The Guilty (Will Robie #4)

The Guilty by David Baldacci is the fourth book in his Will Robie series about a CIA assassin.

Will Robie is one of the best snipers the CIA has in its secret black book. He has been on numerous assignments and has pulled them off professionally. But on his latest mission something goes wrong and an innocent is killed along with his target.

When Robie gets word that his father is on trial for murder, his first response is to try to re-bury the past. But after a fail attempt at work, he decides to head to the Gulf Coast of Mississippi to the town of Cantrell - a town he left 22 years ago with no intention of ever returning.

After some information hunting - like pulling teeth to get the locals to talk to someone who left - he puts together that his dad is accused of killing a man who was acquitted of murder himself. Robie will get to the bottom of what happened, but unlike his day job, the target is undefined.

Baldacci is a great writer of suspense and mystery novels. Will Robie is a great character who can take care of himself even within the twists and turns of this plot. Great series for fans of good books!

Baldacci, David. (2015). The Guilty. New York: Grand Central Publishing.

Desert Dark

Desert Dark by Sonja Stone is about a school that trains teens to work in the field of black ops for the CIA.

Nadia Riley is having a terrible time at the beginning of her junior year. Her best friend hooked up with her boyfriend. And her math teacher accused her of cheating - until she does another test in front of him. Now she is short on friends and just wants to disappear. But be careful what you wish for...

A man shows up at her house with an opportunity. There is a hidden test within the PSAT - sixty questions that test the way you think. The average student gets one or two right. Students who get recruited to the Desert Mountain Academy - a government funded private school - usually get about 20. Nadia Riley got them all right.

Nadia is assigned to a team that is already at school. She has some catching up to do. She will have to fit in with three different students to form a team that can work together and protect each other during the survival tests. Her team is Libby (her roommate), Damon and Alan with a team leader, Jack.

Along with trying to catch up and fit in, Nadia will be caught up in the rumor of a double agent at the school. The whole reason Nadia got to join the school is because the girl she is replacing was killed.

Stone's debut novel is a fast-paced, thrilling story filled with espionage, martial arts and puzzles. This is a great read!

Stone, Sonja. (2016). Desert Dark. New York: Holiday House.

Personal (Jack Reacher #19)

Personal by Lee Child is the nineteenth book in his Jack Reacher series - Reacher is a retired Army MP who wanders the United States and steps in to solve crimes or inflict justice when he feels necessary.

Though Reacher has been out of the Army for years, you are never really out of the Army. On a bus near Seattle, Reacher finds a copy of the Army Times and sees his name in a personal ad. It says to call General Shoemaker - he is calling in a favor.

Reacher calls from Seattle and is put through to General Shoemaker. He is told to wait in the coffee shop across the street. A half hour later Reacher is on his way to a base to be flown across the country to North Carolina.

There has been an attempt on the President of France. The shot was from almost three quarters of a mile. As there are only a couple dozen people in the world who could make that shot, Shoemaker has brought Reacher in because one of the potential suspects is someone he arrested sixteen years before.

Reacher will be partnered with Casey Nice of the State Department to investigate the few Americans on the suspect list. They will travel to the mid-West, France and England before the case is solved - and the time limit put on the case is running out. They have to find the sniper before the G8 meeting in London.

Child has created a great character in Jack Reacher. Fans will continue to follow his through his travels and adventures.

Child, Lee. (2014). Personal. New York: Delacourte Press.

Gun Metal Heart (Daria Gibron #2)

Gun Metal Heart by Dana Haynes is his second book featuring Daria Gibron who was introduced in his Crashers series before she broke out into her own series.

Daria Gibron is an Israeli ex-Shin Bet agent who worked for the DEA and FBI before she crossed the line to save someone and was put in the CIA arrest list. She is currently living in Italy recovering from an illness and getting back in shape. When a friend tracks her down and asks her for help she is pulled into an international plot to steal new drone technology.

American Citadel is a technology company that has created a set of tiny drones. They have set up a demonstration for a group of buyers in their Idaho research division. Unfortunately, Daria has just agreed to protect the woman who they are targeting.

Daria Gibron is an amazing character who would give Jack Reacher a run for his money. Haynes has written her into a fast-paced thrill ride with political twists.

Haynes, Dana. (2014). Gun Metal Heart. New York: Minotaur.

The Target (Will Robie #3)

The Target by David Baldacci is the third book in his Will Robie series about a CIA agent and assassin.

Will Robie is arguably the best agent in the CIA, so is Jessica Reel. They are the two agents who are sent into impossible situations and have a change of coming home. But the assignment they are about to be sent on may be a suicide mission.

When the President of the United States receives intel that one of the most anti-US world leaders is in a vulnerable position, he must decided whether to act illegally and change the world landscape for the better. But if the mission fails, he will likely be impeached.

As they prepare for their assignment, elements from Reel's past surface to put them in more danger. A man on death row will plot a murder from his hospital bed. And fans will catch up with Julie Getty and super agent Vance.

Baldacci is a master storyteller. Will Robie is a commendable character with a terrible job. Great series.

Baldacci, David. (2014). The Target. New York: Grand Central Publishing.

Stealing from the Dead

Stealing from the Dead by A.J. Zerries is a mystery that combines history, terrorism, murder, a great NYPD detective and a retired CIA agent to lead readers through an intricate, thrilling story of a scam to cheat Holocaust survivors of their right to reclaim funds hidden from them by Swiss banks.

Detective Greta Strasser is in her nineteenth year in the NYPD. Her boss is counting down the days and making sure to make each one as bad as he can. So when Strasser finds inconsistencies with a heart attack in an older Jewish woman, she is told to stop seeing what is not there. But Greta does not give up that easily - it is why she is a good cop.

Then, one late night when she gets back to her Brooklyn apartment, she is approached by an older man. At first she is suspicious - she has had a rough week. But soon he convinces her to trust him. He is an ex-CIA agent (though strictly desk work) who has been following a pattern of supposed heart attacks in older Jewish people whose names appear on a list. The list is of people whose parents or grandparents opened a bank account to try to keep their money safe during World War II. At the end of the war, anyone who attempted to reclaim one of these numbered accounts was told it did not exist. But after years of battle, the Swiss banks have to make the funds available to any living relatives of the men who opened them.

It seems that someone is killing the people who appear on the list. Some person or group is filing out the paperwork and then killing the relative so he/they can claim the funds. And the funds have been traced to an account the funds terrorism against Israel.

Zerries has written a fascinating tale that will capture readers of many genres with this great read. Check it out today. Then join me in hoping Greta Strasser has more books in the future.

Zerries, AJ. (2012). Stealing from the Dead. New York: Forge.

The Traitor (Grafton and Carmellini #2)

The Traitor by Stephen Coonts is the second book in his Grafton and Carmellini series featuring a CIA breaking and entering specialist and a retired Navy admiral.

Carmellini has been given a new assignment by his new boss, retired Navy Admiral Jake Grafton. He is to go to Paris undercover and help ensure the safety of the President at the G8 summit in two weeks. But Carmellini's job is not security, it is to spy on the head of the DGSE - France's intelligence service.

Somehow Henri Rodet, the head of the DGSE and the person responsible for the safety of all of the world leaders coming to France for the summit, helped stop a terrorist attack. But the only way he would have had access to the information would be to have a mole in the upper ranks of Al Queda.


Carmellini is lovable and capable, if sometimes he leaps before thinking. He is a great character who is guided both by instinct and Jake Grafton, who always has more information that he is willing to share. This is a fun, action-packed series.

Coonts, Stephen. (2006). The Traitor. New York: St. Martin's Paperbacks.

The Hit (Will Robie #2)

The Hit by David Baldacci is the second book in his Will Robie series. Robie is a CIA assassin and sniper. He, and others in his division, are tasked with taking out the most notorious criminals in the world.

The only other agent equal to his skill is Jessica Reel. They trained together at one point, but the life of an assassin is a solitary one. Now Robie has been told to bring Jessica Reel in - dead or alive.

Reel has killed one of their own - an analyst at the CIA. Though analyst covers many job descriptions, his was to coordinate hits via satellite the shooter risked his or her life to pull it off and then escape. This killing makes the higher ups think that Reel has gone rogue.

And Reel knows that Robie will be sent to track her down. While he is studying her file, she is learning everything she can about him. The result is the two most skilled killers chasing each other around the East coast.

Baldacci created a great character with Will Robie. Now he has added a second character to bring things to an all new and stress-producing level for readers. Great series!

Baldacci, David. (2013). The Hit. New York: Grand Central Publishing.

Rogue (Robin Monarch #1)

Rogue by Mark Sullivan is the first book in his Robin Monarch series. Monarch is a CIA thief who walked away in the middle of a mission.

Monarch was raised by unorthodox parents and spent some time of the streets of Bueno Aires after they died. That childhood and time in the US Special Forces trained him to be the ultimate thief.

Now he is spending time with the wealthy - and occasionally liberating some of their expensive jewelry. But then he saves someone's life he is brought back to the job he walked away from.

Monarch, with the help of his team, will go after technology that could change the state of warfare - technology that, in the wrong hands, could change the balance of power forever. 

Sullivan has created a super-soldier, spy, thief with a conscience - a hero for readers of Jack Reacher books and the like. Check it out today.

Sullivan, Mark. (2012). Rogue. New York: St. Martin's Minotaur.

Chasing the Night (Catherine Ling #1)

Chasing the Night by Iris Johansen is the eleventh book in her Eve Duncan series and the first book introducing Catherine Ling.

Eve Duncan is a sculptor who recreates faces from skulls. Catherine Ling has bribed her CIA boss into talking Eve into helping her find her son. Though Catherine is looking for an age progression which is not Eve's specialty, Catherine knows that Eve will understand her need to keep looking.

Plus, Catherine knows who has her son. Ten years ago Catherine was part of a small CIA team tasked with removing a Russian mafia don. In retaliation, Rakovac kidnapped Catherine's two-year-old son. He has been taunting her with treats since. The CIA has a relationship with Rakovac, as the lesser evil, and will not move against him. Plus he has promised to kill Luke if he even thinks Catherine is coming after him.

Now, if she can arm herself with Luke's current likeness, provided by Eve Duncan, Catherine is going after her son. And after years of being in the way, the CIA might be willing to help because Rakovac has something planned that will make 9/11 seem tame.


Johansen, Iris. (2010). Chasing the Night. New York: St. Martin's Press.

The Innocent (Will Robie #1)

The Innocent by David Baldacci is high energy thrill ride about a US sanctioned assassin.

Will Robie undertakes the missions that the US needs to carry out but cannot be seen as executing. If caught, it will look like he was working on his own and no US agency will claim him.

Though he does not always know the reason people are picked to be eliminated, but is sure that the people pose a treat to the US. Then he gets an assignment that is unusual - the target is a US citizen. And when he gets there, she is the mother of two children who are sleeping in her room.

When Robie does not pull the trigger, a chain of events is set in motion. Plus, on during his escape route he encounters a fourteen year old girl who looks to need his help. Now Robie must keep her safe while trying to find out who is after them both.

Baldacci has created another thriller that will keep readers on edge. The action is heart-stopping and the characters will make you hope there is a sequel. Great read!

Baldacci, David. (2012). The Innocent. New York: Grand Central Publishing.

Fly by Wire

Fly by Wire by Ward Larsen is about a plane crash investigation and the secrets it may uncover.

Following the crash of a new C-500 (a flying wing cargo plane) Frank "Jammer" Davis is sent to France for the National Transportation Safety Board. Though Jammer is not in charge of the crash investigation, he is not subtle about saying what he thinks.

A fellow member of the investigation, Anna Sorenson, is not the Honeywell representative she appears to be. She is, in fact, a CIA agent whose job it is to recruit Jammer into helping look for connections between the crash of the AirCargo plane and a notorious Middle Eastern terrorist known as Caliph.

Caliph is thought to be behind the recent attacks at oil refineries around the United States. Over night the United States lost two-thirds of its oil processing ability. Without careful handling, the country will be in the midst of another fuel shortage.

As Jammer and Sorenson get closer to uncovering important clues about the crash, others begin trying harder to make sure they do not find the truth. What follows is a high tension race against the clock.

Larsen has created a fast-paced novel that will pull reader into the story. Fans of John J Nance's airplane related thrillers will be pleased with this exciting book.

Larsen, Ward. (2010). Fly by Wire. Longboat Key, Florida: Oceanview Publishing.

American Assassin (Mitch Rapp #11 - Prequel)

American Assassin by Vince Flynn is his eleventh book about Mitch Rapp - a CIA covert operative / assassin. This book is a prequel and tells of Rapp's initiation to the world of black ops.

Since the hijacking of the Pan Am Lockerbie flight, Mitch Rapp has been a cauldron of seething revenge. Though his exterior looks relaxed and in control, he is plotting how to get back at the terrorist who blew up a passenger plane and killed his girlfriend.

Irene Kennedy, a member of the CIA's black ops management finds Rapp and thinks he would be a great addition to the program they are creating - program that will be super secret and fight back covertly against some of the US's most dangerous enemies.

When Rapp arrives at the training facility, he is some what an anomaly in that he is the only person to get there without being in the military in some branch of special forces.

Fans of Flynn's previous books will enjoy learning about the spy's initiation into the CIA, and his journey to becoming the top assassin in the United States arsenal against terrorism.

Flynn, Vince. (2010). American Assassin. New York: Atria Books.

The Midnight House (John Wells #4)

The Midnight House by Alex Berenson is the fourth book in the John Wells series - a CIA agent with a specialty in counter-terrorism and Al Qaeda.

After taking some time to himself to recover from his last mission, John is called back to the agency to find a killer. Someone is killing members of a secret interrogation team. The ten-member team was set up deal with the toughest jihadis caught by the US. The team, 673, could use any means necessary to extract information - as long as it did not leave marks.

Now four members of the team are dead and one is missing. Wells and his boss Ellis Schafer have been asked to look around, outside of the official FBI investigation.

Berenson has created an espionage, terrorism, political thriller with so many twists and turns you will need to wear a seat belt to read it. His main character is someone readers will hope is really out there working on our side.

Berenson, Alex. (2010). The Midnight House. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons.

Once a Spy

Once a Spy by Huffington Post columnist Keith Thomson is an espionage novel with a twist.

Drummond Clark is a spy. He has been a spy most of his life and, as such, has many secrets that cannot fall into the wrong hands. Now he is developing Alzheimer's and is becoming a potential sieve of information. His own agency is following him to make sure he is not becoming a danger.

According to his son, Charlie Clark, Drummond is an appliance salesman who is the dullest human he has ever met. Anyone who would miss his son's birthday for a wash machine expo cannot be a good dad.

When Charlie is called to collect his father from a senior center he wandered into, Charlie thinks the men following them work for the bookie he owes money to for gambling on horse races. But during one of his father's lucid moments he learns that the boring appliance salesman is awfully adept at hot wiring a needed get-away car.

Once a Spy combines the action-packed story of a super spy novel with the chance for a son and his father to get to know each other after 30 years of lies (provided they are not killed by the CIA assassins who are after them), plus a wrench thrown in called Alzheimer's. It is a perfect balance of suspense and substance that will thrill readers of many genres. I will be scanning the Huffington Post headlines until his next book is written!

Thomson, Keith. (2010). Once a Spy. New York: Doubleday.

I Spy (Partners in Crime #2)

I Spy by Jacey Ford is the second book in the Partners in Crime series – three ex-FBI agents who have set up their own security firm.

Aimee Devlin has gone undercover in the aeronautics industry. McConnell Aerospace is developing a new propulsion system that would allow a fighter jet to travel around the globe in about an hour and a half. McConnell hired Devlin to find a corporate spy.

The first employee she tracks – Race Gardner – turns out to be with the CIA. The CIA thinks that the spy is not from another aerospace company, but a foreign arms dealer. Together, Aimee and Race, will track the plans from the company, through the thief, to the buyer, and ultimately to the arms dealer.

When Aimee goes undercover she is taking her life in her own hands. She will have to use every skill she learned with the FBI, as well as some of her natural charms, to convince Nic Sabre not to kill her. If she can succeed, it is possible that the dealer along with many of his buyers will be taken down. If not, she will never get to know the man with whom she is starting to fall in love.

Ford (a pseudonym for Beverly Brandt) is a master of taking characters worlds away from each other and having their stories seamlessly come together.

Ford, Jacey. (2005). I Spy. New York: Berkeley Sensation

Pursuit of Honor (Mitch Rapp #11)

Pursuit of Honor by Vince Flynn is the 11th book in the Mitch Rapp series. Rapp is a CIA counter-terrorism operative whose job it is to protect the US from all threats.

The Washington DC has just had a devastating terrorist attack. A couple hundred people are dead – most of who were members of Congress or their staff. As the government is trying to recover, Rapp is tasked with the job of finding the terrorists.

Rapp’s job is harder due to a Senator who is trying to curb his power to react. At the center of the argument is the letter of the law versus what must be done for national security. This volume in the Rapp series seemed to include a large debate about the end justifying the means. Both political extremes were berated for thinking more about image than safety – and how their opinions change when they come so close to the terrorists.

While still filled with the suspense and action of any good thriller, Pursuit of Honor is not the best Mitch Rapp book in the series. It may have to do with the political climate and what publishers will allow, or it could be that I just wasn’t in the right frame of mind to read it. This book seemed like a comment on the opinions of those who are the safest from battle deciding for those risking their lives – all encased in an action-packed storyline.

Flynn, Vince. (2009). Pursuit of Honor. New York: Atria Books.