‘Chrysalis: A Thriller’ is the new book in the Jeremy Logan series by bestselling author Lincoln Child. Photo: amazon
Lincoln Child is the New York Times bestselling author of “Full Wolf Moon,” “The Forgotten Room,” “The Third Gate,” “Terminal Freeze,” “Deep Storm,” “Death Match,” and “Lethal Velocity,” as well as coauthor, with Douglas Preston, of numerous New York Times bestsellers, most recently, “Bloodless.” His new book “Chrysalis: A Thriller” centers around a dominant tech company, Chrysalis, whose groundbreaking virtual reality technology is redefining the way we live and possible introducing a catastrophic danger to the world. (amazon, 2022)
“Chrysalis: A Thriller”– Like millions of people around the world, Jeremy Logan (famed enigmalogist, or investigator of unexplained things) has grown to rely on his incredible new tech device. Made by Chrysalis, the global multibillion dollar tech company, the small optical device connects people in a stunning new way, tapping into virtual reality for the first time on a wide scale. Yet when Chrysalis summons Logan to investigate a disturbing anomaly in the massive new product rollout, Logan is shocked to see the true scope of the massive company. He also quickly realizes that something in Chrysalis’s technology is very wrong, and could be potentially devastating. The question is what, and where, is the danger coming from? In Lincoln Child’s wildly inventive new novel, high tech comes to life alongside the myriad dangers it poses, making for one of Child’s most infectious, entertaining thrillers to date.
‘The Secret Witness’ is the first book in the new Shepard & Gray series by Victor Methos. Photo: amazon
At the age of thirteen, when his best friend was interrogated by the police for over eight hours and confessed to a crime he did not commit, Victor Methos knew he would one day become a lawyer. After graduating from law school at the University of Utah, Methos became as a prosecutor for Salt Lake City before founding what would become the most successful criminal defense firm in Utah. In ten years, Methos conducted more than one hundred trials. One particular case stuck with him, and it eventually became the basis for his first major bestseller, “The Neon Lawyer.” Since that time, Methos has focused his work on legal thrillers and mysteries, winning the Harper Lee Prize for “The Hallows” and an Edgar nomination for Best Novel for his title “A Gambler’s Jury.” His new book “The Secret Witness” is the thrilling first installment in the Shepard & Gray series, featuring a young sheriff who teams up with a former prosecutor to stop a copycat killer. (amazon, 2022)
“The Secret Witness” – This is Reaper speaking. So begins an anonymous letter published in a Utah newspaper after a young couple is viciously murdered. Tooele County sheriff Elizabeth Gray leads the investigation into the double homicide, which is eerily reminiscent of a string of brutal killings years ago. When the letter leads detectives to yet another body, Gray calls on an old friend for help. Former prosecutor Solomon Shepard is still struggling to recover from the deadly courtroom attack that ended his career. He has been keeping a safe distance from the action, teaching criminology seminars about serial murders and psychopathology―until Gray asks for his help on the Reaper case. As the body count mounts, Shepard and Gray race to unravel the deranged design of a copycat killer―and find themselves in a face-off with an enemy they never saw coming.
‘The Devil Is In The Details’ by LaKeisha LaKay. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
LaKeisha LaKay is a social scientist who has studied in the fields of criminal justice, sociology, and law. Having spent a number of years examining human behavior, societal issues, and political policies, she enjoys writing what she knows—especially in storytelling. LaKeisha LaKay is passionate about community, women, and youth, and often spends time volunteering for causes in these realms. Her other interests include spending time with family and friends, foreign travel, and a spectrum of arts and crafts. She is the author of “The Devil Is In The Details.” (LaKeisha LaKay, 2022)
“The Devil Is In The Details” – Saamyah Anne Cambell is a former special agent of the FBI, now a detective with local law enforcement. She flees Texas for a temporary duty assignment in Florida to better cope with familial losses. Thrust into a new environment with a cantankerous partner and a mystifying case, Saamyah soon realizes that the very agony she was running from is ultimately the same torment to which she is running. Bryan Terrell Russell has been a lone detective with local law enforcement since the resignation of his career-long partner. Accustomed to coming, going, and doing as he pleases, the assignment of a new partner is not only inconvenient for him, but also uncomfortable. Torn between the desire to be right and the obligation to do the right thing, Bryan must strategically balance personal sacrifices and professional gains. Together they must rise above their differences to halt a sadistic sex offender. In a race against time, hot-temperaments, egos, and pride, the quest to discover the devil in the details is no easy feat—particularly when one partner believes that the truth sets one free and the other never felt captive to a lie.
‘The Devil is in the Details’ – An idiom that refers to a catch or mysterious element hidden in the details, meaning that something might seem simple at first glance but will take more time and effort to complete than expected. –Wikipedia
‘Heavy Metro: Access All Eras’ is the new photography book by legendary rock photographer Gene Ambo. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
The incredible work of Chicago-based photographer Gene Ambo spans numerous genres over 40 years, many of which Gene spent shooting bands at the Metro–the most iconic venue in Chicago and one of the most important in the world. It is in this intimate setting of the Metro which holds a capacity of 1,100 and no “photographer pit,” that Gene found his photographic “voice” and began shooting the heavy and hard rocking bands he loves. One of the very first bands that Gene photographed in 1983, was Mötorhead. From there, he continued making history as one of the world’s most sought-after rock photographers with his work prominently featured on album and magazine covers, and numerous publications worldwide.
“Heavy Metro: Access All Eras” is Gene Ambo’s first book and spans his legendary career to date with a specific focus on rock, hard rock, heavy metal, punk, and hardcore capturing some of the most notable and rebellious bands of our time—before and after they became legends themselves. This visual journey and time-capsule of musicians who have graced the Metro stage also features both iconic and little-known shots of such famous and infamous musical acts including Metallica, Slayer, Ramones, Slash, Bad Brains, Megadeth, GBH, The Exploited, Mercyful Fate, SOD, Anthrax, Nirvana, Nick Cave, Babes in Toyland, Circle Jerks, Samhain, Cro-Mags, Trouble, Garbage, Ice T, Type O Negative, Hüsker Dü, Jane’s Addiction, Korn, Goo Goo Dolls, Celtic Frost, VoiVod, Chicago’s own Smashing Pumpkins, and many more.
A portion of all proceeds from “Heavy Metro: Access All Eras” will benefit #SaveOurStages which supports independent venues like the Metro who were hit hard by the pandemic.
“I was just lucky to be at the Metro in the beginning and to have met people who have really helped me out throughout my life, and I look at this book like I’m documenting time. ‘Access All Eras,’ like the book title says. Metro is my home base…for so many years. Between the Metro and Smart Bar, I have spent a lot of time there—many days AND nights. Literally!” – Gene Ambo
Gene Ambo is a world renowned, Chicago-based photographer whose career began in 1983 at Chicago’s legendary Metro music club where he began shooting bands he enjoyed with his father’s camera. He is celebrated for his stunning images of legendary, underground and emerging bands and musicians, including Metallica, Mötorhead, Madonna, Prince, Slayer and Broken Hope. “Heavy Metro: Access All Eras” is Gene’s first-ever photo book.
The Metro opened in 1982 under the guidance of owner Joe Shanahan. The first show Shanahan booked and promoted was R.E.M. and over the next 40 years, the venue would host concerts by Metallica, James Brown, Iggy Pop, Chris Cornell, George Clinton, Slayer, Joe Strummer, and Prince, among many others. Bob Dylan performed two shows at Metro to celebrate the club’s 15th anniversary.
Stygian Sky Media (SSM) creates books to stimulate imaginations. SSM books include trade paperbacks, traditional hardcovers, deluxe/limited editions, and groundbreaking original works in the genres of crime, thriller, horror-noir, dark fiction, and non-fiction titles including photo books, music, memoir, and more. SSM connects and creates works with authors from diverse backgrounds, from bestsellers to cult, bringing readers books they’ve never imagined.
‘The Falcon’ is the new novel in the Nina Guerrera series by Isabella Maldonado. Photo: amazon
Isabella Maldonado is the award-winning and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Detective Cruz series and of The Cipher and A Different Dawn in the Nina Guerrera series. Before turning to crime writing, she wore a gun and badge in real life. A graduate of the FBI National Academy in Quantico and the first Latina to attain the rank of captain in her police department, she retired as the Commander of Special Investigations and Forensics. During more than two decades on the force, she served as a hostage negotiator, department spokesperson, and district station commander. She uses her extensive law enforcement background to bring a realistic edge to her writing. “The Falcon” is her new novel in the Nina Guerrera series and has a serial killer who wants to play but FBI Agent Nina Guerrera has no times for games. (amazon, 2022)
“The Falcon”– Six female undergrads at an elite university vanish. The media descends. The families demand action. As Special Agent Nina Guerrera follows clue by chilling clue, she realizes she is tracking the most cunning predator of her career. The case takes a turn for the worse, and the bizarre, when several victims are found perfectly preserved. No signs of violence, no hint of how they died. Just more evidence that the killer is cruel, calculating, and a master of mind control. With her mission compromised, Nina must face her greatest failure―and greatest fear―to stop a deadly hunter before he claims another prize.
The movie adaptation of Delia Owens’ bestselling novel will hit theaters on July 15, 2022. Photo: amazon
Delia Owens is the coauthor of three internationally bestselling nonfiction books about her life as a wildlife scientist in Africa—”Cry of the Kalahari,” “The Eye of the Elephant,” and “Secrets of the Savanna.” She has won the John Burroughs Award for Nature Writing and has been published in Nature, the African Journal of Ecology, and International Wildlife, among many other publications. “Where the Crawdads Sing,” the #1 New York Times bestseller, is her first novel and has been adapted into a movie that will be released in theaters on July 15, 2022. It is at once an ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder. (amazon, 2022)
“Where the Crawdads Sing” – For years, rumors of the “Marsh Girl” have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life—until the unthinkable happens.
‘The Big Dark Sky’ by Dean Koontz will be released July 19, 2022. Photo: amazon
Dean Koontz is the international bestselling author of “Quicksilver,” “Elsewhere,” “The Other Emily,” “Devoted,” and seventy-nine New York Times bestsellers, fourteen of which were #1, including “One Door Away from Heaven,” “From the Corner of His Eye,” “Midnight,” “Cold Fire,” and many others. Rolling Stone calls him “America’s most popular suspense novelist” and his books have been published in thirty-eight languages and have sold over five hundred million copies worldwide. In his new exhilarating, twist-filled novel, “The Big Dark Sky,” a group of strangers bound by terrifying synchronicity becomes humankind’s hope of survival. It will be release July 19, 2022. (amazon, 2022)
“The Big Dark Sky” – As a girl, Joanna Chase thrived on Rustling Willows Ranch in Montana until tragedy upended her life. Now thirty-four and living in Santa Fe with only misty memories of the past, she begins to receive pleas—by phone, through her TV, in her dreams: ‘I am in a dark place, Jojo. Please come and help me.’ Heeding the disturbing appeals, Joanna is compelled to return to Montana, and to a strange childhood companion she had long forgotten. She is not the only one drawn to the Montana farmstead. People from all walks of life have converged at the remote ranch. They are haunted, on the run, obsessed, and seeking answers to the same omniscient danger Joanna came to confront. All the while, on the outskirts of Rustling Willows, a madman lurks with a vision to save the future. Mass murder is the only way to see his frightening manifesto come to pass. Through a bizarre twist of seemingly coincidental circumstances, a band of strangers now find themselves under Montana’s big dark sky. Their lives entwined, they face an encroaching horror. Unless they can defeat this threat, it will spell the end for humanity.
E.A. Smiroldo’s debut novel ‘The Silent Count’ will be released July 19, 2022. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
E.A. Smiroldo is a novelist, musician, and nuclear engineer with a B.S. in engineering. She uses real science in her debut novel “The Silent Count,”where her expertise blends with real-world inspired drama. She understands how close humanity is to the brink of real climate crisis, and she is determined to bring to light how important it is for us to trust and love one another. She is also a Washington Area Music Association Award-nominated singer-songwriter and has won prizes in writing competitions sponsored by the Bethesda Literary Festival and the International Screenwriters’ Dig. In “The Silent Count,” which releases on July 19, nuclear engineer and musician E.A. Smiroldo weaves the science she has learned and the political divide she has seen with music and technology to deliver a satirical thrill ride ripe for our current times. (Black Château, 2022)
“The Silent Count” – Set in Washington DC, this climate-change fiction (cli-fi) thriller novel is based on a potentially real scenario involving the use of nuclear weapons to change weather patterns and fight climate change. It is inspired by her own observations as a nuclear engineer and singer-songwriter. The story follows different characters and explores the impact their professions have on them and the world. The book centers around Dara Bouldin and her promising, yet risky, plan to reverse climate change. There is just one problem: no one at the government agency where she works knows she exists. She is reeling from a broken engagement to her musician ex Jericho, who is rapidly rising up the charts with his new single, while she is stuck paying off student loans and her dad’s gambling debts. Dmitri, her attractive coworker, will not give her the time of day. It does not help that Dara has barely made any strides in her nuclear engineering career. When she finally gets the professional recognition she craves so deeply, with kudos from Congress and even the President himself, Dara is elated. Little does she know, behind the scenes her stroke of luck has thrown her into the middle of a global conflict where her innovations will prove dire, in ways she never anticipated. It is up to Dara to set things right before it is too late.
“The concept for The Silent Count has been with me since I was a student and read in a textbook that a nuclear weapon could potentially be used to change weather patterns. With our world spiraling deeper into climate crisis, the timing of my book’s release is crucial, as I don’t believe hope is lost. It is not too late for society to take effective action. As a musician, I believe that art can make a difference as well. Hopefully, my novel will help raise awareness as it entertains.” – E.A. Smiroldo
The television adaptation of Thomas Perry’s ‘The Old Man’ is on FX and streaming on Hulu. Photo: amazon
Thomas Perry is the author of 23 novels including the Jane Whitefield series, “Death Benefits,” and “Pursuit,” the first recipient of the Gumshoe Award for best novel. He won the Edgar for “The Butcher’s Boy” and “Metzger’s Dog” was a New York Times Notable Book. The Independent Mystery Bookseller’s Association included “Vanishing Act” in its “100 Favorite Mysteries of the 20th Century” and “Nightlife” was a New York Times bestseller. “Metzger’s Dog” was voted one of NPR’s 100 Killer Thrillers–Best Thrillers Ever. His novel “The Old Man” is now an original series from FXstarring Jeff Bridges, John Lithgow, and Amy Brenneman and revolves around a retired intelligence officer living off the grid who gets caught in “[a] harrowing hunt-and-hide adventure” (The New York Times). It consists of seven episodes and is available for streaming on Hulu. (amazon, 2022)
“The Old Man”– To all appearances, Dan Chase is a harmless retiree in Vermont with two big mutts and a grown daughter he keeps in touch with by phone. But most sixty-year-old widowers don’t have multiple driver’s licenses, savings stockpiled in banks across the country, or two Beretta Nanos stashed in the spare bedroom closet. Most have not spent decades on the run. Thirty-five years ago, as a young army intelligence hotshot, Chase was sent to Libya to covertly assist a rebel army. When the plan turned sour, Chase acted according to his conscience—and triggered consequences he never could have anticipated. To this day, someone still wants him dead. And just when he thought he was finally safe, Chase is confronted with the history he spent much of his life trying to escape.
I have not read the book so I cannot compare the book to the series, but after watching the first four episodes on Hulu, I want to see where it leads. I am not a big fan of serials because it just seems like a really long movie that takes forever to resolve and halfway through I tend to lose interest. In this case, the story of a retired intelligence officer drew me in. Admittedly, the pacing can be slow and the constant flashbacks can be tiring, but it does have its plot twists to keep it interesting. Will Harper eventually catch up to Chase? How many people will Chase have to kill to evade one contract killer after another? Good question, I guess I will have to watch the rest of the episodes to find out. All I know is that if anything happens to those dogs, I am definitely out.
‘The 6:20 Man’ by David Baldacci will be released July 12, 2022. Photo: amazon
David Baldacci published his first novel, ‘Absolute Power,’ in 1996. A feature film followed, with Clint Eastwood as its director and star. In total, David has published 44 novels for adults; all have been national and international bestsellers and several have been adapted for film and television. His novels have been translated into over 45 languages and sold in more than 80 countries, with 150 million copies sold worldwide. David has also published seven novels for younger readers. His next book ‘The 6:20 Man’ will be out Tuesday, July 12, 2022. In this new thriller, a cryptic murder pulls a former soldier turned financial analyst deep into the corruption and menace that prowl beneath the opulent world of finance. (amazon, 2022)
‘The 6:20 Man’ – Every day without fail, Travis Devine puts on a cheap suit, grabs his faux-leather briefcase, and boards the 6:20 commuter train to Manhattan, where he works as an entry-level analyst at the city’s most prestigious investment firm. In the mornings, he gazes out the train window at the lavish homes of the uberwealthy, dreaming about joining their ranks. In the evenings, he listens to the fiscal news on his phone, already preparing for the next grueling day in the cutthroat realm of finance. Then one morning Devine’s tedious routine is shattered by an anonymous email: She is dead.
Sara Ewes, Devine’s coworker and former girlfriend, has been found hanging in a storage room of his office building–presumably a suicide, at least for now–prompting the NYPD to come calling on him. If that was not enough, before the day is out, Devine receives another ominous visit, a confrontation that threatens to dredge up grim secrets from his past in the army unless he participates in a clandestine investigation into his firm. This treacherous role will take him from the impossibly glittering lives he once saw only through a train window, to the darkest corners of the country’s economic halls of power where something rotten lurks. Apart from this high-stakes conspiracy, there is a killer out there with their own agenda, and Devine is the bull’s-eye.
SA Examiner 