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Edited by Clive Cussler
Turn off your phone. Shut down your computer.
Say goodbye to your friends and family. Be prepared to read for days.
From Jeffery Deaver’s tale of international terrorism to Lisa Jackson’s dysfunctional family in the California wine country to Ridley Pearson’s horrifying serial killer, this collection has something for everyone. Twenty-three bestselling and hot new authors in the genre have submitted original stories to make up this unforgettable blockbuster.
All contributors to The Thrill are members of the International Thriller Writers, Inc. (ITW). Barely five years old, ITW has a roster that reads like a who’s who of thriller writing, with seven hundred members worldwide and over two billion books in print. Headed by current co presidents Steve Berry and James Rollins, its board of directors has included such notables as Lee Child, Tess Gerritsen, M. J. Rose, Carla Neggers, Douglas Preston, Gayle Lynds, David Morrell and David Hewson. More information is available on the ITW Web site, InternationalThrillerWriters.com.
506 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
305 people are currently reading
1700 people want to read
About the author
Clive Cussler
645 books8,537 followersCussler began writing novels in 1965 and published his first work featuring his continuous series hero, Dirk Pitt, in 1973. His first non-fiction, The Sea Hunters, was released in 1996. The Board of Governors of the Maritime College, State University of New York, considered The Sea Hunters in lieu of a Ph.D. thesis and awarded Cussler a Doctor of Letters degree in May, 1997. It was the first time since the College was founded in 1874 that such a degree was bestowed.
Cussler was an internationally recognized authority on shipwrecks and the founder of the National Underwater and Marine Agency, (NUMA) a 501C3 non-profit organization (named after the fictional Federal agency in his novels) that dedicates itself to preserving American maritime and naval history. He and his crew of marine experts and NUMA volunteers discovered more than 60 historically significant underwater wreck sites including the first submarine to sink a ship in battle, the Confederacy's Hunley, and its victim, the Union's Housatonic; the U-20, the U-boat that sank the Lusitania; the Cumberland, which was sunk by the famous ironclad, Merrimack; the renowned Confederate raider Florida; the Navy airship, Akron, the Republic of Texas Navy warship, Zavala, found under a parking lot in Galveston, and the Carpathia, which sank almost six years to-the-day after plucking Titanic's survivors from the sea.
In addition to being the Chairman of NUMA, Cussler was also a fellow in both the Explorers Club of New York and the Royal Geographic Society in London. He was honored with the Lowell Thomas Award for outstanding underwater exploration.
Cussler's books have been published in more than 40 languages in more than 100 countries. His past international bestsellers include Pacific Vortex, Mediterranean Caper, Iceberg, Raise the Titanic, Vixen 03, Night Probe, Deep Six, Cyclops, Treasure, Dragon, Sahara, Inca Gold, Shock Wave, Flood Tide, Atlantis Found, Valhalla Rising, Trojan Odyssey and Black Wind (this last with his son, Dirk Cussler); the nonfiction books The Sea Hunters, The Sea Hunters II and Clive Cussler and Dirk Pitt Revealed; the NUMA® Files novels Serpent, Blue Gold, Fire Ice, White Death and Lost City (written with Paul Kemprecos); and the Oregon Files novels Sacred Stone and Golden Buddha (written with Craig Dirgo) and Dark Watch (written with Jack Du Brul).
Clive Cussler died at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona on February 24, 2020.
Cussler was an internationally recognized authority on shipwrecks and the founder of the National Underwater and Marine Agency, (NUMA) a 501C3 non-profit organization (named after the fictional Federal agency in his novels) that dedicates itself to preserving American maritime and naval history. He and his crew of marine experts and NUMA volunteers discovered more than 60 historically significant underwater wreck sites including the first submarine to sink a ship in battle, the Confederacy's Hunley, and its victim, the Union's Housatonic; the U-20, the U-boat that sank the Lusitania; the Cumberland, which was sunk by the famous ironclad, Merrimack; the renowned Confederate raider Florida; the Navy airship, Akron, the Republic of Texas Navy warship, Zavala, found under a parking lot in Galveston, and the Carpathia, which sank almost six years to-the-day after plucking Titanic's survivors from the sea.
In addition to being the Chairman of NUMA, Cussler was also a fellow in both the Explorers Club of New York and the Royal Geographic Society in London. He was honored with the Lowell Thomas Award for outstanding underwater exploration.
Cussler's books have been published in more than 40 languages in more than 100 countries. His past international bestsellers include Pacific Vortex, Mediterranean Caper, Iceberg, Raise the Titanic, Vixen 03, Night Probe, Deep Six, Cyclops, Treasure, Dragon, Sahara, Inca Gold, Shock Wave, Flood Tide, Atlantis Found, Valhalla Rising, Trojan Odyssey and Black Wind (this last with his son, Dirk Cussler); the nonfiction books The Sea Hunters, The Sea Hunters II and Clive Cussler and Dirk Pitt Revealed; the NUMA® Files novels Serpent, Blue Gold, Fire Ice, White Death and Lost City (written with Paul Kemprecos); and the Oregon Files novels Sacred Stone and Golden Buddha (written with Craig Dirgo) and Dark Watch (written with Jack Du Brul).
Clive Cussler died at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona on February 24, 2020.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
September 24, 2022
A “Who’s Who” of contemporary thriller authors
You’d think with a line-up of authors like this one and an editor of the status of Clive Cussler, that THRILLER 2 would have no problem living up to its sub-title: STORIES YOU JUST CAN’T PUT DOWN. But the sad reality was quite different. Although the anthology was workmanlike and the stories, considered on an individual basis, were reasonably interesting, the collection as a whole came nowhere near gripping or compelling. In fact, at the mid-way point, I considered setting it aside as a DNF and simply not bothering.
Weakest links in the chain (both at 2*s) were:
REMAKING – Blake Crouch
THE LAMENTED – Lawrence Light
Cream of the crop (at 5*s) were:
GHOST WRITER – Gary Braver
THROUGH A VEIL DARKLY – Kathleen Antrim
My opinion only, of course, and, as always, your opinion may differ completely.
Paul Weiss
You’d think with a line-up of authors like this one and an editor of the status of Clive Cussler, that THRILLER 2 would have no problem living up to its sub-title: STORIES YOU JUST CAN’T PUT DOWN. But the sad reality was quite different. Although the anthology was workmanlike and the stories, considered on an individual basis, were reasonably interesting, the collection as a whole came nowhere near gripping or compelling. In fact, at the mid-way point, I considered setting it aside as a DNF and simply not bothering.
Weakest links in the chain (both at 2*s) were:
REMAKING – Blake Crouch
THE LAMENTED – Lawrence Light
Cream of the crop (at 5*s) were:
GHOST WRITER – Gary Braver
THROUGH A VEIL DARKLY – Kathleen Antrim
My opinion only, of course, and, as always, your opinion may differ completely.
Paul Weiss
April 19, 2017
This was an interesting collection. I initially found this after being on a Blake Crouch Kick & trying to find more by the author - ironically, his story was not among my favorites in Thriller 2. I think this is a nice way to meet new authors & their writing voice/style.
My personal favorite stories include:
The House on Pine Terrace by Phillip Margolin
The Desert Here And The Deseret Far Away by Marcus Sakey
Vintage Death by Lisa Jackson
The Fifth World by Javier Sierra
Through A Veil Darkly by Kathleen Antrim
Protecting The Innocent by Simon Wood
I would be interested in reading more by these specific authors based on their short story contribution to Thriller 2.
My personal favorite stories include:
The House on Pine Terrace by Phillip Margolin
The Desert Here And The Deseret Far Away by Marcus Sakey
Vintage Death by Lisa Jackson
The Fifth World by Javier Sierra
Through A Veil Darkly by Kathleen Antrim
Protecting The Innocent by Simon Wood
I would be interested in reading more by these specific authors based on their short story contribution to Thriller 2.
March 18, 2012
Based upon my ratings my actual tally is 3.179 stars....being a lover of short stories and getting much enjoyment from this series I would call it 3.5 were that an option. I love collections like this because you get a chance to aquaint yourself with some established thriller writers whom you might not have heard of or read otherwise. It also gives you a chance to see how many of these gifted authors are able to bridge the gap from full length features, and try thier hands at the often neglected and under appreciated art of short stories. It is amazing how many authors neglect this field of thier art and it has always boggled my mind how many people start thier reviews by saying I don't really like short stories....To me they are brilliant ways to express oneself, and as a reader to find quick literary fixes. Oh well to each their own. There are some very brilliant reads, some so so reads, and some that left me totally disappointed....and although no where near the best anthology I have read it was still very rewarding to me as a reader!
01 The Weapon by Jeffery Deaver- 4 stars
Deaver continues to impress me with his short stories, and in truth I will say that I enjoy them much more than his full length novels (although I enjoy them as well!). He has recently joined Stephen King and jeffery archer as my favorite authors of short stories on a consistant basis. In this installment he deals with the triple edged sword of national security, and opens up the can of worms as to how far we are justifiable in going to protect that freedom and security in defense of a nation. In this installment a covert government orginization gets news of a new weapon that is destined to be used against us. In trying to protect our freedom these agents and interagators go to a variety of lengths to induce information out of their lone suspect...only to find it is a clever ruse to ferret out just these types of actions. A very intriguing read!
02 Remaking by Blake Crouch- 3.5 stars
I have never heard of this author before, but am likely to at the very least check him out again before the year is over. In this story I was not necesarily overly enamored with the authors prose and narrative, yet the plot sucked me in completely. At first I thought I was reading a horrific tale of a potential kidnapper and/or pedophile...what I got instead was a clever twist of a heartbroken man, seeking an end to his pain albeit in a socially unacceptable manner.
03 Iced by Harry Hunsicker- 2 stars
Never heard of Hunsicker before, and I am unlikely to get any better aquainted than I am now. This was not really a horrible story or anything...it just didn't do anything for me. A couple of junkies in a torid affair seek revenge on a blackmailer...and then they go on a killing spree looking for that big score along the way. The action gets it the stars, but outside of that the charcters were unlikeable and since it was hard to care what happened to them...it was hard to care about the whole story.
04 Justice Served by Mariah Stewart- 3 stars
I have never heard of stewart, and even though this story did not wow me I will still probably check her out in the future. I loved her narative style of telling this story. I could feel the cowardice, the regret, the desire for vigilante justice and if not for such a disappointing ending I may even have gone 4 stars.
05 The Circles by David Hewson- 1 star
Wow, I have not heard of hewson and certainly hope that his full length novels are more entertaining than this was...it is doubtful that i will ever find that information out first hand. I find it unlikely that I will engage this author again. This story just did not connct with me on any level.
06 A Roomful of Witnesses by R.L. Stine- 4 stars
I love the narrative way this story is told. I love R.L Stine both his tween and ya work including some short stories...this was my first encounter with him on an adult based level (I assume that is what this was, at least as evidenced by some graphic language that is not in his other works). This was a cool story about 2 ex cons, who are working in a retirement home of sorts...simply blown away when I found out on what level. A humerous mystery ensues with a gruesome climax followed by a roomful of witneses!
07 The House on Pine Terrace by Phillip Margolin- 4 stars
Never heard of margolin but would be intrigued enough to try something else of his. What this story lacked in action, suspense and thrills it made up for in brilliant narrative and nice character development with a couple of plot twists thrown in along the way. I thought I was reading a story about a prostitute and a john...then a crime story...then a romance..what I finally got was a blend of all three brilliantly crafted in intricate layers of deception that all tie together neatly at the end!
08 The Desert Here and The Desrert Far Away by Marcus Sakey- 2.5 stars
I have never even heard of Sakey prior to this, and even though I only rated it 2.5 stars I would be open to try out some more of his work. The plot never enticed me in this story, however I loved the narrative manner in which this story is told...That probably raised it from 2 to 2.5 for me. A boxer turned soldier, suffers from PTDS and makes some unrational decisions...Again I liked the writing style, the manner in which the story was told, I just never connected with characters and the plot did not resonate with me.
09 On The Run by Carla Neggers- 2 stars
I have never heard of Neggers and this story did not prompt to delve into her other books very much. I did like the narrative style of the story, it had an interesting premise with a fugitive and a mistaken Identity of a NOT Federal Marshall (The fugitive thinks he is), a long time past death and hidden treasure..the sad part was the plot didn't develop an interest in me that increased.
10 Can You Help Me Out Here? by Robert Ferrigno- 3 stars
Never heard of Ferrigno, and not familiar with his work. This was not bad, but I still don't think I will be searching him out. I again enjoyed the manner in which this story was told, and found it eerily similar to the previous story. The plot developed nicely with an abduction, a forced journey to find a journal a double cross...The problem was I did not care...I did like the twist of an ending and that raised it from 2 to 3 stars.
11 Crossed Double by Joe Hartlaub- 2 stars
Never heard of Heartlaub and not likely to get better aquainted with him either. A story about a father and son having a conversation, about the sons problems with some criminal elements...pennt ante criminals, two bit hoods, experienced underworld figures...the problem was I wasn't interested in the outcome, the plot wasn't exciting and the characters unlikeable.
12 The Lamented by Lawrence Light- 1 star
I seldom go 1 star...I have never heard of Light...and will not venture this road again without a gun to my head...I love short stories, but I couldn't believe how long this was. I had been reading for hours and hours and flipped the pages to see how many more were left, and when I saw that it was 51 I almost died...So I read for several more hours and flipped again assuming the end must be nearing, and behold there were 87 pages left....So I read for a few more days and KNEW the end was on the horizon when to my bewilderment there were 111 pages remaining!!!!!! I know, I just know that I have read full length novels in less time than this, and text books on typewriter maintenance that were more enthralling....In truth the story was only 21 pages long, but it seemed as though it would not end!
13 Vintage Death by Lisa Jackson- 3.5 stars
I have at least heard of Jackson, but am not real familiar with her works. I did however enjoy this story very much. I enjoyed again the narrative style very much (several tales in this collection have used that format), and I felt like someone was telling me a story. An old murder, rape, a new murder, abuse, deception, lies, fugitives this book had it all. Not great, but very enjoyable.
14 Suspension of Disbelief by Tim Maleeny- 4 stars
I have never heard of maleeny before but after this delightfully wicked story I may seek him out. Many of us have wished we could be a famous author....after reading this it may be better to sit in obscurity. We all know the publishing industry is a cutthroat buisiness...but not this bad...I always wondered where some thriller writers come up with their horrifc ideas..perhaps this story opens a window into that??? Well worth the 20-30 minutes it takes to read!
15 A Calculated Risk by Sean Chercover- 4 stars
Wow, this was a hidden gem! I have never herd of Chercover before, but hope that I come across his work again. This started out slow and mysterious, but the ploting, suspense and calculated risk in the story were worth watching them unfold.
16 The 5th World by Javier Sierra- 2.5 stars
Well I was debating between 3.5 and 4 stars midway through this story, then it ended badly (for me) and I could almost go 2 stars. it started with an intriguing 2 seemingly unrelated murders, that quickly spliced together. The mystery connecting the 2 seemed to be generating steam..and then it turned into a sci-fi, appocolypse, multi-dimensional, varying planes of existance and ultimately man becoming god..I am not into sci-fi so it fell apart for me, whereas fans of sci-fi and those who tolerate it better than me may enjoy this, as I said the first half was a very enjoyable murder mystery!
17 Ghost Writer by Gary Braver- 4 stars
Never even heard of Braver, but after reading this would be more interested in checking out more of his work. This was a cool story about a writer who has lived past his prime and run out of ideas and inspiration. He is solicited as a ghostwriter, and although he is abohered at the idea desperation leads him to acept. What follows is a story that merges with hsi past, and guilt and fear drive him to a dreadful decision. I am not big on supernatural and although this has elements of it, I am not sure it could be rightly called that either.
18 Through A Veil Darkly by Kathleen Antrim- 3. 5 stars
Never heard of Antrim (maybe I don't read as much as I thought I do, I don't seem to know anyone!) but this was cool. At first I thought it would be a tiresome fear of militant Islamic extremists taking over the US. It turned into a story that mirriored that with a brillian scheme of deception....what followed was a case of delusion, personality disorders and the like. The ending was not quite what I excpected or even wanted, but entertaining nonetheless!
19 Bedtime For Mr. Li by David J. Montgomery- 3 stars
Never heard of montgomery but this was cool. A likeable hitman, and a unlikeable or at least unethical/immoral spy...This does not quite down like it should, but hey...it works!
20 Protecting The Innocent by Simon Wood- 4 stars
Never heard of wood but this was so smooth and easy to read, that hopefully I will encounter more of his work. A man in love discovers an overprotective and overbearing brother...a love interest who is constantly being kilted and left by her lovers...but nothing is quite what it seems. A cool ending as well!
21 Watch Out For My Girl by Joan Johnston- 4stars
never heard of Johnston, but would be very interested in reading more of her work. This was a coolstory with a brother pledged to make sure no one messes with his brothers girl. In the line of his protective pledge he is the one who oversteps the bounds of his own pledge. Both are racked with guilt and enter a psychotic couple into the mix and everything spirals out of control. Very cool!
22 Killing Time by Jon Land- 3.5 stars
never heard of Land but this was very cool. What happens when a group of terrosits, launch a mission unaware of an equally deadly hitman...what ensues is a somewhat predictable but wild ride.
23 Boldt's Broken Angel by Ridley Pearson- 5 stars
I love just about anything by Pearson, and his Lou Boldt/Daphane Matthews series ranks alongside of Michael Connely's Harry Bosch series as the personaly most entertaining of the crime/suspense genre. This story for me was the highlight of this anthology, although I am not sure it qualifies as a short story or novella or what the differentiating factors are. If you are a Pearson/Boldt fan this is a shorter faster paced version of what you are already used to. If you are new to Boldt, I would recommend getting aquainted with him through the seriies first...although personal I think it fares well as a stand alone story, it may not resonate with those not as attached to the characters.
01 The Weapon by Jeffery Deaver- 4 stars
Deaver continues to impress me with his short stories, and in truth I will say that I enjoy them much more than his full length novels (although I enjoy them as well!). He has recently joined Stephen King and jeffery archer as my favorite authors of short stories on a consistant basis. In this installment he deals with the triple edged sword of national security, and opens up the can of worms as to how far we are justifiable in going to protect that freedom and security in defense of a nation. In this installment a covert government orginization gets news of a new weapon that is destined to be used against us. In trying to protect our freedom these agents and interagators go to a variety of lengths to induce information out of their lone suspect...only to find it is a clever ruse to ferret out just these types of actions. A very intriguing read!
02 Remaking by Blake Crouch- 3.5 stars
I have never heard of this author before, but am likely to at the very least check him out again before the year is over. In this story I was not necesarily overly enamored with the authors prose and narrative, yet the plot sucked me in completely. At first I thought I was reading a horrific tale of a potential kidnapper and/or pedophile...what I got instead was a clever twist of a heartbroken man, seeking an end to his pain albeit in a socially unacceptable manner.
03 Iced by Harry Hunsicker- 2 stars
Never heard of Hunsicker before, and I am unlikely to get any better aquainted than I am now. This was not really a horrible story or anything...it just didn't do anything for me. A couple of junkies in a torid affair seek revenge on a blackmailer...and then they go on a killing spree looking for that big score along the way. The action gets it the stars, but outside of that the charcters were unlikeable and since it was hard to care what happened to them...it was hard to care about the whole story.
04 Justice Served by Mariah Stewart- 3 stars
I have never heard of stewart, and even though this story did not wow me I will still probably check her out in the future. I loved her narative style of telling this story. I could feel the cowardice, the regret, the desire for vigilante justice and if not for such a disappointing ending I may even have gone 4 stars.
05 The Circles by David Hewson- 1 star
Wow, I have not heard of hewson and certainly hope that his full length novels are more entertaining than this was...it is doubtful that i will ever find that information out first hand. I find it unlikely that I will engage this author again. This story just did not connct with me on any level.
06 A Roomful of Witnesses by R.L. Stine- 4 stars
I love the narrative way this story is told. I love R.L Stine both his tween and ya work including some short stories...this was my first encounter with him on an adult based level (I assume that is what this was, at least as evidenced by some graphic language that is not in his other works). This was a cool story about 2 ex cons, who are working in a retirement home of sorts...simply blown away when I found out on what level. A humerous mystery ensues with a gruesome climax followed by a roomful of witneses!
07 The House on Pine Terrace by Phillip Margolin- 4 stars
Never heard of margolin but would be intrigued enough to try something else of his. What this story lacked in action, suspense and thrills it made up for in brilliant narrative and nice character development with a couple of plot twists thrown in along the way. I thought I was reading a story about a prostitute and a john...then a crime story...then a romance..what I finally got was a blend of all three brilliantly crafted in intricate layers of deception that all tie together neatly at the end!
08 The Desert Here and The Desrert Far Away by Marcus Sakey- 2.5 stars
I have never even heard of Sakey prior to this, and even though I only rated it 2.5 stars I would be open to try out some more of his work. The plot never enticed me in this story, however I loved the narrative manner in which this story is told...That probably raised it from 2 to 2.5 for me. A boxer turned soldier, suffers from PTDS and makes some unrational decisions...Again I liked the writing style, the manner in which the story was told, I just never connected with characters and the plot did not resonate with me.
09 On The Run by Carla Neggers- 2 stars
I have never heard of Neggers and this story did not prompt to delve into her other books very much. I did like the narrative style of the story, it had an interesting premise with a fugitive and a mistaken Identity of a NOT Federal Marshall (The fugitive thinks he is), a long time past death and hidden treasure..the sad part was the plot didn't develop an interest in me that increased.
10 Can You Help Me Out Here? by Robert Ferrigno- 3 stars
Never heard of Ferrigno, and not familiar with his work. This was not bad, but I still don't think I will be searching him out. I again enjoyed the manner in which this story was told, and found it eerily similar to the previous story. The plot developed nicely with an abduction, a forced journey to find a journal a double cross...The problem was I did not care...I did like the twist of an ending and that raised it from 2 to 3 stars.
11 Crossed Double by Joe Hartlaub- 2 stars
Never heard of Heartlaub and not likely to get better aquainted with him either. A story about a father and son having a conversation, about the sons problems with some criminal elements...pennt ante criminals, two bit hoods, experienced underworld figures...the problem was I wasn't interested in the outcome, the plot wasn't exciting and the characters unlikeable.
12 The Lamented by Lawrence Light- 1 star
I seldom go 1 star...I have never heard of Light...and will not venture this road again without a gun to my head...I love short stories, but I couldn't believe how long this was. I had been reading for hours and hours and flipped the pages to see how many more were left, and when I saw that it was 51 I almost died...So I read for several more hours and flipped again assuming the end must be nearing, and behold there were 87 pages left....So I read for a few more days and KNEW the end was on the horizon when to my bewilderment there were 111 pages remaining!!!!!! I know, I just know that I have read full length novels in less time than this, and text books on typewriter maintenance that were more enthralling....In truth the story was only 21 pages long, but it seemed as though it would not end!
13 Vintage Death by Lisa Jackson- 3.5 stars
I have at least heard of Jackson, but am not real familiar with her works. I did however enjoy this story very much. I enjoyed again the narrative style very much (several tales in this collection have used that format), and I felt like someone was telling me a story. An old murder, rape, a new murder, abuse, deception, lies, fugitives this book had it all. Not great, but very enjoyable.
14 Suspension of Disbelief by Tim Maleeny- 4 stars
I have never heard of maleeny before but after this delightfully wicked story I may seek him out. Many of us have wished we could be a famous author....after reading this it may be better to sit in obscurity. We all know the publishing industry is a cutthroat buisiness...but not this bad...I always wondered where some thriller writers come up with their horrifc ideas..perhaps this story opens a window into that??? Well worth the 20-30 minutes it takes to read!
15 A Calculated Risk by Sean Chercover- 4 stars
Wow, this was a hidden gem! I have never herd of Chercover before, but hope that I come across his work again. This started out slow and mysterious, but the ploting, suspense and calculated risk in the story were worth watching them unfold.
16 The 5th World by Javier Sierra- 2.5 stars
Well I was debating between 3.5 and 4 stars midway through this story, then it ended badly (for me) and I could almost go 2 stars. it started with an intriguing 2 seemingly unrelated murders, that quickly spliced together. The mystery connecting the 2 seemed to be generating steam..and then it turned into a sci-fi, appocolypse, multi-dimensional, varying planes of existance and ultimately man becoming god..I am not into sci-fi so it fell apart for me, whereas fans of sci-fi and those who tolerate it better than me may enjoy this, as I said the first half was a very enjoyable murder mystery!
17 Ghost Writer by Gary Braver- 4 stars
Never even heard of Braver, but after reading this would be more interested in checking out more of his work. This was a cool story about a writer who has lived past his prime and run out of ideas and inspiration. He is solicited as a ghostwriter, and although he is abohered at the idea desperation leads him to acept. What follows is a story that merges with hsi past, and guilt and fear drive him to a dreadful decision. I am not big on supernatural and although this has elements of it, I am not sure it could be rightly called that either.
18 Through A Veil Darkly by Kathleen Antrim- 3. 5 stars
Never heard of Antrim (maybe I don't read as much as I thought I do, I don't seem to know anyone!) but this was cool. At first I thought it would be a tiresome fear of militant Islamic extremists taking over the US. It turned into a story that mirriored that with a brillian scheme of deception....what followed was a case of delusion, personality disorders and the like. The ending was not quite what I excpected or even wanted, but entertaining nonetheless!
19 Bedtime For Mr. Li by David J. Montgomery- 3 stars
Never heard of montgomery but this was cool. A likeable hitman, and a unlikeable or at least unethical/immoral spy...This does not quite down like it should, but hey...it works!
20 Protecting The Innocent by Simon Wood- 4 stars
Never heard of wood but this was so smooth and easy to read, that hopefully I will encounter more of his work. A man in love discovers an overprotective and overbearing brother...a love interest who is constantly being kilted and left by her lovers...but nothing is quite what it seems. A cool ending as well!
21 Watch Out For My Girl by Joan Johnston- 4stars
never heard of Johnston, but would be very interested in reading more of her work. This was a coolstory with a brother pledged to make sure no one messes with his brothers girl. In the line of his protective pledge he is the one who oversteps the bounds of his own pledge. Both are racked with guilt and enter a psychotic couple into the mix and everything spirals out of control. Very cool!
22 Killing Time by Jon Land- 3.5 stars
never heard of Land but this was very cool. What happens when a group of terrosits, launch a mission unaware of an equally deadly hitman...what ensues is a somewhat predictable but wild ride.
23 Boldt's Broken Angel by Ridley Pearson- 5 stars
I love just about anything by Pearson, and his Lou Boldt/Daphane Matthews series ranks alongside of Michael Connely's Harry Bosch series as the personaly most entertaining of the crime/suspense genre. This story for me was the highlight of this anthology, although I am not sure it qualifies as a short story or novella or what the differentiating factors are. If you are a Pearson/Boldt fan this is a shorter faster paced version of what you are already used to. If you are new to Boldt, I would recommend getting aquainted with him through the seriies first...although personal I think it fares well as a stand alone story, it may not resonate with those not as attached to the characters.
August 13, 2014
I didn't think I would enjoy this so much but i did. Among my favourites include (1) The House On Pine Terrace, (2) Ghost Writer, (3) Watch Out For My Girl, (4) Boldt's Broken Angel, (5) Can You Help Me Out Here, (6) Suspension Of Disbelief, (7) Protecting The Innocent. This book is a must-read for thriller lovers!
May 10, 2018
КЛУБ "ВТОРНИК" - КАТРИН НЕВИЛ
Подробно документираният и почти маниакален стремеж на Бенджамин Франклин да се присъединява към ограничени частни клубове или да създава нови, остава загадка в неговия живот Масонски ложи, конспирации... средна хубост разказ.
БРОЕНИ МИГОВЕ - ДЕНИС ХАМИЛТЪН
Главната героиня, американски преподавател, попаднал в Албания по програмата "Фулбрайт", леееко го загазва из тамошните пущинаци... прилично изпълнение.
ОТ ДРУГАТА СТРАНА НА ОГЛЕДАЛОТО - ЕРИК ВАН ЛУСТБАДЕР
Шпионска история, в която границите между реалност и фантазия се размиват... средна хубост разказ.
ОПЕРАЦИЯ "НОРТУДС" - ДЖЕЙМС ГРИПАНДО
В американската военна база в Гуантанамо избухва експлозия... прилично изпълнение
НА ЛОВ ЗА МЪЖЕ - КРИСТОФЪР РАЙС
Тоя пич бил синковец на Ан Райс, сещате се, оная мома с вампирските истории. Да, ама неговата история, както показва и заглавието, се развива на левия бряг и поне за мен беше първата слаба ракия в сборника...
ЛЕКА НОЩ, МАМО - АЛЕКС КАВА
Профайлърът Маги О' Дел предприема пътуване с майка си, а резултатът е втората слаба ракия в сборника
ЗАКОНЪТ НА АБЕЛАР - ДЕЙВИД МОРЕЛ
Имам смътни спомени, че преди години доста харесах романа Братството на розата, където за първи път срещнах част от героите от настоящия разказ, а вече знам и от кой автор подсъзнателно съм заимствал идеята за Убежищата в моята Клиника в средата на нощта (прости ми, Дейв, повече няма да правя така). Законът на Абелар, по името на средновековен поет и теолог, постановява, че на определени специално изградени места в различни точки на света, членовете на враждуващите разузнавателни агенции могат да си поемат дъх и дори да се държат като приятели, защото нарушат ли неприкосновеността на въпросните територии, ще бъдат преследвани до смърт... Да, но съществуват кръвни вражди, за които Законът е просто набор от лесно пренебрежими правила... Екшън на макс, без никакви тежки внушения - мой тип четиво!
ЖЕРТВЕН ЛЪВ - ГРАНД БЛЕКУУД
Силна шпионска история, ситуирана в Източен Берлин и в Москва през 1953. Като внушение - доста подобна на разказа "Успехът на мисията" на Денис Линдс от Трилър. Том I
ПРЕМЕЖДИЕ В ДУЕЙН - Ф. ПОЛ УИЛСЪН
Вече съм чел този разказ в сборника Демонични песни, но му се насладих и тук. Майстор Джак, живеещ под радара на системата, подобно на по-късно пръкналия се свой адаш Джак Ричар, е супер як герой. Екшън - 100%, внушения - 0%. Сила!
ПОРТАЛЪТ - ДЖОН ЛЬОКРОА И М. ДЖ. РОУЗ
Психотерапевт и пациент. Тайни, закътани дълбоко в съзнанието. Клишак до дупка, но добро изпълнение.
БАРУТНОТО ЗВЕРЧЕ - ТЕД БЕЛ
1880 г. Репортер разследва истината за смъртта на капитан Били Блъд. Нищо особено като разказ, а и стоеше като кръпка на фона на останалите крими-трилърни четива.
ЕКЗЕКУТОРИ - КРИСТОФЪР РАЙХ
Наемни убийци си устройват гурме вечеря в швейцарски ресторант. Не беше моята книжна порция...
ДИПЛОМАТИЧЕСКИ ОГРАНИЧЕНИЯ - РАЕЛИН ХИЛХАУС
Исламабад, 1979 г. - разгневени тълпи нападат американското посолство.... прилично изпълнение.
СМЪРТОНОСНА ЗОНА - РОБЪРТ ЛИПАРУЛО
Корав снайперист, който въпреки кървавия си занаят, се опитва да остане човек. Кратък разказ, интересен финал. Една от по-добрите творби.
Крайна оценка 3,5.
Подробно документираният и почти маниакален стремеж на Бенджамин Франклин да се присъединява към ограничени частни клубове или да създава нови, остава загадка в неговия живот Масонски ложи, конспирации... средна хубост разказ.
БРОЕНИ МИГОВЕ - ДЕНИС ХАМИЛТЪН
Главната героиня, американски преподавател, попаднал в Албания по програмата "Фулбрайт", леееко го загазва из тамошните пущинаци... прилично изпълнение.
ОТ ДРУГАТА СТРАНА НА ОГЛЕДАЛОТО - ЕРИК ВАН ЛУСТБАДЕР
Шпионска история, в която границите между реалност и фантазия се размиват... средна хубост разказ.
ОПЕРАЦИЯ "НОРТУДС" - ДЖЕЙМС ГРИПАНДО
В американската военна база в Гуантанамо избухва експлозия... прилично изпълнение
НА ЛОВ ЗА МЪЖЕ - КРИСТОФЪР РАЙС
Тоя пич бил синковец на Ан Райс, сещате се, оная мома с вампирските истории. Да, ама неговата история, както показва и заглавието, се развива на левия бряг и поне за мен беше първата слаба ракия в сборника...
ЛЕКА НОЩ, МАМО - АЛЕКС КАВА
Профайлърът Маги О' Дел предприема пътуване с майка си, а резултатът е втората слаба ракия в сборника
ЗАКОНЪТ НА АБЕЛАР - ДЕЙВИД МОРЕЛ
Имам смътни спомени, че преди години доста харесах романа Братството на розата, където за първи път срещнах част от героите от настоящия разказ, а вече знам и от кой автор подсъзнателно съм заимствал идеята за Убежищата в моята Клиника в средата на нощта (прости ми, Дейв, повече няма да правя така). Законът на Абелар, по името на средновековен поет и теолог, постановява, че на определени специално изградени места в различни точки на света, членовете на враждуващите разузнавателни агенции могат да си поемат дъх и дори да се държат като приятели, защото нарушат ли неприкосновеността на въпросните територии, ще бъдат преследвани до смърт... Да, но съществуват кръвни вражди, за които Законът е просто набор от лесно пренебрежими правила... Екшън на макс, без никакви тежки внушения - мой тип четиво!
ЖЕРТВЕН ЛЪВ - ГРАНД БЛЕКУУД
Силна шпионска история, ситуирана в Източен Берлин и в Москва през 1953. Като внушение - доста подобна на разказа "Успехът на мисията" на Денис Линдс от Трилър. Том I
ПРЕМЕЖДИЕ В ДУЕЙН - Ф. ПОЛ УИЛСЪН
Вече съм чел този разказ в сборника Демонични песни, но му се насладих и тук. Майстор Джак, живеещ под радара на системата, подобно на по-късно пръкналия се свой адаш Джак Ричар, е супер як герой. Екшън - 100%, внушения - 0%. Сила!
ПОРТАЛЪТ - ДЖОН ЛЬОКРОА И М. ДЖ. РОУЗ
Психотерапевт и пациент. Тайни, закътани дълбоко в съзнанието. Клишак до дупка, но добро изпълнение.
БАРУТНОТО ЗВЕРЧЕ - ТЕД БЕЛ
1880 г. Репортер разследва истината за смъртта на капитан Били Блъд. Нищо особено като разказ, а и стоеше като кръпка на фона на останалите крими-трилърни четива.
ЕКЗЕКУТОРИ - КРИСТОФЪР РАЙХ
Наемни убийци си устройват гурме вечеря в швейцарски ресторант. Не беше моята книжна порция...
ДИПЛОМАТИЧЕСКИ ОГРАНИЧЕНИЯ - РАЕЛИН ХИЛХАУС
Исламабад, 1979 г. - разгневени тълпи нападат американското посолство.... прилично изпълнение.
СМЪРТОНОСНА ЗОНА - РОБЪРТ ЛИПАРУЛО
Корав снайперист, който въпреки кървавия си занаят, се опитва да остане човек. Кратък разказ, интересен финал. Една от по-добрите творби.
Крайна оценка 3,5.
September 29, 2022
There are some incredible thriller short stories in this collection. I would've given it five stars but the formatting of the book is off, with no breaks in stories where the POV changes. I can't imagine every author writes this way. One line you're in a character's head and then the next line, without a break, the POV or scene changes.
Read
April 15, 2012After reading the first and third in this series I was excited to read this one. I was also very glad to see that each story was going to be a new original story and not using characters from well-known books written by the authors.
I quite enjoyed Clive Cussler’s commentary it was interesting and didn’t drag out. It told me a little bit of background that I found quite interesting.
The stories were a mixture of great and not so great. I did enjoy the large majority of the stories and some of them were so good. There were quite a lot that had me hanging on to every word and I could picture them in my mind really well.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading the Thriller 2 anthology and thought it was worth a read.
I quite enjoyed Clive Cussler’s commentary it was interesting and didn’t drag out. It told me a little bit of background that I found quite interesting.
The stories were a mixture of great and not so great. I did enjoy the large majority of the stories and some of them were so good. There were quite a lot that had me hanging on to every word and I could picture them in my mind really well.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading the Thriller 2 anthology and thought it was worth a read.
September 15, 2012
Thriller 2 was a lot of fun. I did find a few stories that were interesting, but from my perspective/opinion they didn't feel like a thriller type story. They were good stories from the beginning of the book till the end and held my attention. Infact is was a very quick read and I recommend these Thriller books big time. Although, I recommend the editors of these titles take a little more time proof reading as there were lots of boo boos here and there.
November 24, 2012
A few of the stories in this book were excellent. Most were mediocre. Some were just plain bad. It's apparently really difficult to write a short story that doesn't feel like you just rushed to an ending. I found a couple of new authors whose work I'll probably check out, which was my goal in reading a short story anthology. But man, this was difficult to get through at times.
November 20, 2009
Great short storys from some authors I have never encountered before. The one by R. L. Stine creeped me out, I will never, ever trust a monkey angin for the rest of my life...
December 28, 2024
3.5 Some were good. Some less so. But a fast fun read of short stories.
August 3, 2012
A wonderfully thrilling collection of short fiction from some of today's best mystery writers, Thriller 2 is every bit as good as its predecessor. The best stories are the ones written by Ridley Pearson, Sean Chercover, Harry Hunsicker, Phillip Margolin, Joe Hartlaub & Joan Johnston. the biggest disappointment was easily the story "Bedtime for Mr. Li" by David J. Montgomery. I won't ruin it completely, but the whole story follows an assassin who is about to kill an incompetent Chinese spy, and then...well, I said I wouldn't ruin the story, but the ending, needless to say, was terrible. Not in a frustrating "I did not see that coming" but more of a "that's it???" kind of way. All in all, this will keep most fans of the genre happy.
August 31, 2011
Some of these stories were great.... some were not.... most were in between. I am generally not a great fan of short sotries anyway. I find that they are too compressed and don't develop the plot enough. However, a few (very few) really held my interest and I thought they were in fact very good. The majority, however, were good or okay if you had absolutely nothing else to read. Then there were the really bad ones, some of which had no point, most of which made me almost give up (something I very rarely do). There was even one that litterally made me want to gouge my eyes out. Second person is a narrative that should never have been invented.
February 14, 2013
I love short stories. I've often felt the mark of great writing is felt to greatest effect when an author catches the reader's attention and transports them in the brief passage of a few pages. Thrillers, in particular, sets ones pulse to racing, tempting readers to skip ahead to that final paragraph. I haven't read the first Thriller anthology, but if this collection is anything to judge by I'll be seeking it out soon enough.
July 4, 2018
After reading the first Thriller, I was eager for more stories by awesome writers and was not disappointed at all. It took me a long time to get through the book only because I misplaced it. I highly recommend it for any and all who love a well designed thriller but do not always have the time for a novel.
April 7, 2018
The first stories were ok, but I wouldn't classify them as thrillers. The last 10 stories were amazing. The story Protecting the Innocent by Simon Wood was the best. Second best was the last story by Ridley Pearson. I'm definitely going to read more by these 2 authors.
August 25, 2009
Thie book is nothing more than an advertisement for other books by other authors with short xcerpts from them. A total waste of my time!
July 23, 2017
Hey, I'm Thrilled Too !
These stories are the perfect introduction to a great variety of authors that I can't wait to look up on my Kindle .
These stories are the perfect introduction to a great variety of authors that I can't wait to look up on my Kindle .
July 30, 2017
Clive Cussler put together a great selection of thriller authors who all delivered!!
October 24, 2017
great collection and introduction to many talented writers.
July 30, 2018
A solid three, but the final story-“Boldt’s Broken Angel”- makes this collection a four.
March 17, 2023
I often don't get time to sit down and read a collection of short stories, especially one this thick as when I read, I prefer to read in one sitting. So when I had my bus journey home yesterday from Auckland after seeing Morgan Wallen in concert, I took a few books with me for the bus ride and I chose on the way back to read Thriller 2 from start to finish and I managed to finish it just before arriving back to Tauranga - perfect timing. This book too had been sitting on my bookshelf since around 2009 I remember picking it up from The Warehouse as it was one of those "Books for Sale" when they put them at cheap prices like $10-12 each. Thriller 2 contains short stories that fall under either the Thriller/Mystery or Horror genre from some of your favourite authors like Jeffrey Deaver, Lisa Jackson, Mariah Stewart, RL Stine, and many more. Some stories I felt were a bit blah whereas others held my attention and I wanted more. Collections like these are great if you are one of those readers who like to pace themselves and maybe read a story a night or in short bursts, but if you are like me - then Thriller 2 is the perfect companion when you are on holiday and want to devote a whole morning or day to relaxing and reading as it will not disappoint. I now have a few other anthologies which are along the same vein to read which will wait for my bus journey in a couple of weeks when I have another concert the Pentatonix.
December 29, 2018
About halfway through this book I started reading some of the reviews here on Goodreads for it. One of the reviewers stated that it would have been better to read this book from back to front, as all the really good stories are in the back. I absolutely agree with that. Killing Time was my favorite story in this book. Others that caught my attention were Protecting the Innocent, Watch Out for my Girl, and Bedtime for Mr. Li. The rest of the stories are a mishmash of decent and not-so-great. Overall, this book isn't as good as its predecessor, but I enjoy short stories, so I'm glad I read it anyway.
November 6, 2018
As a book of short stories by some of my favorite authors, I would give this four stars. The reason I gave it only three here is because the stories in this book just really aren't what I would consider to be Thrillers. Most were engaging enough that I continued to read. Two or three were duds. I don't want to discourage anybody from picking up this book because honestly it wasn't a bad read for short stories, but I especially thought with the title Thriller that the stories would be a little edgier.
February 18, 2023
I found this collection at a local bookstore free of charge. To be honest I've never been fond of short stories (they are too short!) but this edition changed my mind. It's a great compendium of thrillers and tales of near-horror. I thoroughly enjoyed it. So much so that it introduced to some new writers whose works I'll be reading in the future.
As an aside I've decided to delay my third and last novel in the Simon Montfort Spy Series and work on a series of short stories to be published at a later date.
Shawn Callon, author of The Diplomatic Spy and The Repentant Spy.
As an aside I've decided to delay my third and last novel in the Simon Montfort Spy Series and work on a series of short stories to be published at a later date.
Shawn Callon, author of The Diplomatic Spy and The Repentant Spy.
October 31, 2024
I guess I was disappointed. These stories just aren't that dark or thrilling. There were MAYBE 2 or 3 good stories, but the rest was just...meh. To me this book wasn't worth it.
At least I got to learn about authors I had never heard of. I would consider reading a book like this again if the stories were darker and more thrilling.
I did like reading all the different styles of writing. That was probably the best thing about this book. I want to read a book similar to this that has better stories.
Happy reading 📚 😊 🪖
At least I got to learn about authors I had never heard of. I would consider reading a book like this again if the stories were darker and more thrilling.
I did like reading all the different styles of writing. That was probably the best thing about this book. I want to read a book similar to this that has better stories.
Happy reading 📚 😊 🪖
July 19, 2017
Nette Pendellektüre, bei der eine Story gerade für einen Weg reicht. Bekanntere und weniger bekannte Autor/innen schicken altgediente und neue Hauptfiguren auf neue Abenteuer in kurzen Krimi-Geschichten. "Thriller" finde ich als Bezeichnung allerdings ein wenig hoch gegriffen. Nur wenige Geschichten schaffen es auch tatsächlich, richtig Spannung zu erzeugen und mit einem Aha-Moment den Plot aufzulösen.
Read
October 12, 2017Sorry but i just cannot get into these stories. I am sure they are all good authors but there are no serious plots to any that i read....just how to kill someone in a 1000 ways seems to be the theme. I dint even see why the book is called Thriller 2. There is no thrill in my opinion. I would give negative stars if i could.
September 13, 2022
This is a wonderful collection of short thrillers. Each is a true gem.
I thought the little story of the author and their tale which precedes each was a nice touch, allowing the reader's brain to clear for the next dose. Whoever came up with that, it was a stroke of genius.
I have a few more names added to my usual searches. So many books, little enough time...
I thought the little story of the author and their tale which precedes each was a nice touch, allowing the reader's brain to clear for the next dose. Whoever came up with that, it was a stroke of genius.
I have a few more names added to my usual searches. So many books, little enough time...
February 7, 2024
Since I read the first one, I figured I should (and would like) the second one. And I actually liked this one better! Sorry, James. The stories were just more relatable. They all still had that OMG factor that I like my thrillers to have. That little twist that you weren't expecting. Very inspiring!
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