Books most popular in the United States●Historical

Release date: 2023-03-21 $14.99

Release date: 2020-10-06 Genre:Mysteries & Thrillers $2.99

Comments

1. Did not finish. - I’m assuming this author’s other books must be good, but % of the way through I stopped reading, wondering if this book even had an editor. Bad, awkward prose full of pointless metaphors and interminable sentences. Sloppy and sometimes confusing point of view. Rookie fiction errors.
2021-09-05

Release date: 2023-03-14 $11.99

Release date: 2023-03-21 $13.99

Release date: 2023-03-14 $13.99

Comments

1. All that is hidden - This is the first of Rhys Bowen that Ive read . Because i enjoyed this book so well i will begin now on the other books and read from first to last I liked the togetherness of the couple doing the investigations. The ending was a surprise too. But i suspected him at the first as his reason for talking to his father about a particular subject did not fit in at the timing of a birthday party , but even though i could not figure out how he did it .
2023-03-21

2. All That Is Hidden - Early ’s Daniel was the youngest police captain. While his wife gave up her detective agency when they had Liam. He was thinking of a career change, and the ticket he would run on was known for their bribes Then why change career. The book is a combination of historical fiction and mystery, with lots of twists and turns to keep the reader interested. I enjoyed the story. Thanks to Net Galley and St Martin Press to read and review this book, and the opinions are my own.
2023-03-14

Release date: 2023-03-07 $14.99

Release date: 2022-06-04 $10.99

Release date: 2022-01-04 Genre:Mysteries & Thrillers $0.99

Release date: 2022-03-07 $4.99

Release date: 2009-10-13 Genre:Mysteries & Thrillers $8.99

Comments

1. Enter SIGMA Force! - What was supposed to be a stand alone action-thriller, this series takes readers on an amazing thrill ride into history, mystery, science, and of course action. Now if you don't know what SIGMA Force is, its basically a group of former special forces soldiers that have been trained and/or posses skills in some form of scientific discipline. As the author would put it, they are scientists with guns! In this first installment we get to see the beginnings of now SIGMA Director Painter Crowe when he was just a field agent. We get our first glimpse of The Guild, the main enemy of SIMGA and unlike SIMGA who's job it is to protect the world from advanced forms of technology from falling into the wrong hands, The Guild is out for profit. Sandstorm is a fun ride into the Arabian Peninsula to the lost city of Ubar. Taking mystery backed by scientific reasoning, the two blend so well. From static sandstorms, to antimatter, to people being burned alive in liquid glass, this book delivers with a punch. I even learned what a buckyball was! lol If you're new to the SIGMA Series, here's your starting point. Have fun!
2020-04-03

2. The action scenes are full of absurdities - Before writing a book that involves the military, authors need to consider how many combat veterans are out there now. Still, you don’t have to be a combat veteran to realize what an absurd idea it would be to have small one-man helicopters and mortars used effectively in a swirling sandstorm capable of producing mph winds and toppling buildings. Then you have non-military things that just aren’t accurate. I would expect more accuracy in describing the characteristics of a carpet viper from an author who is also a veterinarian. While much of the story is not meant to be taken as remotely possible, I believe that the above mentioned things are. Nevertheless, I will give the book stars since it could have otherwise been a fun read. My rating system: stars are reserved for books that totally blow me away, or classics that I believe would have when they were new. I don’t give too many of these out, because it’s the highest rating that you could ever possibly give any book on here. stars for books that I would recommend to just about anyone, or, at least, to someone who doesn’t dislike the genre. stars for books that I would only recommend to someone who is fond of the genre. stars for books that I would be hesitant to recommend to anyone at all, but the book was not a total disaster. star for books that I found so terribly ridiculous, or poorly written, that I wish I had not spent time reading to begin with.
2019-11-08

3. Not Underwater - This book, as are all Rollins books, are delightfully entertaining. They satisfy most of my wants for thrills, drama, and even a little science fact. One can tell from his writing that Rollins is an adventurer at heart. No wonder then that he may be found Underground or Underwater. Which is often where I'm off to when reading his lovely books.
2012-06-01

4. Rollin's is awesome! - I loved this novel. I had read other SIGMA series novels and wanted to read the earlier novels. It is awesome to see how Painter Crowe began his career. The novel is well written with plenty of twists and turns. It is exciting and keeps you reading. There is plenty of science and archeology mixed in. I recommend this as a must read of you like Rollins.
2011-12-27

Release date: 1998-02-15 $9.99

Release date: 2023-04-18 $14.99

Release date: 2023-03-21 $3.99

Comments

1. The Ring the Caesar Wore - Leonidas and Cassie once again take us through a journey in Ancient Rome with fascinating scenery, views of lives during those times and solve a mystery that appears to be unsolvable. The characters are deep, believable and likable. While we’ll probably never know exactly how life was during those times, we are given a view with facts and the wonderful imagery to fill in all the blanks. I love how Leonidas is falling in love with his Cassie and can’t wait until the next book to see how this continues to develop. Highly recommend this book and all in the series.
2023-03-22

Release date: 2021-01-12 Genre:Mysteries & Thrillers $11.99

Comments

1. Good fun - I read one of their books years ago and really got involved with it. Good characters involved in an interesting story. I remember enjoying certain chapters that made you feel you were there with the characters. I am sure Roadside is booked by them but I’m not sure… I am sure I will be reading more of them. This is a quick read with interesting characters with a treasure hunt! Plus the FBI and a sheriff that totes six shooters! Lots of fun. Recommend.
2021-09-25

2. Slow start, Quick ending, easy see through plot - Nice and fun story. Pretty short though. But it was very clear what the main plot was, and who-done-it, by the middle of the story. Some suspense. Some excitement. But the end was so abrupt it left me seriously wondering why it’s so well rated. A small surprise at the end didn’t help it at all either.
2021-02-09

3. I could not put this book down! - When you start reading The Scorpion’s Tail you had better have a light schedule as you won’t want to do anything else until you finish this intriguing story. The facts behind the story were well researched and accurate. Even the geography was accurately described.
2021-01-25

4. Preston & Child score big again - Scorpion’s Tail is a wonderful read - the story builds steadily in anticipation of the climax. The characters are dimensional and interesting. By the end you care very much about what will happen and who will survive. Thank you to an exceptional writing team for another treasured tome.
2021-01-22

Release date: 2021-05-11 $3.99

Release date: 2019-02-26 Genre:Mysteries & Thrillers $9.99

Comments

1. A stunning conclusion - Don Winslow does it again, in one of the best thriller series that has truly captured the good, the bad, and the ugly on both sides of “The Border.” In Winslow fashion, the numerous stories that interweave throughout the series are summed up, we are left wondering only this. Will Don Winslow ever write such an in-depth, well researched series again?
2020-11-06

2. The Border - This is the fifth Don Winslow book I have read. I enjoyed the previous ones but really disliked this book. The book is very political, he spends so much time displaying his like for conservatives that it is not enjoyable. I don’t like books that take a political stand one way or the other, I read Winslow’s book for the entertainment value. If his future books are like this one I won’t be buying another.
2020-04-12

3. Boring, poor attempt to make political comments - I struggled to get through this book. It was by far the worst book that I have read in the past years. Not only was the book boring, but the author involved his political views in an otherwise fiction story. If I want to read his political views, I’ll buy a political book. When I buy a fiction book, I want to read for the entertainment value. Sadly, this book had none. The author failed to make the heroes compelling characters and the “action” scenes were far short of detail and boring. Even the conversations between characters were unrealistic. I can’t think of one positive thing to say about this book. I will never buy another book written by this author. It was that bad.
2020-03-25

4. Partisan drivel - Enjoyed his previous books but this was convoluted and full of leftist preaching. I’m not a Trump fan but Winslow definitely has a case of the derangement syndrome. And if you’re going to trash law enforcement perhaps you should read the DOJ report on Ferguson before using that as an example.
2019-04-15

5. The Border - My favorite author of “The Cartel” had to get political! Why?? A hard to believe story that the DEA Boss would hate a president running on Border Control! Same old song and dance to bash Trump in a fictional story about a real issue. Could have been great, but you lost this fan. Sad Mr. Winslow.
2019-04-12

6. Least favorite Don Winslow book - I’m a huge fan of Don Winslow’s Cartel series but this book left much to be desired. The plot is decent but not nearly as good as his past works. My biggest issue with the book is the political BS. Clearly the fascist, racist character John Dennison is supposed to be Donald Trump. We get it Don, you’re not a fan of the president. I read your books to be entertained by fiction and to get away from news and politics. Unfortunately, Don couldn’t keep his seething hatred for the president out of his latest book and the entire piece suffers.
2019-04-03

7. The Border - From the moment I picked up this book, I knew I was in for a wild ride. Winslow writes with such detailed particularity that , at times, you actually think he was at the scene. He goes with ten year old Nico in one chapter, you feel as if you are there on La Bestia for the entire train ride. I’m not giving away anything here so you’ll have to read the book, and, at times you might thank me for pointing to this book. I’ve read all three and loved them all. You will be zipped through Mexico, Central America, through, the good and the bad placers right here in America. Don’t miss this since if the is made into a movie, it will make the movie Sicario’s seem like a Disney movie.
2019-03-30

8. Modern politics have no place here - The political stance of the author in this novel such a poor fit and disappointing. I have re-read The Cartel eight times at the time of this review, just to show that I adore the author’s work. While there was certainly some politics in the previous novels of the series, none were as heavy handed as this. They were mostly vague references with light criticisms here and there, that mostly left the actual plot contained to an enjoyable FICTIONAL conflict. Here there is a literal stand-in for the current POTUS. Regardless of the readers political leanings, it still distracts abundantly and often from the mediocre drama and intrigue of the actual plot. Also REGARDING the political position of the reader; It is much more difficult to become immersed into a (reminder) FICTIONAL WORLD when the author constantly reminds you what his political position is and goes further in his book to validate his positions. Most readers do not want to feel like they’re reading a CNN article when they read a fiction novel. Look, I understand what Mr. Winslow is trying to do. He wants to show how he would solve the current drug crisis occurring throughout the western world and especially in the US. This doesn’t make for a good fiction novel, however. It doesn’t even make for a good entry in this series. It’s just not “fun” reading a pseudo-hit piece on current elected officials in a series whose drama and intrigue has kept me javing fun throughout. Speaking of such things, the book cannot lean on them. Compared to The Power of the Dog and The Cartel, there is very little to be excited about in this addition. Much of the writing goes on and on about mundane details. Few of the characters were more than two-dimensional and there were even fewer arcs, only one of which made me interested in seeing it through. Thirty percent of this book should have been edited out as technical drivel and over-visualization. Today it is so common to insert real-life modern politics into mediums they have no place in. Tasteless is what I call it. Not-so-coincidentally this is how I describe The Border.
2019-03-23

9. Brilliant end of the trilogy - Another hit by Mr. Winslow, who does expertly dissect the intertwined world of drugs, corruption, finance and politics in such a deep and realistic manner. This was a great end of the trilogy started with The Power of the Dog. All three books so rich in history, politics, the church, the human being lowest points... Congratulations Mr. Winslow, it’s truly difficult to successfully close a -year trilogy the way you have mastered it.
2019-03-19

10. The Border - Regardless of the author’s political beliefs and regardless of whether they align with my own, I don’t want to be constantly bombarded with shallow partisan comments while I read B-level (at best) fiction. Such books are meant for entertainment, and by doing so, the author destroys the sole purpose of reading the crap. I stopped reading around the halfway point because the mild entertainment value was significantly outweighed by the annoyance of author’s political sniping. If you’re like me, don’t buy this book.
2019-03-17

Release date: 2019-07-07 $8.99

Release date: 2003-03-18 Genre:Mysteries & Thrillers $9.99

Comments

1. A Good Book to Relax and Enjoy - It’s been a while since I read this book, but I enjoyed it even more this second time than I did the first. It certainly doesn’t hurt that so many people act as if this book came from the theology section instead of the fiction section. A story that gets people’s feathers up because they’re too busy taking themselves far too seriously: what’s not to love?!
2020-08-20

2. Woah. - So when I picked up this book I was not prepared for it. I though this would be a mildly interesting mystery read. Not something that blew my mind after every page. Dan continues to confuse and amaze at every twist and turn. What you think will happen and what does happen are so different I was laughing at myself! I love this book and I recommend it for anyone who wants to have their mind blown after every single chapter. Some say this is offensive to their religion but this is a work of fiction and while there are truths and facts hidden through its mostly about a conspiracy theory and shouldn’t hold any weigh unless you allow it to. I loved it. Definitely the greatest mystery I’ve ever read. Than you Dan.
2020-07-25

3. Church and state. - Many references were unknown at first glance, therefore, I was unable to fully understand the metaphorical prose Brown enunciated in his works. As far as character development and the addition of various treasured landmarks, this has been an interesting experience. I’ve yet to finish, but I own the novel. The ability to revisit with a fresher perspective at a later date is somewhat refreshing. The hardback is aesthetically pleasing, in comparison with the digital copy — the value remains the same, though prices differ dramatically.
2019-09-08

4. Good Murder Mystery But Offensive to Christian Religion - Really good plot for a murder mystery. However, as an active Catholic who did not know what the book was about, I disagree with the view presented about the Church and her doctrines. I found it offensive that the book was supposedly stating that the Catholic Church's believe of Christ being both man and divine and other aspects mentioned are incorrect.
2019-05-20

5. Must read. - I'll be honest, I saw the movie before I read the book-the book was released when I was in th grade so obviously Cosmo and Seventeen magazine were ranked a little bit higher than Dan Brown lol. Once I saw the movie though, I felt like I couldn't really appreciate it until I read the book myself-and I LOVED it. It started my summer of binge reading every Dan Brown book released at the time and I can't wait until the next book. Two thumbs up from this girl.
2016-09-07

6. Fantastic story, terrible storytelling - Reading this the second time and knowing the eventual plot, I was starting to pay more attention to the actual quality of authorship - and I think people overlook in the excitement of following the twists and turns in this fantastic roller coaster of a story one very basic fact: Dan Brown is a lousy writer. He is at best an amateur at writing a decent novel, and his style becomes very annoying once you look closer into how he is telling the story, not just where that story is taking you.
2013-09-28

7. Great book, until.................... - ..............the ending. You have to hand it to Dan Brown. He really knows how to write an exciting story! I was spellbound all the way though it-I couldn't put it down! But the ending as such a letdown. After all that excitement, I was expecting so much more, & didn't get it.
2012-03-13

Release date: 2018-03-14 $4.99

Comments

1. Superb! - An excellent story, recounted by a superb writer. A tale that was engrossing from the first page, to the last. I enjoyed getting to know all the various characters and was truly saddened when the story came to a satisfying, but much too early, conclusion. I’m certain some day I will reread this grand piece of fiction!
2022-11-22

2. I wasn’t disappointed - This story was quite different from “The House of Closed Doors” series I read. I wasn’t sure at the beginning that I would like it. But, I found that it became more and more interesting. It had twists that I never thought would happen. It turned out to be a great read with a great story.
2018-06-06

Release date: 1990-09-26 $2.99

Release date: 1989-07-03 $12.99

Release date: 2016-10-18 $12.99

Comments

1. Wonderfully entertaining - “Do you think extraordinary women ought to be treated differently my dear?...The extraordinary will always be treated differently, they’re extraordinary after all. What I wonder is whether a not-so- extraordinary woman will ever be treated the same as a not-so-extraordinary man.” This amazing reworking of Sherlock Holmes, set in the changing world of Victorian England, is exactly that- an extraordinary woman trying to make her own way in ordinary England after running up against the societal norms. The last child of a loveless marriage, Charlotte Holmes might be deemed on the Autism Spectrum these days (a trait some believe the original character Sherlock, and possibly A C Doyle himself suffered from). But it doesn’t define her, it makes her “different”. Her ability to see fine detail, to quiet observe, and to call upon exceptional memory makes her ideally suited for investigational study. Scandalized out of “ proper society, she cannot find work, until she happens upon an elder in need of a “companion “, and she and Mrs.Watson begin working together to find the killer in a series of sort-of connected deaths that have pointed fingers at the Holmes family. This book, although it starts slow, deserves every accolade it has won. Author Sherry Thomas, a well known historical fiction writer, has well researched intelligent characters in Charlotte and her cadre of misfits. I heartily wait for the next book in the series. Brava Ms. Thomas!
2017-11-10

2. Extraordinary, my dear Watson! - Sherry Thomas took me back to another era and turned Sherlock Holmes on his—or rather, her—head. And try as I might, I couldn't solve the mystery. It's no wonder A Study in Scarlet Women was named one of NPR's Best Books of . I look forward to the next book in the Lady Sherlock series!
2016-12-30

Release date: 2023-02-28 $14.99

Release date: 2021-12-07 $14.99

Release date: 2017-08-01 $8.99

Comments

1. Another Terrific Read from Rhys! - I will start off by saying that I figured out early on who did it. However...and that is a big however....I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. While i knew "who", I did not quite know "why" and certainly did not know "how." I had a good time tagging along with Georgie as the clues were laid out. Also, the characters are well written and charming (and sometimes despicable...which is to be expected). There is a nice balance of mystery and romance in this installment, and while I want to slap Darcy at times....his attitudes are true to his time period and station in life. The character of Georgie is maturing nicely. She is still prone to "golly" but her adventures have made her more empathetic, not jaded, which keeps me interested and smiling. Overall, a great read, and I cannot wait until the next installment!
2017-08-16

Release date: 2014-03-04 $7.99

Comments

1. When Kings confess - I have loved this series from the beginning and have enjoyed the mystery and the history lesson at the same time. "When Kings Confess did not disappoint me at all. It held me rivited to every page and chapter and I just couldn't put it down. I am overjoyed and quite pleased with the new development and addition of Dr. Gibsons friend and the deepening of the love of Hero and Devlin. And of course the newest little one with his daddy's eyes. I can hardly wait for the next installment.
2014-05-22

Release date: 2023-02-14 $14.99

Release date: 2019-01-03 Genre:Mysteries & Thrillers $9.99

Release date: 2022-02-01 $12.99

Release date: 1926-02-06 Genre:Mysteries & Thrillers $0.99

Release date: 2023-06-06 $4.99

Release date: 2010-04-01 $12.99

Release date: 2021-11-29 Genre:Mysteries & Thrillers $0.99

Release date: 2016-07-05 $11.99

Release date: 2015-07-28 $6.99

Release date: 2019-04-08 $4.99

Release date: 2022-08-02 Genre:Mysteries & Thrillers $13.99

Release date: 2022-04-12 $12.99

Release date: 2023-02-23 $17.99

Release date: 2021-06-01 $4.99

Release date: 1991-10-01 $5.99

Comments

1. Disappointed…. - Such a convoluted set of circumstances I have never before encountered in what I truly hoped would turn out to be detective fiction, as opposed to the spy cross and double cross fiction it rapidly exposed itself to be. My least favorite of the three of these I have thus far read. I am not giving up on the series, though, and the next book is already cued up.
2022-05-27

Release date: 2010-04-01 $12.99

Release date: 2007-11-06 $7.99

Release date: 2020-11-10 $11.99

Release date: 2009-03-17 Genre:Mysteries & Thrillers $7.99

Comments

1. My favorite book :) - I have seriously read this book so many times and recommended and loaned it to so many people, I've bought so many physical copies of this book I lost count. Now I always have it with me. Even though I already know what's going to happen, it always makes for an exciting read. James Rollins has a way of keeping me engaged in a story in a way no other author can!
2011-10-07

Release date: 2010-08-31 $13.99

Release date: 2020-08-04 $11.99

Release date: 2023-03-02 $6.99

Release date: 2021-04-07 $0.99

Release date: 2008-11-04 $8.99