There are so many good books releasing this winter, I thought I’d do another round-up of a few titles I’m excited to check out, solely based on looking at cover art and reading back cover copy. I have three books on the list this time- Stratagem released at the beginning of this month, Mind Games releases in December, and The Line Between is out at the end of January 2019. All book cover images and back cover copy are from Goodreads.
Stratagem by Robin Caroll– Deep in the gritty underbelly of New Orleans, psychologist Grayson Thibodeaux loses everything when his wife leaves him to climb her company’s corporate ladder. He buries himself in his job of creating mind-bending adventure games for businesses as team-building explorations. When his ex-wife’s company hires Grayson’s to create an elaborate game, he doesn’t see how things can get worse. Until she dies during the course of the game he created…making him the prime suspect for murder. (Goodreads)
My Thoughts: I first heard about Stratagem through the Suspense Sisters blog, and though suspense isn’t normally my go-to genre, I was really intrigued by the premise of this one. A story is so much more enjoyable when it’s not just physical action- car chases, explosions, etc.- but when it also has some extra emotional or psychological element that ties into the plot. Stratagem sounds like it will deliver plenty of surprises and reality-twisting moments to add that layer. I also love the smoky, shadowy vibe of the cover art and the tense atmosphere it creates. This one will be on my shelves soon! (Bonus: Goodreads is also hosting a giveaway of Stratagem until November 20th– just scroll down the page to find the giveaway box.)
Mind Games by Nancy Mehl– Kaely Quinn’s talents as an FBI behavior analyst are impossible to ignore, no matter how unorthodox her methods. But when a reporter outs her as the daughter of an infamous serial killer, she’s demoted to field agent and transferred to St. Louis.
When the same reporter who ruined her career claims to have received an anonymous poem predicting a string of murders, ending with Kaely’s, the reporter’s ulterior motives bring his claim into question. But when a body is found that fits the poem’s predictions, the threat is undeniable, and the FBI sends Special Agent Noah Hunter to St. Louis.
Initially resentful of the assignment, Noah is surprised at how quickly his respect for Kaely grows, despite her oddities. But with a brazen serial killer who breaks all the normal patterns on the loose, Noah and Kaely are tested to their limits to catch the murderer before anyone else–including Kaely herself–is killed. (Goodreads)
My Thoughts: This book is the first in the Kaely Quinn Profiler series, and like Stratagem, has such an intriguing premise. I’m expecting a tense psychological thrill ride, paired with a lot of deep character work. This book may not be Nancy’s first straight suspense novel, but I think even more so than her Defenders of Justice series, Mind Games will really garner her a fresh crop of suspense/thriller readers. The cover is mysteriously foreboding, and I love the way the lettering fades into shadow at points. It really adds a lot of movement and depth that plays against the still feel of the rest of the cover art. Really, really excited for this one to release in December.
The Line Between by Tosca Lee– When Wynter Roth is turned out of New Earth, a self-contained doomsday cult on the American prairie, she emerges into a world poised on the brink of madness as a mysterious outbreak of rapid early onset dementia spreads across the nation.
As Wynter struggles to start over in a world she’s been taught to regard as evil, she finds herself face-to-face with the apocalypse she’s feared all her life—until the night her sister shows up at her doorstep with a set of medical samples. That night, Wynter learns there’s something far more sinister at play and that these samples are key to understanding the disease.
Now, as the power grid fails and the nation descends into chaos, Wynter must find a way to get the samples to a lab in Colorado. Uncertain who to trust, she takes up with former military man Chase Miller, who has his own reasons for wanting to get close to the samples in her possession, and to Wynter herself.
Filled with action, conspiracy, romance, and questions of whom—and what—to believe, THE LINE BETWEEN is a high-octane story of survival and love in a world on the brink of madness. (Goodreads)
My Thoughts: It’s no secret I’m a fan of Tosca’s writing, and even though this story is categorized as a thriller, it also smacks of dystopian/post-apocolyptic sci-fi (of which I’ve been a fan since way before The Hunger Games craze ever started). To say that I’m excited to get my hands on this one would be a huge understatement! Tosca is talented at crafting plot-driven stories that also feature gorgeous language, and she often tackles dark themes in a way that changes you as a reader. I’m sure The Line Between will be no exception. Plus, I adore the cover on this one. The stark winter backdrop perfectly sets off the bright red pops of the coat and building, and I can practically feel the chill and hear the crunch of snow underfoot.
So what about you? Has anybody read Stratagem yet? Do the others sound intriguing to you? Let me know what you think in the comments below!
Keep reading!
Shaen
