The Hour of Peril: The Secret Plot to Murder Lincoln Before the Civil War by Daniel Stashower is one of the finest historical true crime books I've ever read. Since everyone knows that Lincoln in fact made it to his inauguration alive, Stashower faced a difficult job in building suspense throughout the book. Stashower has risen to this challenge and produced a book that builds in suspense as Alan Pinkerton races to uncover and neutralize a conspiracy to assassinate Lincoln as his inauguration train passes through Baltimore.

The Hour of Peril describes not only Pinkerton's race against time, but does an excellent job of describing the environment of the United States on the very brink of civil war. This is an outstanding book which anyone with any interest in Lincoln and the civil war will enjoy.

I have to admit that I started this book expecting another Shutter Island. It's not like that at all. Instead, Live By Night follows a gangster from Boston to Ybor City as his makes a name for himself and becomes more and more powerful. All in all, it's a very good read, just don't expect something action-packed and thrilling.

Sentinel: A Spycatcher Novel by Matthew Dunn is the second novel in the Spycatcher series. Sentinel is a very fun cat vs. mouse (or more accurately cat vs. cat) thriller involving spies in the former Soviet Union. This book has the feel of a classic James Bond novel with an incredibly talented and resourceful hero battling a nearly unstoppable opponent. There's plenty of action to keep the reader interested. Recommended for those who enjoy a good, straight-forward spy novel.

Sacre Bleu by Christopher Moore is a wonderful comedy/mystery set in the artist's community of late 1800's Paris. Lucien Lessard and Henri Toulouse-Lautrec work to uncover the mysterious Colorman, a twisted little man who is inexplicably proud of a certain shade of blue he sells, and of his ability to frighten housekeepers with his penis. This is an entertaining book containing equal amounts of humor and mystery mixed together with a blend of some wonderful personalities. The dialog is often quite funny, and the mystery is blended with hints of a supernatural danger. All together this makes for a very fun tour of world of Paris' artists.

The Darkening Field by William Ryan is a wonderful murder mystery set in 1937 Soviet Russia. When Captain Alexi Korolev of Moscow's Criminal Investigation Division is sent to Odessa to investigate the murder of a young actress, he uncovers a plot much more twisted than he could have imagined. This is a first-rate mystery that perfectly captures the overriding fog of terror in Stalin's Russia, where even an innocent mistake or mishap is enough to doom you, your coworkers, and your entire family.

Thanks to Book Browse's First Impressions for a chance to read this advance readers' edition.

Low Town by Daniel Polansky is a very well written fantasy/thriller. The fantasy elements are relatively minor, which is probably why I enjoyed it so much. It is an action-packed, fast-paced, thriller with an excellent conclusion. Palansky's vivid writing makes the scenes come alive, and the action never stops.

Thanks to BookBrowse First Impressions for a chance to read the ARC of this wonderful book.

Can a spy ever really retire? Sally Sin gives up the spies life for marriage and a family. However, her husband and friends suspect that she's more than just a housewife, and her past comes back to haunt her. This is a very fun book that doesn't require a lot of thought, you just have to suspend your disbelief enough to accept the premise. It has plenty of action and enough mysteries to leave one looking forward to future books.

Three Seconds is an interesting look at how the Swedish police operate a criminal informant, and react to corruption related to the informant. It is an exciting book that builds suspense throughout the story.

I found it very interesting that things like the use of a criminal informant that would draw very little suspicion in the US, are taken very seriously in Sweden. Several times I found myself unable to understand why the Swedes were getting all upset about actions that most likely would not have raised any questions in the US.

"Gone Tomorrow" by Lee Child is one of the finest thrillers I've read. Jack Reacher is an ex-army officer who finds himself involved in a tangled mess when he confronts a possible suicide bomber on a New York subway. Like a number of characters in the book, the possible suicide bomber is not what she initially appears to be. The book has enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing while continually moving at a frantic pace.

The Wave by Susan Casey is an excellent chronicle of the people who chase big waves, and the people who try to understand and predict them. About half of the book follows Laird Hamilton as he chases the biggest waves in the world to surf, while the other half documents the scientists who strive to understand what causes rogue waves and how to build ships and platforms to withstand them.

Laird Hamilton and his fellow tow surfers are insane. They risk their lives to ride ever larger waves. Casey does a great job of capturing the surfers intensity and the risks they face. I would have liked to read more about the scientists and their work in predicting waves and also more detail about the destructive power of the waves. However, all in all, this is a wonderful book and well worth reading.

Death Echo by Elizabeth Lowell is an outstanding thriller. Emma Cross is an ex-CIA agent now working for a "consulting" firm. Thanks to some strong-arm maneuvers by a government agency, she starts out tracking a lavish yacht and ends up in the middle of an international terrorism threat.

This book is a wonderful, quick read with enough sex, violence, and mystery to keep it continually interesting. The action never stops or slows down once Emma is on the case, and cascades to an exciting ending.

Thanks to William Morrow and BookBrowse for a chance to read and review this book.