One False Move (1998) by Harlan Coben is the 5th novel in his series of a crime solver and sports agent named Myron Bolitar.

Today Harlan Coben is known for his many TV adaptations of complex mysteries and thrillers. 

His early career Myron Bolitar books are much different. Funny. Irreverent. Filled with pop culture references. Very entertaining.

Philosophical, at times.

Bolitar’s best friend, Windsor Horne Lockwood III, is one of the great characters of fiction.

One False Move follows Myron as he is hired to protect rising women’s basketball star Brenda Slaughter.

What starts as a “bodyguard” job quickly spirals into a complex investigation when Brenda’s father disappears—just as her mother did twenty years prior.

The investigation brings Myron into conflict with the Mob and a powerful political family, uncovering secrets that some are willing to kill to protect.

A fantastic book.

Tana French one of the best authors working today.

A murder mystery — but that’s only a tiny part of the story.

… the evolution of Cal, Lena, and especially Trey—from the “wild child” of the first book to a fierce teenager—is widely cited as the book’s greatest strength.

The Keeper (2026) is the third and final instalment in Tana French’s Cal Hooper trilogy, following The Searcher and The Hunter. Set in the remote Irish village of Ardnakelty, the novel concludes the story of retired Chicago detective Cal Hooper and his surrogate family.

• Small-Town Grudges: The death splits the community and reignites generations-old power struggles.
• Corporate Threats: A wealthy local family, the Moynihans, is pushing a scheme to buy up local farms to build a factory, threatening the village’s traditional way of life.
• Personal Tensions: Cal’s involvement strains his relationship with his fiancée, Lena Dunne, who wants to avoid the village’s “tangles” but eventually becomes deeply involved herself.

Fair criticism is finding this book too slow paced. Slow burn is a generous defence.

But I was sad when it ended. The Irish dialogue and slang so entertaining.

— Personally — I’d love to read a 4th book in the series. Trey would take down the bad guy once and for all.

Read a summary of the book.

Revenge Prey (2026) is the 36th novel in John Sandford’s Lucas Davenport “Prey” series.

All excellent. One of my favourite authors.

I’m tempted to start over at the beginning. 😀

The story follows U.S. Marshal Lucas Davenport as he protects a high-ranking Russian intelligence officer and his family who have defected to the United States.

After spending a year in a CIA facility, the family are moved to a wooded suburb in Minneapolis under the Witness Protection Program. 

A Russian hit team tracks them down, leading to a sniper attack that forces Davenport and his partners into a high-stakes race to find a leak within the program and stop the assassins before they strike again.

Sandford’s greatest strength has always been his dialogue and character dynamics, and Revenge Prey delivers in spades. The rapport between Lucas and Shelly White is electric, providing a “mordant humor” that balances the book’s darker moments.

Furthermore, the inclusion of fan-favorites like Virgil Flowers and Letty Davenport—even in brief cameos—creates a rewarding sense of continuity for long-term readers.

TMW – Revenge Prey Review: Has John Sandford Perfected the Modern Thriller?

Mixed reviews. Interesting premise — but not at all realistic. Dumb, in fact.

I got through it despite not being able to root for any of the characters.

6:40 to Montreal is a thriller novel by Eva Jurczyk.

Agatha, an author who wrote a fluke best seller, is struggling with writer’s block.

She’s gifted a first-class train ticket by her husband, hoping it will give her 6 hours of focused writing to come up with an idea for her next book.

We learn that Agatha has been diagnosed with terminal cancer — and can’t get motivated by anything. In fact, her trip to Montreal is also a booty call. She’s trying to feel alive.

The journey is derailed when the train breaks down in the frozen Canadian woods. Tensions rise when a fellow passenger is found dead in their seat, turning the quiet cabin into a claustrophobic fight for survival.

Read a bad review.