Details of this book are still a little scarce, and I haven’t had the chance to read the first book in the series yet, however, I have no doubt this is going to be a particularly funny

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Top Ten List:

Red Empire by Jonathan Maberry – 10 March 2026

First up on this list we have a fantastic new novel from one of my favourite thriller authors, Jonathan Maberry, with the awesome sounding Red Empire.  The fifth book in Maberry’s Rogue Team International series (which previously featured Rage, Relentless, Cave 13 and Burn to Shine), Red Empire will see the damaged protagonist engage with an old foe, with the fate of the world once again hanging in the balance.  At the same time, darker secrets about the mysterious leader of the Rogue Team International organisation will finally come to light, secrets that Maberry fans like me have been anticipating for years.  As such, Red Empire is extremely high on my to-read list for March, and I cannot wait to see how it turns out.

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Dead Fall Lake by S. R. White – 17 March 2026

One of the more unique authors of Australian crime fiction will continue with his fantastic tales of outback murder in his new novel, Dead Fall Lake.  Following on from Prisoner, Red Dirt Road and White Ash Ridge, Dead Fall Lake will force its detective protagonist to investigate the murder of a local sports hero, whose body is found in a sinkhole he routinely freedived into.  This has the potential to be an outstanding Australian murder novel as White will no doubt write another amazing and complex mystery.

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Blindside by Michael Mammay – 24 March 2026

One of my favourite science fiction thriller series, the Planetside books by Michael Mammay, looks set to continue in 2026 with the cool new novel Blindside.  Set in the future and following a retired military colonel as he disrupts the genocidal schemes of corrupt corporations, the Planetside books (including Planetside, Spaceside, Colonyside and Darkside), have been extremely impressive since day one.  This new entry will see the protagonist and his team attempt to unravel a dark conspiracy surrounding him, as old enemies seek revenge.  I already know that Blindside is going to be an incredible read, and I look forward to seeing what cool and twisty narrative Mammay has cooked up for us this time.

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First Mage on the Moon by Cameron Johnston – 14 April 2026

Over the last few years, one of the more unique authors of dark fantasy fiction has been the very inventive and entertaining Cameron Johnston, who has written some amazing books over the years, including his Age of Tyranny novels, The Traitor God and God of Broken Things, The Maleficent Seven, and The Last Shield (one of my favourite books of 2024). His next book looks to be his most ambitious yet, with the awesome First Mage on the Moon.  As the name suggests, this fun new novel will see a group of mages attempt to use their magic to create a ship capable of travelling into space towards the moon in the hope of ending an ongoing war.  I love the sound of this unique fantasy fiction plot and Cameron Johnston is sure to create something very special with this outstanding new book.

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Paradox by Douglas Preston and Aletheia Preston – 21 April 2026

Legendary thriller author Douglas Preston teams up with his daughter Aletheia for a very cool and intriguing new novel.  The sequel to Preston’s previous novel, Extinction, which featured a brutal murder committed by cloned neanderthals, Paradox looks set to continue the weirdness, as the two protagonists from the first book attempt to uncover a complex crime in the Colorado wilderness which leads to a deeper conspiracy.  I am so very eager to read Paradox when it comes out, especially after loving everything about Extinction, and it will be interesting see how this father/daughter team continues this unique series.

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Sisters of the Lizard by Jackson Ford – 5 May 2026

Last year I had the very great pleasure of reading my first book from fantasy and science fiction author Jackson Ford, The Bone Raiders, which saw a group of grassland thieves attempt to train giant, fire-breathing lizards as the ultimate mounts to defeat an encroaching empire.  A funny and exciting read, The Bone Raiders was a ton of fun, which Ford is looking to expand this year with the awesome sounding sequel, Sisters of the Lizard.  Set to explore the consequences of their game changing actions from the first book, Sisters of the Lizard looks set to be another amazing novel from Ford that is guaranteed to keep me entertained.

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Our Lady of Blades by Sebastien de Castell -12 May 2026

One of the fantasy books I am mostly looking forward to in the next three months is Our Lady of the Blades by Sebastien de Castell.  The next book in de Castell’s Court of Shadows series (Play of Shadows and Crucible of Chaos), which is set in his larger Greatcoat universe, Our Lady of Blades will be another mostly standalone fantasy read, that explores conspiracies and crimes in the author’s fantasy realm.  This next book sounds particularly impressive with an The Count of Monte Cristo inspired plot, as it follows a masked duellist who seeks revenge on her city’s elite after her family was betrayed and destroyed.  I have been looking forward to Our Lady of the Blades for a while now, and it should prove to be one of the more interesting and captivating books of the year, especially when de Castell ties it into his larger series.

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A Parade of Horribles by Matt Dinniman – 12 May 2026

I had to feature the epic upcoming novel A Parade of Horribles, which is one of the most anticipated releases of the year. The eighth book in Matt Dinniman’s exceedingly popular Dungeon Crawler Carl series, A Parade of Horribles will continue to follow protagonists Carl and his sentient cat Princess Donut, as they attempt to survive the increasingly deadly and utterly bonkers dungeon formed from the detritus of a destroyed Earth.  This next book sounds very fun, with a crazy set of race tasks, as well as hidden horrors coming up from the lower levels which will no doubt make this book even more outrageous.  I have so much love for this series after become irreversibly addicted to it last year (highlights include Dungeon Crawler Carl, The Butcher’s Masquerade and The Eye of the Bedlam Bride), and I am so damn eager to see how this series will continue.  I personally am planning to listen to A Parade of Horribles on audiobook (narrated by the insanely talented Jeff Hays), and I cannot wait to see how this new novel unfolds.  This book is going to be epic, and I will be reading A Parade of Horribles the very second it is released.

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Mortedant’s Peril by R. J. Barker – 19 May 2026

Next is the epic upcoming fantasy novel from R. J. Barker, Mortedant’s Peril. An intriguing sounding urban fantasy, Mortedant’s Peril will follow a protagonist hunted throughout his city for reading the final thoughts of the wrong dead man.  I have a lot of confidence that Barker is going to pull out something special with this new novel, especially after impressing with all his previous trilogies, and I am confident that Mortedant’s Peril is going to be a top book of 2026.

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Ironwood by Michael Connelly – 19 May 2026

The final books I want to feature on this list is potentially one of the best crime fiction novels of 2026, with the next upcoming Michael Connelly book, Ironwood.  The sequel to his 2025 novel Nightshade, Ironwood will once again focus on Connelly’s new protagonist Detective Stilwell, as he attempts to solve crimes from his banished post of Catalina Island.  However, in this book, he finds himself teaming up with another Connelly protagonist, with Detective Renée Ballard serving as a supporting character.  This should result in quite an intense and addictive crime fiction read, and I am particularly keen to read Ironwood as soon as I can.

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Well, that is the end of my Top Ten list. I think it turned out pretty well and it does a good job of capturing all my most anticipated books for the next three months. There are some really impressive books coming out in this part of 2026, and I cannot wait to read each of them soon. Let me know which of the above you are most excited for and stay tuned for reviews of them in the next few months. In the meantime, it looks like I have quite a bit of reading to do soon.

Waiting on Wednesday – Paradox by Douglas Preston and Aletheia Preston

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Science Fiction, 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 week’s Waiting on Wednesday, I highlight an outstanding upcoming thriller filled with weird science and outrageous themes with the very cool sounding Paradox by the father/daughter team of Douglas and Aletheia Preston

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Back in 2024 I had the very great pleasure of reading my very first novel from Douglas Preston with the outstanding novel Extinction.  A fantastic thriller that saw two very different cops try to solve a bloody disappearance that took place in an exclusive mountain resort filled with genetically modified clones of mammoths and other pre-historic creatures, Extinction was a very fun book packed full of over-the-top twists and some very chaotic moments.  Thanks to Preston’s impressive and action-packed story, that featured murderous neanderthal clones amongst other entertaining moments, Extinction proved to be an extremely captivating and addictive read that I powered through so very quickly.

The awesome and frankly insane Extinction made me a big fan of Preston, and I’ve been trying out some of his other cool releases, including the amazing thriller Badlands, that Preston wrote with his long-time collaborator Lincoln Child.  However, I’ve always been curious to see if the somewhat open-ended narrative of Extinction could be expanded on, especially with the murderous neanderthals now out in the wild, filled with vengeful thoughts about homo sapiens destroying their species.  Well it turns out that Preston was also curious to see where his story to go, as we have a sequel to Extinction coming out soon with the very intriguing sounding Paradox.

Serving as the second book in the Cash & Colcord series, Paradox will see Preston bring on his daughter Aletheia as a writing partner, as he follows the protagonists from the first book into a new investigation, while the genetic consequences of the first book continue to lurk in the shadows.  I love the sound of this awesome sequel, and if it is anywhere near as epic and excessive as the first book in the series was, then I know I’m going to love it.  As such, I have very high hopes for Paradox, and I feel like it is going to be a particularly enjoyable read.

Plot Synopsis:

The new powerhouse team of Douglas Preston & Aletheia Preston are joining together to “enter the world” of the New York Times bestselling Extinction.

One of the holiest relics in Christendom, inexplicably defaced…

A paranoid old prospector, ritualistically murdered…

A controversial exobiologist, tortured and dismembered…

When a reclusive man is found dead under grisly circumstances in the Colorado wilderness, CBI Agent Frankie Cash and Eagle County Sheriff Jim Colcord, whom we met in the New York Times bestseller, Extinction, team up again on their most enigmatic and dangerous case yet. Their investigation uncovers a trail of bizarre killings, baffling money transfers, and a fanatical secret society.

And all the while, the resurrected Neanderthals, who vanished into the Colorado mountains, seem to be biding their time for something…spectacular.

Paradox by Catherine Coulter

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Murder Mystery, Thriller2 Comments

Paradox Cover.jpg

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Publication Date – 31 July 2018

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Those looking for an intense and stimulating piece of crime fiction should look no further than the new book in the long-running FBI Thriller series, Paradox, which combines a clever murder mystery with a dark psychological thriller.

FBI Agents Sherlock and Savich wake up to their worst nightmare: an armed man in their son’s bedroom.  Only just managing to foil the potential kidnapping, Sherlock and Savich are confronted by the terrible fact that their son is being targeted by someone trying to get to them.  A few days later, in the small town of Willicott, Maryland, Police Chief Ty Christie witnesses a murder on the lake from the deck of her house.  Both of these crimes are connected to an escaped prisoner from a mental institution and a terrifying ghost from Sherlock and Savich’s past.  Things get more complicated when the lake is dredged for the victim’s body and a surprise discovery is made: the skeletal remains of several bodies that have been lying on the lake bed for years.  As the FBI is called in to investigate, Ty must face the disturbing reality that her home may have been used as the dumping ground for a serial killer.

Splitting their attentions between the two cases, Sherlock and Savich hunt for a deranged killer with a serious grudge against them, but are they prepared for just how crazy their quarry is?  At the same time, Ty and her new FBI partner, Sala Porto, start to investigate the recovered bodies.  A distinctive belt buckle may prove to be their best lead, but this discovery will have some unexpected consequences in another small town.  How are these cases connected, and what devastating secrets will be uncovered as a result?

Coulter is an extremely prolific author, having written a huge number of books since her 1981 debut.  Paradox is the 22nd book in Coulter’s long-running FBI Thriller series, which has been published annually since 1996, with only one gap in 2006.  The FBI Thriller series follows the investigation of a wide range of mysteries and crimes by members of the FBI, with many of the featured characters recurring through the various books.  At the same time, Coulter has co-written the A Brit in the FBI books with J. T. Ellison.  A Brit in the FBI is a sister series to the FBI Thriller franchise, which features several characters from the original series and already contains five books, including the 2018 release The Sixth Day.

Before this book, I had not read any of the other entries in the FBI Thriller series, and I was a little worried I might have trouble following the story of Paradox as a result.  However, I was pleasantly surprised about how easily it was for me to jump into the plot of this book and enjoy the intriguing mysteries planted within.  It is important to note that a significant part of the story does link back to the 13th entry in the series, Knockout.  Coulter does an amazing job summarising all the relevant detail of this previous book and ensuring that the readers of Paradox are well informed of the events that could have an impact on this current case.  This book also plays host to a huge range of characters employed by the FBI.  While I knew that the main two agents, Sherlock and Savich, have appeared multiple times before as the main protagonists, I was uncertain about how many times any of the other characters may have appeared in previous books in the series.  As a result, their inclusion and actions might not have had as much impact on me as they were supposed to, although I don’t think this takes too much away from the story.  As a result, while Paradox will be particularly appealing to those readers who have enjoyed the FBI Thriller books before, new readers can easily come into the series at this point and still enjoy this excellent murder mystery.

Paradox’s story is split between two separate investigations, both of which are very different in scope and content.  The focus of recurring protagonists, Sherlock and Savich, mainly involves the hunt for a deranged character from their past who is targeting several people he holds a grudge against.  In the other storyline, new characters Ty Christie and FBI Agent Sala Porto are investigating the bodies found within the lake, and find themselves on the hunt for a previously undiscovered serial killer.  Both cases are exceedingly interesting and offer different things to the reader.  The hunt for the fugitive who has committed recent crimes becomes a desperate game of cat and mouse between the investigators and the killer, and both sides have trouble predicting the actions of the other.  As a result, this storyline is faster paced and set in a bunch of different locations.  This storyline also relies on a darker psychological tone to stand out rather than dramatic twists, although there are a few noteworthy reveals for the reader to keep an eye out for.

The investigation into the bones on the bottom of the lake comes across as a more traditional murder mystery, as the characters associated with this case look at clues, follow evidence and interrogate a range of suspects.  This story has a more fixed setting, which mostly focuses on a small town located near the lake, although there are a few detours to other locations.  The examination of the connected and trusting nature of a small town is a great feature, as there are quite a few secrets and lies hidden within this friendly setting, as well as quite a few suspicious characters who show an interest in the case.  This storyline turns out to contain quite an intricate mystery that contains a huge range of twists and surprises that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.  The final reveals are quite dramatic and have significant impacts on several characters that are introduced.  This is an amazing piece of murder mystery fiction.

While these two storylines are ostensibly separate from each other, there is a bit of crossover between them.  The two teams of investigators are constantly in communication with each other, and there are several discussions about their respective cases.  In addition, one of the characters who is mainly investigating the bones in the lake, FBI agent Sala Porto, has a significant personal stake in finding the fugitive that Sherlock and Savich are hunting for, as one particular murder the antagonist commits haunts him throughout the book.  As a result, he and Ty also meet some people associated with the hunt for the fugitive, and also make a significant break in the case towards the end of the book that adds a whole new dimension to the story.  Both storylines are very well written and ensure that the readers get a variety of different elements to entertain and intrigue them.

An interesting feature of Paradox is the way that Coulter tells her story from a huge range of separate viewpoints, which helps create an interesting and unique tone for this book.  While a large part of the story is told from the point of view of Ty and the FBI agents Porto, Sherlock and Savich, other characters also tell a substantial part of the story.  The book’s main antagonist, the fugitive being pursued by Sherlock and Savich, probably has the next largest point-of-view scenes within the book.  These chapters are particularly dark, and the insight into his mind and psyche that result from these scenes are noticeably intense and chilling.  It is also fascinating to see the fugitive’s mindset as he tries to attack the people he hates, while at the same time avoid capture by the FBI.  Paradox also makes use of a range of other smaller side characters, especially in the storyline where Ty and Porto investigate the bones found in the lake.  These viewpoints are often brief, but are usually tied in to the relevant investigation and provide some interesting details about the suspects, as well as provide some background history to the case.  There is a lot of extra detail added to some of the periphery characters, as well as a significant amount of discussion especially the relationships and past that some of these minor characters had.  This focus on some of the supporting characters contributes a lot to the book’s unique tone, although at times it does feel unnecessary to go into such details.

One of the Paradox’s key highlights is the antagonist Coulter uses for the fugitive killer arc that Sherlock and Savich are investigating.  Without going into too much detail, as even mentioning the character’s name may spoil the story for long-term fans of the FBI Thriller series, this antagonist is a fantastic and memorable addition to the story.  The chapters focused on this antagonist are excellently written and turn Paradox into a partial psychological thriller, as it examines a rather unhinged character.  This character is definitely a stand-out part of this book, and represents a great return from a previous entry in the FBI Thriller series.

The latest book from bestselling author Catherine Coulter, Paradox, is an outstanding piece of modern crime fiction that presents two enthralling crime based storylines that compliment each other, working together to create a highly enjoyable and intriguing overall narrative.  Dark, clever and character driven, Paradox is an excellent addition to the long-running FBI Thriller series that will be equally appealing to both long-term fans of the franchise and causal readers looking for a new mystery fix.

My Rating:

Four stars

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