September Thrillers to Keep You Reading...

My birthday, as I mentioned last time, was at the end of August. In addition to giving myself a "lazy day", I bought myself a birthday present-- The Nook. I have always considered myself a traditionalist when it comes to reading and believed I would never go the ereader route. Turns out I don’t know myself as well as I thought. I love the convenience and flexibility of the Nook. At the end of the day, when my eyes are tired and the lights are dim, I make the font bigger and it makes reading so much more comfortable. If I’m traveling or waiting in line and finish a book, I have the next one just a click away. I love print books but have no doubt the Nook is here to stay.

Thanks to the Nook and Netgalley, I got a sneak peak of two of this month’s new releases in romantic suspense: KILLER HEAT by Brenda Novak and KISS ME, KILL ME by Maggie Shayne. Both books are conclusions to summer trilogies. Having not read the rest of either series, I am pleased to report these are wonderful stand-alone books and, I suspect, excellent conclusions to their respective series.

In KILLER HEAT, private security operative from Department 6, Jonah Young, is hired by the Yavapai County Sheriff to assist in investigating the murders of seven women whose bodies have been found buried in the Arizona desert. Things turn personal when Jonah comes face-to-face with Private Investigator, Francesca Moretti, whose search for a missing woman has led her straight to the suspect’s junkyard. They had not seen each other since the night 10 years earlier when Jonah destroyed their love with one shattering betrayal. Now they find themselves confronting their past as they search for the killer. Ms. Novak creates complex characters all struggling with the relatable themes of love, loyalty, and betrayal. At one point, I found myself nearly in tears as Jonah and Francesca struggled to get past betrayal to love and trust. I don’t usually read books out of order, but having read KILLER HEAT, I am determined to read the earlier books in the series.

KISS ME, KILL ME tells the story of Dr. Carrie Overton and the missing mystery baby of Shadow Falls. Sixteen years earlier, Carrie had helped a stranded woman give birth by the side of the road. The woman disappeared leaving the baby for Olivia to raise. Now Sam is sixteen and everyone is eager to find the baby belonging to this long-dead mystery woman, especially now that someone has announced a $500,000 reward to whoever finds the child. Gabriel Cain comes to town in search of a child that may be his and finds himself drawn to both Carrie and her son. When teens (who might be the mystery child) start disappearing, Olivia and Gabe must work together to protect Sam from a killer. I thoroughly enjoyed the budding relationship between Olivia and Gabe, as well as their relationship with Sam. Ms. Shayne artfully juggled multiple suspects and kept me guessing until the end.

This is a good month of romantic suspense as there are several new releases. I don’t normally include category romances in my column, mostly because there are so many that might qualify. However, this month I wanted to mention Tara Taylor Quinn’s THE 1st WIFE, a Harlequin SuperRomance that is the first in her Chapman Files series. The four books in the series will be released in consecutive months between now and December. Jane Hamilton, a woman already struggling with a bigamist ex-husband, an anonymous stalker, and a murder inquiry, finds her life further complicated when her best friend wants to add romance to their relationship. Brad Manchester wants marriage and family, especially now that Jane is pregnant with his child. Can he help Jane past her fears now that her first husband has been accused of murdering his second wife?

CLOSE QUARTERS, the latest in the Goddard series by Lucy Monroe, brings us politico-military black- ops leader Roman Chernichenko who is tasked with taking out the leak in an espionage plot that could destabilize all of Africa. Nothing will distract him from his mission. Not even the deliciously appealing blonde who's awoken his deepest desires - and just happens to be his target. Tanya Ruston is a beautiful and brainy do-gooder - and now Roman is supposed to dispose of her when all he really wants to do is seduce her.

In LAST TO DIE, by Kate Brady, Detective Dani Cole is determined to track down a serial killer whose victims include a young woman she pulled out of a life of crime. Her investigation leads her to a photography foundation and the renowned photographer Mitch Sheridan, a man she fell in love with years ago but has tried to forget. Together, through the course of the investigation, they unearth a dark chain of deception that leads to a killer who is closer than they think.

THE DARKEST HOUR is the first book in Maya Banks’ new Kelley Group International (KGI) series. KGI is a super elite, top secret, family-run business specializing in recovery, intelligence, and espionage. In this first outing, we meet ex-Navy SEAL Ethan Kelly who is mourning the death of his wife, Rachel. One year after her death, he receives information claiming Rachel is alive. To find her, Ethan will have to dodge bullets, cross a jungle, and risk falling captive to a deadly drug cartel. When he finds her, will she be the woman he remembers?

The fourth book in Jaci Burton’s Wild Riders series, RIDING THE NIGHT finds AJ visiting former high- school sweetheart Teresa. When a fight erupts in her bar between two biker gangs, one man is left dead and Teresa's brother is wrongly accused of murder. With no proof and Teresa as the only eyewitness, AJ, Pax, and Teresa point their Harleys toward the annual bike rally in South Dakota in hot pursuit of the real killer. Along the way, Teresa discovers a passion that brings both men to their knees.

THE ECHO OF VIOLENCE, by Jordan Dane, starts with a terrorist attack on a Haitian missionary school fundraiser. Hostages are being brutally killed one by one with videos posted online and now time is running out. Sentinels' agent Alexa Marlowe is forced into an unlikely alliance with relentless mercenary Jackson Kinkaid, the only witness to the raid who can track the killers into the mountains of communist Cuba. Alexa knew him once, but is he the same man and can he be trusted?

In DEADLY LITTLE SECRETS, by Jeanne Adams, Security expert Gates Bromley's number one priority is protecting art collector Dav Gianikopolis. But when he joins forces with CIA Agent Ana Burton tracing several pieces of stolen art, Gates is distracted by the leggy brunette who stirs up the raciest thoughts...After botching an operation that cost her colleagues' lives, Ana has been reassigned to cold cases. When news gets out that she's reopened a case involving stolen art and five brutal murders, Ana is almost killed. Seeking comfort in Gates' strong embrace is easy, but surrendering trust to the sexiest man she's ever known isn't - unless Gates can show her that an attraction this hot is worth all the risks. But first he'll have to stop a killer who's bent on keeping the past buried.

Do you have an ereader on your wish list?

Happy reading! Maria