DREAMING OF THE ULTIMATE TRANSPLANT, a respected neurosurgeon journeys from the Vatican to the Soviet Union in search of a way to transfer brains—and, in his belief, souls—from body to body. Fascinating true story, well reported. B PLUS

MR. HUMBLE AND DR. BUTCHER
Simon & Schuster
2021

HUMANS VERSUS ANDROIDS in a clever near-future thriller. Outstanding worldbuilding with a few touches of political commentary, but above all a suspenseful read. B PLUS

THEY NAMED HIM PRIMO (PRIMO'S WAR BOOK 1)
Jaka Tomc
2021

HYPERSLEEK THRILLER PITS a small group of disaffected techies against the colossus of social media. Sharp satire and high-stakes action. B PLUS

VERSION ZERO
G.P. Putnam's Sons
2021

A SMALL-TOWN ARIZONA APOCALYPSE has an around-the-world reach. Crackling, fast-paced horror tale with stylish, cinematic flair. B PLUS

THUNDER, AZ
Abandoned House
2021

COMPELLING, CREEPY NEAR-FUTURE science fiction tale is a thoughtful parable of the sacrifices we all make to survive. Strong characterization and a believably desolate tomorrow. B PLUS

COMPOSITE CREATURES
Angry Robot
2021

SMART CARIBBEAN THRILLER stars an ex-Navy SEAL turned freighter captain and his crew drawn into an international incident. Some of the best qualities of Lee Child and John D. MacDonald combine in this high-energy tale. B PLUS

A VIABLE THREAT (A MARTIN BILLINGS STORY BOOK 4)
Float Street Press
2021

THE INCREDIBLE TRUE STORY of a self-anointed prophet and “king” who briefly ruled an island in Michigan. Brilliantly researched and oddly timely tale of a 19th-century megalomaniac. B PLUS

THE KING OF CONFIDENCE
Little
2020

SLEEK PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER spares nobody in its sharp-eyed look at the writing life, the angst of aging Boomers, and the myths we make about ourselves and our families. Not to mention a tense, twisty plot! B PLUS

DREAM GIRL
William Morrow
2021

A JOURNALIST SEEKS REVENGE: on a self-aggrandizing streamer who hurt his godchild, on an increasingly corrupt and commercialized profession, on a modern world where he feels out of place. Sharp, compelling Washington thriller. B PLUS

FALSE LIGHT
Greenleaf Book Group Press
2021

COMING TO TERMS WITH a brutal childhood, a tension between two ethnic and religious identities, and the pull of two homelands, a writer rediscovers old loves at the beginning of a new one. Heartfelt portrayal of a particularly masculine crisis. B PLUS

MONKEY BOY
Grove Press
2021