Resurrection Walk by Michael Connelly
There is nothing more rewarding for mystery-thriller fans than a genre giant who just keeps getting better. That’s an apt description of Michael Connelly whose latest in his Lincoln Lawyer series, Resurrection Walk, further elevates his craft.
Criminal lawyer extraordinaire Mickey Haller trades flash for a return to his roots defending the underdog. And he’s got just the person to find worthy candidates in his half-brother, the irrepressible Harry Bosch, who scours prison rosters for the falsely convicted. One of these is a woman who was jailed for the killing of a sheriff’s deputy. When Bosch’s own investigation indicates otherwise, Haller does what he does best: take on a corrupt system and ignoble public servants driven by their own interests, including the sheriff’s department at the root of the perceived injustice.
Resurrection Walk races along at a blistering clip, as riveting as it is relentless. Haller, Bosch and Connelly himself are all a bit older and grayer but all three are more on their game than ever, turning longtime readers into the real winners.
Only If You’re Lucky by Stacy Willingham
Stacy Willingham has become the modern-day master of the psychological thriller, the reasons for which are all on display in the flat-out terrific Only If You’re Lucky.
This college-based neo-noir features a pair of coeds, Margot and Lucy, a mismatched team who share a mind-bending experience over multiple semesters at a posh Ivy League-like school. That’s where murder joins the available class list when a frat boy turns up dead. Both girls, of course, harbor deadly secrets in their past and little is as it appears to be as their relationship evolves into the friendship from hell.
Only If You’re Lucky is one of those books fans of Lisa Gardner and Harlan Coben will find themselves lucky to discover. Willingham’s latest, though, also evokes comparisons with Donna Tart’s The Secret History, even as it rises to the top of the list of campus-based mysteries.
Front Sight by Stephen Hunter
Stephen Hunter’s Front Sight seamlessly and sensationally serves up three for the price of one for Swagger family saga fans.
Not only does Bob Lee make a triumphant return to the page, but we’re also treated to novella-length adventures featuring his grandfather Charles and dad Earl, each better than the last. Charles Swagger opens the action with what starts out as a pursuit of the notorious gangster Baby Face Nelson before that morphs into him chasing down drug dealers and kingpins wreaking havoc on Chicago. Old-fashioned gunfighter Earl, meanwhile, follows the trail of bank robbers to something much bigger. Finally, Bob Lee himself takes the detective mantel from his forbears to track down a serial killer.
Look, as a huge Hunter fan, I’d be the first to admit his last few books haven’t quite measured up to the early seminal efforts that introduced Bob the Nailer to thriller fandom. Front Sight, though, features a rejuvenated author going back to his roots of tough men with guns fighting bad guys. So, too, his writing is back to its staccato brilliance, making his latest an extraordinary effort that is not to be missed.
The Missing Witness by Allison Brennan
Speaking of not to be missed, look no further than Allison Brennan’s The Missing Witness, her latest in the outstanding Quinn and Costa series.
Detective Kara Quinn is in Los Angeles to close the loop on an old case in court, only to have things erupt into chaos when the kingpin of the human trafficking ring she decimated gets gunned down himself. And that’s just the start of the bloodshed and revelations that turn the story on its head. Fortunately, FBI agent Matt Costa is there to help Kara sort through the morass, as both of them deftly maneuver to stay clear of the maelstrom of violence themselves.
Brennan’s storytelling style is scintillating and seductive, a masterful mix of plot and pacing. Both her talent and ambition have risen markedly over the years and books, with The Missing Witness planting her firmly on the hallowed ground of Karin Slaughter and Lisa Scottoline.
Argylle by Elly Conway
Elly Conway’s Argylle is getting a lot of attention these days, mostly because of the movie by the same title that was just released in theaters. But the book has the chops to be considered on its own.
In large part, that’s because the title character is so appealing and easy to relate to, as well as the fact that the villain this reluctant hero must stop is a Russian strongman eyeing world domination. Having caught the eye of the CIA, Argylle ends up becoming the agency’s student and servant, willing to do their bidding, after living a simple life in Thailand to heal old wounds. His life as a spy opens some new ones, largely inflicted in his quest to thwart the mechanizations of the evil plot.
Previews of the film seem to indicate the producers took plenty of liberties with the story. All told and as is, the book is an elegant throwback to the classic spy fiction of Robert Ludlum at his best and even the likes of Len Deighton and Frederick Forsyth.
Betrayal by Phillip Margolin
Finding a good legal thriller these days is only slightly harder than finding any legal thrillers at all. That’s why I greeted Phillip Margolin’s Betrayal with excitement and the book easily lived up to my lofty expectations.
The seventh book to feature criminal lawyer Robin Lockwood now places her among the best trial attorneys to be had in Portland, Oregon. Years before she’d been a champion mixed martial arts fighter until a rival viciously ended her career. It’s that rival Robin finds herself defending on a murder charge here. Oh, and she’s currently dating the prosecutor she’s up against in court. And that marks only the beginning of the complications she’s facing.
Betrayal spirits us along a twisty turny road in a breezy style that belies a dark undercurrent at the story’s heart. Robin has never been better and neither has Margolin who’s not afraid to challenge her emotionally every step of the way. His work is every bit the equal of Grisham’s, Turow’s, and the aforementioned Michael Connelly’s Lincoln Lawyer series. My verdict: a great book that will answer the cravings of any legal thriller fan.
Perfect Shot by Steve Urszenyi
Steve Urszenyi’s Perfect Shot is one of those debut novels so polished and precise that it actually feels lifted from the middle of a series.
The great appeal of the book’s hero, former Army sniper and current FBI agent Alexandra Martel, is mostly to blame there. Her inaugural adventure finds Alexandra assigned to Interpol, a capacity in which she learns an old spy friend has been murdered. Before you can say “George Smiley,” Alexandra is off on an international romp to find why he was killed and extract some vengeance in the process.
The George Smiley reference is especially appropriate, since Urszenyi’s plotting and the texture of his writing reads like post-modern John le Carre. He strikes all the right tones in crafting a modern-day masterpiece of international intrigue that qualifies as a major debut in this superb international thriller.
