This is a solid outing from Matthew Palmer, an author that knows his stuff. SECRETS OF STATE, is a thriller with all the right ingredients, that hit all the right notes. The characters are nothing new, but familiar territory is okay as long as there is enough elsewhere to make up for it. And while the plot is nothing new either—terrorists stealing a nuclear weapon to blow up a city—again, that was okay, as the author came at this from a slightly different angle, with a new view while covering old ground, which freshened up a doomsday scenario with likeable enough characters that were engaging.
\nSet against the backdrop of simmering tensions between India and Pakistan, Palmer gives us a what-if that’s oh so plausible right now. And while most authors are focused on the usual suspects and setting that are becoming tired, he reminds us that the world at large is still a very dangerous place and has far more players on the world stage than we usually think about.
\nWhat sets SECRETS OF STATE apart from the average read, are the small things. And it’s not often we get a view of places like Mumbai and it’s slums—never mind the people that live there. A thoroughly enjoyable, and quick read, so much so I’ll be buying a few more of Palmer’s works as I suspect they’ll be just as enjoyable a romp as SECRETS OF STATE was.
\n", "date_published": "2026-06-16T09:14:00-04:00", "url": "https://alexandrawolfe.ca/2026/06/16/secrets-of-state-by-matthew/", "tags": ["Book Review","Thriller"] }, { "id": "http://alexink.micro.blog/2026/06/15/state-of-terror-by-hilary/", "title": "State of Terror by Hilary Clinton \u0026 Louise Penny", "content_html": "STATE OF TERROR, a taut, tense, whiplash-inducing thriller, is so up to the minute in world events it seems like the authors, Hillary Clinton and crime fiction author, Louise Penny, had a crystal ball to look into scrying possible scenarios … no, wait … they did. In the form of Ms. Clintons and her years as Secretary of State. Her experience and skill, among other things, provide the backdrop to this immensely addictive thriller.
\nFrom the well delineated characters, including the secondary characters who are just as pivotal in the plot, through to the non-stop and relentless pace. We are whisked along by the unfolding events all the while chewing the inside of our cheeks, fretting along with Secretary of State, Ellen Adams, and her closest confident and Counsellor, Betsy Jameson.
\nThese two women whose bond throughout was a joy and a surprise, never mind the clever wit and snark. I also love that relationships play a large part in events, decision, and actions throughout. Which makes the stakes all the more threatening when they’re seen intimately, up-close and personal with frightening consequences.
\nPolitical intrigue, high-stakes espionage, traitors, misdirects, subterfuge, and the ultimate terror of a radical terrorist group laying hands on not one nuclear weapon, but three, set the stage and scope for this well-plotted emotional roller coaster ride of a thriller. That, in the end, had real bite.
\nGrab a large glass of your favourite wine, curl up on the sofa and get ready for Ellen and Betsy to get it done—two truly iconic women!
\n", "date_published": "2026-06-15T09:13:00-04:00", "url": "https://alexandrawolfe.ca/2026/06/15/state-of-terror-by-hilary/", "tags": ["Book Review","Thriller"] }, { "id": "http://alexink.micro.blog/2026/06/14/tatiana-by-martin-cruz-smith/", "title": "Tatiana by Martin Cruz Smith", "content_html": "This chess-inspired 8th outing of the cranky melancholy police investigator, Arkady Renko, is a fast-paced romp through the underbelly of corrupt police/politicians/media in Putin’s crumbling modern Russia. Where just about everyone has an agenda hustling from the streets to the highest office, for everything from stolen goods to billion ruble contracts. And where Cruz Smith’s cast of well-drawn characters are all doing their best trying to avoid being collateral damage amid the warring factions.
\nI enjoyed the pace, which is fairly brisk and doesn’t lag, because a lot of the action is split between a number of the characters, not just our world-weary investigator. While Renko is essentially trying to discover who killed investigative reporter, Tatiana Petrovna, and more importantly, why, he connects her murder to that of recently assassinated mafia kingpin, Grisha Grigorenko. And, as he pieces together snippets of information, he stumbles upon a much larger picture than just revenge, or murder, collusion and corruption at the highest levels.
\nWhat I love about Cruz Smith’s writing is his seedy bunch of twitchy characters doggedly trying to keep ahead of the action, while also dropping in actual historical events, into the background—events like the sinking of the Kursk in the Baltic and the utter destruction of the city of Konigsberg (in an isolated slice of Russia abutting the baltic sea) and the building of the secret city of Kaliningrad. And thus, Cruz Smith cleverly draws us into a tangled web of secrets, lies, and corruption.
\nWhile Renko engages in a game of cat and mouse with mobsters trying to find answers to Tatiana’s murder, his old friend and partner, Victor, along with Zhenya and his girlfriend Lotte, are left behind in Moscow trying to unravel a mystery of their own, never mind survive being murdered. Of course, all the loose ends slowly begin to make connections, leading to a confrontation along with a number of revelations and an open-ending finale that tells us that even Renko cannot bring everyone to justice in a world ruled by corruption.
\nI can recommend this one if you enjoy a good thriller with plenty of misdirection, well-drawn characters, snappy dialogue, with plenty of grit and background detail that all helped bring this one to life.
\n", "date_published": "2026-06-14T09:11:00-04:00", "url": "https://alexandrawolfe.ca/2026/06/14/tatiana-by-martin-cruz-smith/", "tags": ["Book Review","Thriller"] }, { "id": "http://alexink.micro.blog/2026/06/09/thirteen-by-steve-cavanagh/", "title": "Thirteen by Steve Cavanagh", "content_html": "It doesn’t get any better than this! Steve Cavanagh has done it again, pulling out all the stops to bring another fast-paced, thrilling, rollercoaster read. A thoroughly compelling story in which the devil truly is in the details.
\nEddie Flynn is back in the arena, the courtroom that is, playing the ‘fall’ guy and sitting second chair to Rudy Carp, the lawyer representing actor, Bobby Solomon, in the case of the century. Thing is, Eddie has been talked into playing the fall guy by going after the cops who, Carp has convinced Eddie, planted evidence at the scene of a heinous crime, implicating Bobby Solomon in the murder of his wife and security guard.
\nWhile Eddie isn’t convinced either way, not yet at least, he’s taken the ‘second’ chair and, in doing so, the opportunity to do what he does best, because Carp Law has offered him something he needs right now. A boring, secure job in a big law firm, in order to win back his wife. He needs this, he tells himself. Because the one thing Eddie Flynn doesn’t want to lose right now, is his daughter. And if it means going ‘straight,’ and getting out of the way of the bad guys, Eddie is going to give it his best shot.
\nBut not everything is going to go according to plan, as always. Cavanagh throws every possible spanner into the works, and mixes it up, putting Eddie back in the firing line, and in the sights of not just a couple of corrupt cops, but a serial killer.
\nAs always, the author amps up the tension on several levels, as Flynn and Carp get set to defend Bobby Solomon, unaware there is another player in the room. One who has his own agenda and, a need to kill. Cavanagh alternates between Flynn’s side of the story, told in the first person, and that of serial killer and clever chameleon, Joshua Kane—and if this creepy unnerving guy doesn’t give you goose bumps, no one will.
\nI particularly like the way the author has written the alternating parts of this story, because while Kane is clearly a main story component, it’s through Eddie’s eye and thoughts that the story really opens up. Eddie is at the emotional heart of the story. Here’s a man trying hard to keep it altogether, because not only has he vowed to himself to do the right thing, but if he doesn’t change, he knows he will lose his wife and daughter for good.
\nSo while we read about Kane and his past, and what makes him a cold-blooded killer, heartless to a fault. Eddie keeps us grounded in reality. And, in between the sensational details of a murder trial, a game of cat and mouse begins. But rest assured, Eddie Flynn is no mouse. He’s going to need his background as a conman not just to help get Bobby Solomon off a murder conviction, but to out-smart, and out-play a killer in their midst.
\nAided by a well-round cast of characters that each have their own unique personalities, with some crackling twists and turns that had me furiously page turning, the climatic end left me almost breathless and dizzy.
\nIntense, taut, adrenaline-fuelled, plausibly plotted, cleverly twisted, and masterly engineered to leave you wanting more. Eddie Flynn and his author deliver a thoroughly absorbing and entertaining read.
\n", "date_published": "2026-06-09T12:03:00-04:00", "url": "https://alexandrawolfe.ca/2026/06/09/thirteen-by-steve-cavanagh/", "tags": ["Book Review","Thriller"] }, { "id": "http://alexink.micro.blog/2026/06/03/the-moscow-deception-by-karen/", "title": "The Moscow Deception by Karen Robards", "content_html": "I had high hopes for THE MOSCOW DECEPTION by Karen Robards, which is neither a thrilling read, nor set in Moscow. That is, till the last couple of very rushed chapters. This novel suffers from several fundamental flaws that should have been address in the editing stage, but, sadly, were over-looked. Major amongst these is the constant repetitious phrases by the author that, in the end, become annoying and jarring. In point of case, the use of ‘split second’. In a split second this, in a split second that—and twice in several paragraphs, one after another.
\nThen there was the constant use of the term, ‘non-father’ in describing Mason, the man she had known for years as her father. I lost count of that one. The author also spent a great deal of time—in the first half of the book—having her protagonist looking over her shoulder, and worrying about dark shadows, and things unseen. All this by way of conveying how ‘tense’ the situation was. But all this made me think was that this character was overly paranoid, and without any significant reason. As the author didn’t think to offer too much by way of any explanations as to why.
\nThe opening started off so promisingly, with the main protagonist, Bianca St Ives (among one name of many) laying in wait, in the pouring rain, to assassinate a top CIA manager who, we are told, is hell bent on having her assassinated. This whole opening segment was a missed opportunity, as, in the end, nothing happens, someone else kills the CIA bigwig, though we never get to find out who. Bianca then spend way too much time monologuing about what may or may not happen as a result.
\nQuite frankly, it wasn’t in the least bit exciting, and the false jeopardy was annoying. Here is a lead character, supposed (we are again told) to be the product of a gone-wrong CIA operation, a test-tube baby, meant to be a ‘super-soldier’ AKA Jason Borne. Bianca St Ives, however, is no Jason Borne, and this contrived story lacks any credibility in comparison. We are neither shown, or given any examples as to why she might be considered a threat to National Security, or in having any skill set other than being an accomplished thief (which we are told, again). But accomplished is way too high an accolade, given it’s all about the reverse dress, gizmos and gadgets (which she doesn’t really use) and a lot of flimflam and talk.
\nThere is no actual action.
\nThe one thing she does steal, or is a part of stealing—which comes at the end of the book—is Priam’s Treasure. And only with the help of a down on their luck circus troupe who do all the heavy lifting, as it were, plot wise.
\nThe lack of any pacing along with way too much ‘filler’ that I ended up skipping over, made for a lacklustre read. There was little to no tension, other than a few contrived moments that seemed ill fitted to the characters, and over all story. And then, only served to allow a romantic interlude with Colin, a good-looking (and aren’t they all) Interpol agent on her trail.
\nNo pacing, a lack of a cohesive story, a thin to transparent plot, paper thin characterisation, and cliched dialogue make for this being a deception on the reading public, nothing more.
\n", "date_published": "2026-06-03T15:21:00-04:00", "url": "https://alexandrawolfe.ca/2026/06/03/the-moscow-deception-by-karen/", "tags": ["Book Review","Thriller"] }, { "id": "http://alexink.micro.blog/2026/05/27/the-last-thing-he-told/", "title": "The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave", "content_html": "I do love me a thoroughly twisted and suspenseful mystery and The Last Thing He Told Me is exactly that. Laura Dave throws Hannah, step-mum to Bailey, right in at the deep end of the ocean and, I might add, us along with them. We’re left peering over Hannah’s shoulder the whole way, as she desperately tries to figure out what’s going on and, just who the hell her new husband is, before all is lost.
\nThis is as much a character study of Bailey and Hannah as it is a mystery, and Laura Dave does a great job of slowly unraveling said mystery one breadcrumb at a time, leaving the reader in the dark as much as Hannah and Bailey. I had my suspicions and, just when I thought I knew what was happening, the author adds a whole new set of wrinkles. And that’s when you realise you have no idea who Hannah’s husband Owen is anymore than Hannah does.
\nThe tensions throughout are never over played, and there’s just enough going on by way of mystery to keep us guessing as to who Owen actually is, and why he’s vanished at the start of the novel. And boy, when you find out, how the past stitches into the present, and just where or, I should say, what the future holds, it’s totally not what you’re expecting. The twists are so damn clever. All of which I can’t talk about here, in this review least I spoilt the surprises. You will just have to find out for yourself. And let me tell you, they were well worth the subtle build up.
\nWe have a small supporting cast who are all well delineated and play their parts well. But the story is, at its heart, not just a mystery but a story of a woman and teenager bonding and coming together in the face of a dawning revelation.
\nIt’s about how Dave takes these characters, throws them off a cliff, and then, shows us how they not only survive, but help one another in the face of uncertainty and mounting adversity.
\nThe Last Thing He Told Me is tightly written, taut and suspenseful, and a thoroughly absorbing mystery that doesn’t let up until the last page. So if, like me, you love slow-burning cleverly-written thrillers, then this one is a definite must.
\nSimply put, this is an excellent read.
\n", "date_published": "2026-05-27T15:41:00-04:00", "url": "https://alexandrawolfe.ca/2026/05/27/the-last-thing-he-told/", "tags": ["Book Review","Thriller"] }, { "id": "http://alexink.micro.blog/2026/05/18/inside-out-by-barry-eisler/", "title": "Inside Out by Barry Eisler", "content_html": "Barry Eisler just keeps getting better and better with each book he writes.
\nINSIDE OUT is the second Ben Treven story, sadly I haven’t read the previous outing but that didn’t spoil this one in anyway. Thankfully, Eisler doesn’t waste time playing catch up in his opening chapters but writes thought-provoking, stand-alone thrillers that deliver on every level, whether or not they feature characters who’ll become part of a series.
\nIt’s how Eisler takes you straight into the heart of the story and characters that makes him a captivating writer. He sets the scene, he builds the characters with just the right amount of background detail and shading (no one is paper thin, black and white, or without a hidden agenda or motives) his characters come with their own share of baggage so you know exactly where each one is coming from, from the get-go. Eisler also delivers the punches, and by god he’ll make you squirm, and smile, and wince, and nod your head knowingly as you read this one. At times wonderfully nuanced, it’s also in your face and brutal, revealing, and all at once, thought provoking.
\nInside Out is a deceptive look into the black abyss of what goes on behind closed doors in the corridors of power and politics that is so close to reality, you wonder if, in fact, he’s writing fiction at all.
\nIf you love well-researched, well-written and well-plotted thrillers, this one is a must read!
\nThank you Barry, I can’t wait for the next one.
\n", "date_published": "2026-05-18T11:05:00-04:00", "url": "https://alexandrawolfe.ca/2026/05/18/inside-out-by-barry-eisler/", "tags": ["Book Review","Thriller"] }, { "id": "http://alexink.micro.blog/2026/05/18/cold-storage-by-david-koepp/", "title": "Cold Storage by David Koepp", "content_html": "COLD STORAGE is an incredibly fast read, not just because it’s only 308 pages long, but because it’s that kind of a story. A book you simply cannot put down. I read this in a day. Yes, seven hours on a Sunday, from beginning to end. I really didn’t want to stop as there was too much at stake. Yes, I know, it’s not real, but the science in Cold Storage, along with the excellently researched background to the alphabet soup government departments and processes, were spot on.
\nThe context for this story, a mutated, fast breeding ELE fungus capable of eradicating all life, as we know it, is so plausible as to scare the bejesus out of me! Based on reality, and stretched to the what-if point like any good author should, Koepp takes the reader on a wild, scary ride. But then, tempers the real-life horror with two flawed, familiar, and sympathetic characters—Teacake and Naomi—that you are immediately drawn too and root for.
\nAll the fingernail biting tension is further tempered with plenty of dry humour including the line that I think Cold Storage is going to be most remembered for: “The fucking deer just took the fucking elevator.” Uttered by the astonished Teacake (great name btw) who was a character I took an instant liking too.
\nWhile it’s true Diaz and his partner, and senior officer, Trini Romano, get an opener to the book that will blow your socks off (and, might I suggest, not be read before bedtime! Trust me.) It’s Teacake and Naomi who, for the most part, carry the weight of the story. It’s the investment into their two lives that make us care, care about what happens, and adds the heart to what could be an otherwise chilling read.
\nOver all, this is a riotous read. Suspend your disbelief at the first page, jump in with macabre glee, after all this is fiction, and have a fun, frightening, all to plausible ride on the horror-tinged train.
\n", "date_published": "2026-05-18T11:02:00-04:00", "url": "https://alexandrawolfe.ca/2026/05/18/cold-storage-by-david-koepp/", "tags": ["Book Review","Thriller"] }, { "id": "http://alexink.micro.blog/2026/05/17/the-lost-symbol-by-dan/", "title": "The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown", "content_html": "I spent a day reading this fast paced, fun read, that takes you on another Dan Brown whirlwind ride. This time around it’s the US Capital, Washington DC, as opposed to some European City. But whatever the city, you know to suspend your sense of disbelief on the the first page, and just jump in.
\nThe author packs in the right ingredients with just the right amount of action and intrigue to keep you flipping the pages in fast succession. Whether or not the characters look like they (and the rather outlandish situations they subsequently find themselves in) were written with a movie in mind can be forgiven because, well, let’s just say, they’re easily identifiable with and leave it at that. Regardless, you will find yourself there with them and, if not rooting for them, at least enjoying gallivanting all over Washington’s famous monuments, and seeing them in a new light. The dialogue is unabashed, the info dumps easy to digest, and the characters written in the mould we’ve come to expect.
\nWhether you like Dan Brown, or not, is beside the point. We all know he doesn’t write great literature, what he does write is accessible, fun, though-provoking, fast-paced thrillers that are a thoroughly enjoyable read. You can’t go to wrong with this one. If a fan already, I recommend you buy the hardback edition, if not, then wait for the paperback, or check it out from the library.
\nAs far as I am concerned, this is worth skipping a couple of Starbuck’s lattes to buy. Always a fun read.
\n", "date_published": "2026-05-17T11:07:00-04:00", "url": "https://alexandrawolfe.ca/2026/05/17/the-lost-symbol-by-dan/", "tags": ["Book Review","Thriller"] }, { "id": "http://alexink.micro.blog/2026/05/16/the-romanov-prophecy-by-steve/", "title": "The Romanov Prophecy by Steve Berry", "content_html": "THE ROMANOV PROPHECY is another fast-paced thriller that is pure popcorn entertainment from the first page, till the last. A rip-roaring romp through the streets, and politics, of Moscow, in a possible near-future where Russia, looking for it’s roots, is set on the restoration of the Monarchy. And looking for the next in line, and most direct heir to the murdered house of Romanov, a Commission is assembled.
\nStraight out of the gate, Miles Lord—a black American lawyer and part of the firm looking into the background of the hot favourite to ascend the throne, Stefan Baklanov—is running for his life, as gunmen open fire on him in the middle of a lunchtime crowd. From here on in Miles is in a race to piece together who is shooting at him, and want him dead, and why.
\nPart of what makes a Steve Berry novel entertaining and fun is the twist he takes on the tried and tested formula, adding his own touches like having a tall, athletic, black man the unlikely hero racing against time, the odds, corrupt government officials, the Russian mob, and an unlikely group of men hellbent on making Baklanov their Tsar puppet.
\nThrow in a love-interest with a twist of her own—she’s a circus acrobat—and have the pair thrust into the midst of an ancient prophecy they have to solve along the way. And the story is ripe for plenty of action, near-escapes, shoot-outs, as the pair piece together the clues that take them from Moscow, to St. Petersburg, Siberia and back to America.
\nWhat I also love about a Steve Berry novel is the history he always manages to incorporate. Most of what’s quoted in THE ROMANOV PROPHECY is documented fact. What’s Berry has done is take those facts and created a very plausible, if somewhat fantastical story that has you thinking.
\nThe settings are authentic, the secondary characters have some depth to them, and the dialogue is exactly what you’d expect for this kind of thriller. The plot and pacing are brisk, and play out nicely to a very satisfactory conclusion. All-in-all, a thoroughly enjoyable read.
\n", "date_published": "2026-05-16T11:57:00-04:00", "url": "https://alexandrawolfe.ca/2026/05/16/the-romanov-prophecy-by-steve/", "tags": ["Book Review","Thriller"] } ] }