Burning Bright by Nicholas Petrie

Battling PTSD, war veteran Peter Ash finds himself up in a redwood after encountering a grizzly bear. While up there, he meets journalist June Cassidy who is hiding from some men whom she believes want to kill her and might have had something to do with her mother's death (which was considered an accident).  June's mother, Hazel, was a renowned computer science professor at Stanford. June and Peter take a liking to each other and go on the run to uncover why June is in danger and to also take out whomever is after her. In this second novel in the Peter Ash series, Petrie cements himself as a must-read thriller writer and a sure bet for those readers (like me) who have tired of Lee Child's repetitive plots, but still desire a action-packed, suspenseful read. It will be published next month.

Dying for Christmas by Tammy Cohen

While out Christmas shopping, Jessica meets a handsome man named Dominic Lacey and impulsively goes home with him. Soon after arriving, she realizes her mistake--she is trapped by a madman. Dominic intends to keep Jessica prisoner, giving her a disturbing gift every day that lends insight into his past and the plans he has for her. Interspersed with Jessica's story is that of a policewoman named Kim who has been assigned Jessica's missing person's case and is trying to find out what happened to her. Dying for Christmas is a suspenseful tale similar to No Other Darkness by Sarah Hilary and Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris.