If you think thrillers all look the same, think again. This month’s eight standout novels — from war-torn streets to supernatural small towns — prove the genre still has plenty of surprises up its sleeve.
Strangers in Time: A World War II Novel by David Baldacci
David Baldacci never ceases to amaze me, the reasons for which are clearly on display in his latest book, Strangers in Time: A World War II Novel (Grand Central), further showcasing his seminal versatility and willingness to stretch his talents.
Our setting is World War II London, where 14-year-old Charlie Matters steals to survive. Charlie feels conjured straight out of Charles Dickens, a masterful mix of the Artful Dodger and Oliver Twist. He finds a kindred spirit in Molly Wakefield, who’s a year older and equally broken. So is Baldacci’s version of a non-criminal Fagin, bookstore owner Ignatius Oliver, who becomes their de facto parent, even as the three teach each other about trust and survival.
The heroes may be teenagers, but don’t confuse “Strangers in Time” with a young adult novel, because it’s not. It’s very much an adult tale told through the eyes, both jaded and hopeful, of its magnificent heroes who find light amid the darkness and hope within the despair. This is a masterpiece of a tale, as artfully crafted as it is beautifully told.
Into the Gray Zone by Brad Taylor
Brad Taylor is no stranger to stretching his talents either, as displayed in Into the Gray Zone (Morrow), which brings back our old friend Pike Logan operating out of an entirely new landscape.
This time out, the action centers in India when that country is roiled by a series of escalating terrorist attacks that threaten to upset the fragile global order. Fortunately, Logan is there to prevent an attack in the offing amidst a meeting between CIA officials and their Indian counterparts. But that only scratches the surface of this uber-sophisticated thriller that postulates economic ends behind these violent means by plotters who feast financially on instability.
Taylor’s well-proven, masterfully crafted action scenes are equaled only by his keen grasp of the global political environment that is indeed a journey Into the Gray Zone. He stands alone among his counterparts in crafting tales worthy of both John le Carre and Robert Ludlum, and his latest is a heady mix of brains and brawn that is not to be missed.
The Silversmith's Puzzle by Nev March
Speaking of India, worldbuilding, it turns out, isn’t limited to fantasy and science fiction. It’s alive and well in historical mystery fiction, as witnessed in Nev March’s scintillating The Silversmith’s Puzzle (Minotaur).
The world in question is 1894 colonial India, where Lady Diana Framji and Captain Jim Aginhotri take center stage once more. The loss of her family’s fortune portends a major lifestyle change for Lady Diana, but not before she races to prove her brother innocent of a murder he did not commit. The key, cryptic clue lies in the shadowy work of his silversmith business partner, but the fun lies in our heroes struggling to solve the mystery against India’s closed caste system and other societal challenges
The Silversmith’s Puzzle reads like a throwback to classic mysteries of lore like Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile with a fine sprinkling of Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose thrown in for good measure. March proves herself a master craftsman in offering us a glimpse into India’s conflicted history, which forms the perfect backdrop for a mystery shrouded in shadows and subterfuge.
The Boomerang by Robert Bailey
The state of political thrillers these days reminds me of what Samuel Johnson said about a dog walking on its hind legs: It is seldom done well, but you are surprised to see it being done at all. Well, Robert Bailey does it and extremely well in The Boomerang (Thomas & Mercer).
After the president of the United States is miraculously cured of cancer, his stalwart chief of staff Eli James seeks the same treatment for his similarly afflicted teenage daughter. Leaving no stone unturned, Eli’s quest turns up far more than he bargains for in the form of a far-reaching government conspiracy and cover-up that has placed millions of lives at stake. That forces him into a kind of Faustian bargain with a power broker who may be his only hope of saving both his daughter and, even, the country.
I love thrillers, especially political ones, that confront us with moral dilemmas. And The Boomerang features the granddaddy of them all in how far would you go, and what lines would you cross, to do what’s right? The answers to those questions make Bailey’s latest a modern-day version of Alan Drury’s classic Advise and Consent. This is pop culture entertainment at its level best, as riveting as it is relentless.
Another Fine Mess by Lindy Ryan
If you’re missing the great Charlaine Harris’ True Blood series, look no further than Lindy Ryan’s Another Fine Mess (Minotaur), a steamy Texas-based tale in which Lenore Evans and her granddaughter Luna return to again keep the dead in the ground where they belong.
This time, though, they’re forced to contend with another brand of evil, based in flesh and blood, that doesn’t operate on the same rules. That said, there’s also something out there killing people, then stealing their body parts and teeth. A monster, human or otherwise, of some sort is clearly afoot, but how can our heroes born of two vastly different generations find and defeat it?
The creative marriage of horror and small towns has given us such classics as Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot and Stephen Graham Jones’ My Heart is a Chainsaw. Another Fine Mess does those one better by offering a character in Luna of conflicted origins in her own right, leading to a deep exploration on the nature of true evil and turning Ryan’s latest into a must-read for horror fans.
Godwinks for Moms: True Stories by Squire Rushnell and Louise Duart
Taking a break from real things that go bump in the night, look no further than Godwinks for Moms: True Stories (Howard Books) from Squire Rushnell and Louise Duart, continuing their “Godwinks” series of uplifting stories designed to restore our faith in the human spirit.
The thirty-two stories celebrate moms in every conceivable way, presenting them as the everyday heroes seldom celebrated in print since the days of the great Studs Terkel. Given the authors’ affinity for animals, their latest celebrates dog and cat moms as well. There are sad stories as well as happy ones, and some that morph from the latter to the former, the common themes being resilience in the face of adversity and love as the most dominant force in the universe.
Godwinks for Moms isn’t just the perfect Mother’s Day gift, it’s also destined to be an enduring testament to everything motherhood represents, presenting a unified message in these times that defy anything of the sort. Beautifully crafted and pitch-perfect in its message.
White King by Juan Gomez-Jurado
Juan Gomez-Jurado’s White King (Minotaur) is an early candidate for most original thriller of 2025, a more polished and procedural version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and the series it spawned.
Investigator Antonia Scott has a gift that’s equal parts intuition and observation that brands her a modern-day Sherlock Holmes and then some. She’s part of a secretive organization called Red Queen, a kind of Interpol on steroids for which she solves the most impossible crimes imaginable undertaken by the most fiendish of killers. In “White King,” Antonia finds herself matching wits with one of them in a truly devilish game of cat-and-mouse that will test all of her skills as well as courage.
At its best, which is pretty much all the time, Gomez-Jurado’s latest resembles the Thomas Harris classic Red Dragon with Antonia taking the place of the equally gifted and tortured Will Graham. The richly atmospheric tones make White King a splendid neo-noir, as unsettling as it is effective.
Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave by Elle Cosimano
Let’s finish this month’s Thrill List with something a bit lighter in Elle Cosimano’s Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave (Minotaur).
Far from noir, but considerably advanced beyond a cozy as well, the latest tale to feature Finlay and her partner in crime-solving Vero, who doubles as her nanny, takes up the case of a body found in a neighbor’s yard. Things take a turn toward the personal when Finlay’s ex-husband becomes a suspect, though the real skeletons might be the ones rattling around in the neighbor’s, Mrs. Haggerty, closet.
Finlay and Vero make for a great modern-day twist on Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson and this latest series entry wields a typically light touch wrapped in the fabric of a solid procedural. That’s not an easy mix to manage, but Cosimano nails it every step of the way. A blast to read from beginning to end.
