From K.J. Howe:

THE WIFE STALKER by Liv Constantine

Given I tend to write more action/adventure thrillers, I’m so impressed when I read a very well executed psychological thriller—that the author was able to pull off a nail-biting tale without any firearms or roundhouse kicks. Just the other day, an ARC (Advance Reader Copy) of the highly anticipated THE WIFE STALKER landed in my mailbox. I opened the novel and started reading. Well, let’s just say that was the end of my workday! I basically devoured the book in one sitting.

As someone who likes to predict what the kicker will be, I kept searching for clues as to the major twist, but I was definitely outmatched by a talented sister team who wowed me with their shocking ending. I bow to their brilliance, their intricate planning, the breadcrumb trail of clues, and the devious plotting that led to me flashing back to many turning points after that lightbulb moment when the truth was revealed. It truly takes a master to manage to make an ending both inevitable and surprising, and they nailed it. Kudos to my fellow Rogue on another unforgettable read. This novel is available for pre-order and will be out in early May.

From Lisa Black:

CITY OF ENDLESS NIGHT by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

When I first read one of their Agent Prendergast books I was captivated, until I realized that if I met the main character I would feel wholly inadequate, and I’m egotistical enough that that gives me pause On top of that he is often snippy to the point of rudeness, and there’s only so much of that I’m willing to tolerate despite his softer moments…unfortunately police detective Vince Agosta doesn’t have that option when there’s a diabolical serial killer loose in New York. All in all, I think Prendergast is the kind of character I would have fallen madly in love with at, say, fourteen. As an adult, though, I’d have reservations.

Of course, all of that is a very minor beef when the plot is so fascinating that I can’t put the book down and then neglect all my other duties just to pick it up again!

From Lynne Constantine:

HE STARTED IT by Samantha Downing

I’m reading an advanced copy of Samantha Downing’s HE STARTED IT, a riveting and deviously fun thriller that I’m devouring. I’m also reading THE SCIENCE OF SCREENWRITING: The neuroscience behind storytelling strategies as I dip a toe into the screenwriting waters.

From Gayle Lynds:

MYSTERY TRACKS IN THE SNOW by Hap Gilliand

The snow this winter in Maine has been abundant and beautiful, which means John and I snowshoe almost every day. Animal trails crisscross our backyard and forest, mostly made by white-tail deer. Sometimes we see them, but often not. We’ve always been curious about what other animals were making tracks, too, until one day last month we were deep in the woods and spotted perfect imprints in the snow – Big paws. Sharp claws.

Wow! Time to do something about our ignorance. We guessed what the animal was, but we wanted to be sure. So, I went looking for research books. My number-one, go-to favorite has become MYSTERY TRACKS IN THE SNOW by Hap Gilliland. I love his drawings of animals, and his stories of encounters. As for the animal making the big tracks here that started all this – it was a coyote – and we have at least two. With book in hand, we’ve also identified a lot of other wild animals, including fox, squirrels, raccoons, and porcupines. Highly recommended! That cover art is on my desktop.