A corporate thriller set in the not too distant future (or it could be going on now) in a world that has seen upheaval and a giant retail site has taken over lives where you can order anything, it will get to you just as fast and in a nation of high unemployment the owner is seen as almost a God. That company is called the Cloud. The problem is the Cloud's employees are overworked, underpaid and are being psychologically pushed to the limit to perform faster and better or get the ax. Someone needs to get into the really tight security and put a bug in the system that could take it all down. The story is really scary because although futuristic this particular future feels way to close to being a reality. Smart, scary and an interesting look at corporate espionage this will make you think twice before hitting the purchase button on that giant online store.

Wow! This debut deals with a sensitive subject - kidnapped children, but what makes it truly frightening is that they think they have the child killer locked up and then the Whisper Man strikes again. Tom Kennedy is grieving for his dead wife and is struggling to raise their young son, Jake, alone. A new town, a new house and a new school are just what they need until they are told that they live where another child was abducted and Jake seems to still be talking to his imaginary friend and is not having an easy time of it at the new school. Then the whispers begin again. Intense and frighteningly real, prepare yourself for a long sleepless night because you won't put this one down.

Rachel is a law student married to Jack, a passionate defense attorney, who seeks out high profile murder cases. Their marriage hits the rocky ground when Rachel ends up interning with Jack's arch enemy, Martha a killer prosecutor. This is the first law triangle. There is the second law triangle in Rachel's past legal case as a juror which first pit Jack against Martha. The third law triangle is the murder of Rachel's co-worker when she worked for the Senator where Jack and Martha were against each other as well.  Past and present, defense and prosecution and client, boss and spouse - all connected.  How do you know you are on the right side? How do you know that you aren't being used for your connections?  The author knows her way around a courtroom.  Starts off nice and ends with a gut punch that knocks any legal thriller lover flat.

This is the third and final (gasp!) installment of a fascinating trilogy that recreates the adventure, blood lust and heart of the Viking culture. Ragnvald and his family are caught in the grips of war but he still clings to the hope of peace and his loyalty to King Harald who waffles on almost every decision. Ragnvald's sister will be cast off and travel to Iceland in hopes of finding her kidnapped daughter and his sons will leave as they are exiled or led astray by dreams of rebellion. A first-rate saga, meticulously researched and written so vividly you feel as if the sea spray is hitting you as you are drawn in by the heartfelt characters. This series is for you if you dream of conquering new lands, appreciate ancient history and mythology and have a thing for hard as nails Viking warrior women with heart.

A producer of a tv true crime show in Australia helps get a convicted man free of a horrific murder but then finds evidence that may change things. He really questions if he did the right thing when someone else connected to the murder turns up dead. Jack knows he needs to right a wrong so he sets out to find the right killer or killers. Solid thriller featuring an unusual crime solver - a true crime non-professional who succeeds where the police fail.

I think everyone is somewhat fascinated by true crime but they don't want to admit it. This is the first time I have read a true crime book where the author not only describes how they have solved criminal cases but how you can become a crime solver as well. Billy Jensen goes into some of the most maddening unsolved cases he has worked on, in particular, The Golden State Killer that his friend and co-crime solver Michelle McNamara began and he finished with her husband after her sudden passing. He is very open about his obsession and the success he has found utilizing social media. He also shares insight as to his upbringing and how this put him on the path to solving the unsolvable. The stories are fascinating, his methods are unusual and his determination for justice is admirable.
In choosing to only fight to find the killers in cases where the police have given up because of lack of leads or for not being high profile, Billy Jensen has become his own version of Batman and he is urging all of us to be his Boy Wonder.

Cassie is a tough P.I. who used to be a tough cop in Montana. She has been hired to do some fact checking on a case involving a man from a cowboy mafia family who supposedly raped his young niece. As much as she wants to lock up this guy some of the "facts" just aren't sitting well. The more she looks into things the tighter the noose that this influential family has around her neck becomes. It is hard to look for justice in a town that seems to be bought and paid for by this awful family. Solid police/ western thriller with a great big-hearted female character that you want to hear more from.

This book is like a game of Clue but instead of people killing each other off in a mansion it is sexual high jinks, girls against the boys in a boarding school that gets totally out of hand. Alex Witt is a very witty teacher who has left her last teaching position and now takes a job at a New England boarding school to get away from her author parents. She needs this job so she is willing to teach creative writing (which she has never taught), live in an almost inhospitable cabin and admit to herself that by taking a job from an old family friend, she is desperate. She soon finds herself immersed in secret societies, unusual staff and a group of amateur sleuths who are sick of the "boys will be boys" attitude and are willing to do anything to take down the boy's secret club. Intense and unpredictable and wildly entertaining, this is one whodunnit that you will stay up to finish - even on a school night.

You could describe Inland as a Western, a ghost story, or historical fiction and it is all of that and more. I think of it like a man and a woman soul searching, looking for forgiveness and reason in a very harsh world. There are many parallels to water and nourishment.
Nora needs love and nourishment of her soul because of the harsh climate and her singlehandedly having to take care of her family and ranch while her husband is searching for water. Lurie seems to be searching for adventure but realizes it does not nourish his soul. The land is in dire need of water and the story also includes camels who are able to do things that horses and men cannot in the harsh desert. The writing is lyrical and descriptive and full of longing for an easier way of life.

Another historical masterpiece that takes place in the Reconstruction Atlanta with a Chinese-American young woman who bucks the system. Jo Kuan works as a ladies maid in a house where she grew up but where she was considered a childhood friend she is clearly now a servant. She takes this in stride and puts her energy into other secret projects like writing an advice column under the name "Miss Sweetie" for the newspaper located where she and her adopted grandfather live. I loved this independent young woman who had to fight racial and sex discrimination in post-war Atlanta and didn't take no for an answer. This novel works well for adults, young adults, and ambitious middle school readers.