A Big Month for Many Bestselling Authors
July brings an exciting list of new releases from several favorite authors. Mysteries, thrillers, suspense, a fantasy thriller…Many well known names…more in continuing series. All that should build to a wonderful and exciting month of summer reading.
A few of my must reads are shown below. For a more complete list of what is coming in July, you can see it here on Mystery Suspense Reviews.
Code of Conduct: A Thriller (Scot Harvath Book 14)
First to arrive on July 7th, is Brad Thor’s popular hero, Scot Horvath, in Code of Conduct. From its description, it sounds even suspenseful than the already exciting previous books in the series. Even before its release it is showing up as an Amazon bestseller! Preorders are a wonderful invention.
A secret, untouchable committee. A video only seconds long. A favor from Scot Horvath. Those seemingly inconsequential things turn into the most deadly assignment Scot has ever faced. The description doesn’t tell us why—which is a good thing, of course—leaving us to wonder what could be so horrible that the world of covert operations would be catching their breath in fear.
Scot is always a likable hero. If you have read his series, you will know he’s survived a great deal. Time to see if he can live through this new one. Early reviews say it is the best yet. They are saying Mr. Thor owns the genre with this addition to his series.
I’ve reviewed Mr. Thor’s excellent novel, Black List. Click on the title to read the review. Click on the title to read the review.
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Armada: A Novel
Armada, by David Cline, may be one of the most anticipated books of July. It’s been nearly four years since Mr. Cline’s first book, Ready Player One, was published in 2011 to rave reviews. The many fans of that book must be as excited as I am.
You can click here to read my review of Ready Player One. If you haven’t read the book, I wish you would. It was such an unusual book, partly because it transcends genres. Considered dystopian, I call it futuristic. It involves all the video games you can name, and probably more you’ve forgotten. The 80’s are so well represented, I bet you will be singing along. Yes, to Survivor. When I first read the description, none of it sounded especially appealing, but the book will be a classic!
His new book, Armada, is a complete stand alone. Still, it will take us back into the world of computers and hackers with Zack Lightman. Zack has an incredible fantasy life, longing for more excitement in his life. Until the night he sees a flying saucer. If that isn’t exciting enough, it looks identical to the one in the video game is is playing.
But he isn’t imagining anything. It is real. It will take the skills of gamers worldwide to defeat an alien invasion.
Even describing it, I know it sounds like pure science fiction, but trust me, the author rises above that. If it is as good as Ready Player One, you won’t want to miss it.
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Who Let the Dog Out?
David Rosenfelt must be mentioned if we are talking about popular mysteries. His Andy Carpenter series is an absolute delight. It’s such a favorite that I’ve done a summary of the series to date. Click here if you would like to see the list of each book.
Attorney Andy Carpenter came into some money if the very first book in the series (Open and Shut) . Since then he is more interested in watching sports and taking care of the rescue dogs at the Tara Foundation, than representing clients.
In Who Let The Dog Out?, one of the dogs they’ve rescued is stolen. When found, the dog is standing over a dead body. The dog safely back in the care of the Foundation, Andy can’t resist following the investigation. That will lead him to his next client. He’s used to defending murder cases, but this one turns out to be far more deadly that the norm. Thousands of lives are at stake unless Andy uncovers the truth in time.
It is sure to be a page turning mystery. It is sure to bring laughter to the reader. Mr. Rosenfelt is a master of combining the two into a suspenseful, yet fun, tale.
Great in Audio
All three of these books are excellent audiobook choices. Armada will again be narrated by Wil Wheaton. He did an amazing job on Ready Player One. I’m sure all of the fans will be thrilled to have him back.
Same with Armand Schultz reading Brad Thor’s series. His voice suits Scot Horvath so well. His pacing is perfect, the character variations excellent.
If you’ve read any of my other reviews, you probably know how much I enjoy Grover Gardner narrating the Andy Carpenter series. He manages Andy’s sarcastic humor perfectly, along with the rest of the story. He’s one of those narrators I will search out.
Romantic Suspense
I must mention two of my favorite romantic suspense authors too, since both have books out this month. Julie Garwood and Lisa Jackson. Ms. Garwood always writes a page turning mystery suspense, at the same time handing a fun, romantic relationship between the two main characters. Every one in the series has been a pleasure to read.
Lisa Jackson also is a popular author. She has several series she writes, along with stand alone novels most years. I always enjoyed the Montoya/Bentz series, which is why I’m so pleased to see her name here this month. The last novel published in the series was in February 2012. Nice to see she isn’t finished with it yet. Her books are very suspenseful, more so somehow amidst the New Orleans setting.
There are many more for your reading enjoyment this month. Check out the list and pick one. Summer is a great time to try a new author. Who knows, you might find yourselves wanting to read more of these wonderful bestselling authors.