Liar's Creek

 

Liar's Creek by Matt Goldman
5/5/26; 336 pages
St. Martin's Press
Clay Hawkins #1 

Liar's Creek by Matt Goldman is a highly recommended character-driven mystery. This is the first book in the Clay Hawkins' Series, set in the small town of Riverwood, Minnesota. 

Clay Hawkins, a professional footballer in England for twenty years, has return to his small hometown of Riverwood, MN, with his twelve-year-old son, Braedon. His relationship with his father and former sheriff, Judd, is as strained as ever, but Judd and Braedon have quickly formed a tight bond. Clay's beloved uncle Teddy has disappeared and Clay, Judd, and now the new sheriff are investigating, but as the days pass they all fear the worst may have happened. 

This is a well-written, character-driven investigative mystery that has a strong sense of place, which is essential to the plot. It is a small town where everyone knows everyone else, but where they can all have secrets. Teddy is a well known figure around town as someone who is likable but frequently skirts the law and seemingly courts trouble. Even with their tense relationship, Clay and Judd are both looking for Teddy. While Judd turns to his contacts within the sheriff's office, Clay defies his father and talks directly to the new sheriff, Zoey Jensen. The father and son do set aside their grievances and work together.

While the main concern is the search for Teddy, there are several other narrative threads also developing, which serve to add tension and drama. The pace is even as various characters are introduced and brought to life. There is also another story line involving Braedon, his new friend, and some older teens in town (which, as it's a small town, everyone should have known who the teens were while privately keeping an eye on them, looking for trouble.) There is a lot of talk about fishing too. 

The character development is excellent as they are all portrayed as complicated, fully realized individuals. Even Braedon is brought to life, along with the minor characters around town. Their interpersonal relationships are realistic and believable. It is revealed along the way that there is more to Clay than meets the eye.

Liar's Creek is a good choice for those who enjoy character-driven investigative mysteries and want to get in at the start of a new series. Thanks to St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.      

Shadow Strike

 

Shadow Strike by Brad Taylor
4/21/26; 448 pages
William Morrow
Pike Logan #20 

Shadow Strike by Brad Taylor is a highly recommended political/action thriller. This is the 20th book in the series featuring Pike Logan.

The Ghost, or Abdul Rahman, escapes when a routine prisoner transfer is ambushed. Pike Logan and his team are called in to find the Ghost but the mission quickly escalates into something bigger than just an escaped prisoner.  It is determined that a rogue group of Iranian regime officials want him to assassination the Israeli prime minister. The team tracks the Ghost from his escape through Mexico to Argentina, where they have good intel about the plan and the world-wide wide scope of it.

As expected the action is non-stop and covers a lot of territory as they race against the clock to stop the attacks planned. The plot is compelling and full of geopolitical intrigue and maneuvers. Admittedly, I haven't read every book in this series, but I was still able to follow the action and the various characters so I think it can be enjoyed as a standalone novel for anyone looking for a action-packed thriller. Those following the series will know all the characters. Those new to the series won't see a lot of character development here, but should still be able to distinguish all the individual characters from each other. 

There was one drawback for me, one that Brad Taylor himself marginally addressed in the afterword when he wrote about real life events resulted in the novel requiring earlier editing. With current events now, way-past the margin available for editing, you will have to set even more disbelief aside than would normally be required.

Shadow Strike is highly recommended for fans of the series and those who like political/action thrillers. Thanks to William Morrow for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.      

Mad Mabel

 

Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth
4/21/26; 352 pages
St. Martin's Press 

Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth is an un-put-downable, clever, very highly recommended domestic thriller.  This is leagues above and has much more depth than many of the other popular books about grumpy but lovable senior citizens.  

Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick is eighty-one years old, and has been living on Kenny Lane in Melbourne for sixty years. She knows all her neighbors and can be querulous, but minds her own business, along with her life-long best friend Daphne. Seven-year-old Persephone, a talkative and excitable child, lives across the street and adores Elsie, calling her Elsa. However, when Persephone needs to interview someone old for school, Elsie decides her ninety-three year old neighbor, Ishaan, is a better choice; besides, his dog Nugget, has been relentlessly barking all day. She investigates and finds him deceased. The authorities are called and it is revealed in the investigation that Elsie used to be called Mad Mabel Waller, Australia’s youngest convicted murderer.

As the word spreads and the interest in her by both the police and the public increases, Elsie agrees to doing the “AdLib” true crime podcast with Libby Conquest and Adeem Anand. For the first time she will tell her side of the story to the public. The narrative has Then chapters telling the story of Mabel's past and Now chapters following current events in Elsie's (Mabel) life. What is revealed is heartbreaking. Mabel had a dysfunctional family and childhood full of abuse, neglect, and bullying which sifts between highlights from characters who displayed genuine affection and caring about her well-being. 

The writing is exceptional, and well-plotted, with heartbreaking scenes sharply contrasting with humorous moments and surprises. The pace is fast and her story from both the present and the past is compelling and complex. This is an emotional, character-driven mystery where the past is as important as the present. Her case and life's story are not as simple and straightforward as the public opinion proclaims. What unfolds is a woman's tragic story of her past which, in the end, also becomes a redemption story.

All the characters are portrayed as fully realized, unique individuals who have strengths and weaknesses. They also all experience growth along the way, especially Joan, who starts out as a typical, annoying, self-important "karen." All the neighbors on Kenny Lane are introduced at the beginning so you understand this is a small, close-knit neighborhood where everyone knows each other. Characters from the past also come to life, good and bad. 

Mad Mabel is an excellent choice for those who enjoy character-driven domestic dramas telling the story of a life, contrasting a childhood with the present day. Thanks to St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.     

No Way Home

 

No Way Home by T. C. Boyle
4/21/26; 368 pages
Liveright Publishing 

No Way Home by T. C. Boyle is an excellent, very highly recommended, literary psychological drama of manipulation, obsession, and revenge in highly dysfunctional relationships. 

Terrence (Terry) Tully, a third-year medical resident in LA, receives a phone call informing him of his mother's death and he drives the four hours across the desert to her home in Boulder City, Nevada, by Lake Mead, to settle her affairs, including selling her house and taking care of her dog, Daisy. Once there, his problems begin. At his lowest point, he meets homeless receptionist Bethany at a restaurant. She immediately clings onto him and manages to insert herself into his mother's, now his, home. She has a tale of woe about her ex-boyfriend, Jesse, a vengeful, macho middle–school teacher. Jesse declares her to be poison. They all drink too much. This begins a psychologically twisted tale of manipulation, obsession, aimlessness, violence, retribution, and revenge.

No Way Home is said to be a love triangle, but it is really a much more brutal, complicated tale of exploitation, retaliation, and control. Terry is a rather naive man and Bethany quickly takes advantage of him. She moves into the house without his permission and his first mistake is that he doesn't immediately kick her out when he learns this. From this point on she's taking advantage of him with his tacit approval and the direction the plot is taking is clear. Jesse is immature and has impulse-control issues along with a violent streak. Encounters between the two men are inevitable, and predictably vicious.

Boyle is an exceptional writer and his talent is on full display in No Way Home. I was totally engrossed throughout and found the novel un-put-downable. None of the characters are likable, although Terry at least has some professional competence. I found myself wanting to lecture or at least install some common sense and self-realization in every single one of these characters. At the same time, I have met people like these characters who embrace their aimlessness like a badge of honor. 

The narrative is eventually told through the point-of-view of all three characters, which doesn't necessarily do them any favors but does showcase their haphazard thoughts and self-serving behavior, especially of Bethany and Jesse. Terry tends to reduce humanity to symptoms and diagnoses and seems a bit clueless at times. They are all very egocentric characters. We are also left with the feeling that there is no projected chance of redemption for any of them.

No Way Home is perfect for those who enjoy literary psychological dramas with erratic, selfish characters and dysfunctional relationships. Thanks to Liveright Publishing for providing me with an advance reader's copy via Edelweiss. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.    

Last One Out

 

Last One Out by Jane Harper
4/14/26; 368 pages
Flatiron Books  

Last One Out by Jane Harper is a recommended domestic literary drama/mystery set in a dying town in rural New South Wales.

Carralon Ridge is a dying town, with many of  the houses and buildings all previously bought up by a mining company. Five years ago during a college break, Sam, the son of Griff and Rowena (Ro) Crowley disappeared when visiting at Carralon Ridge. All that was left was his rental car with all his belongings inside. Sam had been working on an oral history of the town to preserve its legacy. After Sam disappeared, the family fell apart and Ro left, leaving her husband and daughter behind. Every year Ro is returns to the town to be with her husband and daughter Della on the anniversary of Sam's disappearance for a memorial service. 

With the dust and grit from the mining operation ever present and a handful of people left among the abandoned, empty homes and buildings, the setting is depressing. This visit, however, Ro is determined to find clues in the disappearance of Sam that may have been previously overlooked. Even though their relationship is strained, it becomes clear that someone may have secrets they want to keep secret.

Undoubtedly, Harper is an exceptional writer and she manages to create an atmospheric novel that is depressing and generates a sense of menace and danger while exploring a mother's grief amidst a dying town. Harper gets all the points for her ability to create a scene and bring it to life. On the other hand, this is also a glacially slow-paced plot focused much more intently on the character's grief and trauma rather than the mystery. Some descriptive scenes seem repetitious in the narrative.  

In the end much of Last One Out felt overly long and much too slow paced for the majority of the novel. It does pick up toward the end and becomes the promised mystery, but it wasn't quite the great novel I was expecting from Harper. It is still recommended for the quality of the writing. I'll be looking forward to Harper's next novel.  Thanks to Flatiron Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The Waitress

 

The Waitress by K L Slater
4/17/26; 298 pages
Bookouture

The Waitress by K L Slater is a recommended popcorn thriller that require readers to suspend a massive amount of disbelief.

Alicia has left her young son in the care of her sister Jen and moved to London ostensibly to make enough for them all to start a new life for themselves. In London she begins working as a waitress for Elevate, an events planning/catering group. Her real job is to keep her eyes open and watch Trent Connors. Events at a reception at The Orbit, an exclusive high rise for the elite, result in her meeting Trent and quickly becoming close to him - so close that he offers to hire her to play the role of his girlfriend for a large salary. Trent really wants her to observe, listen, and evaluate a business associate of his, Steve Brett, the same man who has been blackmailing and threatening Alicia and wanted her to watch Trent. Let the games begin.

With short chapters and a predictable narrative direction, this story of blackmail and corruption is a quick read but it isn't quite as compelling or have the depth and believably of the other novels by Slater that I've read. It is told through multiple points-of-view, although mainly through Alicia's. This is also a tale of all the characters repeatedly making questionable decisions, however, Alicia's desire to make a better life for her son and sister is understandable.

Certainly you have to begin setting the disbelief aside right away when Alicia is almost immediately hired to be Trent's girlfriend at a high salary and new wardrobe. Hint: if something is too good to be true, it is. Another hint: if something is too good to be true, look for ulterior motives. Chapters through Jen's point-of-view have her back with an abusive boyfriend, another life lesson ignored by these characters. Speaking of the characters, Alicia is a developed character, but along with the other characters not particularly likable or reliable. 

The Waitress will be best appreciated by fans of Slater's novels and those who enjoy popcorn thrillers. Thanks to Bookouture for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.    

Hope Rises

 

Hope Rises by David Baldacci
4/14/26; 432 pages
Grand Central Publishing
Walter Nash #2 

Hope Rises by David Baldacci is a highly recommended thriller and the follow up to Nash Falls (2025), which ended on a cliff hanger. In the case of this series, you need to read Nash Falls before starting Hope Rises in order to understand everything that is going on, as well as the backstory. 

Walter Nash, an informant for the FBI, has transformed himself and is now using the alias of Dillon Hope. He is working as a body guard for the despicable Rhett Temple but his ultimate goal is to take down Victoria Steers and her global criminal operation. As Temple's body guard he accompanies him to Hong Kong at the bidding of Steers. She informs the two that plans are in place for them to free her mother, Masuyo, from a prison in Myanmar. While Nash seeks vengeance, Temple believes following her orders, of which there is no choice, will result in him being able to disassociate from her. Nash knows she will never release her power over anyone, yet being on the inside will potentially give him access to destroy her. 

That's all I'm going to say in order to avoid major spoilers. Let me reiterate, to appreciate Hope Rises you must read Nash Falls first. It's a wild ride to get there, but the loose ends are all tied up here.

This is another well-written novel that is fast-paced, action-packed, and full of twists, however, I'll be the first to proclaim that you need to set aside a healthy heaping amount of disbelief while reading. The chapters are short, helping keep the action and plot moving along quickly. There were certain developments which, admittedly, required the acceptance of more turn of events than I was willing to acquiesce to and this did lessen my interest somewhat as it changed some of Nash's original goals.

Hope Rises is a great, twisty thriller to read for everyone who was left hanging after reading Nash Falls. Thanks to Grand Central Publishing for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.