Retired Assassins, Sand Dune Corpses, and a Psychic Salon Owner: This Week's Free Thrillers

by Mark Dawson

John Milton is a government assassin on the run from his old bosses, and he gets pulled back in when a desperate mother begs him to save her son from a violent gang. It's sitting at 3.81 with over 19,000 readers, which is the lowest score here but by far the biggest crowd. One reviewer praised the strong sense of place and another said the formatting and grammar were clean, so it sounds polished even if it isn't groundbreaking. Good pick if you want Jack Reacher or Orphan X energy without paying for it.

“The Cleaner by Mark Dawson is a crime action adventure novel and the first book in the John Milton series. The author brought a strong sense of place, people, and events to life in the book. John Milton has been working for Group Fifteen, a covert government agency for six years. He is called when...”

by Renee George

Nora Black runs a salon in Garden Cove and wakes up from a near-death experience able to see memories through scents. When a friend is accused of murder, she puts the gift to work. It's at 4.24 with more than 2,200 readers, though one reviewer hovered between 2.5 and 3 stars because of a character they just couldn't stand. Not for everyone, but if you like paranormal women's fiction with a cozy streak, the premise alone is worth the zero dollars.

“Sense and Scent Ability by Renee George Paranormal women’s fiction. After dying on the operating table, Nora Black has a new ability to see memories that are not hers, based on a triggered scent. When her BFF’s abusive boyfriend is found dead, Nora finds herself in the middle of the investigation...”

by Julia Derek

This is the darkest pitch of the bunch. FBI Agent Sidney Stone is still haunted by her brother's murder, and now a wave of child abductions mirrors her own traumatic past. It holds a 4.21 across more than 1,700 readers, which is solid for a heavy subject. Know going in that it deals with missing kids, so it won't suit every mood, but thriller fans who like their protagonists close to the edge should grab it.

by Winnie Reed

Food blogger Emma Harmon takes a resort job, gets her first kiss, and then finds a celebrity chef dead in the dunes with his own knife in him. One ill-advised touch makes her a suspect, and a reviewer notes the weapon belongs to her childhood friend, which complicates things nicely. It's at 4.17 with just over 1,000 readers, and one fan landed on 3.75 stars. Light, a little flirty, and good for a lazy afternoon, especially with a Detective McHottie keeping an eye on her.

“Food blogger Emma finds a body in the sand dunes and the murder weapon belongs to Emma's childhood friend. Reed gives us a well-conceived plot, interesting characters and a vivid setting (beach town). This is a comfortable, entertaining read.”

by Charles Welch

Kalen McDonald gets visions of murder and uses them to hunt predators nobody else can stop. Then a killer finds out about his secret life and goes after his family. It has the highest rating among the darker books at 4.35 with over 570 readers, though nobody has written a review yet, so you'd be going in blind. I like the hunter-becomes-hunted setup, and at this price the gamble is easy.

by Gregory C. Randall

This one surprised me. Five Crow veterans come home from Afghanistan with $10 million in CIA blood money, and someone is executing them one by one to get it back. Deputy Jordan Tynes steps in after two women are abducted. It has the best rating on the list at 4.54 with a few hundred readers, and a reviewer who has lived in Montana for thirty years was thrilled to see their home turf done right. Another liked the touches of the old westerns they grew up on, so it's a good fit if you want action with real dirt under its boots.

“I was so pleased to discover this author. Not only are they great stories, but they are about my neck of the woods! I've lived in Montana for thirty years now, and I have found too few authors who actually write about what it is like to live in a climate that is hot in the summer and so cold in the...”