This year, instead of the usual schmoopy romance reads for Valentine’s Day, I offer you some excellent Killer Thrillers. That way if your hot date doesn’t go well, you don’t have to read about someone else’s happily ever after. Yuck! Check these out if you are looking for more than poetry and chocolates this holiday. 

I’m not sure I’ve read a book like this before. It was like Crazy Rich Asians meets Lost meets Dexter. The beginning started with Julie finding her estranged twin, Chloe’s, body in her apartment. Chloe is a huge online influencer, while Julie is about to get fired from her supermarket check out job. Before the police arrive, Julie decides she is going to take over her sister’s fabulous life. Who would know? I can’t even imagine trying to do something like that. People would fine me out in the first hour. But Julie is good at it. It’s not until she goes on a super secret vacation with her influencer friends that things start to unravel. This one had some twists that I did not see coming. Once you get to about the halfway point, you aren’t going to want to put this down, so plan accordingly.

Sometimes it's fun to read a book that is different from your usual fare. That said, this one might be a click too far outside of my comfort zone. Maria Capello is a famous chef. But she didn’t gain her stardom until after her husband died 20 years ago. And she never told her story. Until now. And Thea Woods is just the book editor she needs to make it happen. My biggest issue with the book was that it was creepier than I usually like. Which is why I’m still sharing it because I know there are some of you that are all for the ick factor. It had some good twists and turns and while I was able to figure out some of them, there were some good ones I didn’t see coming. If you are a foodie who likes a killer thriller, this may be your new favorite. I’m gonna go think about rainbows and glitter unicorns.

Not gonna lie, this one is more my speed. It’s not quite as dark as the others. As a sequel to The Blonde Identity (a play on the Bourne Identity that took me a minute to catch), this was a captivating read. This is not one you want to put down once you start and it felt like every time I tried to read something came up - the phone would ring or my husband would want to chat. (I love him, but he has a knack for waiting until I’m at the most intense part of my book then he wants to share.) This is an enemies-to-lovers set at the CIA. I enjoyed these characters a lot. These books remind of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series or Lisa Lutz'sSpellman Files. I’d start with The Blonde Identity if you haven’t read it yet, then pick up this one. And be sure to allow yourself a large enough reading window or you might find yourself wishing to punch someone as they interrupt you. (Ask me how!)

I’ve been in it to win it with these two from their first book, The President is Missing, followed by The President’s Daughter. This latest release is a little different. If the first two were more like Jason Bourne or Mission Impossible, this one is more Lincoln Lawyer. The first half of the book sets up the murder that happened 17 years ago. This part was a little slow for me and somewhat hard to follow, but it’s necessary so you know what happened. The second part features the court case where the president’s husband, aka The First Gentleman, is tried for this murder. Once the court case started I couldn’t put this book down. Yes the beginning was slow, but this one was a little less violent than the other two, which I liked. If you haven’t tried any of these, get going because they are page turners.

AI tells teens to kill his girlfriend so they can be together. Civil case. Go.I really enjoy Michael Connelly. Check out the You Might Also Like section if you doubt my commitment. And I must say that the Lincoln Lawyer series is my fave of all his books. That’s where I started and I’m always excited when a new book comes out. Now that Mickey has taken over civil cases instead of being a criminal defense lawyer, I’m interested to see how this transition goes. It was also terrifying because this kind of technology already exists and who knows what kind of guard rails exist to keep it safe. Great read. More please!

Fun note: on Valentine’s Day in 1929, seven members of Chicago’s North Side Gang were murdered in what came to be known as the Valentine’s Day Massacre. So maybe my Killer Thrillers are more on the nose than I first thought.

Happy Valentine’s to those who celebrate…

:) Amanda