Recommendations based on "Game free sampler (The Game Trilogy, Book 1)"

‘A perfect contradiction, existing in the shades of grey that real life is so often painted in . . . A story that’s as furious as it is tender’ Emily Henry ‘A roar of rage, a pacy page-turner, I loved it with all my broken heart. Read it. You’ll love it’ Marian Keyes ‘A propulsive plot and characters that roar off the page, this is a novel that’s unafraid to take on societal misogyny while being satirical and even funny at the same time’ Guardian‘An addictive, fast-paced crime novel like nothing you’ve ever read before’ Red magazine * * * The The The PunisherWith newfound powers the time has come to take matters into their own hands…Widowed Nessa lives alone in her house near the ocean. In the quiet hours, she hears voices belonging to the dead – who will only speak to her.On the cusp of fifty Harriett’s marriage and career imploded, but her life is far from over – in fact, she’s undergone a stunning metamorphosis.Jo spent years at war with her body. The rage that arrived with menopause felt like the last straw – until she discovers she’s able to channel it.Guided by voices only Nessa can hear, the trio discover the abandoned body of a teenage girl. The police have written off the victim. But the women have not. Their own investigations lead to more bodies, and a world of wealth where the rules don’t apply – and the realisation that laws are designed to protect villains, not the vulnerable.Now three women will avenge the innocent and punish the guilty. IT’S TIME.* * *Readers and authors are GRIPPED by The ‘A proper smash-the-patriarchy read with tension and a compelling plot to boot . . . Loved it’ Harriet Tyce‘An exceptionally well-written, vivid, and powerful piece of work’ Reader review, ‘Powerful and original’ Tammy Cohen‘STUNNING! Feminist writing at its absolute best. 10 stars’ Reader review,

“It’s fascinating to watch this Norwegian author adapt our homegrown monster [the serial killer] to a foreign culture.... When things go wrong, Harry goes on a bender, but when he’s on his game, no one is better than this obsessive detective. He systematically works his way through the intricacies of a plot that speeds along like a bullet train.”—New York Times Book ReviewDetective Harry Hole is on the trail of a diabolical serial killer terrorizing Oslo in another electrifying thriller in the Harry Hole series from the author of The Snowman.In the heat of a sweltering Oslo summer, a young woman is found murdered in her flat—with one of her fingers cut off and a tiny red star-shaped diamond placed under her eyelid. An off-the-rails alcoholic barely holding on to his job, Detective Harry Hole is assigned to the case with Tom Waaler, a hated colleague whom Harry believes is responsible for the murder of his partner. When another woman is reported missing five days later, and her severed finger turns up adorned with a red star-shaped diamond ring, Harry fears a serial killer is at work.But Hole's determination to capture a fiend and to expose Waaler's crimes is leading him into shadowy places where both investigations merge in unexpected ways, forcing him to make difficult decisions about a future he may not live to see.

Internationally acclaimed crime writer Jo Nesbø’s antihero police investigator, Harry Hole, is back in a bone-chilling thriller that will take Hole to the brink of insanity.Oslo in November. The first snow of the season has fallen. A boy named Jonas wakes in the night to find his mother gone. Out his window, in the cold moonlight, he sees the snowman that inexplicably appeared in the yard earlier in the day. Around its neck is his mother’s pink scarf.Hole suspects a link between a menacing letter he’s received and the disappearance of Jonas’s mother—and of perhaps a dozen other women, all of whom went missing on the day of a first snowfall. As his investigation deepens, something else emerges: he is becoming a pawn in an increasingly terrifying game whose rules are devised—and constantly revised—by the killer.Fiercely suspenseful, its characters brilliantly realized, its atmosphere permeated with evil, The Snowman is the electrifying work of one of the best crime writers of our time.

Titles in this set:The Kind Worth KillingAll the Beautiful LiesBefore She Knew HimEvery Vow You BreakDescription:The Kind Worth KillingYou should never talk to strangersWith his flight delayed, Ted Severson meets Lily Kintner, a magnetic stranger, in an airport bar. In the netherworld of international travel and too many martinis, he confesses his darkest secrets, about his wife’s infidelity and how he wishes her dead. Without missing a beat Lily offers to help him carry out the task…All the Beautiful LiesOn the eve of his college graduation, Harry is called home by his step-mother Alice, to their house on the Maine coast, following the unexpected death of his father.But who really is Alice, his father’s much younger second wife? In a brilliant split narrative, Peter Swanson teases out the stories and damage that lie in her past. And as her story entwines with Harry’s in the present, things grow increasingly dark and threatening – will Harry be able to see any of it clearly through his own confused feelings?Before She Knew HimWhen Hen and Lloyd move into their new house, they’re relieved to meet another childless couple in their neighbourhood, Matthew and Mira.But when they’re invited over for dinner, Hen thinks she sees something suspicious in Matthew’s study.Could this mild-mannered schoolteacher really be hiding a dark secret, one that only Hen might know about? And even if she’s right, who would believe her?Every Vow You BreakAfter a whirlwind, fairytale romance, Abigail Baskin marries freshly-minted Silicon Valley millionaire Bruce Lamb.For their honeymoon, he whisks her away to an exclusive retreat at a friend’s resort off the Maine coast on Heart Pond Island. But once t

“A thrilling tale of abduction and escape in North Korea....highly entertaining." —The Washington PostA propulsive and ambitious thriller about a woman trying to rescue her twin sister from captivity in North Korea, and the North Korean citizens with whom she forms an unlikely allianceStar of the North opens in 1998, when a Korean American teenager is kidnapped from a South Korean beach by North Korean operatives. Twelve years later, her brilliant twin sister, Jenna, is still searching for her, and ends up on the radar of the CIA. When evidence that her sister may still be alive in North Korea comes to light, Jenna will do anything possible to rescue her--including undertaking a daring mission into the heart of the regime. Her story is masterfully braided together with two other narrative threads. In one, a North Korean peasant woman finds a forbidden international aid balloon and uses the valuables inside to launch a dangerously lucrative black-market business. In the other, a high-ranking North Korean official discovers, to his horror, that he may be descended from a traitor, a fact that could mean his death if it is revealed. As the novel progresses, these narrative strands converge and connect in surprising ways, ultimately building to an explosive and unforgettable climax.

An Instant New York Times BestsellerNamed a Most Anticipated Book of 2024 by the Washington Post, TIME Magazine, BBC, TODAY, Elle, CrimeReads, and more"Hailed as the queen of Irish crime fiction, French spins a taut tale of retribution, sacrifice, and family."—TIMEFrom the New York Times bestselling author of The Searcher and “one of the greatest crime novelists writing today” (Vox), a spellbinding new novel set in the Irish countryside.It’s a blazing summer when two men arrive in a small village in the West of Ireland. One of them is coming home. Both of them are coming to get rich. One of them is coming to die.Cal Hooper took early retirement from Chicago PD and moved to rural Ireland looking for peace. He’s found it, more or less: he’s built a relationship with a local woman, Lena, and he’s gradually turning Trey Reddy from a half-feral teenager into a good kid going good places. But then Trey’s long-absent father reappears, bringing along an English millionaire and a scheme to find gold in the townland, and suddenly everything the three of them have been building is under threat. Cal and Lena are both ready to do whatever it takes to protect Trey, but Trey doesn’t want protecting. What she wants is revenge.From the writer who is “in a class by herself,” (The New York Times), a nuanced, atmospheric tale that explores what we’ll do for our loved ones, what we’ll do for revenge, and what we sacrifice when the two collide.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * This Cotton Malone adventure blends gripping contemporary political intrigue, Tudor treachery, and high-octane thrills into one riveting novel of suspense. Cotton Malone and his fifteen-year-old son, Gary, are headed to Europe. As a favor to his former boss at the Justice Department, Malone agrees to escort a teenage fugitive back to England. But after he is greeted at gunpoint in London, both the fugitive and Gary disappear, and Malone learns that he's stumbled into a high-stakes diplomatic showdown--an international incident fueled by geopolitical gamesmanship and shocking Tudor secrets. At its heart is the Libyan terrorist convicted of bombing Pan Am Flight 103, who is set to be released by Scottish authorities for "humanitarian reasons." An outraged American government objects, but nothing can persuade the British to intervene. Except, perhaps, Operation King's Deception. Run by the CIA, the operation aims to solve a centuries-old mystery, one that could rock Great Britain to its royal foundations. Blake Antrim, the CIA operative in charge of King's Deception, is hunting for the spark that could rekindle a most dangerous fire, the one thing that every Irish national has sought for generations: a legal reason why the English must leave Northern Ireland. The answer is a long-buried secret that calls into question the legitimacy of the entire forty-five-year reign of Elizabeth I, the last Tudor monarch, who completed the conquest of Ireland and seized much of its land. But Antrim also has a more personal agenda, a twisted game of revenge in which Gary is a pawn. With assassins, traitors, spies, and dangerous disciples of a secret society closing in, Malone is caught in a lethal bind. To save Gary he must play one treacherous player against another--and only by uncovering the incredible truth can he hope to prevent the shattering consequences of the King's Deception. Praise for The King's Deception "[A] perfect blend of history and adventure . . . The history enhances the main narrative and gives it an added punch. . . . Pick up this new fast-paced book by Berry and have an excellent thrill ride while you also get a wonderfully enjoyable history lesson. Education has never been this much fun."--The Huffington Post "Steve Berry does what Dan Brown thought he did. [He combines] a love of history with global thriller action and creates books that are impossible to put down and even educational. . . . A perfect blend of history and action . . . perfect summer reading."--Crimespree Magazine "Cotton Malone returns in a thriller that combines history and gunfire. . . . Readers old and new will enjoy The King's Deception."--Associated Press "A complex, rollicking forty-hour ride through a very dangerous and wild weekend in London where the betrayals collide with current events and the deceptions of hundreds of years ago, resulting in an explosive finish that no one who reads it will forget. . . . Berry is a wonderful guide as always, interweaving fascinating bits of history into the narrative. . . . I can't give you a better endorsement for a book or an author."--Bookreporter From the Hardcover edition.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * Jane Hawk's one-woman war comes to an explosive climax as the rogue FBI agent gambles everything against a terrifying conspiracy, for vengeance, for justice, and for humanity's freedom--from the author of The Silent Corner. "Jane Hawk is arguably the best character Koontz has created. . . . Simply put, wow."--Associated Press A visionary young filmmaker hunted for sport across a vast Colorado ranch by the celebrated billionaire at the heart of a monstrous cabal . . . A brilliant computer hacker slipping through top-secret databases a whisper ahead of security trackers, gathering the facts to fight the all-powerful perpetrators of mass murder . . . A pair of brutal operators, methodically shadowing their targets with every cutting-edge tool in the arsenal of today's surveillance state . . . A sequence of quiet heroes--everyday citizens--stepping up, stepping forward, intent on countering the advancing darkness . . . A Vegas mob boss teamed with a homicidal sociopath, circling a beloved boy and his protectors, aiming to secure him as leverage against his fugitive mother . . . And that fugitive mother herself, ex-agent Jane Hawk, closing in on the malevolent architects of ruin she has stalked as they stalk her, prepared to sacrifice herself to finally bring them down. These are the people and circumstances of The Night Window, the thrilling new novel in Dean Koontz's acclaimed Jane Hawk series. Replete--and then some--with the ingenious twists, the spellbinding action, the resonant themes, the sheer heart that have characterized Jane's journey from the start, The Night Window follows its extraordinary heroine to her long-sought objective, in a stunning, unforgettable finale. Don't miss any of Dean Koontz's gripping Jane Hawk thrillers: THE SILENT CORNER * THE WHISPERING ROOM * THE CROOKED STAIRCASE * THE FORBIDDEN DOOR * THE NIGHT WINDOW "The spectacular finale to Jane's story . . . will hit series fans with all the impact of a carefully calibrated hammer blow."--Booklist (starred review) "The best installment in the series since the first . . . [Koontz] revs it up with entertaining encounters and offbeat humor."--Kirkus Reviews

‘This fast paced, electric thriller races from page to page and keeps you guessing until the very end’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ He knows your name. Where you live. The car you drive. If you don’t play, your family will die. If you lose, you will. When DI Joel Norris and DS Lucy Rose begin investigating the death of a young woman, murdered on a quiet country lane, they can’t imagine what lies ahead. This killer uses his victims like chess pieces in a life-sized contest, with the highest stakes imaginable. Now Norris and Rose are pawns at the mercy of a twisted rulebook. Can they beat him at his own game before the next round begins and more innocent lives are taken? A totally addictive, edge-of-your-seat, crime-thriller that will leave you breathless. Perfect for fans of Cara Hunter, Ian Rankin and Stuart MacBride. Readers are gripped by Lethal Game: ‘Explodes into a nail-biting, breath-holding, scary ride that I loved every minute of!’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A fabulous page-turner of a book! Full on action from the first chapter, and a fabulous thriller that kept me guessing right up to the very end’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A plot like no other, couldn’t put it down... So many twists and turns, when you think you have it all worked out it twists again’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘This is so good! Charlie Gallagher writes from experience and it shows... I was completely drawn in the entire way from start to finish’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Brilliant... Kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. Charlie is one of the best crime writers around’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A non-stop thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat. You will not want to put this one down!’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I always make sure my diary is clear for a couple of days before I start one of Charlie Gallagher’s books as they never fail to keep you turning the pages until it is finished. Perhaps the best one yet’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Strap yourself in for another dark, twisting and deeply unpredictable thriller’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Left me on the edge of my seat. A brilliant thriller’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Stunning . . . the tragic sweep of Todd’s historical mysteries grows more expansive with each novel.”—The New York Times Book ReviewCalled out into the teeth of a violent blizzard, Inspector Ian Rutledge faces one of the most savage murders he’s ever encountered. He might have expected such unspeakable carnage on the World War I battlefields where he’d lost much of his soul—and his sanity—but not in an otherwise peaceful farm kitchen in remote Urskdale. Someone has murdered the Elcott family without the least sign of struggle. But when the victims are tallied, the local police are in for another shock: One child is missing. Now the Inspector must race to save a young boy before he’s silenced by the merciless elements—or the even colder hands of the killer who hides in the blinding snow. Praise for A Cold Treachery“Todd’s Ian Rutledge mysteries are among the most intelligent and affecting being written these days.”—Washington Post Book World“Brilliant.”—Chicago Tribune“Traditional mystery lovers who prefer their whodunits enriched with psychological insight will heartily embrace A Cold Treachery. . . . A superb effort.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)“Brilliantly conceived and elegantly executed.”—Strand magazine