Happy #ThrillerThursday, friends! Here's a look at the latest books keeping us up past bedtime:
THE CAIRO AFFAIR by Olen Steinhauer
Steinhauer's geopolitical tale about a murdered diplomat, his unfaithful wife, her Egyptian intelligence ex-lover, and a CIA analyst recently earned a rave New York Times review from Janet Maslin: “Elaborate, sophisticated…a long, twisty road full of cleverly placed potholes and unexpected turns. Mr. Steinhauer draws his spies as flesh-and-blood characters in whom his readers invest both attention and emotion.”
DECODED by Mai Jia
“Told by a shadowy narrator who draws on interview transcripts and declassified documents, the book ranges in style from mythic fairy tale to spy story to epistemological speculation. Within this fantastic framework unfolds the saga of Rong Jinzhen, a youngster of illegitimate origin and odd upbringing whose phenomenal success in his non-chosen field leads to international counterespionage.” — The Wall Street Journal
BONUS: read the interview with Mai Jia in the New York Times Sinosphere blog
DON'T LOOK FOR ME by Loren D. Estleman
In the 24th(!) book in the Amos Walker series, the "barely housebroken" P.I. finds himself caught between the mafia and the porn industry. "A direct descendant of Sam Spade and Philip Marlowe, Walker fires up a cig, has a sip of Scotch, and ponders how the case of a disappeared wife can get this complicated. A very good entry in a solid series." — Booklist
THE TRIDENT DECEPTION by Rick Campbell
"Campbell utilizes his background as a retired navy commander and his familiarity with submarines to craft a terrific thriller debut. Campbell does an amazing job, balancing character interaction with high-octane action, all the while keeping the technical jargon to a level understandable by nonmilitary readers. This is the best novel about a submarine since Tom Clancy’s classic THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER." — Booklist, starred review
