So far, 2023 has been another very strong year for thrillers.
Incredibly, some of the year’s very best thrillers aren’t even out yet. So, in a lot of ways, we’re just getting started. As summer heats up, most of the genre’s biggest stars tend to launch new books, and we’ll have plenty of coverage on all of those forthcoming new releases in real time. For now, though, let’s take a second to look back at the very best thrillers that have already come out this year—and if any of these titles aren’t on your TBR pile . . . you might want to add ’em on there right away.
Happy Reading!
The House of Wolves by James Patterson and Mike Lupica
Release Date: January 10th
Jenny Wolf’s murdered father has left her in charge of a multi-billion-dollar empire—a newspaper, a football team, a holding company . . . and a family that makes Succession’s Roys and Yellowstone’s Duttons seem tame.
The Wolfs, the most powerful family in California, have a new head–thirty-six-year-old former high school teacher Jenny Wolf. That means Jenny now runs the prestigious San Francisco Tribune. She also controls the legendary pro football team, the Wolves. And she hopes to solve her father’s murder. The most suspenseful family story since Succession or Yellowstone.
From TRBS: Mike Lupica is one of the most talented writers in the game today. When I think of Lupica, the word “range” comes to mind, as he’s demonstrated the ability to churn out everything from fast-paced thrillers to hard-boiled noir. I’m a huge fan of hits, and when you add James Patterson to the mix, what more do you need?
Release Date: January 17th
An ex-cop takes on a widespread criminal organization targeting midwestern towns in this new thriller from the author of The Old Man
When a sudden crime wave hits several small midwestern towns, the U.S. Attorney for the region calls on Harry Duncan to investigate. An ex-cop known for his unorthodox methods, Duncan is reluctant to go up against a widespread criminal organization―but the attorney in question is Ellen Leicester, the wife who left him fifteen years earlier, and to her, he can’t say no.
Initially brought in as a consultant to determine if the racketeering is severe enough to require an all-out investigation by the FBI, Duncan quickly finds himself in conflict with a syndicate far more violent than first suspected. As the investigation develops, he begins compiling a “murder book,” the notebook in which a detective keeps records, interviews, photos―everything he needs to build his case. But his scrutiny of the gang soon makes Duncan a target. And Ellen, too.
A thrilling and suspenseful tour of crime-addled midwestern towns, Murder Book is signature Thomas Perry, with characters you won’t soon forget, crisply-described action sequences, and breathlessly-tense plotting that will keep you racing through the pages.
From TRBS: Perry’s The Old Man, adapted for TV on FX, is a classic. This one might be even better.
The Devil’s Ranson by Brad Taylor
Release Date: January 24th
In the latest explosive thriller from New York Times bestselling author and former special forces officer Brad Taylor, Pike Logan races to stop an insidious attack orchestrated by a man who knows America’s most treasured secrets.
Conducting a routine cover development trip to Tajikistan, Pike and Jennifer learn that Afghanistan has fallen, and there’s a man on the run. One that has done more for the United States in Afghanistan than anyone else. Pulled in to extract him, Pike collides headlong into a broader mystery: His covert company, along with every other entity in the Taskforce, has been hit with a ransomware attack, and there’s some connection between the Taliban and the hack. Given the order to track down the perpetrators, he has no idea that the problem set is much, much larger and more dangerous than a simple attack on his organization. That hack was just a test-run, and the real one is coming soon, engendered by a former NSA specialist in the U.S. government.
A man who wants to return to the bipolar world of the Cold War, the turncoat has cloaked his attack behind hackers from Serbia and Russia, and if successful, his target will alter the balance of power on the global stage. So far, the specialist has remained one step ahead of the Taskforce, but he has just made one massive mistake: hitting Pike Logan.
From TRBS: Taylor continues to dominate the military thriller genre. I’m not sure who’s in second place, but I can tell you the gap between them is wide. The Devil’s Ransom is some of his best work to date and delivers everything you could possibly want in a thriller.
The House Guest by Hank Phillippi Ryan
Release Date: February 7th
The House Guest is another diabolical cat-and-mouse thriller from USA Today bestselling author Hank Phillippi Ryan―but which character is the cat, and which character is the mouse?
After every divorce, one spouse gets all the friends. What does the other one get? If they’re smart, they get the benefits. Alyssa Macallan is terrified when she’s dumped by her wealthy and powerful husband. With a devastating divorce looming, she begins to suspect her toxic and manipulative soon-to-be-ex is scheming to ruin her―leaving her alone and penniless. And when the FBI shows up at her door, Alyssa knows she really needs a friend.
And then she gets one. A seductive new friend, one who’s running from a dangerous relationship of her own. Alyssa offers Bree Lorrance the safety of her guest house, and the two become confidantes. Then Bree makes a heart-stoppingly tempting offer. Maybe Alyssa and Bree can solve each others’ problems.
But no one is what they seem. And the fates and fortunes of these two women twist and turn until the shocking truth emerges: You can’t always get what you want. But sometimes you get what you deserve.
TRBS: One of my favorite writers working today (and one of my favorite people in the industry), Hank Phillip Ryan kicks it into another gear with The House Guest. Trust me, once you start, you won’t be able to stop.
The Last Orphan by Gregg Hurwitz
Release Date: February 14th
Evan Smoak returns in The Last Orphan, the latest New York Times bestselling Orphan X thriller–when everything changes and everything is at risk.
As a child, Evan Smoak was plucked out of a group home, raised and trained as an off-the-books assassin for the government as part of the Orphan program. When he broke with the program and went deep underground, he left with a lot of secrets in his head that the government would do anything to make sure never got out.
When he remade himself as The Nowhere Man, dedicated to helping the most desperate in their times of trouble, Evan found himself slowly back on the government’s radar. Having eliminated most of the Orphans in the program, the government will stop at nothing to eliminate the threat they see in Evan. But Orphan X has always been several steps ahead of his pursuers.
Until he makes one little mistake…
Now the President has him in her control and offers Evan a deal – eliminate a rich, powerful man she says is too dangerous to live and, in turn, she’ll let Evan survive. But when Evan left the Program he swore to only use his skills against those who really deserve it. Now he has to decide what’s more important – his principles or his life.
From TRBS: Orphan X is back, and this time, he faces a moral conundrum like never before. A one-sit read that’ll have you flipping pages into the night, Hurwitz is on his A-game here, delivering another winner. If you aren’t reading this series, you really should check out out ASAP.
Release Date: February 21st
Court Gentry is caught between the Russian mafia and the CIA in this latest electrifying thriller in the #1 New York Times bestselling Gray Man series.
When you kick over a rock, you never know what’s going to crawl out.
Alex Velesky is about to discover that the hard way. He’s stolen records from the Swiss bank that employs him, thinking that he’ll uncover a criminal conspiracy. But he soon finds that he’s tapped into the mother lode of corruption. Before he knows it, he’s being hunted by everyone from the Russian mafia to the CIA.
Court Gentry and his erstwhile lover, Zoya Zakharova, find themselves on opposites poles when it comes to Velesky. They both want him but for different reasons.
That’s a problem for tomorrow. Today they need to keep him and themselves alive. Right now, it’s not looking good.
From TRBS: I’ll just say it. Burner is Greaney’s best work to date. My favorite Gray Man book has always been Back Blast, which is one of my all-time favorite thrillers. But this one is better. Seriously.
Release Date: February 21st
The world is more volatile, unpredictable, and dangerous than ever before. To stop the architect of this chaos, Dempsey is given the most dangerous tasking of his career … a mission only he can complete against an adversary he must face alone.
After Task Force Ember’s successful intervention in Ukraine, John Dempsey disappears without a trace — with no notice or explanation given to his teammates. Spotty intelligence eventually places him in Russia where he is rumored to have been captured by the Russian FSB and is now presumed dead. Mourning his loss, Ember is forced to pick up the pieces, restructure, and continue their mission of keeping America safe. As the president’s “go-to” black ops asset, Ember is directed to find and finish off the Russian spymaster Arkady Zhukov and any last remnants of Zeta cell.
Unbeknownst to his teammates, Dempsey is very much alive and on mission. At behest of Vice President Jarvis, he is deep undercover — in the heart of Russia’s nexus of organized crime and politics. For his mission to succeed, he will have to team up with a man who has been his adversary — the one man in all the world he most wants dead. The risks are higher than ever, as Dempsey pursues a high-stakes plot of Russian regime change. And if he fails, the Kremlin’s retribution will be swift and terrible and certain to drag the world into World War III.
From TRBS: Knowing their fans had been impatiently waiting for the next Dempsey book, Andrews & Wilson dialed up one of their most explosive adventures yet—delivering the kind of reading experience that only they can.
It’s One of Us by J.T. Ellison
Release Date: February 21st
“A heart-stoppingly tense thriller about the price of secrets and the layers behind every marriage.” —Ruth Ware, New York Times bestselling author of The It Girl and The Woman In Cabin 10
Everybody lies. Even the ones you think you know best of all . . .
Olivia Bender designs exquisite home interiors that satisfy the most demanding clients. But her own deepest desire can’t be fulfilled by marble counters or the perfect rug. She desperately wants to be a mother. Fertility treatments and IVF keep failing. And just when she feels she’s at her lowest point, the police deliver shocking news to Olivia and her husband, Park.
DNA results show that the prime suspect in a murder investigation is Park’s son. Olivia is relieved, knowing this is a mistake. Despite their desire, the Benders don’t have any children. Then comes the confession. Many years ago, Park donated sperm to a clinic. He has no idea how many times it was sold—or how many children he has sired.
As the murder investigation goes deeper, more terrible truths come to light. With every revelation, Olivia must face the unthinkable. The man she married has fathered a killer. But can she hold that against him when she keeps such dark secrets of her own?
This twisting, emotionally layered thriller explores the lies we tell to keep a marriage together–or break each other apart . . .
From TRBS: Eliison returned with another nail-biter in 2023. One of my go-to authors whenever I need a book that’ll grab me and provide more than a few thills, she’s in top form here, and this book is perfect for fans of Harlan Coben and Gillian Flynn.
Release Date: February 28th
Wyoming Game Warden Joe Pickett investigates a mysterious death at a secret remote high-tech facility in this riveting new novel from #1 New York Times bestseller C.J. Box
When a prominent University of Wyoming professor goes missing, authorities are stumped. That is, until Joe Pickett makes two surprising discoveries while hunting down a wounded elk on his district as an epic spring storm descends upon him. First, he finds the professor’s vehicle parked on a remote mountainside. Then Joe finds the professor’s frozen and mutilated body. When he attempts to learn more, his investigation is obstructed by federal agents, extremists, and Governor Colter Allen.
Nate Romanowski is rebuilding his falconry company—and financing this through crypto mining with the assistance of Geronimo Jones. He’s then approached by a shadowy group of local militant activists that is gaining in power and influence, and demanding that Wyoming join other western states and secede from the union—by force, if necessary. They ask Nate to throw in with them, but he’s wary. Should he trust them, or is he being set up?
As a storm of peril gathers around them, Joe and Nate confront it in different ways—and maybe, for the first time, on opposite sides.
From TRBS: The best series in print today, regardless of genre, continues with Storm Watch, a strong contender for book of the year. If you’re not reading Box’s work, you’re really missing out. Change that right away!
Wolf Trap by Connor SullivanRelease Date: March 14th
The acclaimed author of Sleeping Bear, “one of those rare novels that keeps getting better and better and better” (James Patterson), returns with another action-packed thriller following a shadow operative in the midst of a conspiracy with worldwide implications.
Under the direction of the Special Activities Center in the Operations Directorate of the CIA, over three hundred highly trained agents operate in the darkest shadows of the country’s covert wars. Plucked from the highest echelons of America’s special mission units, these individuals go through rigorous training by the Agency to perfect the arts of assassination, sabotage, infiltration, and guerrilla warfare.
According to the United States government, this Ground Branch of the CIA does not exist. But when diplomacy and military intervention fails, the President of the United States calls upon it to solve America’s most dangerous crises.
Brian Rhome, a former Ground Branch paramilitary officer, thought his time within this elite group was over. But now, he’s on a desperate race against time around the globe as he confronts the traumas of his past and unravels a deadly conspiracy that threatens the highest levels of American democracy.
A shocking, unputdownable thrill ride, this novel proves that Connor Sullivan is the “new, must-read author in town” (Chris Hauty, author of Deep State).
From TRBS: Fresh off his Barry Award win in 2022, Sullivan brings the heat with this series starter, introducing readers to a hardened new hero who should anchor this young series for decades to come. One of the most talented writers to burst onto the thriller scene in years, Sullivan is off to one hell of an amazing start.
Loyalty by Lisa Scottoline
Release Date: March 28th
#1 bestselling author Lisa Scottoline presents Loyalty, an emotional, action-packed epic of love and justice, set during the rise of the Mafia in Sicily.
Loyalty can save a soul—or destroy one.
Franco Fiorvanti is a handsome lemon grower toiling on the estate of a baron. He dreams of owning his own grove, but the rigid class system of Sicily thwarts his ambition. Determined to secure a better future, Franco will do anything to prove his loyalty to the baron. But when the baron asks him to kidnap a little boy named Dante, Franco makes a decision that will change his life—and even the history of Sicily—forever.
Gaetano Catalano is an idealistic young lawyer whose devotion to justice is tantamount to a calling. He’s a member of the Beati Paoli, a real-life secret society of aristocrats who investigate crime in Palermo, a city riddled with graft. Gaetano sets out to find the boy and punish the kidnapper, but his mission leads him to a darker place than he had ever imagined.
Meanwhile, Mafalda Pancari is a new mother rejoicing at the birth of her daughter, Lucia, when disaster strikes. And Alfredo D’Antonio is a reclusive goatherd under constant threat of being discovered as a Jew. How the lives of these unforgettable characters collide makes Loyalty an epic tale of good versus evil, as the story twists and turns to its monumental showdown.
Readers will be transported to the dramatic and ruggedly beautiful island of Sicily, the jewel of the Mediterranean, where lush lemon groves and mouth-watering cuisine contrast with a turbulent history of colonization and corruption. Scottoline brings her decades of thriller writing to historical fiction, creating in Loyalty a singular novel that no reader will be able to put down.
From TRBS: You’d be hard-pressed to find an author working today with more range than Scottoline, who continues to deliver in a big way with her latest release. I loved every page of Loyalty. It truly is remarkable how Scottoline can take on such different concepts, matching the tone of her story with unflinching prose that grabs and holds your attention from beginning to end.
City of Dreams by Don WinslowRelease Date: April 18th
Hot on the heels of the “superb” (Stephen King) New York Times bestseller City on Fire comes the explosive second novel in an epic crime trilogy from #1 internationally bestselling author Don Winslow.
Danny Ryan, a young widower and mob underboss, has left the East Coast and settled in California with his young son in tow. The move has been good for Danny; in his new base of operations, his power, influence, and wealth have grown. Now he’s heading up to Hollywood to rein in two of his crew, who are shaking down a film being made about their involvement in the New England crime war.
At the film set, Danny finds himself in a replica of his old neighborhood, standing face-to-face with an actor who’s portraying him, and Diane Carson, the actress playing his late wife. Danny is immediately drawn to Diane, but soon learns of a crime in her past that Diane is desperate to cover up. As Danny tries to help Diane, he goes to war against new enemies who don’t want him moving in on their West Coast action, and their two worlds pull them in different, dangerous directions.
From TRBS: One of the most prolific writers alive today, Winslow followed up his hit 2022 novel, City on Fire, with yet another page-turner that, believe it or not, might just be his best work to date . . . which is really saying something when you consider his body of work. This one left me stunned.
Release Date: April 25th
Off the northeast coast of Russia, the captain and crew of a small crabbing vessel are brutally murdered by members of the Russian Mafia. After the Bratva thugs stuff the dead bodies into crab pots and throw them overboard, they scuttle the vessel off the coast of Alaska and slip ashore.
In Washington DC, Supreme Court Justice Charlotte Morehouse prepares for a trip to Alaska, unaware that a killer is waiting to take his revenge—by livestreaming her death to the world.
In Anchorage, Alaska, Deputy US Marshals Arliss Cutter and Lola Teariki are assigned to security detail at a judicial conference in Fairbanks. Lola is tasked with guarding Justice Townsend’s teenaged daughter while Cutter provides counter-surveillance. It’s a simple, routine assignment—until the mother and daughter decide to explore the Alaskan wilderness on the famous Glacier Discovery train. Hiding among the tourists, eccentric locals, and other passengers are the Russian terrorists, who launch a surprise attack when the train reaches a remote area. While they seize control of the engine, Cutter manages to escape with Justice Townsend by jumping off the moving train—and into the unforgiving wilderness.
The chase is on. With no supplies and no connection to the outside world, Cutter and the judge must cross a treacherous terrain and commandeer a raft through an icy river canyon to stay alive. Two of the terrorists are close behind. The others are on the train with the judge’s daughter—and they plan to execute her on camera. With so many lives at stake, Cutter knows there are only two options left: catch the train and kill them all . . . or all will be killed.
From TRBS: This series is a bit under the radar, but it shouldn’t be. Cameron is one of the busiest authors working today, and Breakneck is not to be missed.
Release Date: May 2
A brotherhood born in battle is endangered by a deadly secret in the latest astonishing thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of Tom Clancy Zero Hour and Hostile Intent.
As a team, Matt Drake and his partner, Frodo, have watched each other’s backs through some very dark days. But one thing they’ve never doubted was their commitment to each other…until now.
Frodo has been accused of a war crime ten years after leaving Afghanistan. Matt is determined to prove his friend innocent, but what will he do when he finds that his closest friend has secrets he won’t share?
From TRBS: Matt Drake is a phenomenal character, and Bentley knows just how to bring him along in a way that draws readers in before blowing them away with the high-flying action sequences that he’s become known for.
Release Date: May 16th
Navy SEAL James Reece faces a devastating global conspiracy in this high-adrenaline thriller that is ripped from the headlines—from the #1 New York Times bestselling author Jack Carr.
In 1980, a freshman congressman was gunned down in Rhode Island, sending shockwaves through Washington that are still reverberating over four decades later.
Now, with the world on the brink of war and a weakened United States facing rampant inflation, political division, and shocking assassinations, a secret cabal of global elites is ready to assume control. And with the world’s most dangerous man locked in solitary confinement, the conspirators believe the final obstacle to complete domination has been eliminated. They’re wrong.
From the firms of Wall Street to the corridors of power in Washington, DC, and Moscow, secrets from the past have the uncanny ability to rise to the surface in the present.
With the odds stacked against him, James Reece is on a mission generations in the making. Unfortunately for his enemies, the former SEAL is not concerned with odds. He is on the warpath. And when James Reece picks up his tomahawk and sniper rifle, no one is out of range.
From “a master novelist” (Ballistic Magazine), Jack Carr brings his signature authenticity to “create an incredibly vivid, emotional, action-packed tapestry of carnage and death” (Coffee or Die Magazine) in a plot that just might predict the headlines of tomorrow.
From TRBS: Jack Carr is the closest thing to Vince Flynn or Tom Clancy that the genre has seen since their heydays, and in all seriousness, has a chance to pass both of them in his career—which is only six books long (so far). It’s unbelievable how much he’s done in that short amount of time, and expectations are high for the former SEAL turned #1 New York Times bestselling author, but if anyone can surpass them, it’s Carr. If this book’s not on your radar, put it there. If I had to crown one book the “best of the year” right now, this one would get my vote.
The Libyan Diversion by Joel C. Rosenberg
Release Date: May 16th
From New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling author Joel C. Rosenberg comes the fifth military and international political thriller in the Marcus Ryker series.
The world’s most wanted terrorist is dead. Marcus Ryker recommended the drone strike himself. The intelligence was rock-solid. But what if it was wrong?
Abu Nakba―the man responsible for lethal attacks in Washington, D.C., London, and Jerusalem―is finally dead. Marcus Ryker has been tasked with hunting down and destroying what’s left of the terror group Kairos.
But before Ryker can mobilize his team of CIA operatives with their new assignment, a disturbing report from Libya suggests all may not be as it seems. The U.S. bombing that should have taken out Nakba’s headquarters now appears to have been a disastrous mistake―and Ryker himself may be responsible.
With Kairos gearing up for a major retaliatory strike against the U.S., time is short, and terror cells may already be inside American borders. But Ryker won’t be able to stop this threat until he clears his own name, and his closest ally inside the White House can no longer help him.
The Libyan diversion threatens to leave Ryker on the sidelines just when his country needs him most.
Packed with action and intrigue, this thriller novel is everything Joel’s fans have come to expect.
From TRBS: The best headline-beater in the business is back with another can’t-miss thriller starring battle-tested operator Marcus Ryker, one of the thriller genre’s brightest new stars. Want to know what future headlines might look like a year or two down the road? Pick up one of Rosenberg’s novels. He’s so on the money with his fictional storylines that it sometimes feels as if media outlets wait to see what he’s writing about to know what to cover.
The Devil You Know by Chris Hauty
Release Date: May 23
A Supreme Court justice is murdered and a conspiracy with potentially cataclysmic effects is uncovered in the latest of the nationally bestselling “edge-of-your-seat” (Book Riot) Hayley Chill series.
When a justice of the Supreme Court is killed by the police officer assigned to protect him, the country is shocked. Hayley Chill’s superiors suspect the assassination is part of a major conspiracy.
In Maui, where one member of the Supreme Court owns a vacation home, a busload of children is taken hostage with the justice’s death as ransom. Together with a deputy US marshal, Hayley embarks on the monumental task of rescuing the children while also protecting the justice. But with danger around every corner and no one to trust, has Hayley finally bitten off more than she can chew?
From TRBS: One of the most talented authors to come along in some time, Hauty brings back his beloved hero, Hayley Chill, for more action in this anticipated follow-up to Storm Rising. Trust me, do not miss this one.
Tom Clancy Flash Point by Don Bentley
Release Date: May 23
If there’s one thing Jack Ryan, Jr’s father taught him, it’s that freedom isn’t free, but nothing can prepare Jack for the price he must pay in the latest electrifying entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling series.
Jack Ryan Jr. is in a world of trouble. When a benign surveillance operation takes a deadly turn, Jack finds himself locked in a struggle with an unseen enemy bent on destroying the Campus. The chase leads Jack to the South China Sea where a midair collision between aircraft from rival nations threatens to serve as a flash point for the entire region. As Jack frantically tries to put the pieces of the conspiracy together, the Campus is hit with a crippling attack. When the dust settles, Jack is one of the few operators still standing and the Campus’s de facto leader. But the fight is just beginning.
As tensions escalate, Jack’s mysterious adversary executes a brilliant campaign to paralyze the American government even as China inches closer to invading Taiwan. With the odds stacked against him and no help in sight, Jack and his shattered team must stop the world’s two remaining super powers from stumbling into war even as the noose around the Campus grows ever tighter.
Every operation has a cost.
This time the bill might just be too much to pay.
From TRBS: Bentley crushed this book, which is probably the most engrossing Jack Ryan Junior thriller in recent memory. That’s not to say other Junior books haven’t been good. They have been, Flash Point goes above and beyond, and Bentley deserves a lot of credit for what he’s done in such a short amount of time with that series.
The Senator’s Wife by Liv Constantine
Release Date: May 23
A D.C. philanthropist suspects that her seemingly perfect employee is secretly plotting to steal her husband, her reputation—even her life—in this seductive novel of psychological suspense from the internationally bestselling author of The Last Mrs. Parrish.
In this town, anyone is replaceable. . . .
After a tragic chain of events led to the deaths of their spouses two years ago, DC philanthropist Sloane Chase and Senator Whit Montgomery are finally starting to move on. The horrifying ordeal drew them together, and now they’re ready to settle down again—with each other.
As Sloane returns to the world of White House dinners and political small talk, this time with her new husband, she’s also preparing for an upcoming hip replacement—the latest reminder of the lupus she’s managed since her twenties. With their hectic schedules, they decide that hiring a home health aide will give Sloane the support and independence she needs postsurgery. And they find the perfect fit in Athena Karras.
Seemingly a godsend, Athena tends to Sloane and even helps her run her charitable foundation. But Sloane slowly begins to deteriorate—a complication, Athena explains, of Sloane’s lupus. As weeks go by, Sloane becomes sicker, and her uncertainty quickly turns to paranoia as she begins to suspect the worst. Why is Athena asking her so many probing questions about her foundation—as well as about her past? And could Sloane be imagining the sultry looks between Athena and her new husband?
Riveting, fast-paced, and full of unbelievable twists, The Senator’s Wife is a psychological thriller that upends the private lives of those who walk the halls of power. Because when you have it all, you have everything to lose.
From TRBS: You might think you know how this one will play out, but I promise you, you won’t figure it out until the ending is revealed. Another good fit for fans of Coben and Flynn.
Release Date: May 30th
Flight attendant turned New York Times bestselling author T. J. Newman—whose first book Falling was an instant #1 national bestseller, an international sensation translated into thirty languages, and the biggest thriller debut of 2021—returns for her second book, which “reads like Apollo 13 underwater” (Don Winslow).
Six minutes after Flight 1421 takes off, it crashes into the ocean.
The passengers who survive the crash think it’s a miracle.
They believe they’re the lucky ones.
Then the plane begins to sink to the ocean floor.
The survivors are trapped inside.
Against all odds, a massive rescue operation is launched to save them.
There is not much time.
There is even less air.
From TRBS: Falling (2022) was one of the biggest debuts I’ve ever covered. That book cemented Newman as a legitimate star in the making, but it’s Drowning—already one of the biggest books of 2023—that proves she has the staying power to do this for a very, very long time. If you’ve not yet discovered her work, you need to. Immediately.
A Killer’s Game by Isabella Maldonado
Release Date: June 1st
An FBI agent with a background in cryptography. A brilliant game maker bent on revenge. A deadly battle of wits and wills. An ingenious thriller from the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Cipher.
FBI agent and former military codebreaker Daniela “Dani” Vega witnesses a murder on a Manhattan sidewalk. The victim is chief of staff for a powerful New York senator. The assassin turned informant is Gustavo Toro. His code: hit the target and don’t ask questions. When Dani suspects a complex conspiracy, the only way to take down the mastermind is from the inside, forcing her to partner with Toro. Together they must infiltrate the inner circle at a remote facility.
Except it’s a trap. For all of them.
Locked in a subterranean labyrinth and held captive by an unseen host, Dani, Toro, and others must fight for their lives. Now Dani must stay undercover, unravel a bizarre conspiracy, and survive lethal puzzles. But will Toro be friend or foe? Because in this killer’s game, everything is real: the paranoia, the desperation, and the body count. And only one person can make it out alive.
From TRBS: Maldonado is one of the most underrated writers on the scene today. Everything she writes is solid-gold. If you’re not already reading her work, don’t keep putting it off.
All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby
Release Date: June 6th
The new novel from New York Times bestselling and Los Angeles Times Book Prize-winning author S. A. Cosby, “one of the most muscular, distinctive, grab-you-by-both-ears voices in American crime fiction.” ―Washington Post.
After years of working as an FBI agent, Titus Crown returns home to Charon County, land of moonshine and cornbread, fist fights and honeysuckle. Seeing his hometown struggling with a bigoted police force inspires him to run for sheriff. He wins, and becomes the first Black sheriff in the history of the county.
Then a year to the day after his election, a young Black man is fatally shot by Titus’s deputies.
Titus pledges to follow the truth wherever it leads. But no one expected he would unearth a serial killer who has been hiding in plain sight, haunting the dirt lanes and woodland clearings of Charon.
Now, Titus must pull off the impossible: stay true to his instincts, prevent outright panic, and investigate a shocking crime in a small town where everyone knows everyone yet secrets flourish. All while also breaking up backroads bar fights and being forced to protect racist Confederate pride marchers.
For a Black man wearing a police uniform in the American South, that’s no easy feat. But Charon is Titus’s home and his heart, and he won’t let the darkness overtake it. Even as it threatens to consume him.
TRBS: A true wordsmith, few writers can capture emotion like Cosby. His books are extraordinarily well written, with an acute attention to detail. But what really makes them hit home is the conviction Cosby writes with when developing his fearless, unflinching plotlines. One of the true masters working today, everything he writes is must-read material.
Inside Threat by Matthew Quirk
Release Date: June 13th
In this electrifying thriller from the author of Red Warning and The Night Agent, an attack on the White House sends the President and his top aides to take shelter in a top-secret government facility buried deep underground—but they soon discover the threat is locked inside with them.
Assume the worst. Code Black.
The day that every secret service agent trains for has arrived. The White House has been breached; the President forced to flee to a massive doomsday bunker outside DC to defend against whatever comes next. Only the most trusted agents and officials are allowed in with him—those dedicated to keeping the government intact at all costs.
Among these is Erik Hill, who has given his life to the Secret Service. They are his purpose and his family, and his impressive record has made him a hero among them. Despite his growing disillusionment from seeing Washington corruption up close, Erik can’t ignore years of instincts honed on the job. The government is under attack, and no one is better equipped to face down the threat than he is.
The evidence leads him to a conspiracy at the highest levels of power, with the attack orchestrated by some of the very individuals now locked in with him. As the killers strike inside the bunker, it will take everything Erik Hill has to save his people, himself, and his country.
TRBS: Quirk’s career skyrocketed after moving to Harper several years back, where he started churning out adrenaline-fueled conspiracy thrillers that bring just as much heat as they to twists and turns. If you liked like The Night Agent and Red Warning, you’re going to love this one.
Release Date: June 20th
The New York Times bestselling “new Agatha Christie” (Air Mail) Ruth Ware returns with this adrenaline-fueled thriller that combines Mr. and Mrs. Smith with The Fugitive about a woman in a race against time to clear her name and find her husband’s murderer.
Hired by companies to break into buildings and hack security systems, Jack and her husband, Gabe, are the best penetration specialists in the business. But after a routine assignment goes horribly wrong, Jack arrives home to find her husband dead. To add to her horror, the police are closing in on their suspect—her.
Suddenly on the run and quickly running out of options, Jack must decide who she can trust as she circles closer to the real killer in this unputdownable and heart-pounding mystery from an author whose “propulsive prose keeps readers on the hook and refuses to let anyone off until all has been revealed” (Shelf Awareness).
From TRBS: Perhaps the best pure storyteller in the genre today, Ware is must-see entertainment each and every time she puts out a new book. If you’re not familiar with her work, this might be a good one to jump in and try—but expect to be twisted, shaken, stirred, and turned upside down. Oh, and kept up all night reading too. Once Ware grabs you, she doesn’t let go.
Praised as “One of the hardest working, most thoughtful, and fairest reviewers out there” by #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Scottoline, Ryan Steck has “quickly established himself as the authority on mysteries and thrillers” (Author A.J. Tata). Steck also works full-time as a freelance editor and is building a growing community on Twitch. His debut thriller, FIELDS OF FIRE, which #1 New York Times bestselling author Jack Carr says “will leave you speechless and begging for more,” is now available. His second novel, LETHAL RANGE, comes out on August 8th. For more information, be sure to follow him on Twitter and Facebook. And to take part in free, exclusive BOOK CLUBS each month, join The Real Book Spy on Discord.