A cool thriller with well-blended elements of crime, suspense, and gaming culture.
In Burke’s immersive thriller, real and virtual lives interweave in the metaverse.
“You haven’t lived until you’ve died in the Land of Might and Magic.” Xperion’s tagline for its most popular virtual-reality multiplayer fantasy game takes on an ominous cast when a player hacks into the game to bypass its leveling rules and starts “killing” the top players. The hacker’s character, now known as “gray warrior,” proves to be invisible to the developers and impossible to beat by the other players, causing an avalanche of issues for Xperion’s senior staff, who commission their own hacker to find the culprit. Shea Britton, an avid gamer and a top player in the Land of Might and Magic, starts her own investigation from within the game. In the real world, Parker Reid, the preeminent profiler at the FBI, is on the trail of a potential new serial killer. The violent manner of execution, the chilling trophies, and the macabre poses the victims are left in all point to a maniac who needs to be stopped, and soon. Initial victim profiling fails to reveal a common thread until the investigators uncover the victims’ connection to the famous virtual-reality game, and the convergence of Shea’s and Parker’s investigations becomes inevitable. In this engaging, page-turning thriller, the author seamlessly weaves two seemingly disparate threads: Parker Reid’s story has a sense of real-life authenticity to the investigation, while Shea’s pursuit in the fantasy realm of the Land of Might and Magic, complete with character-building and rules of the game, brings a unique and refreshing dynamic to the plot. The narrative incorporates elements of corporate greed and dysfunctional families along with compelling character development for both Shea and Parker, making for a well-rounded read. While there’s a degree of predictability when it comes to the culprit, the journey is a reward in itself.
A cool thriller with well-blended elements of crime, suspense, and gaming culture.Pub Date: Dec. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781951122720
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Artemesia Publishing
Review Posted Online: Nov. 21, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
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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