Ava Strong
FREE
FBI Suspense Thriller

🔍 FBI special agent Sofia Blake, with a Ph.D. in linguistics, can decipher any hidden codes, messages or foreign languages the Bureau sends her way, finding patterns where others cannot and making her indispensable in tracking down the most heinous of serial killers. When a prominent community member is found dead with a cryptic note during the annual Dia de los Muertos celebration, Sofia must crack a cypher that only she can solve—if she can do it in time to save the next victim…

Born into a family of speech pathologists and raised with a unique heritage of German, Egyptian, and French roots, Sofia Blake has always appreciated diverse languages and cultures. With her exceptional language skills and natural talent for decoding cryptic messages, Sofia shot to the top ranks of the FBI. It seemed nothing could slow her down—until her travel-journalist sister mysteriously disappeared ten years ago.

Now, haunted by her past and desperate for answers, Sofia vows to use her extraordinary talents to stop more tragedies from occurring.

Ava Strong creates a compelling FBI protagonist whose linguistics expertise becomes her superpower in tracking serial killers. Readers who enjoyed Kendra Elliot’s profilers or A.J. Rivers’s FBI thrillers will appreciate Sofia’s unique skill set—she doesn’t just profile killers, she decodes their messages. The Ph.D. in linguistics angle sets this apart from typical FBI procedurals.

What makes this work: The missing sister backstory adds personal stakes that drive Sofia beyond professional duty, and the Dia de los Muertos setting provides rich cultural atmosphere for a murder mystery. The cypher element means readers can try solving the puzzle alongside Sofia, adding interactive appeal. This is a series starter, so expect character development alongside the case.

Alex James Eccleston
FREE
Small Town Crime Thriller Mystery

🎯 A small town traumatized by a game of evil. A woman is dead—and a second victim has been discovered.

Semi-retired federal agent Timothy Grey is called in to investigate; but has this bloodthirsty killer been waiting for him the entire time?

Lives are at stake. Tim must face the demons of his past and follow the killer’s clues in order to beat them at their wicked game of blood and torture if he has any chance of learning their true identity.

Feeling under pressure in a town that he is unfamiliar with; is there anybody he can trust?

Time is against the once-great detective as he is put to the ultimate test. Will he be able to triumph over evil? And at what cost?

Alex James Eccleston delivers what he describes as his most ambitious novel yet with a cat-and-mouse thriller where the killer may have orchestrated everything to draw out a specific investigator. Fans of Jeffery Deaver’s Bone Collector or Alex Cross thrillers will recognize the “game” dynamic where the killer leaves clues and challenges the detective directly.

Here’s the hook: The “waiting for him the entire time” angle suggests this isn’t a random case but a trap specifically designed for Timothy Grey, raising the stakes beyond typical serial killer fare. The semi-retired detective pulled back into the field is a classic setup, and the small-town setting where he can’t trust anyone adds paranoia and isolation to the psychological tension.

A.M. Khalifa
FREE
Espionage Thrillers

⚠️ Scott Brick brings to life a heart-stopping, critically acclaimed and bestselling international thriller.

Even after they retire, crisis negotiators are haunted by the principal rule of dealing with violent terrorists: Just because the hostages have been released, it doesn’t mean it’s over.

Warning! Highly addictive escapism disguised as fiction. Only commit to this experience if you can tolerate pure adrenaline.

A.M. Khalifa delivers an audiobook narrated by Scott Brick (one of thriller fiction’s most acclaimed narrators) that focuses on retired crisis negotiators dealing with unfinished business from terrorism cases. Fans of Brad Thor or Vince Flynn’s international thrillers will appreciate the espionage angle combined with the “it’s never really over” premise that haunts hostage negotiators.

Why this stands out: The warning about “highly addictive escapism” and “pure adrenaline” signals relentless pacing, and the Scott Brick narration means the audiobook experience is premium quality. The crisis negotiator protagonist offers a different perspective than typical spy thrillers—these are people trained in psychology and de-escalation who understand terrorists intimately, making them both vulnerable and uniquely equipped when past cases resurface.

J.A. Konrath
FREE
Technothrillers

💀 YOU WON’T GUESS THE BIGGEST TWIST IN THRILLER FICTION…

A billionaire Senator with money to burn…
A thirty year old science experiment, about to be revealed…
Seven people, marked for death, not for what they know, but for what they are…

J.A. Konrath (who also wrote Afraid in this collection) opens his Dark Thriller Collective with a high-concept premise involving a decades-old science experiment and seven people targeted not for information but for their very nature. Fans of Michael Crichton’s science-gone-wrong thrillers or Blake Crouch’s Wayward Pines will appreciate the conspiracy angle mixed with the “what they are” mystery.

The hook is genius: “Marked for death, not for what they know, but for what they are” immediately raises questions—are they genetically modified? Products of an experiment? Clones? The thirty-year timeline suggests something that started in the early 1990s is finally coming to fruition, and a billionaire Senator with resources makes for a powerful antagonist. Konrath promises the biggest twist in thriller fiction, which is bold but suggests he’s playing with reader expectations in unexpected ways.

Jocelynn Drake
FREE
LGBTQ+ Action & Adventure

💕 Love, betrayal, and a second chance to make things right…in the dangerous backdrop of Buenos Aires.

Charlie never thought he’d see Will again after their painful breakup six years ago. But when a mission leads him to the bustling city of Buenos Aires, he’s shocked to stumble into his ex-lover right in the middle of his mystery.

As they race against time to uncover the truth behind a “dead” artist, Charlie realizes he never stopped loving Will. Yet, with danger lurking around every corner, will they have a chance to mend their broken relationship?

Get lost in a world of action, explosions, mercenaries, found family, secrets, and love on the run.

Jocelynn Drake (co-author of the Origin dragon shifter series) delivers an M/M romantic suspense with mercenaries, explosions, and second-chance romance set in Buenos Aires. Fans of Gregory Ashe’s Hazard and Somerset series or Charlie Cochet’s THIRDS will appreciate the action-heavy plot combined with emotional relationship repair.

What makes this compelling: The ex-lovers reuniting during a dangerous mission creates built-in tension on multiple levels—they have unresolved feelings, they’re trying to work together professionally, and someone’s trying to kill them. The “dead” artist mystery in Buenos Aires adds international intrigue, and Drake promises found family dynamics alongside the central romance, suggesting a team-based series rather than standalone couples.

Steve Berry
Regularly $11.99, Today $1.99
Historical Thrillers

🏛️ Cotton Malone is on the hunt for a forgotten 16th century Pledge of Christ—a sworn promise made by Pope Julius II that evidences a monetary debt owed by the Vatican, still valid after five centuries—now worth in the trillions of dollars. But collecting that debt centers around what happened to the famed Medici of Florence—a family that history says died out, without heirs, centuries ago.

Who will become the next prime minister of Italy, and who will be the next pope? Finding answers proves difficult until Cotton realizes that everything hinges on when, and if, the Medici return.

Steve Berry brings back Cotton Malone for another historical conspiracy thriller involving a 16th-century Vatican debt worth trillions and the supposedly extinct Medici family. Fans of Dan Brown’s Robert Langdon series or James Rollins’s Sigma Force will recognize Berry’s signature blend of historical research, religious intrigue, and high-stakes modern conspiracy.

Here’s the hook: The premise that the Medici—one of history’s most powerful families—didn’t actually die out but have been hidden for centuries is audacious, and tying their return to both Italian politics (next prime minister) and Vatican succession (next pope) raises the stakes to international levels. The Pledge of Christ worth trillions provides concrete motivation beyond academic curiosity. Berry is known for meticulous historical research, so expect real Renaissance history woven through the modern thriller.

Rachel Lacey
Regularly $4.99, Today $2.49
Lesbian Romance

🎨 For Audrey Lind, working with clay still evokes memories of her favorite professor. The woman’s zeal for art history ignited Audrey’s own academic career—and her tweed blazers and British accent kindled her first female crush.

After fate brings Audrey back to Northshire University to teach, she’s thrilled to be working alongside her former mentor, but the grumpy woman she encounters upon her return is nothing like the dynamo she remembers.

Divorce and a stalling career have turned Dr. Michelle Thompson bitter and guarded. When Audrey swoops in to teach the Women in Art class Michelle’s been pitching for years, she longs to hate her. But her young rival is too kind, too enthusiastic, too irresistible. And her passion for life slowly reawakens Michelle’s own.

Wary of age gaps and workplace politics, they suppress their smoldering attraction—until one wine-filled night at the pottery wheel puts their romantic truce to the test. Will they keep things on the tenure track or risk it all for love?

Rachel Lacey delivers a sapphic romance in academia with age gap, former student/professor dynamic (now colleagues), and workplace politics obstacles. Fans of Meryl Wilsner’s Something to Talk About or Delilah Green Doesn’t Care will appreciate the grumpy/sunshine pairing and the pottery wheel scene that promises sensual tension.

What makes this work: The former crush/mentor relationship adds history and emotional depth—Audrey remembers the inspiring professor Michelle used to be, while Michelle sees everything she’s lost reflected in Audrey’s enthusiasm. The Women in Art class that Michelle wanted but Audrey gets creates professional rivalry alongside personal attraction. The pottery wheel scene (wine-filled, obviously sensual) is an inspired setting for breaking down barriers. Academic romance readers will appreciate the tenure track concerns and workplace complications.

Robert Dugoni
Regularly $5.99, Today $2.99
Legal Thrillers

⚖️ When Jenna Bernstein, disgraced wunderkind CEO of a controversial biotech company, is accused of murdering her former partner and lover, she turns to Seattle attorney Keera Duggan to defend her. Keera is more than a master chess player who brings her intuitive moves into court—she’s Jenna’s childhood friend.

Five years earlier, Keera’s father successfully defended Jenna when she was tried for the killing of her company’s chief scientist who threatened to go public with allegations of corporate fraud. Keera knows Jenna too well. When she was a kid, Keera saw Jenna for what she was: a manipulative and frighteningly controlling sociopath.

Now, with only circumstantial evidence against Jenna, Keera is willing to bury any trepidation she might have to defend a woman she believes, this time, to be innocent. As the investigation gets underway and disturbing questions arise, Keera puts her trust in a client who swears that this time she’s telling nothing but the truth.

Robert Dugoni (bestselling author of the Tracy Crosswhite series) delivers a legal thriller where the defense attorney knows her client is a sociopath from childhood but believes she’s innocent this time. Fans of John Grisham or Scott Turow will appreciate the courtroom drama, but Dugoni adds a twist: what if your manipulative childhood friend has been accused of murder twice and you have to bet on which time she’s telling the truth?

This is fascinating: Keera defended Jenna once before (corporate fraud/murder), knows she’s manipulative and controlling, but believes her innocent now based on circumstantial evidence alone. The chess player attorney angle means Keera approaches cases strategically, but the personal history clouds her judgment. The question “is this all just another devious game?” hangs over every interaction, making readers question whether Keera is being played. This is Book 2, but the setup works as standalone.

Rachel Caine
Regularly $4.99, Today $2.49
Serial Killer Thrillers

💀 Gina Royal is the definition of average—a shy Midwestern housewife with a happy marriage and two adorable children. But when a car accident reveals her husband’s secret life as a serial killer, she must remake herself as Gwen Proctor—the ultimate warrior mom.

With her ex now in prison, Gwen has finally found refuge in a new home on remote Stillhouse Lake. Though still the target of stalkers and Internet trolls who think she had something to do with her husband’s crimes, Gwen dares to think her kids can finally grow up in peace.

But just when she’s starting to feel at ease in her new identity, a body turns up in the lake—and threatening letters start arriving from an all-too-familiar address. Gwen Proctor must keep friends close and enemies at bay to avoid being exposed—or watch her kids fall victim to a killer who takes pleasure in tormenting her.

Rachel Caine creates a serial killer’s wife thriller where the protagonist had no idea about her husband’s crimes but must live with public suspicion and internet harassment while protecting her children. Fans of Karin Slaughter’s The Good Daughter or Chevy Stevens will appreciate the “warrior mom” transformation and the isolated lake setting.

Here’s what’s terrifying: Gwen rebuilt her entire life in hiding, but the body in the lake and letters from a familiar address suggest either her imprisoned husband is reaching out or someone else knows her identity and wants to destroy her new life. The internet troll element adds modern menace—she’s not just fighting a physical threat but online harassment that could expose her anywhere. The “learned how to fight evil” tagline promises a protagonist who’s evolved from victim to protector.

A. R. Torre
Regularly $4.99, Today $2.49
Domestic Thrillers

🎭 Perla Wultz lives with her husband, Grant, and their precious daughter, Sophie, in a gated Pasadena community. Affluent, sociable, and accomplished, Perla plays the part of loving wife and mother to perfection. It seems an ideal life, if not for a decades-old crime that has become Perla’s dark and consuming secret obsession.

Twenty-three years ago, Leewood Folcrum confessed to murdering two young girls during a birthday party. Though he’s been condemned to a life sentence, his crime is not forgotten. Not by Perla, nor by an inquisitive doctoral student interviewing Folcrum for his dissertation.

As the past and the present entwine, the deceptions behind the infamous murder begin to surface. But who’s deceiving who now? And why? And as an ingeniously twisted plan is set in motion, who will be the next to die?

A. R. Torre weaves a domestic thriller where a perfect suburban mom is secretly obsessed with a decades-old murder case. Fans of A.J. Finn’s The Woman in the Window or Shari Lapena will recognize the unreliable narrator setup, but Torre adds the twist that Perla’s connection to the original crime is unclear—is she victim, survivor, or something else?

What’s brilliant here: The convicted killer (Leewood Folcrum) confessed 23 years ago and is serving life, so the case should be closed. But a doctoral student reopening the investigation through interviews threatens to unravel “the deceptions behind the infamous murder”—suggesting the confession wasn’t the full truth. Perla’s consuming secret obsession means her perfect life is a facade hiding either guilt, trauma, or knowledge. The “who’s deceiving who now?” and “ingeniously twisted plan” promises multiple layers of manipulation.

Gill Thompson
Regularly $2.99, Today $0.99
World War II Historical Fiction

💔 ‘They were there for each other during the war just like the lighthouse, a source of hope and protection over the years.’

1940: For sisters Alice and Jenny life is just beginning when the Nazis seize control of the island of Jersey, driving the girls down separate paths. While Alice is forced by the enemy to work in the German hospital, Jenny is attracted to the circle of islanders rising up to resist the occupiers. And as the war tightens its grip, it will cause each of the sisters to make an extraordinary choice, experience unimaginable heartbreak and emerge forever changed…

1996: The war may have ended decades earlier, but for the elegant woman sitting alone now, the images live on in her memory: her sister’s carefree laughter, the inky black of a German soldier’s boots, the little boats that never came back. And the one constant through it all: the lighthouse that always guided them back to the island…

Gill Thompson (author of The Child on Platform One) delivers a dual-timeline WWII story set on occupied Jersey, where two sisters take opposite paths—one forced to work for the Germans, one joining the resistance. Fans of Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale or Pam Jenoff’s The Lost Girls of Paris will recognize the separated sisters theme and the impossible choices under occupation.

What makes this powerful: The Channel Islands occupation is a less-covered WWII setting—these British islands were the only UK territory occupied by Germany. Alice working in the German hospital against her will creates moral complexity (she’s helping the enemy to survive), while Jenny’s resistance work is heroic but dangerous. The lighthouse as constant symbol threading through both timelines provides hope and navigation through darkness. At $0.99, this is exceptional value for emotional historical fiction.