An intriguing mystery novel that explores crime near the border and the implications of greed.
In this sixth installment of King’s thriller series, FBI Special Agent Pete Cortez delves into the knotty case of an abduction in Texas involving a Mexican diplomat.
This isn’t the first time Pepe Alonso has been kidnapped. As a junior official with the Mexican consulate in Houston and the son of a wealthy, powerful family, he isn’t exactly low-profile. When he goes missing on a Friday afternoon from outside a pharmacy, the case instantly becomes top priority for law enforcement. Cortez, a high-profile agent, initially believes that the abduction is just a ploy for ransom. However, as the FBI, local police, family members, and elected officials pass around scattered information about the case, it quickly becomes clear that this crime is unusual, and it soon spirals into shocking violence. It turns out that some people plan to use the crime for their own personal or political gain. Cortez works with and against those who are supposed to be on his side as he navigates complicated border dynamics that influence his detective work. But although Cortez is the protagonist, he sometimes feels a bit distant due to King’s frequent shifts in perspective. The tale introduces numerous characters who somehow tie into the crime, directly or not, including several cops, consular officials, cartel members, and a militialike group called the Sabine Copperheads. Occasional glimpses into Alonso’s viewpoint add emotional appeal (“Pepe Alonso was beginning to doubt that anyone was coming to rescue him”), but a more intimate focus on Cortez might have allowed readers to forge a stronger connection to the material. Nevertheless, the story presents an intriguing mystery that clearly introduces its various twists and theories, and realistic, easy-to-follow dialogue keeps the plot consistently moving forward. Even if readers struggle to keep track of who’s who, mystery fans will find plenty of interest in this tale of crime, power, and the pursuit of justice.
An intriguing mystery novel that explores crime near the border and the implications of greed.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 339
Publisher: Manuscript
Review Posted Online: Oct. 7, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Starts with a bang and closes with a knockout punch of an ending.
A violent attack hijacks a woman’s memory in this novel of domestic suspense.
McFadden wastes no time pulling the trigger in this harrowing story that starts with gunfire then swiftly propels readers into a crack tale of secrets and misdirection. Originally self-published in 2016, the book carries the same formidable weight as McFadden’s later novels featuring unsuspecting women who lose their power then fight to recapture it—mostly from men who have betrayed them. That formula perfectly fits Dr. Charlotte McKenna, a 37-year-old dermatologist who isn’t looking for love until the most handsome man she’s ever seen begins to woo her. There are warning signs about Clark Douglas and Charlotte overlooks them to her detriment—but is he a killer? The novel has dual timelines split between events leading up to the day Charlotte barely survives a head wound meant to kill her and the months afterward, when she struggles to reclaim her memory and her mobility. In real life, McFadden is a physician trained to treat brain injuries. Her expertise gives Charlotte’s rehabilitation authenticity, and her writing talent makes it interesting and engaging. As good as that timeline is, readers will yearn to get back to the alternate timeline about who wants Charlotte dead. It’s only a matter of time before Charlotte starts to remember who tried to kill her, and the clock is ticking toward their next attempt. McFadden dishes up plenty of suspects: Charlotte’s secretive husband, Clark; a former patient turned stalker who confronts Charlotte on her honeymoon; and the angry husband of a patient who blames Charlotte for his wife leaving him. Though the story is delicious and dark, McFadden brightens things up with a possible love interest for Charlotte and a surprise ending sure to please the author’s many fans.
Starts with a bang and closes with a knockout punch of an ending.Pub Date: Aug. 25, 2026
ISBN: 9781464249617
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Poisoned Pen
Review Posted Online: July 6, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2026
A satisfying thriller that will warm the hearts of fans who already take comfort in hating the forces of evil.
Lt. Eve Dallas’ 63rd futuristic case is less a whodunit than a manhunt for an unusually sympathetic killer.
Thirteen years ago, way back in 2048, scientific genius Steve Redman—father of the Banner-Wyst corporation’s Rainmaker Project—narrowly escaped death in a gas explosion that killed his pregnant wife and infant son and 200 other residents of their New York City apartment building the night before he planned to report his suspicions about the company to the FBI. Now the bill is coming due for Banner-Wyst. The first death to be discovered is that of Lawrence Chu, Redman’s colleague and trusted friend, whose tenure as director of bioengineering science ends when he’s beaten to death. For quite a while, Dallas and her partner, Det. Delia Peabody, know less about this mystery than their readers do. But when Ezra Dent, a consultant to Banner-Wyst who worked with Redman and Chu back in the day, is murdered in exactly the same ferocious way, Dallas and Peabody, with help from Roarke, Dallas’ tech-billionaire husband, promptly put the pieces together and determine who they’re looking for. The search for Redman, who went AWOL from his hospital bed without a trace six years ago, has its own challenges. So does Dallas’ attempt to get cooperation from partners Calvin Banner and Jacob Wyst, who are clearly in the crosshairs of a killer who seems a lot less monstrous than they are. If the breaks in the case are suspiciously convenient in arriving, readers can pride themselves on taking sides against a mega-corporation whose self-avowed ecological saintliness is undermined by its leaders’ underhanded dealing.
A satisfying thriller that will warm the hearts of fans who already take comfort in hating the forces of evil.Pub Date: Sept. 8, 2026
ISBN: 9781250414564
Page Count: 368
Publisher: St. Martin's
Review Posted Online: May 18, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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