An energetic, enthralling tale of dangerous family secrets.
In this thriller, a Seattle widow’s search for a mysterious item may lead her to her husband’s killer.
Lauren Kaine can’t wipe the images of her husband William’s death out of her head. A black Audi had chased the couple, ultimately leading to William’s plummeting from a bridge and drowning in the river below. The only clue to who wanted him dead is his final words to Lauren: “They want the card.” Sure enough, an anonymous caller later demands that Lauren give him this card, only she has no idea what it is. Maybe it’s connected to William’s estranged brother, Ryan, a truck driver and an alcoholic eight years sober. Someone offers Ryan a hefty paycheck to recover something from William, who worked at an internet security company. Ryan is willing to do so—he can barely afford his meager apartment—but, like Lauren, he doesn’t know exactly what he’s looking for. Meanwhile, Lauren sees a strange, older man and black cars following her everywhere, and her unknown antagonist soon hurls threats against both her and her teenage son, Mason. While a mystery drives Paine’s engrossing story, there’s poignant melodrama as well. Lauren, for example, has a restraining order against Ryan for a shocking 13-year-old incident, and Mason copes not only with his dad’s death, but also with coming out to his mother. In addition, Ryan’s struggles with addiction coincide with Lauren’s bouts with debilitating, nearly uncontrollable rage. The author’s pithy writing generates short chapters, an unwavering pace, and sharp, visual details, such as Lauren’s anger turning things red, from a computer screen to entire rooms. Still, the narrative cranks up suspense with recurrent sights of strangers whose unrelenting presence and tight-lipped motives make them all the more chilling. The story’s ending boasts several big reveals—some that readers will easily guess but a couple of doozies, too.
An energetic, enthralling tale of dangerous family secrets.Pub Date: June 10, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-9992183-6-5
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Dark Swallow Books
Review Posted Online: April 26, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
A standout in the series.
The sixth adventure of Harvard symbology professor Robert Langdon explores the mysteries of human consciousness, the demonic projects of the CIA, and the city of Prague.
“Ladies and gentlemen...we are about to experience a sea change in our understanding of how the brain works, the nature of consciousness, and in fact…the very nature of reality itself.” But first—Langdon’s in love! Brown’s devoted readers first met brilliant noetic scientist Katherine Solomon in The Lost Symbol (2009); she’s back as a serious girlfriend, engaging the committed bachelor in a way not seen before. The book opens with the pair in a luxurious suite at the Four Seasons in Prague. It’s the night after Katherine has delivered the lecture quoted above, setting the theme for the novel, which features a plethora of real-life cases and anomalies that seem to support the notion that human consciousness is not localized inside the human skull. Brown’s talent for assembling research is also evident in this novel’s alter ego as a guidebook to Prague, whose history and attractions are described in great and glowing detail. Whether you appreciate or skim past the innumerable info dumps on these and other topics (Jewish folklore fans—the Golem is in the house!), it goes without saying that concision is not a goal in the Dan Brown editing process. Speaking of editing, the nearly 700-page book is dedicated to Brown’s editor, who seems to appear as a character—to put it in the italicized form used for Brownian insight, Jason Kaufman must be Jonas Faukman! A major subplot involves the theft of Katherine’s manuscript from the secure servers of Penguin Random House; the delightful Faukman continues to spout witty wisecracks even when blindfolded and hogtied. There’s no shortage of action, derring-do, explosions, high-tech torture machines, attempted and successful murders, and opportunities for split-second, last-minute escapes; good thing Langdon, this aging symbology wonk, never misses swimming his morning laps. Readers who are not already dyed-in-the-wool Langdonites may find themselves echoing the prof’s own conclusion regarding the credibility of all this paranormal hoo-ha: At some point, skepticism itself becomes irrational.
A standout in the series.Pub Date: Sept. 9, 2025
ISBN: 9780385546898
Page Count: 688
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
Gritty little gems.
A collection of six short stories about crimes both planned and accidental, the collision of dreams and reality, and the things people do for love.
John Highland, for example, faces a lifetime in prison. But if he can do one “Final Score” before turning himself in, at least he can set up his beloved wife for the rest of her days. His plan is impossible to pull off, which is even more reason to do it—a brilliant finale to his criminal career. Another tale takes the reader to Rhode Island, where liquor sales are banned on Sundays. One liquor store maintains a secret “Sunday List” of thirsty patrons and their liquid requirements to get them through the Lord’s Day. Some stories are more serious—a drunk kid kills a young woman in a DUI and is headed to prison. But the kid’s cousin, a cop, worries he may not survive long in the general population. If only the kid could get assigned to the “North Wing,” where a mob boss prisoner protects its inmates. “True Story” is sharp, funny, and one hundred percent dialogue. Guys swap wacky crime stories in a diner. A sample: “Listen—Angela, for all her fine qualities, was no Rose Scholar, either.” But then in “The Lunch Break,” Dave is hired to watch over the spoiled actress Brittany McVeigh and make sure she shows up on set sober and on time. She is only 5-foot-3, but “bad things come in small packages” and she’s a “drunken, drug-addled, promiscuous little diva” who claims she’s being stalked. In the final tale, “Collision,” life is darn near perfect for an upwardly mobile white family of three. Brad McAlister is a highly talented hotel manager. Upper management invites him and his wife to a fancy restaurant and offers him his dream promotion. But in a squeal of tires in the parking lot, their lives change forever. Will the McAlisters’ deep love for each other survive? Each of these stories has clever plotting and sharp dialogue, a hallmark of all the author’s work. Winslow had previously announced his retirement, but maybe that collided with his love of writing.
Gritty little gems.Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2026
ISBN: 9780063450424
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Morrow/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: July 3, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
BOOK TO SCREEN
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