The Bottom Line: This rapid-fire spy novel features an irresistible premise and brims with ample doses of romance.  A young woman wakes up at City Memorial Hospital with a broken ankle, a concussion, some abrasions on her hands and face – and no recollection of how she got there. The possessions in her hospital room reveal a flip phone and ten dollars, but no identification or credit cards. She knows only that her name might be Jamie. Thankfully, she has left herself a well-marked trail of breadcrumbs leading to essential resources. Around her neck, she finds a locker key with the n ..read more

The Bottom Line: A small town murder mystery that is anything but small. Right Across the Bay is a must-read whodunnit infused with romance, betrayal and an unforgettable finale.  Set in a seemingly tranquil lakeside community in southwestern Minnesota, Right Across the Bay opens as sheriffs recover the watery remains of fitness guru Britta Baxter. Three decades earlier, Britta and her cousin/BFF Maxine spent summers together at Lake Shetek. Both subsequently went to college, lived in New York and got married. But four years after Britta decid ..read more

The Bottom Line: A fast-paced, high-stakes romantic suspense thriller. As the sequel to Kimberly A. Biggerstaff’s Lex’s Story begins, U.S. Air Force Captain Lex Rogov has a complicated personal life. Lex has a daughter from a previous relationship who will be living with them now that his ex is moving to Romania. Meanwhile, Lex is expecting a son, Alek, with new wife Laura.  And that’s far from it. A delicious wrinkle is Lex’s stalker, Cindy, a bartender with whom Lex may or may not have had a one-night stand. When Laura finds out, she seems ready to call it quits. What she doesn’t reali ..read more

The Bottom Line: A provocative, smoldering small town romantic suspense thriller that fans of Big Little Lies will love. Each summer, high school sisters Bella and Mia Hughes work in their family’s lakeside resort in Minnesota. After hours, they spend their time hanging out with a close circle of friends and flirting with boys on the lake. But their idyllic summer existence comes to an abrupt end when a boating accident hurls the sisters and their friends into the rocky shoreline. All abroad are hurled into relative safety. But when Mia regains consciousness, there’s no trace of Bella. Except ..read more

The Bottom Line: An exhilarating revenge thriller that will hold readers breathless from start to finish.  Risky Assets, the second book in Rachael Eckles’ stylish Trading Secrets series, continues the journey of financier and illuminati Celeste Donovan. In book one, we witnessed how Celeste’s uncommon intellect, illuminati ties and seemingly limitless resources were scant protection from sadistic ex-lover Omar.  As book two begins, Celeste is on a roll. She’s running one of the world’s top hedge funds, has just created a bustling new office in Paris, and is ..read more

The Bottom Line: This magical eastern European crime caper is filled with crackling romantic suspense, priceless artifacts, stoic philosophy and a truly stunning character arc.  As two Americans embark on a journey to Krakow in 1999, their quest to test the waters of a budding romance inadvertently thrust them into a web of theft, murder and magic. While in Poland, historian Adam Kasper is drawn to papers within the archives of a cavernous museum. Meanwhile, journalist and girlfriend Joan Templeton, who has no such obsessions, soon finds herself taken with local lecturer Rudy Vander Lage ..read more

The Bottom Line: High-stakes tech meets romantic suspense in this heart-pounding thriller.  Voted the Best Spy Thriller of 2021. Scientist Marcus Hall’s new invention, the Marc1, is a breakthrough in 5G technology. But it’s also a marvel of neuroscience. After causing drowsiness and deep sleep, it hyper-stimulates emotions while turning off higher-functioning brain activity. While the technology could make a lot of people rich, someone close to Marcus also has plans to use it for nefarious purposes. Could it be suspicious lab assistant Henry, sexy project manager Sarah, or even well-meani ..read more

The Bottom Line: Filled with jaw-dropping shockers, The Housemaid’s Secret is a must-read. As housemaid Millie struggles to find gainful employment without being questioned about her murky past, she feels fortunate when the affluent Garrick family hires her to clean their luxurious penthouse and prepare sumptuous meals in their shiny kitchen. It seems like the perfect job for Millie, who plans to keep a low profile until she can earn a degree and become a social worker. But something seems off. Millie has yet to meet Mrs. Garrick, and she can’t shake the feeling that there’s something strange ..read more

The Bottom Line: One of the year’s best romantic suspense thrillers. Vera Moon lives in a dilapidated apartment building with her grown son Charlie, squeaking by on her social security payments and what little Charlie brings in. Her hardscrabble existence is turned on its head when she comes home and discovers their dog, Brandy, slashed, chained and left to die. Then she finds Charlie’s decapitated head on a blood-soaked mattress. Tangled Lies traces Vera’s quest to solve her son’s grizzly murder. Within three months, she and daughter Liza are the victims of a hit-and-run car accident that lea ..read more

The Bottom Line: An expertly crafted romantic suspense thriller that will have your blood running cold from the get-go. Author Saralyn Richard has created a potent heroine in Quinn McFarland, who is nearing 30 and lives alone with her Westie, Calvin. Quinn is no stranger to death. A mortician in the family mortuary, Quinn has learned to steel herself to get the job done – even if that means chewing three packs of gum to distract her mind and senses as she preps a body. But this summer is about to test her like no other time in her life. Her brother — who has been battling diabetes and is in u ..read more