A suspenseful yarn that will satisfy readers’ desire for excitement as well as a thirst for knowledge.
Two lawyers stand up to a big bank and try to find justice for those killed by terrorists in Papantonio and Paulos’ legal thriller.
Joel Hartbeck has had a tough life. In 2008, after surviving an encounter with an Explosively Formed Penetrator, a rumor spread that he was at fault for the deaths of many fellow soldiers because he did not find the device in time. Suffering from PTSD, he fell into a life of addiction and failed relationships. Even after becoming sober and getting his life on track, Joel feels angry at the world, primarily at the government, for what happened to him and so many others. Joel gets a job at Bank Antriol. At first, he’s happy with the good salary and comfortable office work, but soon he discovers something sinister: The bank has been funding terrorists overseas. Meanwhile, Joel starts dating Janet, another employee at the bank, who’s also found concerning transactions. While Joel doesn’t want to lose his job, Janet wants justice and plans to go to the FBI if need be. After Janet is fired for asking too many questions and then found murdered in her home, Joel decides to take action. Joel’s friend from the service, Michael Carey, now works for Nicholas “Deke” Deketomis as a lawyer; the two aid Joel in finding justice. Papantonio and Paulos showcase their immense knowledge of American business’ intersection with terrorism, and the harm such a nexus causes innocent people. While the narrative can sometimes be overburdened with exposition, the characters effectively support the theme of justice. Michael and Deke are worthy heroes who propel the fast-paced story. Similarly, Joel is an excellent character to begin the story with, as he lays the emotional foundation for the significance of the legal battle (“He awoke in a panic. Once again, he was in a cold sweat and his heart was pumping like a jackhammer. After a few anxious seconds, Joel realized where he was and what had happened”).
A suspenseful yarn that will satisfy readers’ desire for excitement as well as a thirst for knowledge.Pub Date: March 19, 2024
ISBN: 9781956763898
Page Count: 360
Publisher: Arcade
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A weird, wild ride.
Celebrity scandal and a haunted lake drive the narrative in this bestselling author’s latest serving of subtly ironic suspense.
Sager’s debut, Final Girls (2017), was fun and beautifully crafted. His most recent novels—Home Before Dark (2020) and Survive the Night (2021) —have been fun and a bit rickety. His new novel fits that mold. Narrator Casey Fletcher grew up watching her mother dazzle audiences, and then she became an actor herself. While she never achieves the “America’s sweetheart” status her mother enjoyed, Casey makes a career out of bit parts in movies and on TV and meatier parts onstage. Then the death of her husband sends her into an alcoholic spiral that ends with her getting fired from a Broadway play. When paparazzi document her substance abuse, her mother exiles her to the family retreat in Vermont. Casey has a dry, droll perspective that persists until circumstances overwhelm her, and if you’re getting a Carrie Fisher vibe from Casey Fletcher, that is almost certainly not an accident. Once in Vermont, she passes the time drinking bourbon and watching the former supermodel and the tech mogul who live across the lake through a pair of binoculars. Casey befriends Katherine Royce after rescuing her when she almost drowns and soon concludes that all is not well in Katherine and Tom’s marriage. Then Katherine disappears….It would be unfair to say too much about what happens next, but creepy coincidences start piling up, and eventually, Casey has to face the possibility that maybe some of the eerie legends about Lake Greene might have some truth to them. Sager certainly delivers a lot of twists, and he ventures into what is, for him, new territory. Are there some things that don’t quite add up at the end? Maybe, but asking that question does nothing but spoil a highly entertaining read.
A weird, wild ride.Pub Date: June 21, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-18319-9
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: March 29, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2022
A touching story of love and grief ends in an epic battle of good versus evil.
Roberts’ latest may move you to tears, or joy, or dread, or all three.
Every summer, John and Cora Fox visit Cora’s mother, Lucy Lannigan, in Redbud Hollow, Kentucky, leaving their children, 12-year-old Thea and 10-year-old Rem, for a two-week taste of heaven. The children love Grammie Lucy far more than John’s snooty family, which looks down on Cora. Lucy, a healer with deep Appalachian roots, loves animals, cooks the best meals, plays musical instruments, and makes soap and candles for her thriving business. Thea—who’s inherited the psychic abilities passed down through the women of Lucy’s family—has vivid magical dreams, one of which becomes a living nightmare when a psychopath robs and murders John and Cora as Thea watches helplessly. Thea’s description of the killer and her ability to see him in real time help the skeptical police catch Ray Riggs, who goes to prison for life. Although Thea and Rem go on to have a wonderful childhood with Grammie, Thea constantly wages a mental battle with Riggs, who tries to use his own psychic abilities to get into her mind. Over the years, Thea uses her imagination to become a game designer while the more business-minded Rem helps manage her career. Thea eventually builds a house near Lucy, where a newly arrived neighbor is her teen crush, singer-songwriter Tyler Brennan. Tyler has his own issues and is protective of his young son but slowly builds a loving relationship with Thea, whose silence about her abilities leads to a devastating misunderstanding. At first Thea tries to keep Riggs locked out of her mind. As her powers grow, she torments him. Finally, she realizes that she must win this battle and destroy him if she’s ever to have peace.
A touching story of love and grief ends in an epic battle of good versus evil.Pub Date: May 21, 2024
ISBN: 9781250289698
Page Count: 432
Publisher: St. Martin's
Review Posted Online: March 23, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2024
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