Recommendations based on "Do Or Die Reluctant Heroes"

Why would a man serving a long prison sentence escape the day before he's due to be released? Audie Palmer has spent ten years in a Texas prison after pleading guilty to a robbery in which four people died and seven million dollars went missing. During that time he has suffered repeated beatings, stabbings and threats by inmates and guards, all desperate to answer the same question: where's the money? On the day before Audie is due to be released, he suddenly vanishes. Now everybody is searching for him -- the police, FBI, gangsters and other powerful figures -- but Audie isn't running to save his own life. Instead, he's trying to save someone else's. Michael Robotham has created the ultimate underdog hero, an honorable criminal shrouded in mystery and ready to lead readers on a remarkable chase.

When Bess Grady and her sister arrive in Mexico on vacation they are expecting paradise. Instead they find every person in the village is dead, killed in a bloodless carnage. The sisters are aided only by a mysterious agent who holds the key to stopping a vicious weapon aimed at America.

In the race to save one of their own, Sigma Force must wrestle with the deepest spiritual mysteries of mankind in this mind-expanding adventure from #1 New York Times bestselling author James Rollins, told with his trademark blend of cutting edge science, historical mystery, and pulse-pounding action. Arriving home on Christmas Eve, Commander Gray Pierce discovers his house ransacked, his pregnant lover missing, and his best friend’s wife, Kat, unconscious on the kitchen floor. With no shred of evidence to follow, his one hope to find the woman he loves and his unborn child is Kat, the only witness to what happened. But the injured woman is in a semi-comatose state and cannot speak—until a brilliant neurologist offers a radical approach to "unlock" her mind long enough to ask a few questions. What Pierce learns from Kat sets Sigma Force on a frantic quest for answers that are connected to mysteries reaching back to the Spanish Inquisition and to one of the most reviled and blood-soaked books in human history—a Medieval text known as the Malleus Maleficarum, the Hammer of Witches. What they uncover hidden deep in the past will reveal a frightening truth in the present and a future on the brink of annihilation, and force them to confront the ultimate question: What does it mean to have a soul?

"Few authors write about espionage, terrorism, and clandestine hit squads as well as Taylor does."--Houston Press Pike Logan is on the desperate hunt for a man who is about to betray his country--and ignite a horrific new world war--in this pulse-pounding thriller from New York Times bestselling author and former special forces officer Brad Taylor Pike Logan and Jennifer Cahill are enjoying a sunny vacation down under when they get disturbing news: their friend and colleague Clifford Delmonty is in serious trouble. While working as a contractor at an Australian F-35 facility, the former Taskforce member--callsign Dunkin--saw something he shouldn't have, and now he's on the run from Chinese agents. Pike and Jennifer soon discover that Dunkin's attackers are a dangerous link to a much larger scheme that could launch a full-on conflict between China and Taiwan. In its quest for dominance, China is determined to reclaim Taiwan--a pivotal ally the United States has sworn to protect. Pike learns that the Chinese have a devious plan to bait the island nation into all-out war by destabilizing the government and manipulating an artificial intelligence defense system. As the threat reaches a boiling point, Pike alone realizes that what they're seeing isn't actually real. A soldier who has always been trained to fight and win, Pike must now track down and neutralize the missing man who holds the key. With the help of Jennifer, the Taskforce team, and a brave Taiwanese intelligence agent, he races to prevent a catastrophic conflict from consuming a whole region of the world.

Fans of David Baldacci, Stuart MacBride and Peter James will love this high-octane and utterly compelling thriller from Sunday Times bestselling author Simon Kernick, the UK's answer to Harlan Coben. 'As ever, Kernick's research is impeccable. The plotting is brilliant and makes for a tense, action-packed read' -- Sunday Mirror'Kernick delivers his book like a runaway locomotive without brakes. This is another cracking read from a great author.' -- www.crimesquad.com'Pace, pace, pace is what Simon Kernick does best.' -- Daily Mirror'Simon Kernick has to be, in my mind, the best crime writer ever' -- ***** Reader review'Excellent read. Action from the start right to the finish' -- ***** Reader review'Takes you on a thriller of a ride from beginning to end' -- ***** Reader review'I couldn't put it down!' -- ***** Reader review***********************************************************************************NO TIME TO LOSE. NO TIME TO FAIL.THE THREAT: 8am: an explosion blasts through a cafe in Central London. THE ULTIMATUM: Minutes later, a call from an unknown terror group warns that a far greater attack will be launched in 12 hours' time. THE PRISONER: William Garrett, AKA Fox, is awaiting trial for mass murder. He claims he can name the bombers. But only at a price. THE CLOCK IS TICKING: It's a terrifying race against time for DI Mike Bolt and DC Tina Boyd as they chase their targets across the city in a desperate bid to stop a major atrocity - before it's too late ...

In the most suspenseful installment of the New York Times nestselling Body Farm series to date, forensic anthropologist Dr. Bill Brockton investigates a bizarre murder—and confronts a deadly enemy he thought he’d put behind bars for good. Forensic anthropologist Bill Brockton has spent twenty-five years solving brutal murders—but none so bizarre and merciless as his latest case: A ravaged set of skeletal remains is found chained to a tree on a remote mountainside. As Brockton and his assistant Miranda dig deeper, they uncover warning signs of a deadly eruption of hatred and violence. But the shocking case is only the beginning of Brockton’s trials. Mid-case, the unthinkable happens: The deadliest criminal Brockton has ever foiled—the sadistic serial killer Nick Satterfield—escapes from prison, bent on vengeance. But simply killing Brockton isn’t enough. Satterfield wants to make him suffer first, by destroying everything he holds dear: Brockton’s son, daughter-in-law, grandsons; even Miranda, his longtime graduate assistant, now on the verge of completing her Ph.D. and launching a forensic career of her own. The dangers from all directions force Brockton to question two things on which he’s based his entire career—the justice system, and the quality of mercy—and to wonder: can the two co-exist? If not, which will Brockton choose in his ultimate moment of truth?

Gabriel Allon, art restorer and occasional spy, searches for a stolen masterpiece by Caravaggio in #1 New York Times bestselling author Daniel Silva’s latest action-packed tale of high stakes international intrigue. Sometimes the best way to find a stolen masterpiece is to steal another one . . .  Master novelist Daniel Silva has thrilled readers with sixteen thoughtful and gripping spy novels featuring a diverse cast of compelling characters and ingenious plots that have taken them around the globe and back—from the United States to Europe, Russia to the Middle East. His brilliant creation, Gabriel Allon—art restorer, assassin, spy—has joined the pantheon of great fictional secret agents, including George Smiley, Jack Ryan, Jason Bourne, and Simon Templar. Following the success of his smash hit The English Girl, Daniel Silva returns with another powerhouse of a novel that showcases his outstanding skill and brilliant imagination, and is sure to be a must read for both his multitudes of fans and growing legions of converts.

A chilling short story featuring DS Sean Corrigan from Luke Delaney, ex-Met detective and author of COLD KILLING. Perfect for fans of Mark Billingham, Peter James and Stuart MacBride. A STAR HAS BEEN MURDEREDSue Evans is a beautiful and successful TV presenter – that is until she’s shot dead in the car park of her Southbank studios. IT’S CLEAR WHO THE KILLER ISDS Sean Corrigan and the Southwark Police Department are under pressure to solve the crime fast. Luckily they don’t have far to look – turns out Sue Evans had a stalker and all the evidence points to him. BUT THINGS AREN’T ALWAYS WHAT THEY SEEMCorrigan is not so sure – some things just aren’t adding up. With everyone convinced it’s case closed, he must take a risk to get to the truth. But can he be sure it’ll pay off?

‘Alex Shaw is one of the best thriller writers around!’ Stephen Leather The target doesn’t exist When cyber terrorist Fang Bao abruptly reappears after years in hiding, MI6 agent and former SAS trooper Jack Tate is sent to bring him in – but when Fang is assassinated by an unknown assailant, Tate realises he was only a pawn in a plot that threatens to put the whole world in danger. The mission is impossible Now Tate has to uncover a lethal conspiracy that stretches all the way from Germany through the United States and into the dark heart of the jungle in Myanmar. As the enemy hunt down the owners of military secrets that would make them indestructible, Tate must race to identify not only their next target, but the enemy themselves. The war is about to begin... Soon he learns the dark truth at the heart of the global conspiracy. The enemy doesn’t want to just assassinate a world leader; they want to make war – and Tate is the only one who can stop them. The blockbuster new action thriller perfect for fans of James Deegan, Chris Ryan and Lee Child Readers love Alex Shaw! 'High octane and tense, this is a great book for fans of Jack Tate and Mitch Rapp' NetGalley reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'An excellent read. Thoroughly recommended' NetGalley reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

In the jungles of Vietnam, Bob Lee Swagger was known as 'Bob the Nailer' for his high-scoring target rate at killing. Today the master sniper lives in a trailer in the Arkansas mountains, and just wants to be left alone. But he knows too much- about killing. The mission is top secret. Dangerous, patriotic, and rigged from the start. One thing goes wrong- double-crossed Bob has come out alive. Now he is on the run. His only allies- an FBI agent in disgrace and a beautiful woman. His only hope- find the elusive mastermind who set him up. Multi-layered with non-stop action, this hot-shot torcher of a thriller is addictive, exciting and right on target. A high-tech, high-ride reading experience.