by G. Robert Frazier

If you’re seeking edge-of-your seat thrills and psychological suspense to keep you turning pages long into the humid summer nights, then look no further. From exotic locales like the Greek islands to the seamy underbelly of New York City, these books have the right ingredients for an entertaining escape.

The Destroyers

Years and miles apart will change people. So will wealth—or a lack of it. Ian Bledsoe discovers this the hard way in Christopher Bollen’s engrossing new novel, THE DESTROYERS ($27.99, Harper).  Set on the Greek island paradise of Patmos, the novel reunites Ian with his childhood friend and college pal, Charlie Konstantinou, who may be Ian’s best chance of getting out of a precarious situation. But before Ian gets a chance to repay Charlie for his generosity, Charlie vanishes after a business trip, leaving his friends and family to fend for themselves.

You Belong to Me

Obsession takes many forms. In Colin Harrison’s new novel, YOU BELONG TO ME ($27, Sarah Crichton Books), the consequences of various obsessions are often messy and deadly. Successful immigration lawyer Paul Reeves is obsessed with his hobby of collecting rare archival maps. His neighbor, Jennifer Mehraz, is obsessed with her long-lost lover, former Army Ranger Bill Wilkerson. Jennifer’s husband, Iranian-American entrepreneur Ahmed Mehraz, is obsessed with her.  Harrison explores how far each of these characters will go to conquer their obsession and attain the unattainable. 

She Rides Shotgun

You’ll want to buckle up and hold on tight for Jordan Harper’s debut novel, SHE RIDES SHOTGUN ($26.99, Ecco), a fast-paced, energetic noir about an ex-convict and his 11-year-old daughter. Nate McClusky isn’t your typical protagonist—he’s done a lot of bad things in his lifetime, both beyond and behind bars. But his compassion for his daughter, Polly, drives everything, making their quest for survival one readers can embrace.

By turns heartwarming and shocking, this book entertains on numerous levels.

Fierce Kingdom

Author Gin Phillips thrusts Joan and her 4-year-old son, Lincoln, into the middle of a life-and-death scenario in one of the summer’s most action-packed and emotionally harrowing thrillers, FIERCE KINGDOM ($25, Viking). The pair are just about to wrap up a visit to their local zoo when the sounds of gunshots shatter the otherwise tranquil environment. Joan’s motherly, protective instinct immediately kicks in as the pair hide from the shooters amid the zoo’s exhibition spaces. Fierce Kingdom unfolds at a rapid-fire pace with each chapter upping the tension and danger.

Final Girls

Stephen King recently praised FINAL GIRLS ($26, Dutton) by Riley Sager as “the first great thriller of 2017,” an assessment I’ll second. This suspense-packed novel—written by an established author under the Sager pseudonym—follows the life of Quincy Carpenter, the lone survivor of a horror movie-like massacre of five college friends that happened 10 years ago during their vacation at Pine Cottage. When the lone female survivor of a similar ordeal dies and a third “Final Girl” winds up on her doorstep, Quincy is immediately thrust into yet another do-or-die scenario.

Read my complete review of these books now at BookPage.