Solid characters and an intriguing story make for a satisfying read.
A reporter and a scientist come up against a strange virus in this international medical thriller.
Nate Fisher is a journalist investigating a suspected terrorist cell. Juliette Fernandez is a virologist researching a mysterious virus and running from something in her past. They and their respective worlds meet in the Comoros Islands in this often gripping debut novel by Schieffelin. Nate is anticipating a routine research trip and mission, but he is instead thrust into a nightmarish ordeal when he awakens to find his colleagues dead—at least, he thinks they’re dead. They soon wake up, though, and Nate encounters Juliette and French scientist Darrien Gauche, who are tracking a mysterious virus that induces a state resembling death, blurring the boundary between existence and oblivion. Juliette is also dealing with her past (which includes an abusive relationship) and the fear of long-buried secrets being exposed (“Goran’s eyes on me usually spelled trouble”). As Nate and Juliette’s professional and personal bonds deepen, Juliette is forced to confront her history—particularly the violent chapter that led her into hiding. When government agents close in, she must choose between continuing to flee or standing her ground. Meanwhile, Nate, untangling more than he bargained for, is unsure of whom to trust. It all amounts to a high-stakes medical mystery riddled with global conspiracies and deceptions. A blend of romance, thriller, and medical suspense, this novel explores themes of survival, redemption, and the fragile divide between life and death. Schieffelin has created two flawed but captivating characters in Nate and Juliette, and their relationship provides the beating heart of her narrative. The story jumps back and forth from Nate’s point of view to Juliette’s; this structure largely works, even if it does get a bit convoluted at times. Another strength of Schieffelin’s yarn is its international scope, bolstered by some regional recipes and an international music playlist at the back of the book. All in all, this is a promising effort from a first-time novelist who takes her readers on a gripping and romantic adventure.
Solid characters and an intriguing story make for a satisfying read.Pub Date: Dec. 10, 2024
ISBN: 9798891325302
Page Count: 276
Publisher: Atmosphere Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 7, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
The story unfolds so irresistibly that newcomers may think Grisham’s been writing thrillers like this his whole life.
What hasn’t legendary legal eagle Grisham tried yet? How about a thriller about serial kidnapping and international terrorism.
When Paul and Chelsea Tanner disappear during a day trip on their Paris honeymoon, their abductors demand a ransom of $2 million from Chelsea’s wealthy parents, and a few days later the same sum from Paul’s much less well-heeled parents. After orthopedist Lowell Clayburn, Chelsea’s father, ponies up the ransom without breathing a word to the authorities, his daughter is promptly released. But even though Paul’s parents sell their home, liquidate their assets, and borrow money from the Clayburns to meet the kidnappers’ demands, the villains hold on to Paul anyway. Asked whether he’s ever seen such an outcome in a double kidnapping, FBI deputy director Andrew Strong tells Lowell: “No, this is a new one.” But it’s not, as Strong knows all too well; it’s the third such active case, all involving honeymooning couples whose bridegrooms had served in the armed forces. After masterfully drawing readers in with his bare-knuckle account of the Tanners’ abduction and the attempt by their families and the CIA to tell the lies required to keep caring friends and the rapacious press at bay, Grisham effortlessly switches gears to follow CIA agent Rae Claire Russo and Stuart Nash, a former Department of Justice prosecutor at Guantanamo Bay who agrees to marry her so they can serve as bait for the kidnappers, whose motives include justice and revenge as well as cold hard cash. So much for the imprisoned Paul’s wistful reflection that “hopefully, it was only about money.”
The story unfolds so irresistibly that newcomers may think Grisham’s been writing thrillers like this his whole life.Pub Date: Sept. 29, 2026
ISBN: 9780385550543
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2026
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
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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