5 Gripping New Thrillers

Down Range by Taylor Moore

Debut author Moore's hold-your-breath thriller introduces DEA agent Garrett Kohl, a former Green Beret, sent home from Afghanistan with a young Afghan boy he's rescued. Back in his beloved Texas ranching community he faces another war: A nasty drug cartel has managed to infiltrate law enforcement and other local institutions — and when they start targeting his own family, the war gets personal. Though our hero's outnumbered, he's able to lead the brutal criminals into the Texas high plains for a wild Western showdown. Moore's previous experience as a CIA intelligence officer and deep Texas roots bring authenticity to this action-packed tale.

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave

This one is burning up the best-seller lists, for good reason. It's a stunner with a heart and an ending you'll never see coming. The central question: How well do we know the ones we love? Hannah Hall's beloved husband, Owen, suddenly vanishes, leaving behind a half million in cash and a message: Protect her, referring to his 16-year-old daughter, Bailey. When the FBI shows up at Hannah's house suspecting Owen of criminal fraud and embezzlement at the family operation where he works. she realizes Owen isn't who he said he was. So who is he? The only thing that might offer clues is to help Bailey excavate her memories of the life she had with her father as a little girl — leading the pair down a thorny trail full of dangers, lies and surprises.

Find You First by Linwood Barclay

The best-selling author of 2019's Elevator Pitch returns with the story of Miles Cookson, a multimillionaire who's been diagnosed with Huntington's disease, a fatal genetic disorder. He decides to look for the nine kids he sired years ago as a sperm donor so he can both warn them they might be at risk of developing the same disease and possibly leave them his fortune. But when he discovers his progeny are disappearing one by one, he sets out — soon joined by one of those children, 22-year-old Chloe — to stop the carnage. Discovering who-dunnit and why-they've-dunnit is thrilling, but even more rewarding is the story about the growing relationship between Miles and Chloe.

Blind Tiger by Sandra Brown

This thriller set in 1920s Prohibition-era Texas is a departure for Brown, a prolific writer of dozens of best-selling thrillers and romantic novels that are usually set in modern times. It's a winner, featuring a ranch hand, Thatcher Hutton, who becomes the prime suspect in the possible murder of the doctor's wife after returning home from the war. Only one thing is missing to solve the crime quickly: the body. Released for lack of evidence, Thatcher talks his way into becoming a deputy, and is now determined to crack the case — joined by Laurel Plummer, a lovely, tough young widow and mother eking out a living in the moonshine business with her stepfather. As the tide of corruption and menace rises, their hearts and their lives are on the line.