Vortex: An FBI Thriller, by Catherine Coulter (Morrow), is the top holds title of the week (8/9/21). LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read this buzziest book. 

In Coulter’s 25th book in the “FBI Thriller” series, agents Lacey Sherlock and Dillon Savich investigate two seperate cases, but are they as unconnected as they seem? Coulter offers a fast pace, plently of suspenseful plotting, and characters whom readers have followed for years. 

READ-ALIKES

Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker (St. Martin’s)
Appeared on the August 2017 LibraryReads list

“One night, Emma and her sister Cass go missing. Three years later, Cass returns home without Emma and tells the story of a couple who held the girls hostage and kidnapped the child to whom Emma gave birth. FBI Special Agent Abby Strauss is brought in to interview Cass with the hope of finally finding Emma. The more answers Cass gives, the more questions Abby has, and she knows that beneath all of Cass’s stories lies the truth. This thriller, with many unreliable characters, will keep readers off-kilter and uncertain, even after one final twist.”—Jennifer Winberry, Hunterdon County Library, Flemington, NJ

The Finishing School by Michele Martinez (Harper; LJ starred review)
Suggested by the LibraryReads Advisory Board

“Manhattan federal prosecutor Melanie Vargas returns in this entertaining sequel to Martinez’s debut, Most Wanted. This time out, Melanie’s separation from her cheating husband has made juggling the demands of her job and her one-year-old daughter even more complicated. Then two Park Avenue prep school girls overdose on heroin and a third girl goes missing, prompting a middle-of-the-night summons from Melanie’s difficult, politically scheming boss. Melanie’s assignment: get the dealer and get him jailed, pronto. One of the girls is the daughter of a U.S. senatorial candidate, and things heat up even more when FBI hunk Dan O'Reilly gets assigned to the case. But there is more to this story than fast times at Holbrooke High, and the twists keep coming. The romance is hot and the suspense high in this absorbing, fast-paced thriller. Highly recommended for all fiction collections.”—Stacy Alesi, Palm Beach Cty. Lib. Syst., Boca Raton, FL

Precious Thing by Colette McBeth (St. Martin’s)
Appeared on the March 2014 LibraryReads list

“Clara and Rachel have been friends since high school. Life has intervened and they’ve grown apart, so when Clara invites Rachel for drinks to catch up, it’s a chance to reconnect. But before that can happen, Rachel is called to cover a missing girl story, and the missing girl is Clara. Was she abducted, murdered, or did she simply leave on her own? In the vein of Gone Girl and The Husband’s Secret, this is a fast read that is sure to entertain.”—Robin Nesbitt, Columbus Metropolitan Library, Columbus, OH (retired)

The Shadow District by Arnaldur Indridason (Minotaur)
Appeared on the November 2017 LibraryReads list

“Indridason introduces a new crime series featuring a retired detective. The Shadow District skillfully weaves two mysteries together. In present time, an elderly man’s death, first thought to be due to natural causes, is later revealed as a murder. While unofficially investigating, Konrad discovers a link to a cold case involving the strangulation of a young woman and a surprising connection to Konrad’s own childhood. With its nicely tense pacing and a vivid portrayal of life in modern and wartime Iceland, fans of atmospheric investigations will undoubtedly welcome Indridason’s latest offering.”—Sharon Layburn, South Huntington Public Library, Huntington Station, NY